All research should end with a product that in some way advances human knowledge and understanding. That may seem like a lofty goal, but any purpose that is lower is bound to produce mediocre results.
In this assignment, you will be asked to demonstrate some of the results of your research. You need to provide me with a good sense that you have thought through the problems presented by your topics and that you have discerned a path toward responding to those problems.
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Some things to keep in mind: 1. Every research project should have one (and only one) research question in mind, and you must be able to express it in one sentence. While that question may have sub-points to it, there must be a clear focus so that any reader can say, "I know what this writer is dealing with." Don’t try to solve all the problems of the world in one paper. Deal with one issue per research project. 2. Your research question must be stated in such a way that it provides you with a direction to go. Don’t formulate a question like "I want to find out all about Lucretia Borgia." Make sure it is focused and directional: "Was Lucretia Borgia a poisoner?" 3. Research questions should normally not call just for the compiling of information (e.g. "What did Martin Luther say about indulgences?") but should try to solve a problem (e.g. "Was Martin Luther's stance on saving grace an over-reaction to the teaching of the church of his time or an accurate reading of the New Testament?") 4. Take outlines seriously. Many research projects either succeed or fail on the basis of how your material is presented. Outlines are intended to help you to present information and arguments clearly so that readers can follow where you’re going easily. |
| Have a hard look at your bibliography: 1. Do you have a lot of fairly broad book and article titles in it, each of which might give you only a chapter or portion on your specific topic, or are the materials for the most part focused directly on your research question? 2. Is there a lot of diversity of topics in your bibliography or are the items in it all pretty much on one thing (a lot of diversity in a bibliography usually means that direct relevance is limited)? 3. Are your materials relatively recent? This will be less an issue for biblical studies and theology than for psychology or linguistics. 4. Is there too much emphasis on certain writers, certain journals, etc. or are your materials broadly representative of key people in the field? |
This assignment should demonstrate that you have a good knowledge of the issues surrounding your topic and that you have a focused plan to deal with your research question.
A Word about Literature Reviews
Much of what you are doing in this part of the course will lead to a literature review. Literature reviews can be troublesome: How do I set one up? What do I include? What is the goal? For more on this, see my article: “The Literature Review in a Digital Age.” Online Searcher 41, no. 3 (May 2017): 57–59. https://twu.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lxh&AN=123081420&site=ehost-live&scope=site
[Click on the file link above to download a template in rich text format (works in most word processors). It will form an outline so you can insert your answers under each heading. You can then submit the complete document to Prof. Badke by e-mail attachment].
1. Read any parts of the textbook you have not already read, and indicate that you have done so.
2. Present your final research question.
3. Provide an expanded outline of a paper you would write based on your final research question. Include enough explanation of each heading to tell me what you intend it to contain. E.g., something like the following:
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THE MEANING OF THE TERM GOSPEL
Introduction
Explanation of the fact that the Greek term "Gospel" seems to be used in a variety of ways
in the NT. Statement of research question.
I. The Term "Gospel" in its Ancient Greek Setting
Analysis of the meaning of the word before Jesus and the Church got hold of it.
A. Gospel in Secular Greek Authors
B. Gospel in the Septuagint
II. The Term "Gospel" in the NT Preaching
A. Acts
Explanation of the content of the term Gospel used in the NT preaching
B. Paul's Writings
III. The Meaning of "Gospel" in Mark 1:1
Analysis of the meaning given to the term when used to describe one of the four Gospels
Conclusion
Statement of a definition of "Gospel" that covers the NT usage.
__________________________________________________________________________________
4. Provide a bibliography of no less than 23 items, of which at least 8 must be journal articles [or essays or conference papers], based on your research question/outline. [You may have more articles and fewer books if your topic is new or in the social sciences or sciences.] Your bibliography will usually be compiled out of searches you have done in previous assignments, though you are free to add items from additional searches if you wish. This bibliography must be in Turabian Humanities or Notes & Bibliography (not Turabian Author-Date) format.
Your bibliography needs to be in alphabetical order by author. Do not number it, and get the formatting right.
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Some Tips:
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Rubric for Assignment Five. Highest grade meets these criteria:
1. Research question is very well formulated and makes a real contribution to study in the field.
2. Outline is logically organized and is set up to include all elements of the research question, with no irrelevant points.
3. Bibliography shows high level of relevance and quality that is representative of the best material on the topic.
4. Bibliography is in alphabetical order by author.
5. You have used correct bibliographical format.
Land Acknowledgement
Trinity Western University's Langley campus is located on the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the Stó:lō people. We are grateful for the opportunity to live, work, and learn on this land.
