Master's Thesis Colloquium
English 954
Meegan Kennedy
This course was last taught at Trinity College, Fall 2002

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Texts for this course (Used copies of these editions are fine).

William Zinsser, On Writing Well, 6^th Rev & updated edn
(NY: Harper, 1998) ISBN: 0062735233

Wayne Booth, Gregory Colomb, and Joseph Williams, The Craft of Research
(U Chicago P, 1995) ISBN 0-226-06584-7

Joan Bolker, Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day
(NY: Henry Holt, 1998) ISBN 0-8050-4891-X

Joseph Gibaldi, MLA Style Manual, 2d edn (reference)
(NY: MLA, 1998) ISBN 0-87352-699-6

James Harner, Literary Research Guide, 3d edn (reference)
(NY: MLA, 1998) ISBN 0-87352-574-4

Class schedule

T Sept 4 Introduction: What is a Master's Thesis?

T Sept 11 NO CLASS

T Sept 18 Getting Started: Library Instruction (Rosh Hashanah)
Craft of Research (COR) Chapter 1
Bolker Chapters 1-2
Zinsser Part I
Library scavenger hunt (see handout)
Presentations on Topics: Joan and David

T Sept 25 Making a Plan, Finding an Advisor
COR 2-3
Bolker 2-3
Zinsser Part II
Presentations on Topics: Jed and Michael

T Oct 2 Doing Research: (Sukkot)
What makes a good argument?
What articles are most useful?
COR 4-6
Presentations of articles from MLAIB research assignment and annotated bibliography (30 min each)

T Oct 9 NO CLASS (Trinity Days)

T Oct 16 Creating a Proposal
What's already out there?
What am I arguing, and arguing against?
What's at stake?
PROPOSALS DUE (first draft, email to class by weekend before)
Presentations and discussion on proposals (30 min each)

T Oct 23 Starting to Write (Or, Just Stop Reading)
What is evidence?
Corralling the audience
COR 7-10
Zinsser Part IV
Bolker 4 and Appendix I

T Oct 30 Writing as Process
COR 11
Bolker 5
Presentation of work (1 hour each):

T Nov 6 Overcoming Obstacles (Or, Aren't You Done Yet?)
Bolker 6-7
Presentation of work (1 hour each):

T Nov 13 Revising
Whose thesis is this, anyway?
COR 13-14
Bolker 8

T Nov 20 [NO CLASS: Individual meetings]

T Nov 27 [NO CLASS: Individual meetings]

T Dec 4 Completing the thesis
Writing the beginning
How to stop when it's time to stop
COR 15
Bolker 9

Assignments and Grading:

You do not receive credit for this course until you complete the second half of the course (writing the thesis itself). You will not receive a grade from me, but from your thesis advisor, on the thesis itself.

In the course of this semester, you are responsible for the following:
-- Construct, revise, and research a topic
-- Present on your topic
-- Construct a brief annotated bibliography around your topic
-- Write and revise a thesis proposal (4-5 pp). Present it to the class.
-- Draft at least one chapter of the thesis (25-30 pp). Present it to the class.
-- Rigorous, thoughtful, and constructive peer review of your colleagues' work
-- Informed, thoughtful, and constructive participation in discussion

Our class sessions will survey the following topics:
-- Getting started on a topic
-- Finding an advisor
-- Making a plan of attack
-- Constructing an argument
-- Writing a proposal
-- Researching a topic
-- Recognizing a useful source
-- Addressing an audience
-- Getting started on writing
-- Keeping the momentum going
-- Revising, revising, revising
-- Finishing the thesis

Attendance is mandatory. Please give me notice if you need to be out of town for a class or if you are sick.

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