ASSOCIATED CANADIAN THEOLOGICAL SCHOOLS OF TRINITY WESTERN UNIVERSITY
Graduate Course Syllabus
Course Number: RES 502 OL
Course Name: Research Strategies
Semester and Year: Spring 2025

Instructor:  William Badke
Contact Information:  badke@twu.ca
Office Hours: Contact by e-mail
Co‐requisites or Pre‐requisites:  None
Semester Hours:  2
Course Website: https://libguides.twu.ca/RES502 

Course Description
This online course provides an opportunity for students to develop graduate level information research skills through study of, and practice with, research design, acquisition of resources within a technological environment, resource evaluation, and preparation of resources for the writing of research projects. 
 

Course Objectives 
By the end of this online course, each student should be able to: 
A. explain the complexities of the current world of information resources; 
B. formulate a strategy for research; 
C. show skill in stating a research problem, acquiring a variety of informational resources to address that problem, evaluating those resources, and putting them to effective use; 
D. demonstrate a pattern of planned research from topic to completed project.  

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and its Application
•    demonstrate ability to apply knowledge and discipline specific methodology to solve unique problems
•    demonstrate superior ability to identify and interpret new ideas and research in a specific discipline
•    demonstrate superior skills in academic research, writing, and communication act as skilled practitioners to move beyond knowledge into practice

Cognitive Complexity
•    show ability to carry out discourse and research as an active member of a discipline
•    demonstrate the ability to “undertake inquiry and analysis, to solve problems with a high degree of innovation, divergent thinking and risk taking”
•    give evidence of integrating knowledge and applying the knowledge across disciplinary boundaries
•    give evidence of originality in the application of knowledge.

Required Texts and Materials
Badke, William B. Research Strategies: Finding Your Way through the Information Fog, 7th ed. Bloomington IN: iUniverse.com, 2021. 

Course Activities/Requirements
All course requirements are detailed in the course website: https://libguides.twu.ca/RES502.
 

Course Evaluation
All assignments receive letter grades instead of numeric scores. Each is worth 20% of the total grade. There is no final examination.

Grading System
 

Course Outline
See the course website. Due dates are found under the Instructions & Due Dates tab.

Course Policies/Statements

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AND AVOIDING PLAGIARISM AT TWU
One of the core values of Trinity Western University is the integration of academic excellence with high standards of personal, moral, and spiritual integrity. The University considers it a serious offence when an individual attempts to gain unearned academic credit. It is the student’s responsibility to be informed about what constitutes academic misconduct. For details on this, and on identifying and avoiding plagiarism go to the University Homepage > Academics > Academic Calendar (p. 47).

https://prezi.com/od62fxnkbmxh/plagiarism‐how‐to‐get‐it‐out‐of‐your‐life/ (Prezi presentation)

http://bit.ly/1p00KX3  (Google Slide presentation offering more comprehensive information)

USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Artificial intelligence now allows us to have the machine do a lot of our writing for us. That may well be useful in some settings, but when you are a student, a large part of your research and writing experience requires you to develop skills. Those skills grow when you wrestle through your own research design, do your own searches, develop your own outlines and wrestle through your own writing. The more you turn any of these skills over to AI, the less likely it is that you will develop them for yourself. That is why we encourage minimal use of AI when you are in a learning task such as research or writing.

In any assignment you submit, you must report any use of an AI tool, explaining what you used and how you used it. Think of such AI as a co-author that must be reported. But keep AI use to a minimum while you are in the learning experience of research and writing.

Do not use AI to search for book and article citations. It may find a few but will invent citations that do not exist in real life. AI is a dangerously inadequate search tool, and I always know when I see an AI-generated bibliography.

You may use AI to translate assignments from your home language into English, but you must indicate on assignments that you did this.

The university has a policy and a set of guidelines on the use of AI at TWU. Both are PDF downloads. Start there.

ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT
Students with a disability who need assistance are encouraged to contact the Centre for Accessible Learning upon admission to TWU to discuss their specific needs. All disabilities must be recently documented by an appropriately certified professional and include the educational impact of the disability along with recommended accommodations. Once documented with the Centre for Accessible Learning, a letter will be sent to the student’s professor recommending appropriate accommodations. Within the first two weeks of the semester, students must meet with their professors to agree on accommodations appropriate to each class. Students should follow the steps detailed by the Centre for Accessible Learning outlined on the website at https://www.twu.ca/academics/academic-professional-support/learning-commons/centre-accessible-learning.

HOSPITALITY IN THE CLASSROOM
TWU is committed to an ethic of inclusion centred on the principles of Christian hospitality, reciprocity and reconciliation. We seek to cultivate generous learning spaces that are based on respect for differences and are open to diverse views, opinions, and identities that are thoughtfully expressed in a collegial manner. We welcome and value all voices, including those from under-represented groups or those who have been marginalized.

ACADEMIC FREEDOM
With our charter, mission, and identity as a Christian university, Trinity Western University is committed to academic freedom, affirming and supporting it as defined and described in the statements of Universities Canada and the Tri-Council Research Granting Agencies provided in full at the following link: https://www.twu.ca/academic-freedom-trinity-western-university. Students should familiarize themselves with both the academic freedom statement and policy found at the Academic Freedom website. In this course, the academic freedom of both the course instructor and students is to be respected. Trinity Western University welcomes a diversity of academic perspectives, both in class discussion and submitted course work, provided they are thoughtfully and respectfully presented. Hate speech will not be tolerated.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We acknowledge that Trinity Western University, Langley campus is located on the traditional ancestral unceded territory of the Stó:lō people.

CAMPUS CLOSURE AND CLASS CANCELLATION POLICY
In the event of extreme weather conditions or other emergency situations go to the https://www.twu.ca/campus‐notification.

LATE ASSIGNMENTS POLICY
Late assignments will be accepted as long as the delay is not overly long. Contact your professor in advance.

TWU WRITING CENTRE
The Writing Centre is available to assist all students with their academic writing assignments in any subject at any stage of the writing process from brainstorming to editing. Live, online writing appointments are available throughout the week by appointment and take place within the Learning Commons appointment booking system. To make an appointment, visit www1.twu.ca/writingcentre. For more information, visit https://www.twu.ca/writing-centre or contact writingcentre@twu.ca .