This one semester course, required for completion of the major, serves as a capstone experience for conducting focused research within one of the sub-fields (archaeology, architectural conservation or history, folklore, landscape, material culture, museum studies, planning and/or preservation law) of American historic preservation. The individual study should advance a student's particular interest in a topic or issue through the stages of formulating a research design, determining relevant resources, carrying out logical analyses or applications, and presenting research results in a scholarly format suitable to the chosen field and for public dissemination. The individual study project is not intended to either function as a senior thesis or to operate as an advanced internship. However, completion of an honor's thesis satisfies this major requirement for a senior research project.
   Depending upon the student's interest and the context of research, the final product for the study may vary in format. Possible examples include a National Register nomination, a professional report, an article submitted for publication, an applied analysis, or an original research project that advances the student's knowledge of a particular topic or issue and its application within historic preservation. The study should not consist of a descriptive summary of the topic or simply a review of its relevant literature. The project should advance the student's research skills and his/her use of related sources beyond those required of typical class assignments, and hence, demonstrate his/her competence with the methods and format for critical thinking and writing.

2. The student and advisor should construct a contractual arrangement similar to that used in internships and other individual studies regarding regular meeting times, a schedule for submitting logical sections of the project for review, and the exact nature of the final product.

For example, the research project can be defined in preliminary fashion by a topic and outline, together with a list of potential information sources. The next stage may consist of an annotated bibliography, while a later stage may entail draft versions of logical sections of the project.

3.The above arrangements and submissions should become criteria for grading and the basis of a course-like schedule or syllabus. Submitted portions of the research project will be used by the faculty advisor to supply the student with a mid-semester evaluation of progress. The faculty advisor's evaluation should include written as well as verbal comments.

4.A deadline for submitting the draft version of the final product should be set at approximately one month prior to the end of the semester. The final draft deadline will be set by the advisor and student for the end of the semester.

URL: http://departments.umw.edu/hipr/www/srprj.htm
Last modified: 6 August 2002
Send Comments/Questions To: Wendy Price