Diploma Seminar I - Research Methods - JSM137

• Title: Diploma Seminar I - Research Methods
• Guaranteed by: Department of Sociology (23-KS)
• Faculty: Faculty of Social Sciences
• Actual: from 2023
• Semester: winter
• E-Credits: 6
• Examination process: winter s.:
• Hours per week, examination: winter s.:0/2, C [HT]
• Capacity: unknown / unlimited (unknown)
• Min. number of students: unlimited
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: taught
• Language: English
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Note: course can be enrolled in outside the study plan; enabled for web enrollment; priority enrollment if the course is part of the study plan
• Guarantor: RNDr. Tereza Freidingerová, Ph.D.
• Teacher(s): RNDr. Tereza Freidingerová, Ph.D.

Annotation

The seminar will guide students through the initial phase of their thesis work. The course provides space for peer-to-peer support, feedback, and experience sharing. The teacher’s role is more of a guide and mentor rather than a supervisor. The seminar will help students formulate their thesis topic, find a supervisor,* define research questions, choose an appropriate method, and conduct a pilot study.

* The supervisor of the thesis can be any of the teachers involved in the teaching of the MSNS study programme in Milan (UNIMI), Warsaw (UW) or Prague (CU). The affiliation of the thesis supervisor will determine the place of study in the 4th semester.

Last update: Freidingerová Tereza, RNDr., Ph.D. (04.09.2024)

Aim of the course

The aims of the course are for students to:

• Formulate the topic of their thesis based on literature review and discussion
• Find a thesis supervisor
• Formulate research questions
• Select and test an appropriate research method

Last update: Freidingerová Tereza, RNDr., Ph.D. (04.09.2024)

Course completion requirements

1) Active participation in course seminars (maximum of two missing hours)

2) thesis project presentation, timely submission of presentations and timely feedback to colleagues

For detailed lesson annotations, tasks and deadlines, see MS Teams

Last update: Freidingerová Tereza, RNDr., Ph.D. (10.09.2025)

Literature

COHEN, Robert F a Judy L MILLER. Reason to write: strategies for success in academic writing. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006, 210 s. ISBN 0-19-436583-2.
ECO, U. 1997. How to Write a Thesis. MIT Press.
FOWLER, Alastair. How to write [online]. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006, x, 202 p.
GAY Y BLASCO, P. / WARDLE, H. 2007. How to Read Ethnography. London: Routledge
LEVIN, P. 2009. Write great essays [online]. 2nd ed. Maidenhead, England: Open University Press, xvii, 162 p. ISBN 9780335237272.
MURRAY, R.  2011. How to write a thesis. [online] -- 3rd ed.. -- Maidenhead, England : McGraw Hill, 2011. -- xviii, 325 s.

Last update: Grygar Jakub, doc. Mgr., Ph.D. (08.03.2023)

Teaching methods

- discussion
- group work
- presentation of individual work
- peer-to-peer learning

Last update: Freidingerová Tereza, RNDr., Ph.D. (05.09.2024)

Syllabus

Important organizational information:

• the course takes place offline in classroom B216
• all course materials and shared space is in MS Teams "2025-2026 - MSNS Diploma seminar I - Research Methods | Microsoft Teams". In this team students work on presentations and thesis projects.
• to log in to MS Teams (Office 365) use the CU login in fromat [e-mail]

For detailed lesson annotations, tasks and deadlines, see MS Teams

Schedule: 

1) October 2, 2025: Introduction 

  

2) October 9, 2025: Before I start writing 

 3) October 16, 2025: Step by step to good research questions 

FRIST ROUND OF PRESENATIONS

4) October 23, 2025: presentation of student works 1st group

 

5) October 30, 2025: presentation of student works 2nd group

 

6) November 6, 2025: presentation of student works 3rd group

 

7) November 13, 2024: Thesis research design 

SECOND ROUND OF PRESENATIONS

 

8) November 20, 2025: 1st group

8) November 27, 2025: 2nd group (it is possible that this lesson will be cancelled, TBC) 

  

9) December 4, 2025: 3rd group 

  

11) December 11, 2025: 4th group 

  

--- 

12) December 18, 2025: final evaluation of the course, peer-to-peer feedback, self-evaluation of research skills development 

Last update: Freidingerová Tereza, RNDr., Ph.D. (10.09.2025)