Editing Introduction to Graduate Research (Fall 2023) (section)

== Course information ==
=== Overview and learning objectives ===

The goal of this seminar is to introduce first-year students in the MTS and TSB Ph.D. programs to (1) foundational and current research in these fields, and (2) key challenges involved in pursuing an impactful, responsible, and fulfilling research career.

Throughout the quarter, participants in the seminar will:
* Engage with program faculty and their research (influences).
* Discuss and assess various aspects of research career practices and strategies.
* Develop and apply your own effective research career development strategies.

We will do this through a combination of readings, writings, activities, in-class discussions, and guest visits from TSB and MTS program faculty.

=== Structure, topics, and themes ===

The course has two main components that will be woven together in weekly class sessions: a survey of research involving TSB and MTS program faculty and an instructional seminar focused on challenges related to professional development. The course will proceed through weekly in-person seminar meetings and activities/assignments conducted outside of class time.

The class sessions will be structured around one research domain and one professional development challenge. Every week, we will host 1-2 faculty guest speakers working in the research domain and engage with their recent research as well as some of the work that has influenced them. We will also pursue readings, discussions, and written assignments related to the professional development challenge. 

For our guest speakers, we might open with the following questions/prompts:
* Please tell us your "concise" (academic?) biography" (3 minutes or less?).
* Could you share something important to you or about you that we might not know or expect?
* What stands out in your memory of your first year as a Ph.D. student?
* What do you work on these days?
* How does the piece of research you shared fit into your career and/or a broader research agenda?
* Please tell us about the relationship of your research to the work that influenced you that you shared with us.
* Please tell us about your approach to the professional development challenge we are discussing today.


In addition to the professional development challenges that we will discuss each week, there will also be some major themes throughout the course, including:
* Ethics (especially of research and design).
* Diversity, equity, inclusion, justice and their opposites.
* "The two cultures" and other ways of knowing
* Research institutions and institutional legacies
* Windows of opportunity. Career leverage points, strategy, tactics.
* Interdisciplinarity (or maybe anti-disciplinarity?) as a way of life.

=== Assignments ===

Assignments fall into two categories: weekly and final. Details about both categories appear below. In general, I ask that you submit any written work as a PDF via Canvas. There are no specific style guidelines or formatting requirements for written work. I recommend a clear, professional, and conversational tone in your writing. I also recommend you familiarize yourself with salient [[User:Aaronshaw/Classroom_policies#Academic_integrity|principles on academic integrity]], including the appropriate attribution of sources. Please submit written work in a readable (size 11 or greater) font. Please include your name somewhere (prominent) in the document that you submit as well as your last name at the beginning of the filename (e.g., "Shaw-mts501-week1-assignment.pdf").

==== Weekly assignments ====

The course schedule (below) provides details of weekly assignments as well as links to materials and Canvas pages required to complete them. In general, '''weekly assignments are due Mondays at 6pm U.S. central time''' in order to allow time for review of (and sometimes feedback on) your submitted materials ahead of our class session. Weekly assignments include readings, activities, written work, and discussion provocations.

'''Readings:''' I expect you to read all of the items under the '''readings''' subheading for each week. This includes recent publications shared by our faculty guest speakers. The [https://canvas.northwestern.edu/courses/149253/files Files page of our Canvas site] also contains copies of faculty guest speakers' CVs and you should read these as well. In many weeks, there are additional recommended reading materials provided (these are not required). Finally, many (all?) of our faculty guests will share a ''key influential text'' with us ahead of their visit. These influential texts are further recommended (not required) reading.

'''Activities and written work''' will consist of...writing and related activities. For activities that involve collaboration or conversation with colleagues, it is up to you to coordinate any meeting times, places, or communication channels as needed. For written work, please submit a PDF via Canvas and please use a readable (size 11 or greater) font. There are no specific style guidelines or formatting requirements for written work. Please include your name somewhere (prominent) in the document that you submit as well as your last name at the beginning of the filename (e.g., "Shaw-mts501-week1-assignment.pdf"). In general, please submit written assignments via the corresponding [https://canvas.northwestern.edu/courses/196467/assignments Canvas assignment] '''by 6pm U.S. central time Monday ahead of class''' (i.e., submit assignments on Monday 9/25 for the Wednesday 9/27 class session).

'''Discussion provocations''' are your chance to draw our collective attention to topics of your choosing each week and influence the content of our class sessions. In addition to the weekly readings and assignments listed below, I ask everyone to submit a discussion provocation every week we have a class meeting (with the exception of Week 1). Please take this as an invitation and opportunity to shape our conversation in class! Maybe there's something that excites, enrages, or confuses you in something we read. Maybe you really want to ask one of our faculty guests about something you discover in the publication they circulate or their CV. Whatever the case, please limit your provocations to about 250 words (or so) and submit them via the corresponding [https://canvas.northwestern.edu/courses/196467/discussion_topics Canvas Discussion] '''by 6pm U.S. central time each Monday''' (i.e., submit provocations on Monday 9/25 for the Wednesday 9/27 class session).

==== Final project ====

[[Introduction_to_Graduate_Research_(Fall_2023)/Final_project|Detailed description of final projects]]

'''Final projects are due [https://canvas.northwestern.edu/courses/ via Canvas] at 12pm (Central time) on December 4, 2023'''. [[Introduction_to_Graduate_Research_(Fall_2023)/Final_project|The final project]] for the course will be a 5,000 word (approximately) written document consisting of two parts: (1) a strategic plan for your graduate school career and (2) a research plan for an empirical and/or design project you aim to conduct in the coming year+. [[Introduction_to_Graduate_Research_(Fall_2023)/Final_project|Additional details here]].

=== Grading and assessment ===

I will assign grades (usually a numeric integer between 0-10) for each of the following aspects of your performance in the course. For each aspect, grades start with the maximum possible value (10) and only decrease in the event of a specific failure to complete assignment(s) or meet some element of the relevant assessment rubric (more on those below). Weekly assignments are graded on a complete/incomplete basis. The percentage values are weights that will be applied to calculate your overall grade for the course.

* Weekly participation: 35%
* Weekly assignments: 40%
* Final assignment: 25%

For detailed assessment rubrics that I use to derive grades for all assignments, please see my [[User:Aaronshaw/Assessment|page on assessment]].

=== Policies ===
==== General course policies ====

[[User:Aaronshaw/Classroom_policies|General policies]] on a wide variety of topics including classroom equity, attendance, academic integrity, accommodations, late assignments, and more are provided [[User:Aaronshaw/Classroom_policies|on Aaron's class policies page]]. Northwestern also provides a raft of [https://www.registrar.northwestern.edu/faculty-staff/syllabi.html current/official syllabus policy statements] (and in the event that Aaron's personal/course policies diverge from these, the Northwestern ones generally take precedence, so please review them). Below are some policy statements specific to this course and quarter.

==== Expectations for class sessions ====
I ask that everyone participating in the class endeavor to help create: a supportive, welcoming, inclusive, and respectful environment for teaching and learning. We can talk about what this means in our first session.

Our classes are long and we will aim to take a 10-15 minute break after the first hour(ish), during which time you are very much encouraged to leave the room, stretch your legs, walk around outside, etc. Please return a few minutes prior to 3:30pm as we will host guest speakers during the second half of class and it's important that we respect their time.

===== Remote participation =====
In the event that you find yourself participating in class remotely for any reason, here are suggested protocols for any video/audio participation:
* Please mute your microphone whenever you're not speaking and learn to use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Push-to-talk "push-to-talk"] if/when possible.
* Video is optional for all students at all times, although if you're willing/able to keep an instructor/visitor company in the video channel that is appreciated.
* If you need to excuse yourself at any time and for any reason you may do so.
* Children, family, pets, roommates, and others with whom you may share your home/workspace are welcome to join your video as needed, but please do your best to minimize distractions and disruptions to the course.

==== Syllabus revisions ====

This syllabus will be a dynamic document that will evolve throughout the quarter. Although the core expectations are fixed, the details will shift. As a result, please keep in mind the following:

# '''Assignments and readings are ''frozen'' 1 week before they are due.''' I will not add readings or assignments less than one week before they are due. If I forget to add something or fill in a "To Be Determined" less than one week before it's due, it is dropped. If you plan to read or work more than one week ahead, contact me first.
# '''Substantial changes to the syllabus or course materials will be announced.''' Please monitor your email for Canvas messages about changes. Also, whenever I make changes, these changes will be recorded in [https://wiki.communitydata.science/index.php?title=Introduction_to_Graduate_Research_(Fall_2023)&action=history  the edit history of this page] so that you can track what has changed.
# '''The course design may adapt throughout the quarter.''' As usual (for me at least), I may iterate and prototype course design elements rapidly along the way. To this end, I will ask you for voluntary feedback — especially toward the beginning of the quarter. Please let me know what is working and what can be improved. In the past, I have made many adjustments based on this feedback and I expect to do so again.

=== Additional resources/readings ===

Throughout the quarter, we will undoubtedly generate a long list of related topics, readings, videos, memes, etc.

'''[[Introduction_to_Graduate_Research_(Fall_2023)/Resources|Please add things to that list here]]'''