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Courses >
Writing & Publishing > Research Methods for Writers
Syllabus:
All
courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two
lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course.
You do not have to be present when the lesson is released, but you must
complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.
A new
section of each course starts on the second or third Wednesday of each
month. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure
to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.
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Week One |
| Wednesday - Lesson 01 |
In
this introductory lesson, you’ll learn why good research skills are
necessary for effective writing. You’ll unleash your creativity with
the exciting “Mind Mapping” tool to identify your subject—in both a
general and specific way—to help refine your research before you even
begin. You’ll also learn the importance of understanding jargon and
technical terms specific to your subject, which will leave you much
better prepared to begin your project.
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| Friday - Lesson 02 |
You
probably already know that much time can be wasted if research is
conducted in a disorganized manner. In this lesson you’ll learn how to
organize a plan for your research and how to keep organized once your
research is underway. We’ll identify the first steps of research,
including choosing between academic and anecdotal research, primary and
secondary sources, and which resources will be the most productive for
you in the early stages of research.
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Week Two |
| Wednesday - Lesson 03 |
The
library is still the most all-inclusive resource for research, but many
people aren’t aware of the treasure trove of information residing
within its walls. This lesson will take you on a virtual field trip
through the many library sections and departments, introducing and
reviewing the materials available, including periodicals, microfilm
records, Lexis-Nexis, rare books, reverse directories, government
reports, maps, old telephone books, and many others. You’ll discover
resources that you never knew existed.
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| Friday - Lesson 04 |
One
of the most productive resources for researches is the personal
interview, but it can be intimidating. In this lesson, you’ll learn how
to find experts and how to prepare for an interview. You’ll learn the
keys to formulating questions designed to get the very best from your
subject. By the time you finish this lesson, you’ll feel confident and
competent to approach your interview subjects with ease.
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Week Three |
| Wednesday - Lesson 05 |
Perusing
reports can seem about as much fun as a root canal, but it’s worth it
when you find nuggets of information essential to your research. This
lesson will introduce you to numerous valuable reports, including
census reports, public company reports and a multitude of government
reports. You’ll learn how to separate the wheat from the chaff,
winnowing out the pertinent information, and how to assess a report not
only for its content but also for the reliability of its source. As a
bonus, you’ll be given some guidelines for turning statistics into
prose.
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| Friday - Lesson 06 |
In
this lesson, you’ll learn how to incorporate history into your writing,
whether it’s fiction or nonfiction. You’ll discover what you’ve
probably suspected all along: the truth of history is often shaped by
the perspective of the historian. This lesson will teach you how to
evaluate different perspectives, how to spot “rewritten history,” and
how to zero in on fact versus mythology.
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Week Four |
| Wednesday - Lesson 07 |
Today’s
lesson will introduce you to the numerous public records that are
waiting to reveal information about persons, places, and things. Real
estate records, birth, marriage and death records, civil and criminal
trial records, bankruptcy filings, construction records, and political
campaign information are but a few of the many records available to the
public. By the end of this lesson, you’ll know what’s out there and how
to get to it.
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| Friday - Lesson 08 |
Conducting
research on the Internet can be a valuable time-saver. It can also
allow researchers to fall into the trap of believing everything they
read. This lesson will discuss Internet reliability: what you can trust
and what you should mistrust. You’ll also learn skills for effectively
using search engines for your research, for both general and specific
topics. You’ll find many useful research links, and we’ll discuss
issues such as when you should and should not pay for your information.
The Internet has as many pitfalls as benefits, and this lesson will
show you how to avoid the pitfalls.
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Week Five |
| Wednesday - Lesson 09 |
Some
researchers can’t resist the lure of using information that has never
before existed. This lesson discusses the value of collecting your own
data by way of surveys, studies, interviews, polls, and questionnaires.
You’ll learn how to effectively create these instruments of
data-gathering, and you’ll learn the difference between valid
statistical sampling versus informal, nonscientific results, and when
the use of each is appropriate.
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| Friday - Lesson 10 |
Have
you ever had difficulty finding cooperative sources of information?
This lesson will reveal the secrets of Guerilla Research; i.e., how to
get answers when the questions are being evaded. You’ll learn
techniques for gaining the confidence of reluctant interview subjects,
as well as methods for digging and snooping. In other words, you’ll
learn how to get what you want when the direct approach isn’t working.
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Week Six |
| Wednesday - Lesson 11 |
Once
your research has been compiled, much of it will be quoted or
paraphrased within your manuscript. In today’s lesson we’ll discuss the
importance of proper attribution as well as the technical methods for
crediting your sources. You’ll learn how to painlessly create a
bibliography, and you will also learn how to decide between citations,
footnotes, and endnotes for your work. You can easily avoid copyright
violations by gaining a basic understanding of copyright law, along
with the fundamentals of fair use and permissions. Writers know how
important it is to protect themselves, and in this lesson you’ll learn
how.
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| Friday - Lesson 12 |
Your
research is complete, your facts are gathered; now what? In this final
lesson, you’ll learn what to do with all the research materials you
have accumulated. You’ll learn how to identify what is valuable and
what should be discarded. You’ll gain insight on both the writing and
the editing process, and as a bonus, you’ll learn how to avoid some of
the most common word-usage mistakes. This lesson will give you the
final skills you need to produce a well-researched, polished manuscript.
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This
course includes a knowledgeable and caring instructor who will guide
you through your lessons, facilitate discussions, and answer your
questions. The instructor for this course will be Jacquelyn Landis.
 Jacquelyn
Landis holds a bachelor's degree and has worked as a nonfiction editor
for over 15 years. Her editing repertoire includes books, articles, and
business manuals written by best-selling authors such as Eva Shaw,
George Carpozi, Anthony Robbins, Ken Druck, and Tom Blair. She has been
a speaker in the UCSD Extension program and has participated in writing
panels at the University of San Diego. Jacquelyn is also the author of
numerous published books and magazine articles.
Requirements:
Internet access, e-mail, and the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser.
Student Reviews:
"Excellent class. Very useful information. Has already saved me tons of time and money on research projects."
"Excellent; thoroughly enjoyed a subject that ought to have
been this well taught in high school (where it wasn't taught at all!)."
"I have been a professional writer for many years, but I
still found plenty to learn in this practical, comprehensive, and fun
course. The instructor was knowledgeable and helpful, and I recommend
the course to anyone who needs to write and conduct research at any
level."
"The course surpassed my expectations. Ms.Landis wrote the
course in clearly understandable, interesting and concise text making
it easy to assimilate. I was very pleased with the arrangement to
promptly answer my perennial questions. The amount of course content
covered surprised me. Thank you."
"The supplementary resources were priceless. I'm an Internet
junkie, but there were quite a few extraordinary Web sites that I'd
never stumbled upon. I'm likely to use many of them."
"This course is loaded with specific information relative to
research and backed up with accessible sources. My favorites folder is
bulging at the seams. I highly recommend this course."
"This is an excellent course, and the instructor obviously
knows her topic. The assignments and quizzes truly reinforce the
learning. This was well worth the cost!"
"Well organized. Loved the humor. Examples were well chosen and helpful. Up to date and relevant."
"Wonderful class; Jackie responded promptly and with enthusiasm."
To purchase this course, click the Enroll Now button below:
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Attention
all writers! Learn how to efficiently and effectively conduct research
for any writing project: fiction, nonfiction, business . . . even term
papers and dissertations. Modern research techniques are boundless. The
trick is to know where to look and what to look for.