INDEPENDENT UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH

Sociology 4141X, 4111X, Independent Studies, and Other Directed Study Projects

Professor: Christopher Uggen (Pronounced You-Gun)
1167 Social Sciences: 624-4016; Office Hours by appt.
uggen001@umn.edu
www.chrisuggen.com

PLAN AND OBJECTIVES
I will help provide resources, advice, assistance, and encouragement to you as you complete your sociology major project paper. You will have much more responsibility for staying on top of your project than you would in a senior projects course. We will discuss how to: (1) select a topic and specify a research question; (2) engage the existing literature; (3) identify an appropriate analytic strategy; (4) conduct the analysis; and, (5) report the results in a research paper. Our only objective is for you to produce an original senior research paper of the highest quality.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES AND OTHER REFERENCES:
1 . American Sociological Association ASA Style Guide. 1998. [Please follow ASA style for all work].
2. The Sociology Writing Group. 1998. A Guide to Writing Sociology Papers.
3. Becker, Howard S. 1998. Tricks of the Trade: How to Think About Your Research While You Are Doing It [chapter 1 online] and 1986. Writing for Social Scientists: How to Start and Finish Your Thesis, Book, or Article.
4. University of Washington's Sociology Writing Center. [see "writing a research paper" and "definition of a research paper"
5 . Strunk Jr., William, and E.B. White. 1979 The Elements of Style. Available online at: http://www.bartleby.com/141/index.html
6 . Uggen's Link Page: http://www.socsci.umn.edu/~uggen/links.htm

POLICIES, EXPECTATIONS, AND FRIENDLY REMINDERS
1. LATE WORK. I expect assignments to be turned in by 4:30 on the dates noted below. If you cannot do this, I cannot guarantee that I can give you feedback in time for it to be useful to you.
2. INCOMPLETES. I will not give incompletes for directed study projects.

ASSIGNMENTS
The assignments are designed to (a) give you feedback so that you can improve your work, and (b) keep you on-track as you work throughout the quarter.

1-2 PAGE PROPOSED TOPIC AND RESEARCH QUESTION, DUE: END OF 2ND WEEK OF SEMESTER
Introduce topic, your interest, and sociological relevance. Frame it as a sociological research question. Plan how you will get started? (sources? method?). I will be looking for on-time, realistic proposals, but this is an appropriate time for brainstorming as well.

8-15 PAGE LITERATURE REVIEW, OUTLINE, AND BIBLIOGRAPHY, DUE: END OF 7TH WEEK
Review the literature to frame your topic and research questions, including current controversies and gaps; I would like to see at least 10 sources, drawn mainly from journals such as Annual Review of Sociology, American Journal of Sociology, American Sociological Review, Journal of Health & Social Behavior, Gender and Society, Law & Society Review, Social Forces, Social Psychology Quarterly, Social Problems, and Sociological Quarterly. Law/crime/deviance students should also consult journals such as Criminology, Deviant Behavior, Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology, Journal of Research in Crime & Delinquency, Justice Quarterly and Law & Social Inquiry. Explain the methods to be used in your paper; Outline your results and discussion sections; provide a partial bibliography. I will be looking for an appropriate and specific review and bibliography. The references should be formatted in ASA style. I also expect an outline of the complete research paper at this stage (that is, outline what your results and discussion section will look like even if you do not have any results to include at this point).

15-20 PAGE COMPLETED FIRST DRAFT, DUE: END OF 12TH WEEK
Same as 8-15 page draft plus results, discussion and conclusion. I will be looking for completeness: Is the basic structure of the paper sound?

20-30 PAGE FINAL PAPER, DUE LAST DAY OF CLASSES
THE WHOLE ENCHILADA, ORGANIZED AS FOLLOWS (page lengths are only guidelines, so individual projects will vary):
1. Title Page (1 page)
2. Abstract (1 paragraph of 150-200 words)
3. Introduction (1-2 pages (don't label this "introduction," just write 2-3 paragraphs setting up your research questions))
4. Literature Review (8-15 pages)
5. Data, Measures, and Methodology (1-2 pages)
6. Results (3-6 pages)
7. Discussion (3-5 pages)
8. Conclusion (1 page)
9. References (2-5 pages)

I will be grading the final paper using the following criteria:
o Completeness
o Clarity and logical flow
o Style and presentation (syntax, spelling, punctuation)
o Appropriateness, specificity, and extent of literature review
o Appropriateness and quality of analysis
o Connection between discussion and conclusion sections and the introductory sections and literature review