DESCRIPTION:
This course is
available to all who are interested in missiological research, but is designed
primarily to equip doctoral candidates to prepare, critique, and implement a
missiological Program Design appropriate for doctoral studies. Missiology is
multidisciplinary and integrative of the cognate disciplines within the field
broadly including theology, history, and the social sciences. This course
introduces students to research design appropriate for missiological study. It
also serves as an introduction to the SWM doctoral program, focusing on the
structure, relationships, and objectives of the program: developing a research
design that is both flexible and focused while providing a tool for
communicating effectively with a student’s mentor and guidance committee.
Benefits include understanding how to search and critique the literature,
methodological approaches, and proposal writing.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
1. Gain an understanding
of the research design process and the rationale behind it.
2. Be able to apply this understanding to writing a defendable Program Design.
3. Utilize the resulting Program Design to accomplish the research and writing
appropriate for a Doctoral Studies program.
COURSE FORMAT:
The course will be taught using
an intensive eight-day format in an off-campus location. Students will be
encouraged to be in a live-in situation to facilitate interaction and relationship
building. Three follow-up sessions during the Fall term will facilitate
learning and encourage interaction with potential mentors and guidance
committee members.
REQUIRED READING:
Booth, C. W., G.G. Colomb, and
J.M. Williams, The Craft of Research. U. Chicago, 1995 (Pre-course)
Elliston, E. J., Introduction to Missiological Research. Unpub. mss. Hope Univ.
1997 (Pre-course)
Madsen, D., Successful Dissertations and Theses: A Guide to Graduate Student
Research from Proposal to Completion. Jossey-Bass. 1992 or latest edition.
(Post-course)
Thomas, N., SWM Writing Manual, Latest edition, FTS/SWM, 1996 (or latest
edition) (Post-course)
RECOMMENDED READING:
Babbie, E. The Practice of Social Research. Wadsworth, 1997
Isaac and Michael, Handbook in Research
and Evaluation. Edits Publishers, 1995 or latest edition.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Assignments
emphasize the building of skills and thinking through a research design that
will enable students to fulfill the requirements of a doctoral studies program.
Booth and Elliston must be read and a two-page (500 word) book review of each
written BEFORE coming to the first class.
Students are also expected to write out a Research Design Worksheet to
turn in on the first day of class.
Assignments during the intensive course will consist of processing the
steps necessary to acquire research design skills and make an oral presentation
of a design for potential research on the last day of class. These
presentations will be peer critiqued. The final twenty-page (5000-6000 words)
paper, not counting the bibliography, (due Nov. 7, 2003) will emphasize a
students ability to apply course skills to research and writing in the SWM
doctoral program. Post Seminar reading (up to 3000 pages) and library/internet
searches should be reported by keeping a reading log of each article or book
relating to the chosen topic, five one page critiques as assigned and methods
related assignments to apply to data collection and analysis.
PREREQUISITE: None.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM:
Elective for
M.A./Th.M students. Required for all
SWM Doctoral students. This course is not a specific research methods course
and thus may not be used to meet “research methods” requirements in the
doctoral studies program. Students are not permitted to audit this course.
FINAL EXAMINATION: None.