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
• 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) Presentation and justification of objectives and research questions
> the deadline for uploading to MS Teams is October 27, 2024

3) Submission and presentation of the thesis project in ppt
> the deadline for uploading to MS Teams is November 27, 2024

 3) Submission of the thesis project in word (5-10 pages including literature)
> the deadline for uploading to MS Teams is December 17, 2024

 

Last update: Freidingerová Tereza, RNDr., Ph.D. (08.10.2024)

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 "2024-2025 - MSNS Diploma seminar I - Research Methods". In this team students work on presentations and concept notes.
• to log in to MS Teams (Office 365) use the CU login in fromat [e-mail]

 

Schedule:

1) October 3, 2024: Introduction

- introduction to the course

- introduction of students and their visions

 

2) October 10, 2024: Before I start writing

- Requirements of the thesis project

- Identifying the research topic: brainstorming, broadening and narrowing

- Focus vs. a thesis in the style of the Universe-and-its-surroundings 

- Formulating of the research problem/working question

 

3) October 17, 2024: Step by step to good research questions

- Specifying of research objectives

- How to develop research questions.

- Finding relevant sources

 

October 24, 2024: CANCELLED 

- the teacher will be at a training

- - -

 

Presentation of research questions and peer-to-peer feedback

A ten-minute presentation of the thesis project draft presenting

- topic

- the aim of the thesis

- research questions

- 3-5 relevant sources that relate to the topic                        

- discussion and peer-to-peer feedback

 

4) October 31, 2024: presentation of student works

5) November 7, 2024: presentation of student works

- - -

 

6) November 14, 2024: Thesis research design

- selection of methodology

- pros and cons of the selected methodology in the way to fulfill the objectives of my thesis

- what to keep in mind when we go the field for research (preparation, safety, ethnics, data collection, flexibility, documentation – research diary)

- research diary, reflexivity and positionality in social sciences research

 

7) November 21, 2024: excursion to the non-profit organization SIMI

- SIMI - Association for Integration and Migration (www.migrace.com)

- meeting at 14:00 in front of the main entrance of Jinonice Building / or everyone arrives alone, meeting at 14:45 at Havlíčkovo nám. 2, Prague 3

(metro B Jinonice-Florenc, Bus 133, 175, 207)

 

- - -

 

Presentation of diploma thesis concept notes

ten-minute presentations presenting the concept of the diploma project

-        topic, objectives, research questions

-        methodology, sample

-        ethics

-        expected contribution to the current state of knowledge

-        research limits

-        sources

 

8) November 28, 2024: 1^st group

 

9) November 29, 2024: full-day excursion to the detention facility for foreigners Bělá-Jezová and the centre for integration of foreigners Mladá Boleslav

 

10) December 5, 2024: 2^nd group (this lesson will most likely be online - TBC)

 

11) December 12, 2024: 3rd group

 

- - -

 

12) December 19, 2024: final evaluation of the course, peer-to-peer feedback, self-evaluation of research skills development

 

Last update: Freidingerová Tereza, RNDr., Ph.D. (02.10.2024)