1. PROSEMINAR Environmental Management ENVR E-200

2. DO YOU HAVE? System for keeping notes on your readings and draft writing Information on your primary target for a thesis director Literature search strategy Understanding of path from idea to the research question Focused research question

3. RESEARCH QUESTION BLOG discussion of the question Read your preliminary question to the class How do you focus your question without getting it so specific that you cannot find adequate information? How do you demonstrate “original thought”?

4. DATA QUALITY OBJECTIVES State the Problem Identify the Problem Identify Inputs to Decisions Define the Study Boundaries Using the DQOs to plan your research strategy

5. STATE THE PROBLEM Who is affected by the problem? Who is responsible for solving the problem? How is the problem described and what is the conceptual model of the problem? What are the available resources available to solve the problem and over what timeframe?

6. IDENTIFY THE DECISIONS What is the principal question? What are the alternative actions that could result from resolution of the question? Combine the principal study question and the alternative action into a decision statement. Organize multiple decisions – work on one at a time

7. IDENTIFY INPUTS TO DECISIONS What kind of information will be required to resolve the decision statement? What are the sources for each item of information identified? What is the basis for taking action? What methods are appropriate for gathering the data?

8. DEFINE STUDY BOUNDARIES What population will be sampled? What are the spatial boundaries that the data must represent or where will the sampling be conducted? What are the temporal boundaries that the data must represent or when will the sampling be conducted? What is the scale for decision-making What are the practical constraints for data collection?

9. GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS Internet resources –Conceptual Mapping Resource Guide –Graphic Organizers: What are they? Using to find research question Using to frame hypothesis

16. NEXT CLASS PREPARATION Assignment and Blog for October 10 th Assignment and Blog for October 17 th Reading on your subject Review class web page for these weeks

17. PREPARING FOR OCT 17 Read approximately 10 journal articles Know who is researching in your area Have primary candidate for thesis director Computer file for taking notes and drafts Narrow research question and hypothesis Preliminary draft of Research Problem section of the thesis proposal (Oct 24 th )