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This course is designed for advanced majors in Latina/Latino Studies to engage in and complete an original research project. The course will guide students through the process of writing an

extended research paper relevant to Latina/Latino Studies. Students will apply selected theories

and methods that they learned in the prerequisite course (LLS 385: Theories and Methods of

Latina/Latino Studies).

Required Reading

Download from Moodle

Most of the readings are excerpted from the following sources:

Belcher, Wendy Laura. Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks: A Guide to Academic Publishing

Success. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc., 2009.

Booth, Wayne C., Gregory G., Colomb, Joseph M. Williams, Joseph Bizup, and William T. Fitzgerald.

The Craft of Research. 4th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2016.

De Bono, Edward. Free or Unfree? Are Americans Really Free? Beverly Hills: Phoenix Books, 2007.

Graff, Gerald and Cathy Birkenstein. “They Say/I Say”: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing.

3rd ed. New York: W. W.Norton and Company, 2017.

Williams, Joseph M. Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace. 7th ed,. New York: Longman, 2003.

Required Materials

* Binder/Folder to Keep Printed Readings Organized

* Class Notebook & Post-it flags, Pens/Pencils/Highlighters, etc. to take notes. I

recommend having a variety of colors to help you organize your writing.

* Preferred Writing Instrument—sometimes we will be writing in class, so bring a laptop

or a notebook and pens/pencils (if you use your class notebook; dedicate a separate

section for project writing)

Recommended Materials

* Computer/Laptop

* Printer — It is very difficult to learn how to write using only a laptop. I highly

recommend acquiring a printer or access to one because you will need to bring hard

copies of your senior project to every class.

Electronic Devices

No Cellphones. No Texting or Web-Surfing on laptops, etc., unless I specify otherwise.

Accommodations, Resources, Services

Many college classrooms and most courses have not been revised according to universal design,

but Disability Resources and Educational Services on campus offers various types of aid and

support for students who need accommodations. To obtain disability-related academic

adjustments and/or auxiliary aids, students with disabilities must contact both me and Disability

Resources and Educational Services (DRES) as soon as possible. To contact DRES, you may visit

1207 S. Oak St., Champaign, call 333-4603, e-mail disability@illinois.edu or go to the DRES

website. If you are concerned you have a disability-related condition that is impacting your

academic progress, there are academic screening appointments available on campus that can help

diagnosis a previously undiagnosed disability by visiting the DRES website and selecting “Sign-Up

for an Academic Screening” at the bottom of the page. Please provide me your DRES letter as

soon as possible. I do my best to accommodate those who need it, but the letter recommends

(not guarantees) specific accommodations.

** Academic Integrity **

PLAGIARISM

The University of Illinois has high standards of academic integrity set out in Article 1, Part 4 of

the University Student Code, which I uphold. All written coursework in this course is expected

to be your own, with all words and/or ideas from other sources fairly attributed. To use phrases

and/or ideas from any other source as if they were your own constitutes plagiarism. Submitting

your own work for more than one course without permission of both instructors can also

constitute plagiarism. The University Student Code sets out possible consequences of plagiarism

in coursework, ranging from failure on the assignment to suspension or dismissal from the

University. The Code specifies that ignorance of these standards is not an excuse. All students in

this class should familiarize themselves with the Code at www.admin.uiuc.edu/policy/code.

Documentation should follow the current Chicago Manual of Style or MLA form. The current (16th edition) Chicago Manual of Style can be found at http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.com/

home.html. The current MLA guide can be found at the Undergrad Library reference desk or, via

the Purdue website at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01 If you have questions

about fair use or documentation, please do not hesitate to consult me.

Required Assignments

Attendance of Individual and Class Meetings—20%

Participation—10%

Draft #1—10%

Draft #2—10% (must incorporate draft #1 revisions)

Peer Review—5% (must have your own paper to participate)

Presentations—5%

Semester Paper—40%

Note: We will meet periodically as a class. Most week you are required to schedule an appointment and meet with me at my Room 339 at the LLS Department. We will discuss the progress of your work, following the schedule below. These meetings are indicated below as “Individual Meetings w/ Professor Rosas.”

“Class Meetings” are indicated accordingly.

Tentative Schedule of Readings and Assignments

*Subject to Change

1/24

Introductions and Logistics

WEEK 1

* The Pomodoro Technique

1/31

Assessing Credibility & Giving Credit

WEEK 2

Individual Meetings w/ Professor Rosas

* Download citation program: zotero.org (or something similar)

* Readings: Booth et. al. “Engaging Sources,” Graff and Birkenstein, “The Art of

Summarizing,” and Graff and Birkenstein, “The Art of Quoting”

*Write your research question(s)

*Bring notes on at least 2 new readings

*Write-up a Timeline (consider all your commitments, work, other classes, etc.)

2/7

Week 3

Arguments

Individual Meetings w/ Professor Rosas

*Check Timeline

*Write 3 to 4 sentences of what you plan to argue

*Bring more reading notes

2/14

Arguments

WEEK 3

Individual Meetings w/ Professor Rosas

* Readings: Belcher, “Advancing Your Argument (selection)”

*Write up ¼-1/2 page summary of your Project accomplishments

*Assess what needs to be done.

2/21

*Class Meeting

WEEK 4

Workshop

*Bring 3 written pages of your Project to class

2/28

WEEK 5

Individual Meeting w/ Professor Rosas

* Booth et. al., “Introductions and Conclusions”

*Draft an Introduction

2/28

WEEK 6

Class Meetings

Workshops

Bring 5-10 written pages of your project to class.

Collective Peer Review

3/7

WEEK 7

Individual Meeting

* Readings: TBD

Draft #1 Due

3/14

Spring Break

3/21

WEEK 10

Individual Meetings with Professor Rosas

* Readings: Williams, “Concision” and “Shape”

Rosas’ assessment of Draft

3/28

Revising

WEEK 11

Class Meeting

* Readings: Williams, “Elegance”

Project Update 10-15 minute In class Presentations. Include Power Points on your topic, your research questions, your findings, and any perceived shortcomings.

Collective Peer Review

4/4

Revising

WEEK 12

* Readings: TBA

Text Box: DRAFT #2 DUE

4/11

CLASS MEETING

WEEK 13

* Readings: TBA

Collective Check-In and Challenges Discussion

4/18

In Class Meetings

Week 14

Presentations

Collective Review

4/25

In Class Meeting

Presentations

WEEK 15

* Presentations

5/2 Reading Day

WEEK 16

* Project Due TBD

Teacher: Gilberto Rosas

LLS 495 VES SP22: Senior Honors Thesis (Velasquez Estrada, R)

Senior Honors Thesis

Teacher: Ruth Velasquez Estrada