Graduate Studies Reports Access

Graduate Course Proposal Form Submission Detail - GEO6920
Tracking Number - 1892

Edit function not enabled for this course.


Current Status: Approved, Permanent Archive - 2005-05-27
Campus:
Submission Type:
Course Change Information (for course changes only):
Comments:


Detail Information

  1. Date & Time Submitted: 2004-12-08
  2. Department: Geography
  3. College: AS
  4. Budget Account Number: 122700
  5. Contact Person: Philip Reeder
  6. Phone: 8139744292
  7. Email: preeder@cas.usf.edu
  8. Prefix: GEO
  9. Number: 6920
  10. Full Title: Research Methods in Geography
  11. Credit Hours: 3
  12. Section Type: C - Class Lecture (Primarily)
  13. Is the course title variable?: N
  14. Is a permit required for registration?: N
  15. Are the credit hours variable?: N
  16. Is this course repeatable?:
  17. If repeatable, how many times?: 0
  18. Abbreviated Title (30 characters maximum): Research Methods in Geography
  19. Course Online?: -
  20. Percentage Online:
  21. Grading Option: R - Regular
  22. Prerequisites: Graduate standing and consent of instructor
  23. Corequisites:
  24. Course Description: This course stresses conducting geographic research within the scientific method. It includes both quantitative and qualitative research. Specific topics include sample design, data collection, oral presentations, written proposals and a thesis.

  25. Please briefly explain why it is necessary and/or desirable to add this course: A joint doctoral program in Geography and Environmental Science and Policy, approved at the October 2004 meeting of the University of Florida Board of Trustees, will begin in the Spring 2005 semester. Associated with this new program, and to keep the exi
  26. What is the need or demand for this course? (Indicate if this course is part of a required sequence in the major.) What other programs would this course service? This course is part of the new core curriculum that has been developed for the Geography M.A. Program. All Geography masters students will be required to take this course. The course was developed for Geography graduate students, but students from other departments (Environmental Science and Policy, Geology, Engineering, Political Science, Sociology) may find the concept of conducting research in a geographic framework useful, hence they will be allowed to take the course. Permission for non-geography students to enroll in the course must be obtained from the instructor.
  27. Has this course been offered as Selected Topics/Experimental Topics course? If yes, how many times? This course has never been offered by the Geography Department.
  28. What qualifications for training and/or experience are necessary to teach this course? (List minimum qualifications for the instructor.) The instructor must hold a Ph.D. or equivalent in Geography or a related field, and must have a clear understanding of the scientific method and its practical applications in all aspects of geography. The instructor must also have a proven record of research.
  29. Objectives: To examine methodological, ethical and epistemological connections between geography and related disciplines; to provide a means to explore and discuss questions of research design; to provide a practical understanding of the scientific method; to provide an opportunity for student presentation and debate on these issues; to integrate research philosophies with students’ own research agenda; to develop students’ proposal preparation skills; to develop and enhance students geographic writing skills.
  30. Learning Outcomes: At the end of this course students should be able to: work within the framework of the scientific method; appreciate the skills required for proposal preparation and geographic writing; understand and prepare a research and sample design based upon a range of theories and concepts in geography or related subjects; situate methodological questions in geography in relation to debates within geography and cognate disciplines; present, in written and verbal form, a critical evaluative summary of selected research methodologies and philosophies.
  31. Major Topics: I. Nature of Scientific Research;

    II. Defining Geographic Problems;

    III. Quantitative and Qualitative research in geography;

    IV. Hypothesis and research questions;

    V. Formulation of the Research Design;

    VI. Sample design;

    VII. Measurement;

    VII. Acquisition of Data;

    VIII. Analysis of Data;

    IX. Data Presentation;

    X. Proposal writing;

    XI. Scientific writing;

    XII. Writing a thesis or dissertation;

    XIII. Writing a journal article;

  32. Textbooks: Haring, L., J. Lounsbury, and J. Frazier (1992). Introduction to Scientific Geographic Research. 4th. ed., Dubuque, IA: Brown.

    Small, J. And M. Witherick (1995). A Modern Dictionary of Geography. 3rd. ed., NY: Wiley.

    Fotheringham, A.S., C. Brunsdon and M. Charlton (2000) Quantitative Geography, Perspectives on Spatial Data Analysis. Sage Publications: London.

    Rob Kitchen and Nicholas J. Tate, 2000, Conducting Research into Human Geography: theory, method and practice, Prentice Hall, Harlow.

  33. Course Readings, Online Resources, and Other Purchases:
  34. Student Expectations/Requirements and Grading Policy:
  35. Assignments, Exams and Tests:
  36. Attendance Policy:
  37. Policy on Make-up Work:
  38. Program This Course Supports:
  39. Course Concurrence Information:


- if you have questions about any of these fields, please contact chinescobb@grad.usf.edu or joe@grad.usf.edu.