RLS 126_0001 -- Web Research

RLS 126/0001--The Development of Christian Thought--Information Technology Skill (Spring 2012)

1. Requirements and dates; the index card

The information technology requirement consists of three components, two of them mandatory, the third one optional.

Mandatory are (1) a web research paper as described below, due on Wednesday, February 22; and (2) a discussion of that paper with me on an individual basis.

The optional component is a written response to the discussion, to be submitted within a week of the discussion or at the time of the final exam, whichever comes first.

On Wednesday, February 1 (= the day of the announced quiz), you are to hand in a 3'' x 5'' index card with your name and the designation of the Christian group/denomination you plan to write your web research paper on. This does not mean that your paper topic is "carved in stone," though. You may still change it, provided you send me an e-mail informing me of the change at least 48 hours prior to the paper submission deadline.

2. Description of the web research papers

For the web research paper, you are to select one of the Christian groups included in the "List of groups/denominations" (see below). Further, you are to find a web site (or web sites) concerning the group selected, and identify on the site(s) at least three key items characteristic for the group and distinguishing it from other Christian groups. Finally, you are to submit a typed statement of at least 350 words, containing the following points:

(1) An indication of the URL of the web page (or pages) from which you took the information, as well as an explanation of the method you used to find the page (that explanation is to be sufficiently detailed so that a person with the same resources as you--with the same search engine, for example--would be able in principle to find the site without knowing the URL).

(2) An assessment of the reliability of the web page (or pages) in terms of whether or not one can expect it (them) to represent fairly what the group stands for, and why.

(3) An identification of the three key items you selected as characteristic of the group and an explanation of each of the items.

(4) An explanation of the reason that made you choose a particular group. (In some cases, this may, of course, amount to nothing but, "I had no particular preference; but I had to decide on one of the groups/denominations to fulfill the course requirement.")

3. Remark on the face-to-face discussion

The "flow" of the face-to-face discussion cannot be determined in advance, except that these discussions are to begin with your explanation of your research project. We will "take it from there." You must bring a copy of your web research paper.

4. List of groups/denominations (in alphabetical order)

Armenian Apostolic Church; Assyrian Christians; Baptists (either Southern Baptist Convention or American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A.); Church of Christ, Scientists (a.k.a. Christian Scientists); Church of Christ of Latter-day Saints (a.k.a. Mormonism); Congregationalists; Copts; Eastern Orthodox (either Greek Orthodox or Russian Orthodox); Episcopalians; Ethiopian Church; Jehovah’s Witnesses; Lutherans (either Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod or Evangelical Lutheran Church in America); Methodists; Non-denominational Groups; Pentecostals; Presbyterians; Roman Catholics; Seventh-day Adventists; Syrian Orthodox Church (a.k.a. "Jacobites"); Unitarian Universalists.

You may write on a Christian group/denomination not listed here provided you clear it with me ahead of time.

5. How the research projects and/or the discussion figures into your grade

Each of the two mandatory web research components (i.e. the web research paper and the discussion) will be rated either "acceptable" or "unacceptable." [Incidentally, it is difficult for me to see how our discussion of a research paper that has been deemed acceptable can turn out to be unacceptable, except if the discussion reveals that the paper was not your own work--in that latter case, though, getting a rating of "unacceptable" will be the least of your problems.]

Each missing or unacceptable mandatory component will result in a two-point deduction from your final score. If both of the mandatory components are judged acceptable, four points will be added to your final score (submitting only the paper in acceptable form, but failing to come for a discussion means that you will receive no points; the two-point deduction for the missing discussion will cancel the two paper points out).

You will receive two bonus points for the optional response paper.

Note: Both the web research paper and the response paper must be handed in as "paper versions." Electronic versions are unacceptable.