Proposal Writing in Geography - GEO 6119 - University of Florida Spring 2021 Syllabus

Sep 13, 2026

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Syllabus for GEO 6119 at the University of Florida outlines a graduate-level course focused on research design, research ethics, proposal writing, and proposal evaluation in geographic studies. Emphasis is placed on developing thesis or dissertation ideas into research questions and hypotheses through literature review and planning, then translating them into a National Science Foundation (NSF)-style proposal. Participation, scheduled panel review, and constructive peer criticism form the core evaluation framework, supported by a curated set of required and recommended readings.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryGeneral

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time6 min

AccessFree to download

Course Description

Prerequisites

Course Objectives

Policy on Attendance and Class Demeanor

Assigned Readings

Required Text

Recommended and Additional Readings

Grading Scale

PROPOSAL WRITING IN GEOGRAPHY, GEO 6119 UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY SPRING 2021 Please note that this syllabus is being constructed, WILL change before the class begins, and MAY change as the semester progresses. Most Recent Revision: January 8, 2025 Instructor: Dr. Yixin 'Berry' Wen Office Location: 3203 Turlington Hall CLASS MEETS Monday 12:50-2:45 PM and Wednesday 12:50–1:40 PM, TUR 3012 Office Hours: Wednesday 1:45pm-3pm in my office or Zoom. Also, feel free to email me or stop by my office [E-mail:Yixin.wen@ufl.edu](E-mail:Yixin.wen@ufl.edu) COURSE DESCRIPTION Research design, research ethics, proposal writing and proposal evaluation for geographic studies PREREQUISITES This course is intended for advanced (second year or beyond) graduate students in Geography who have general ideas of the thesis or dissertation research. This course will develop those ideas using literature, help students frame questions and hypotheses incorporating theory, discuss data collection and methods, etc. Students outside the discipline can enroll, but the proposed research should be of a nature where geography graduate students and the instructor can evaluate proposal content (e.g. environmental or earth sciences, forestry, etc.). You should discuss any questions and concerns with the instructor. COURSE OBJECTIVES The course will provide a forum for discussion, shared experiences, and intellectual resources for graduate students to be able to write effective, successful research proposals. The purposes of this course are for students: 1) to examine the early stages of research (research question definition, library research, planning, research design, variable selection, proposal writing); 2) to learn to conduct ethical practice of research; 3) to write a research proposal in National Science Foundation (NSF) format; and 4) to learn the process of constructive criticism in reviewing other’s proposals (your proposal will be evaluated by three peers and the instructor). POLICY ON ATTENDANCE AND CLASS DEMEANOR This class is about your own graduate research and missing class is not a good idea. Participation is a very large proportion of the grade. The panel review is an additional 20% and your presence is necessary. Early semester absences can be excused but they should be minimal and reasonable. Given that this class has a proposal deadline and a panel review, incompletes are not viable options. If you miss more than one class or cannot make one of the critical meetings at the end of the semester, your grade will be affected. If you have a documented absence (illness, medical or family emergency) towards the end of the semester, I will consider giving an incomplete and work with students to create a contract where alternative projects are assigned. Similarly, tardiness and creating distractions (cell phones, texting, laptop usage when not part of the class purpose) are not advisable. ASSIGNED READINGS The Firestein book ("Ignorance") is required. All of the other books are "recommended"although I urge you to have a copy of the Friedland and Folt book. They are all inexpensive. It is very important that you have access to several of them during the class. Which ones will depend on your own area of research. It will be your responsibility to find them in whatever form or from whatever vendor that you can. Firestein, S. 2012. Ignorance: How It Drives Science. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. 195 pp. Friedland, A.J. and C.L. Folt. 2009. Writing Successful Science Proposals. 2ndEd. Yale University Press. 201 pp. Blaxter, L., Hughes, C., and Tight, M., 2006, How to Research, Open University Press, Buckingham, UK, 287 pp. (3rd edition) $25 Hillel, D., 1987, On the tortuous path of research: Soil Science, v. 143(4), pp. 304-5. Kitchin, R. and Tate, N.J., 2000, Conducting Research in Human Geography: Theory, Methodology and Practice, Prentice Hall/Pearson Education Ltd., Harlow, Eng

FAQs

Who is GEO 6119 intended for?

The course targets advanced (second year or beyond) graduate students in Geography who already have general ideas for thesis or dissertation research. Students outside the discipline may enroll if the proposed research can be evaluated by geography graduate standards and the instructor.

What are the main goals of the course?

Students will examine early research stages (question definition, library research, planning, design, and variable selection), learn ethical research practice, write a research proposal in NSF format, and practice constructive criticism by reviewing peers’ proposals alongside the instructor.

How are participation and the panel review used in grading?

Participation is a very large proportion of the grade, and the panel review adds an additional 20%. Attendance at critical meetings is necessary because missing classes and panel reviews can affect grades.

Sep 13, 2026

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