GEOG 501 Research Methods

The purpose of this course is to provide students with a general understanding and appreciation of the diverse methods and approaches used to collect and analyze data and information in the field of geography as they seek to understand various phenomena that represent the expansive scope of geography as a discipline. Students will come to recognize the research methodologies and designs that are commonly used in geography as they explore the wonders of God’s creation and humankind’s development of a cultural landscapes as characterized by various practices, structures, activities, and industries. Students equipped with this knowledge will be better prepared to research and address community and collective problems as part of their vocational pursuits and Christian duty toward others.

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Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student will complete 2 Discussions in this course. The discussions in this course seek to enlighten the student on careers in research in the field of geography and to explore the diverse use of technology in geographic research methods. Geography researchers can be valuable in almost any field or industry today because of the wide range of areas in which geography can be applied. Each thread must be a minimum of 300 words and at least 1 peer-viewed article cited in APA format. Each reply must be a minimum of 200 words.

An important part of understanding the diverse methods used in geography research is to explore various studies and issues that have been researched and studied by scholars and practitioners in the field, paying particular attention to the data collection and research design of these studies. The Article Review Assignments will serve to inform the student about various research methods and how they are developed, implemented, and applied in investigating various phenomena in geography. The paper must be at least 700 words.

The student will apply the course topics and materials into a written project focused on a synthesis of the reading and material from the course. The student will select a topic in geography on which to conduct research using either qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods. Then, the student will develop a proposal that will consist of 4 Chapters: Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, and Findings and a Reference section. These elements will be completed in 2 stages:

• Discussion: Research Topic: The student will select his/her research topic and post it in the thread.
• Stage 1: Chapter 1 – Introduction and Chapter 2 – Literature Review
• Stage 2: All Chapters and Reference Section

The Geographic Research Proposal must be between 7 and 12 pages. The assignment must be no less than 7 pages, including the Title and References pages (this means it must be a minimum of 7 pages). This assignment must be completed in current APA format and at least 15 peer-reviewed journal articles must be cited.

Quizzes will cover the Learn material from both textbook readings and presentations. Each quiz will: be timed, open-book/open-notes; consist of multiple-choice questions. Quizzes may only be taken once.