Laws
5001 Legal Method and Social Inquiry
Winter
2007
COURSE SCHEDULE
(subject to
adjustment)
|
Class 2007 |
Topic |
Focus of Class and Small Group
Discussion |
Readings/Notes |
|
1. Jan 9 |
Introduction to Research |
Introduction
and Overview of the Course Discuss
initial ideas about research |
Memorandum
to Students Assigned task for next wee: identify an MA Legal Studies
Thesis (held in Carleton Library that you will read for class 3. Search http://catalogue.library.carleton.ca/search.
Search by author: |
|
2. Jan 16 |
Thinking About Research:
Questions, Approaches in Legal Studies
|
What is
research? Is
there a distinctive ‘method’ in legal studies research? What
kind of research questions do legal studies researchers ask about law/the
functioning legal system? How do
the themes and ideas in the readings relate – if at all – to the directions
you are considering for your research?
|
Review Handout:
various tidbits about research to get discussion going. René
Laperrière, “Quality Assessment Report,
2001”(Extract) Austin Sarat, “Pain, Powerlessness, and the
Promises of Interdisciplinary Legal Scholarship: An Idiosyncratic, Autobiographical Account of Conflict and
Continuity” (2000) 18 Carrie Menkel-Meadow, “Durkheimian Epiphanies: The Importance of
Engaged Social Science in Legal Studies” (1990) 18 Fla. St. U.L. Rev. 91 Advise Professor of your thesis
selection; you will be assigned to small groups on roughly compatible topics. Advise Professor of your main
area of proposed thesis research (will allow her to form small discussion
groups). |
|
3. Jan
23 |
What Does an MA Thesis Look
Like? |
Discussion
and ‘comparing notes’ on MA law theses: Eg.,
Structure, length, bibliography/sources research problem/question, literature
review, use of theory, methods used/data sources, analysis; observations
about the thesis (thesis writing) generally. |
Madsen,
Chapter 2 Read
your selected thesis (cover to cover). Bring in three copies of the abstract
and table of contents of the thesis to hand to your small group colleagues. Assigned task: select the proposals you will
read for next week. Copies will be put in the Grad student room. Handout:
Step 1: The Research Question ( |
|
4. Jan 30 |
Introducing the Research
Proposal |
Research
Proposals: What do they look like? What is in them and why? |
Madsen, Chapter 3 and 4 pp 32-50 The research proposal: http://www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au/learningconnection/student/research/proposal.asp
http://www.nrf.ac.za/methods/pdf/guide.PDF
Hand
in draft copies (4) of the Research Question Thoughtpiece (will be given
to your group members and discussed in small groups next week) |
|
5. Feb
6 |
The Research Question |
Discussion
of research questions |
Your own work and that
of small group colleagues (as distributed the week ahead). |
|
6. Feb
13 [lcd] |
How Do I Organize myself? Know Your Sources |
“LAB” Discussion
of techniques for note-taking, card index files, electronic information
management. Discussion
of research sources |
Hand in
version of RQ Thoughtpiece to be marked Madsen, Chapter 5 & 6 Handout:
-
Research on the Internet ( -
“On Keeping
Organized” ( -
Research Management: http://www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au/learningconnection/student/research/management.asp Students: be prepared
to “show and tell” – what has worked for you in the past; possible database
demo. Handout: Step 2: Relation
to Existing Research/The Literature Review ( |
|
Feb 20 |
Reading
Week |
|
|
|
7. Feb
27 |
Guest 1: The Functioning Legal
System |
|
Hand in discussion draft of Relation to
Existing Literature /Literature Review and Methods reflection (4 copies) |
|
8. Mar 6 |
Relationship to Existing
Literature |
|
Your
own work and that of your colleagues in the small group. |
|
9. Mar 13 |
Guest 2: The Functioning Legal
System |
|
Hand-in Relation to Existing Literature
(to be marked). |
|
10. Mar
20 |
Guest 3: The Functioning Legal
System |
|
Hand in discussion draft of Research
Plan (4 copies). |
|
11. Mar
27 |
Research Proposals |
Discussion
of ‘research plans’ -- directions under consideration for theory and method for
research |
|
|
12. April
03 |
The Writing Process and, Where
do you go from here? |
What
will make you want to finish your thesis? What
goals will you set? Will there be incentives to meet them (specify!) What
structures will you put in place? How do
you feel about ‘revising’ your work? How
will you avoid (or overcome) ‘writer’s block’? What do
you expect of your supervisor? Of yourself? |
Hand in revised Research Plan to be
marked. Madsen,
Chapters 7 and 8 Howard
Becker, Writing for Social Scientists (Chicago: University of Chicago Press,
1986), Chapters 6 and 7 (Risk
and Getting it out the Door) |
|
Finally, |
|
|
Research
Proposal: Email to Professor at bretteldawson@sympatico.ca
by 5.00pm on April 20th. |