RSCH 401 Interdisciplinary Research Methods

This course equips the student with the skills to perform interdisciplinary research at the undergraduate level. The student will engage in the research process by identifying a problem or research question, retrieving and analyzing relevant literature, and outlining and preparing a research presentation. Experience conducting this research and integrating disciplines will prepare the student to complete an interdisciplinary degree successfully.

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

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Course Requirement Checklist

Discussions (3)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to create a thread in response to the provided prompt. Each thread must be at least 300-400 words and must thoroughly address the content required by the prompt. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to the threads of at least 2 classmates. Each reply must be at least 150 words.

Video Discussion: Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) Video Presentation

In a discussion thread, the student will present a three-minute thesis (3MT) that showcases his/her findings related to the selected problem or research question, using an interdisciplinary approach. The student will review two classmates’ 3MT presentations and respond to them with constructive feedback.

Deconstructing Interdisciplinary Research Paper Assignment

Before conducting and writing about interdisciplinary research, the student must be familiar with how interdisciplinary research is accomplished and described. This assignment is designed to enable a necessary level of understanding of both processes. The student will read an article and identify and analyze the research elements of the piece, addressing specific elements in a 300—450-word paper using current APA format.

Selecting a Problem or Research Question Assignment

Selecting a problem or research question is crucial to the research process. For this assignment, the student will determine the problem or question he/she would like to address in his/her research, and it will be the topic for his/her capstone project in this course. The student will identify and describe the problem or research question in a paper of 300-450 words using current APA format.

Literature Search Assignment

For this assignment, the student will use the online resources available through the Jerry Falwell Library to conduct a literature search that will help him/her address his/her research problem or question. The student will locate at least five articles and fill out a template with information relating to each article. Citations should be in current APA format.

Outline Assignment

To prepare for this course’s main project, Final Paper: Addressing a Research Problem or Question Assignment, the student will need to organize it effectively in an outline format. The student will create a 1—2-page outline that includes main elements of the final paper. 

Final Paper: Addressing a Problem or Research Question Assignment

The student will consider how his/her chosen problem or research question could be addressed using an interdisciplinary approach, based on completed research. The student will write a 500—750-word paper explaining how the chosen problem or research question could be addressed using an interdisciplinary approach. The paper should follow current APA format and include each of the 5 sources found during the literature search.

Quizzes (3)

The quizzes are designed to measure student understanding of the material outlined in the corresponding module’s assigned reading. Each quiz includes 10 multiple-choice, true/false, or multiple-answer questions, has a 30-minute time limit, and allows 1 attempt.