Research and Methodology

Dr. Dana Williams' presentation was called Research and Methodology: Inscription as a Liberating Practice. She tells of the purpose of freshmen seminar she specifically names the goals are "One of the goals of this course is to encourage every student “to pursue a lifetime of independent discovery, including the appreciation of the importance of research.” Dr. Williams' also states that "the commitment to academic excellence is successfully cultivated, students begin to see how intellectually liberating it is to conduct meaningful research with integrity". An inspirational statement that is in all ways true, once you have made the commitment to higher education you can being to have a true commitment to your learning and education with research.

Dr. Williams' names that the primary objectives of Freshman Seminar are "to identify the principle components of research" and "to relate these components to the group project." She also names that the complete research for Freshman Seminar was "In what ways is knowledge generated by various fields of study used to develop solutions to human social problems and challenges?Each group will explore a different social problem or challenge." She gives the 6 components of research as Statement of the Problem/Challenge,Review of what’s been said (Literature Review/Review of Scholarship), Methodology, Framework, Development of Thesis and then developing and writing your Conclusion.

Dr Williams' also makes it evident which lectures fall into certain categories of the seminar; Memory and Awareness of Freshman Seminar. The memory of Freshman Seminar is the "Learning, Wisdom, and the African World Experience" and "Abandonment, Dismemberment, Re-Awakening:The History of Howard University." The awareness of Freshman Seminar was "“The Eloquence of the Scribes”:

Initiation, Expectation, and Mastery—Continuing the Legacy of Howard University," "Practices of Freedom and Justice: Representative Thinkers" and "Omoluabi: Self-Actualization and Communal Responsibility."

Jahmonni Long