This course introduces students to the foundational steps involved in designing a research project to investigate food systems. It emphasizes interdisciplinary thinking and equips students with the conceptual, practical, and ethical tools needed to frame research questions, choose appropriate methods, and plan data collection strategies.
Students will explore how to study food systems as complex social-ecological systems that are shaped by local environments, cultural practices, governance structures, and economic dynamics. Through a mix of lectures, workshops, case studies, and hands-on assignments, students will learn how to develop researchable questions, review scientific literature, select and justify suitable research approaches, and draft a research proposal.
No prior experience in research methods is required. This course prepares students for further academic research, community-based projects, or applied work in sustainable agriculture and food systems.
This course will also push students to think, read, and write like a scientist. Workshops will take place during the course that will train students on how to conduct research effectively and how to write like a scientist. Some of these workshops will be delivered in collaboration with the Library Learning Commons and the Writing Center.
Learning Objectives
After successful completion of this course, students are expected to be able to:
• Formulate clear and relevant research questions
Learn to identify important topics within agriculture and food systems and articulate precise, researchable questions that address sustainability challenges.
• Design interdisciplinary research protocols
Acquire the ability to create feasible and context-appropriate research protocols, including defining data needs, target populations, and data collection steps.
• Apply a diverse set of methods to study food systems
Gain exposure to and practice with both qualitative and quantitative methods, including biodiversity assessments, survey design, interviews, oral history, and decolonial approaches.
• Use scientific literature effectively
Learn how to search for, organize, and critically engage with peer-reviewed and grey literature using citation tools like Mendeley.
• Write clearly and analytically like a scientist
Develop writing skills through step-by-step scaffolding that culminates in a research pre-proposal, with a focus on structure, clarity, and evidence-based reasoning.
• Engage with ethical and technological considerations in research
Reflect on ethical issues in food systems research, including power dynamics and decoloniality, and evaluate appropriate use of AI tools in scholarly work.
• Collaborate and communicate effectively
Participate in group practicals and deliver individual presentations to share findings and receive constructive feedback in a research setting.
Students will explore how to study food systems as complex social-ecological systems that are shaped by local environments, cultural practices, governance structures, and economic dynamics. Through a mix of lectures, workshops, case studies, and hands-on assignments, students will learn how to develop researchable questions, review scientific literature, select and justify suitable research approaches, and draft a research proposal.
No prior experience in research methods is required. This course prepares students for further academic research, community-based projects, or applied work in sustainable agriculture and food systems.
This course will also push students to think, read, and write like a scientist. Workshops will take place during the course that will train students on how to conduct research effectively and how to write like a scientist. Some of these workshops will be delivered in collaboration with the Library Learning Commons and the Writing Center.
Learning Objectives
After successful completion of this course, students are expected to be able to:
• Formulate clear and relevant research questions
Learn to identify important topics within agriculture and food systems and articulate precise, researchable questions that address sustainability challenges.
• Design interdisciplinary research protocols
Acquire the ability to create feasible and context-appropriate research protocols, including defining data needs, target populations, and data collection steps.
• Apply a diverse set of methods to study food systems
Gain exposure to and practice with both qualitative and quantitative methods, including biodiversity assessments, survey design, interviews, oral history, and decolonial approaches.
• Use scientific literature effectively
Learn how to search for, organize, and critically engage with peer-reviewed and grey literature using citation tools like Mendeley.
• Write clearly and analytically like a scientist
Develop writing skills through step-by-step scaffolding that culminates in a research pre-proposal, with a focus on structure, clarity, and evidence-based reasoning.
• Engage with ethical and technological considerations in research
Reflect on ethical issues in food systems research, including power dynamics and decoloniality, and evaluate appropriate use of AI tools in scholarly work.
• Collaborate and communicate effectively
Participate in group practicals and deliver individual presentations to share findings and receive constructive feedback in a research setting.
- Teacher: Vivian Valencia