Course Description


LIS 9414L-650 (Summer 2020)   Major Research Project Part 2

Course Description

The Major Research Project gives Master's students with an interest in pursuing advanced research or doctoral work the opportunity to engage in a substantial, original research project.

Guidelines

The Major Research Project is the equivalent of four MLIS (half) course credits, numbered 9413, 9414, 9415, 9416. The project normally will run over two terms (consecutive preferable but not required), as the equivalent of two courses (9413 and 9414) in the first term and two courses (9415 and 9416) in the second term. The option is intended for highly motivated and academically excellent students who are keen on doing research.

Undertaking the Major Research Project will mean that the student is not eligible to take LIS 9410 (Individual Study), 9411 (Guided Research I) or 9412 (Guided Research II). The Major Research Project is substantially different from LIS 9410-9412 in that the intent is for students to produce a research study comparable to a Master’s thesis. The Major Research Project must be original research, of publishable quality. Projects that are largely derivative in nature (such as annotated bibliographies, reviews of the literature, etc.) will not be approved.

The Major Research Project has the following requirements:

  1. All students who have completed five courses and have received an 83% average are eligible.
  2. LIS 9004 (Research Methods) must be completed with a grade of at least 80%.
  3. The student must identify and consult with potential Chief Supervisors.  Prior to the registration deadline for the next term's courses, the student must secure the approval of a Chief Supervisor willing to supervise the project.
  4. The project proposal must be approved by the Chief Supervisor and Advisor, and forwarded to the Associate Dean for approval by the final week of class.
  5. Students should complete the course registration process (i.e., excluding LIS 9413-9416 from their selections) to ensure availability of course options in the event that the grade requirements (see item 1) are not met.  
  6. Once grade eligibility has been met, and during the Add/Drop period, students will Add courses 9413-9416 in the appropriate term and Drop previously selected courses (see item 5) to maintain a suitable course load.  
  7. The resource implications of the Major Research Project must be addressed in compliance with existing FIMS resource collection policies.
  8. If approved, the Major Research Project would be directed by the Chief Supervisor and a willing Advisor, selected normally from among the FIMS faculty (although selections from other units may also be possible), by the Chief Supervisor in consultation with the Associate Dean.
  9. At the end of the first and second terms of the Major Research Project, the Chief Supervisor and Advisor must judge whether the student’s progress is satisfactory or unsatisfactory and assign grades accordingly.
  10. Existing policies for incomplete work apply. 

Proposal Format

The proposal must be submitted according to a prescribed format.  Details are available to download from the Student Forms area of the FIMS Intranet (current students only; username and password required for access.)

Archiving of Reports

A copy of the final 9413-9416 projects must be kept as a permanent record with the FIMS Graduate Resource Centre or on the FIMS Intranet, as appropriate; therefore, after grading, a clean copy of the revised final project must be submitted to the supervisor who will then forward it to the GRC within one month of grading.



This course is no longer active. Please contact FIMS Undergraduate Student Services, fims@uwo.ca, for more information.




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