From Question to Defense: The Craft of Academic Research

RES 388 is the University's foundational course in the craft of academic research, written for final-year bachelor's students standing at the threshold of their first thesis. It follows the researcher's journey from its true beginning — a curious question — to its final test — a spoken defence — and teaches, at each stage, both the philosophy and the practice: how to cultivate a research mindset, how to turn a problem others overlook into a sharp and answerable question, and how to read the existing literature as a conversation you are ready to join.

From there the course turns to the conscience of the scholar — research ethics, informed consent, and the honest handling of sources — before moving into method, scholarly writing, and the architecture that holds a thesis upright. It ends where every degree ends: with citation, the viva, and a capstone practicum in which you draft a complete thesis proposal, prepare your defence, and reflect on a mock viva. Eight lessons across four modules, with quizzes throughout and real research assignments that carry you from your first question to your defence.