Information Package
baskent.edu.tr

Master's of American Culture and Literature without Thesis

AMER501

RESEARCH TECHNIQUES

Course Code
AMER501
Semester
First Term (Fall)
Theory+Practice
3 + 0
ECTS
5
Course TypeCompulsory Course
Course LevelMaster's Degree Without Thesis
Year of Study1
SemesterFirst Term (Fall)
ECTS5
Name of Lecturer(s) -
Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course, the students;

  1. will be able to employ various critical approaches used in literary and cultural analysis, such as text-, author-, and reader-oriented approaches as well as types of historical and cultural criticism,
  2. will be able to formulate research questions relating to literary and cultural topics by using such critical approaches,
  3. will be able to develop research materials into a well-organized academic paper,
  4. will be able to do research on their subject area.
Mode of DeliveryFace to face
PrerequisitesNo
Recommended Optional Programme ComponentsNone
Course DescriptionThis course focuses on the individual students' requirements for research paper and thesis writing. Particular attention will be paid to the collection of research materials from libraries and other sources (such as the electronic media), and to the framing of research questions and developing arguments around them. The theoretical part of the course will include approaches to literature and culture.
Course Contents
WEEK TOPICS
1st Week Introduction: Writing and Research
2nd Week Documenting Research: MLA, APS, and Chicago Manuals of Style
3rd Week Approaches to Texts: Writing about Character, Plot, Setting, Tone, Point of View, Allegory and Symbolism
4th Week Approaches to Texts: Writing about Character, Plot, Setting, Tone, Point of View, Allegory and Symbolism
5th Week Project 1 Presentations and Peer Reviews
6th Week Approaches to Texts: Critical Theories of Language and Writing
7th Week Approaches to Texts: Critical Theories of Language and Writing
8th Week Project 2 Presentations and Peer Reviews
9th Week Writing the Research Paper: In-Class Activities
10th Week Writing the Research Paper: In-Class Activities
11th Week Writing the Research Paper: In-Class Activities
12th Week Final Project (First Draft) Presentations
Recommended or Required ReadingDerste ana kaynak olarak incelenecek yazınsal metinler dersi verecek öğretim elemanı tarafından belirlenecektir.

Altick, Richard D., and John J. Fenstermarker. The Art of Literary Research. New York, Norton, 1993.

Booth, Wayne C., Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams. The Craft of Research. Chicago, U of Chicago P, 1995.

Bressler, Charles E. Literary Criticism: An Introduction to Theory and Practice. 4th ed., Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice Hall, 2007.

Gibaldi, Joseph. Introduction to Scholarship in Modern Languages and Literatures. New York, MLA, 1992.

Guerin, Wilfred L., et al. A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature. Oxford, Oxford UP, 1992.

Harner, James. Literary Research Guide: A Guide to Reference Sources for the Study of Literature in English and Related Topics. New York, MLA, 1993.

Selden, Raman, ed. The Theory of Criticism from Plato to the Present: A Reader. Harlow, Longman, 1988.

Staton, Shirley, ed. Literary Theories in Praxis. Pennsylvania, U of Pennsylvania P, 1987.

Yücel, Tahsin. Eleştiri Kuramları. İstanbul, Türkiye İş Bankası Kültür Yayınları, 2007.
Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods
  • Lecture
  • Discussion
Assessment Methods and Criteria
Quantity Percentage (%)
Assignment 2 10
Project 2 50
Total(%) 60
Contribution of In-term Studies to Overall Grade(%) 60
Contribution of Final Examination to Overall Grade(%) 40
Total(%) 100
ECTS Allocated Based on Student Workload
Activities Quantity Duration (Hour) Total Workload (Hour)
Midterm exam
Preparation for Quiz
Individual or group work 14 3 42
Preparation for Final exam 1 10 10
Course hours 14 3 42
Preparation for Midterm exam
Laboratory (including preparation)
Final exam 1 3 3
Homework 2 5 10
Project 2 5 10
Weekly Articles and Resource Research 14 3 42
Total Work Load159
Total Work Load / 30 (h)5.3
ECTS Credit of the Course5
Language of InstructionEnglish
Work Placement(s)No

Programme Qualifications / Learning Outcomes

LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
K1 X X X X
K2 X X X
K3 X X
K4 X X X
K5 X X
K6 X X X X
K7 X X
K8 X
K9 X X X
K10 X
K11 X X X X
K12 X X X
K13 X X X