0321 - Research Methods for Writers

Course Description

Course Details Attention all writers! Learn how to efficiently and effectively conduct research for any writing project: fiction, nonfiction, business . . . even term papers and dissertations. Modern research techniques are boundless. The trick is to know where to look and what to look for. This six-week online course teaches the best methods for mounting a search on any subject. You'll take a virtual guided tour of the library and how to maximize its precious resources, and you'll discover how to access public records, conduct successful Internet searches, and explore other similar treasure troves of information. Personal interviews, public reports, surveys and polls, and historical research are introduced and dissected. A special lesson on Guerilla Research reveals secrets for the undercover researcher. As a plus, detailed instructions are offered for getting organized before embarking on research and getting the most out of information once it's gathered. This course will give you the tools you'll need to successfully gather and incorporate all the information any polished and professional writing project requires. How It Works This course is fully online, you require internet access and an email account. The course duration is 6 weeks, followed by a 2-week period to complete the final exam (online, open book). Lessons are released on Wednesdays and Fridays of each week, for a total of 12. You are not required to be online at any specific time. In addition to the specific lesson content, there is a discussion board with each lesson and often there is an optional assignment to apply the learning. Following each lesson, there is a short multiple choice quiz. Your score on these quizzes does not count towards the final mark but completing these helps solidify your learning as well as prepare you for the final exam. The final exam is an open-book, multiple choice exam and you need to achieve a minimum of 65% on the final exam to pass the course. There is only one opportunity to pass the exam. A certificate of completion from Ed2Go is available for printing immediately upon successful completion of the course and a certificate from the University of Waterloo will be emailed typically 1-2 weeks later. Many of the Ed2Go courses are eligible towards the various online certificates offered by WatSPEED. Requirements

Applies Towards the Following Certificates

• Effective Workplace Communication : Mandatory