Department of TV-Radio-Film-Theatre
GRADUATE SEMINAR

RESEARCH IN TV-RADIO-FILM-THEATRE
TA 200 (3 units #43723)

SYLLABUS - Fall 2007
[schedule]

FACULTY

Dr. Kimb Massey
TV-Radio-Film-Theatre

Office Hours:
T-TH 9-10am, 12-1pm
Online Office Hours:
M 9-10pm
408-924-4571
kimb.massey@sjsu.edu
FAX 924-4543

RESOURCES

SJSU LIBRARY RESOURCES PAGE

Strunk & White's Elements of Style

Roget's Thesaurus

How to write a bibliography: MLA

Harvard Writing Program Writing Guide

Theatre Journals and Publications

Rhodes theatre links

Rhodes film links

Screenwriters links

. . . .more to follow

CLASS MEETING TIME AND LOCATION -- T 3:30 - 5:45 pm; HGH 120

COURSE TEXTS

Gibaldi, MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (5th ed.)
Booth, Colomb and Williams, The Craft of Research
Zinsser, On Writing Well (6th ed.) (highly recommended)
Selected journal articles, xerox materials, videos, and theatre performances

ONLINE: Welcome to the digital age.

Students are required to maintain an active computer account for electronic mail and other computing services. Nearly all course material, details and instructions will be available via the Internet. If you don't have access to the Internet and an email account at home, you must gain access through San Jose State. You can get your account instantly by taking your student ID to any of the various computer labs on campus. You are REQUIRED to subscribe to the class Google group (TA200) by the second week of class.

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TA200 Google Group Web Site	http://groups.google.com/group/TA200
All course information will be posted on this site including: greensheet, assignments, some class notes and important links (e.g., a link to the class calendar.) You must create a free google account to access this class Web site and the course calendar.
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Massey's AIM Instant Message	www.aim.com Professor Massey's Username is: SJSU Massey
Professor Massey will hold one on-line office hour per week (Mondays 10-11pm). If you want to chat online with her (NOT REQUIRED), simply go to aim.com, get a screen name (it's free) and send a message to "SJSU Massey." You can either download the AIM software to your computer or access AIM Express from the Web site. Or you may simply email Massey during the online hour for instant response.
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COURSE DESCRIPTION

Knowledge emerges only through invention and reinvention, through the restless, impatient, continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with the world, and with each other. (Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, 58)

TA 200 explores the nature and processes of advanced research in TV-Radio-Film and Theatre. We start by identifying various motives for doing research, explaining why research is important within the professional field and central to academic pursuits.

We study the sequential development of successful research projects, beginning with selection of appropriate research questions: i.e. specific, limited areas of investigation worthy of critical scrutiny and expected to make a contribution to the existing literature on the subject (advancing the knowledge.) We examine methods of conducting searches for evidence, looking at connections between subject matter (topics) and different modes of research, including library searches, field studies, data collection, online sources, and others. Active evaluative engagement between the researcher and these materials is emphasized.

Seminar participants will apply critical perspectives to identify other researchers' intentions and structural methods, to reveal the strengths and limitations of their work and the validity of its conclusions. We pay particular attention to relationships between research and production, emphasizing how production can be a site to gather evidence and test theory. Finally, we focus on appropriate reporting techniques including task organization, writing style, documentation, and physical preparation of manuscripts, all geared toward the creation of publishable scholarly research exemplified by the Master's Thesis.

Class materials include examples of recently published articles in leading journals along with presentations by members of the TRFT faculty covering aspects of their own research projects.

 

TA 200

COURSE STRUCTURE/GRADING

All assignments will be done for two different research projects: 1) Dr. Massey's research topic, and 2) Students' choice of research topic.

• READING ASSIGNMENTS/DISCUSSION (20% of grade)
  Students are expected to contribute actively to class discussion of assigned reading. Participation is required and absence will lower grade.
  
• SUMMARIZE/ANALYZE SCHOLARLY ARTICLE (10% of grade)
  Locating and evaluating a scholarly article for class discussion
  
• PRELIMINARY BIBLIOGRAPHY (2 topics, 25 references for each topic) (10% of grade)
  Choosing two topics (one for Massey, one of your own)

• PRESENTATION OF RESEARCH PROPOSALS (20% of grade)
  Prepare a formal written statement of two distinct research proposals, including 1) a statement of the question or problem, 2) a suggested methodology, and 3) a preliminary literature review, with a minimum of twenty-five (25) sources in each proposal.
  
• FORMAL STATEMENT OF RESEARCH QUESTIONS (2) OR PROBLEMS (10% of grade)
  Based upon literature review

• TERM PAPER PROJECT (30% of grade)
  Develop and complete a scholarly paper (4000 words) derived from the definition of a specific research question or problem pertaining to the study of television, radio, film, theatre or dance performance. Components of the term paper project are as follows:

TA 200
SCHEDULE (8/23/07; subject to revision: Faculty Speakers have not been confirmed, for example.)

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