Research Design and Academic Writing

Recommended Prerequisites

Not applicable.

Teaching Methods

Teaching methodology comprises theoretical sessions that present theoretical and conceptual topics on the research process; practical sessions devoted to the conception and writing of parts of the research proposal; presentation and discussion of research proposals; and tutorials for supervising the design of the research proposal; and autonomous work from students. Teaching methodology comprises theoretical sessions that present theoretical and conceptual topics on the research process; practical sessions devoted to the conception and writing of parts of the research proposal; presentation and discussion of research proposals; and tutorials for supervising the design of the research proposal; and autonomous work from students. 

Learning Outcomes

1.Develop knowledge and skills for the design of a PhD research proposal in the domain of Political Economy;
2.Develop skills for justifying the epistemological and conceptual fundamentals and the methodological choices of the PhD research proposal;
3.Develop skills for critical reflection on the research process;
4.Develop oral and argumentation skills for the presentation of research work;
5.Develop academic writing skills;
6.Develop social and ethical responsibility of the PhD student as a social scientist.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1. The nature and the process of research in the social sciences
1.1. Formulating questions and searching for answers
1.2. State of the art and original contribution
1.3. The ethics of research and of the social scientist
2. PhD research proposal
2.1. Background and research problem
2.2. Literature review and conceptualization
2.3. Methodological strategy
2.4. Research plan and timetable
3. Academic writing
3.1. Styles and publication outlets
3.2. The academic article
3.3. The process of publication in academic journals
4. Communications in scientific meetings.

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Other: 10.0%
Research work: 20.0%
Project: 70.0%

Bibliography

Booth, Wayne C., Colomb, Gregory G., Williams, Joseph M., Bizup, Joseph (2016) The Craft of Research, 4ª Edição, Chicago e Londres, University of Chicago Press.
Creswell, John W. (2014) Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches, 4ª Edição, Los Angeles, SAGE Publications.
Dunleavy, Patrick (2003) Authoring a PhD: How to Plan, Draft, Write and Finish a Doctoral Thesis or Dissertation, Nova Iorque, Palgrave Macmillan.
Hancké, Bob (2009) Intelligent Research Design: A Guide for Beginning Researchers in the Social Sciences, Nova Iorque, Oxford University Press.
Swales, John, Feak, Christine B. (2004) Academic Writing for Graduate Students: Essential Tasks and Skills, Michigan, University of Michigan Press.
Feak C. & Swales J. (2009) Telling a Research Story: Writing a Literature Review. Ann Arbor, Michigan, University of Michigan Press.