Research Methodology

Recommended Prerequisites

Knowledge of academic writing. Fluency in English and Portuguese.

Teaching Methods

The course combines theory and seminars. Students submit information about each of the steps of drafting their research proposals and debate it in class, following the methodological guidelines previously provided.

This interaction is complemented by the tutorial guidance available to students, enabling them to clarify doubts, receive guidance on preparing assignments and discuss issues raised during the course of the semester.

Learning Outcomes

Overall objectives,
Training competences for autonomous research: literature review, research questions, research methods.
 
Specific objectives 
Training competences for the elaboration of research questions and hypotheses and for a rigorous and well-structured literature review. Elaboration of a dissertation project or training report to be presented at the end of the first year.

Generic competencies 
Ability to identify and analyze relevant bibliography. Formulation of research questions and structuring of a research proposal suitable for this level of training.

Specific competencies
Literature review; understanding the use of methodologies of analysis and interpretation of different types of primary and secondary sources, interviews and discourse analysis; quantitative methods; and how to make oral presentations during the viva and in conferences, both as presenters and chairs.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

Research methodology steps; elaboration and discussion of the different parts of the research project, namely the research question, the theoretical framework and methodological proposal. How to write a research proposal.

Head Lecturer(s)

Inês Catarina Pereira da Costa Sousa

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Delivery of the different elements of the research project : 100.0%

Bibliography

Eco, U. (2015). How to write a thesis (C. Mongiat Farina & G. Farina, Trans.). MIT Press. (Original work published 1977)

Becker, H. S. (2007). Writing for Social Scientists: How to Start and Finish yours Thesis, Book or Article. 2nd Edition. The University of Chicago Press.

Booth, W. C., Colomb, G. G., & Williams, J. M. (2016). The craft of research (4th ed.). University of Chicago Press.

Clark, T., Foster, L., Sloan, L., & Bryman, A. (2021). Bryman's Social Research Methods. Oxford University Press.

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell J. D. (2022). Research Design Qualitative Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches. Sage.

Flick, U. (2018) An introduction to qualitative research. 6th Edition. Kindle ed., Sage.

Ridley, D. (2008). The literature review – A step-by-step guide for students. Sage.

Thomas, C. G. (2021). Research Methodology and Scientific Writing. Springer.