Lesson Report:
### Title: Navigating Research Question Clarity and Theoretical Foundations in Senior Theses
**Synopsis:** In this session, students were guided in refining their research questions for their senior theses, ensuring clarity and the ability to measure and quantify the core issues. Key discussions revolved around integrating appropriate theoretical frameworks from political science to substantiate and direct their research. Collaborative activities and personalized feedback were used to assist students in crystallizing their thesis topics and preparing for their initial meetings with supervisors.
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### Attendance:
– There were no specific mentions of absent students in the transcript.
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### Topics Covered:
1. **Introduction: Supervisor Assignments and Initial Meeting Planning**
– Announcement of supervisor assignments to students.
– Guidance on preparing for the first meeting with supervisors, including setting clear research goals.
2. **Topic Clarification and Comfort**
– Emphasis on finalizing thesis topics and ensuring student comfort with their chosen topics.
– Encouragement to reach out with questions and use of office hours for additional support.
3. **Research Question Review and Partner Activity**
– Instructions for students to review their research questions with a partner.
– Focus points:
– Clarity of the research question.
– Measurement and quantification potential.
– Potential political science theories applicable to their topic.
4. **Partner and Group Discussions: Individual Research Topics**
– Partner pairs worked through the clarity and quantifiability of their research questions.
– Students brainstormed relevant theories that could be applied to their questions with input from the instructor.
– Detailed discussions about individual research topics, including potential challenges and theoretical applications:
– Example topics include: International relations, effects of terrorism, role of soft power, political stability after regime change, authoritarianism linked to economic insecurity, etc.
– Emphasis on theoretical frameworks like realism, constructivism, and game theory to support thesis arguments.
5. **Feedback and Guidance: Theoretical Application and Specificity**
– The instructor provided feedback on each student’s topic, suggesting ways to refine and narrow down questions.
– Highlighting the importance of not only summarizing existing research but applying theories to generate novel insights.
6. **Online Student Interaction**
– Online students discussed their research questions and received personalized feedback.
– Instructions were given to focus topics to avoid overly broad research.
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### Actionable Items:
– **Immediate: Finalize Research Questions**
– Ensure that research questions are clear, measurable, and linked to political science theories.
– Prepare a concise summary of the research question for upcoming supervisor meetings.
– **Near Term: Supervisor Meetings and Theory Application**
– Schedule and prepare for the first meeting with assigned supervisors.
– Discuss the applicability of proposed theories with supervisors during meetings.
– **Ongoing: Topic Narrowing and Literature Review**
– Continue refining research questions as needed, based on feedback.
– Conduct a literature review to find similar studies and theoretical precedents.
– **Check-Ins and Progress Monitoring:**
– Regularly update the instructor or supervisors on progress and challenges.
– Utilize office hours for additional support as research progresses.
Homework Instructions:
NO HOMEWORK. The transcript does not mention any specific homework assignment or task for students to complete outside of class. The focus is on in-class activities such as partner and group discussions about research questions, without any indications of assigned homework tasks.