Compile an annotated bibliography
Write a literature review or bibliographic essay
Engage with source types
- find and critique a primary and a secondary source related to a specific event
or person
- write an entry for a specialized dictionary or encyclopedia
- evaluate and edit an article in Wikipedia
- compare & contrast one or more of the following source types:
- a reference book and journal article
- an article and a book
- a popular article and a scholarly article
Compare & contrast disciplinary approaches to a topic
Write a grant proposal or research funding request
- identify appropriate agency/funding source
- conduct literature review
- assess current state of the field
- identify next steps
Stage Poster Sessions
- students take turns presenting their findings and "making the rounds"
Hold a mini-conference
- program with abstracts
- panels organized by broad topic areas
- brief oral presentations
- question and answer period
Curate an Exhibit (actual or virtual)
- research objects in an given collection
- decide what to display
- write labels and/or wall text
- write catalog entries and/or essays
- create metadata
Recommend the purchase of an object (work of art, book, manuscript, etc.)
- research an existing collection
- study auction catalogs and market conditions
- justify recommendation
Stage a debate
- teams research and argue opposing viewpoints
Write a rebuttal
- read an article and identify a viewpoint that is not represented -- research
the topic and argue from that perspective
Predict the outcome of an election or auction
Project the impact of new or proposed policies or legislation
Develop a communications strategy for a political campaign or activist
organization
Analyze key journals and decide where to submit an article
- editorial board
- submission guidelines
- circulation/distribution
- indexing/aggregating sources
- trends in content
Propose a new topic for the course
- suggest readings
- relate the new topic to others in the course
- when should it be covered?
- would something else have to be cut?
Consult data/statistical sources to support an argument
Draft a policy memo recommending a particular strategy or course of action
Track reports/uses of scientific research in the popular press
Collect original data and compare findings to results in relevant literature
Conduct interviews or oral histories
Possible creative projects
- video
- photography
- performance
- painting/drawing/prints
- fiction/poetry
- creative non-fiction
- music/sound recording
- web site