As part of our active learning community, you explore learning in new and exciting ways, and research is an important part of your Truman experience.
Not only do you learn to collaborate with fellow researchers, you also get to developÌýa research idea that focuses on your particular area of interest. Maybe you would like to study the relationship between perceived audience size and gender stereotyping in advertisements as measured by Super Bowl and primetime commercials. Or perhaps you wouldÌýlike to take a closer look atÌýBlack Nationalism and the “Back to Africa” Movement in Twentieth Century America.
No matter what yourÌýparticular area of interest is, the research opportunities you will find at Truman allow you to focus intenselyÌýonÌýthe topics that intrigue you the most.
Research in the Classroom
As aÌýsociology/anthropology (SOAN) major, you take a year-long research course sequence. In the spring of either your sophomore or junior year (depending on when you declare the major), you will enroll in SOAN380: Research Design and will be co-enrolled in either SOAN 360: Sociological Theory or SOAN361: Anthropological Theory.
You design your independent research projectsÌýand present research proposals. In the following fall, you will enroll in SOAN381: Data Analysis and Reporting and complete the projects you designed in the spring.ÌýYou canÌýpolish your projectÌýfor public presentation, both at Truman’s Student Research Conference and at regional or national professional meetings, as part of SOAN 491: Senior Seminar II.
Here are a few of theÌýresearch topicsÌýthat have been presented at the Student Research Conference held on the À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ campus each year:
Work on Research Outside the Classroom
Out of the classroom, students work on faculty research projects, pursue independent research through the competitive and as . They attend regional and national professional meetings to present their research.
Students who are interested in pursuing research outside the classroom at Truman should:
ÌýBeyond Truman
In addition to opportunities during the school year or summer which take place at Truman, there are an increasing number of opportunities for students to apply for National Science Foundation funded research experiences for undergraduates at campuses around the country.
In anthropology, many students also attend enthnographic or archaeological field schools, which is an opportunity to participate in research being conducted by faculty at other institutions.
In addition to these opportunities to get involved in research, there are also opportunities for students to present their research or other academic work at state, regional, or national professional meetings. Some of these organizations host paper or poster competitions to encourage student submissions and reward high quality student work.
If you’re interested in these or other research opportunities ask a faculty member how you can get involved.