Delivered at:: Department of Demography (Vishnevsky Institute of Demography)

Course type:: Compulsory course

When:: 1 year, 1-4 module

Instructors

Anikin, Vasiliy A.

Kazenin, Konstantin

Kozlov, Vladimir A.

Mitrofanova, Ekaterina

Slobodenyuk, Ekaterina

Shubenkova, Alexandra Y.

Full Syllabus

Abstract

The purpose of the RS is to develop research skills and apply these skills to conduct own research and write the course term paper. Research Seminar (RS) is a "playground" for academic commu-nication between the students and the staff of the Institute of Demography and the Faculty of Social Sciences, visiting scholars and the staff of other departments at HSE. The course provides a guided development of research (academic) skills and later – research paper. During the course students get acquainted with guidelines and methods how to perform all stages of academic study, and perform various academic routines individually or in team collaboration. Thus, the seminar focuses on critical reading and reviewing, academic writing and ethics, cross-peer re-view, argumentation, planning and implementation of a research, oral presentation and discussion of results. The seminar is designed to provide a smooth transition from learning to conducting own re-search. Apart of specific academic skills, the seminar widens academic scope of students, and diversifies and deepens their thematic specialization. The course solves a wide-scale mission to form understanding of professional perspectives and available academic directions.

Learning Objectives

The objectives of the seminar are: 1. to guide students in choosing appropriate research directions and topics among related re-search fields; 2. to provide a coherent understanding of the academic study cycle and its stages and tech-niques; 3. to develop academic writing and text reviewing skills; 4. to advance presentation skills, questioning and argumentation; 5. to form skills of elaboration and writing of the term paper and qualification thesis – i.e. the design of the structure, the style of presentation, the ways of presenting statistical in-formation and research results etc.

Expected Learning Outcomes

The student know the basic elements and stages of academic research
The student is able to summarizes and groups knowledge from the research literature
The student can find the most suitable methods of research, data sources, develops hypotheses and the ways to test it
The student is able to write texts of different genres
Additional useful for the academic paper writing skills
The student can organize the predefence of the paper as a public presentation

Course Contents

Introduction of acedemic research
Elements of academic research: an overview of the research cycle (stages and links)
Literature review
The main elements of literature review in the research paper. Zotero and the other integrators.
Research proposal
Making research proposal. Develops database, research hypotheses, understand methods
Academic writting
Argumentation . Academic language. Bridging linking and hedging . Editing
Predefences
The practical defence of the preliminary version of the presentation and predefence of the thesis
Academic paper writting skills ractical guide
Surveys organization, visualization, presentation skills

Assessment Elements

Oral presentation of a relevant academic study
Literature review (Written reports)
Project proposal edits from the Academic writing point of view (Cross-peer review 2 papers)
Research proposal methodology (Written text: 2 parts )
Defense (Oral presentation 10-15 minutes and questions from the jury)
Не является экзаменом

Interim Assessment

Interim assessment (4 module)
0.3 * Defense (Oral presentation 10-15 minutes and questions from the jury) + 0.2 * Literature review (Written reports) + 0.05 * Oral presentation of a relevant academic study + 0.05 * Project proposal edits from the Academic writing point of view (Cross-peer review 2 papers) + 0.4 * Research proposal methodology (Written text: 2 parts )

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

Bischoping, K. (2005). Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches/The Practice of Social Research. Teaching Sociology, 33(1), 95–97. https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055X0503300110
Contemporary academic writing. A comprehensive course for students in higher education : Course book, Sowton, C., 2016
Strengths and Limitations of Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods. (2017). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.887088

Recommended Additional Bibliography

Heck, R. H. (2004). Studying Educational and Social Policy : Theoretical Concepts and Research Methods. Mahwah, N.J.: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=113815
Ligia MUNTEAN JEMNA. (2016). Qualitative And Mixed Research Methods In Economics: The Added Value When Using Qualitative Research Methods. Journal of Public Administration, Finance and Law, (9), 154. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.a.aic.jopafl.y2016v9p154.167
Sandoval, I. S. (2016). Understanding Political Science Research Methods: The Challenge of Inference. Political Studies Review, 14(3), 451. https://doi.org/10.1177/1478929916655062

Master’s Programme 'Population and Development'

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Author