Studiegids

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Research Preparation

Vak
2023-2024

Admission Requirements

The following two categories of students are entitled to participate:

1. Bachelor students of CADS who have passed the following first-year courses:

  • Anthropological Research in Practice

  • Statistics in Practice

  • Academic Writing and (Re-)Presentation

  • Ethics in Contemporary Ethnographic Research/ Data Management and Research Ethics

  • Academic Discourse

2. Archaeology students from the bachelor’s programme Heritage and Society who have successfully passed Social Scientific Research in Practice.

N.B. Completing this course is required to register for the third-year course Personal and Professional Impact.

Language of Instruction

Lectures are given in English.
The exam questions will be in English, but the student can answer in either Dutch or English.

Course Description and Course Objectives

This course helps students to prepare for Fieldwork NL in both bachelor specialisations. It is tailored to both bachelor specialisations (SuSo and DAE) and covers methodological topics relevant to both and specific to each specialisation.

It focuses on how to turn your research topics, questions, and theoretical problems into concrete research activities. It presents different approaches to operationalizing your research and connect research methods and theory to the topic that you will study. How do you explicitly shape relationships between theory and everyday research practices? The course will address epistemological concerns that are related to reflexivity in fieldwork and that are related to combining qualitative and quantitative methods. This will help you to:

  1. reflect on notions of method and methodology.
  2. engage with methodological and epistemological debates to expand your methodological vocabulary.
  3. Learn how to use research methods reflexively by explicitly addressing their situatedness.
  4. translate initially vague research interests into a feasible project.
  5. go beyond a ‘cookbook’ or ‘toolkit’ approach to methods.

Schedule

Dates and room numbers can be found on the website.

Mode of Instruction

Total 5 ECTS = 140 study tax hours (sbu)

  • lectures 10 × 2 = 20 hours * 1,5 = 30 sbu

  • literature ca. 770 pages = 110 sbu

Assessment Method

  • Mandatory participation in lectures

  • Written examination

Exam may be re-taken if results of the first attempt are deemed unsatisfactory (grade 5 or lower).

Registration in My Studymap

Registration for the lectures and the exam in My Studymap is mandatory for all students. Registration closes 5 days before the start of the course. Carefully read all information about the procedures and deadlines for registering for courses and exams.

Registration and confirmation of exams

Students need not register for the examination via My Studymap, since both tests will be conducted through Brightspace.

Brightspace

Brightspace is the digital learning environment of Leiden University. Brightspace gives access to course announcements and electronic study material. Assignments will also be submitted in Brightspace. Announcements about and changes to courses are given via Brightspace. Students are advised to check Brightspace daily to keep informed about rooms, schedules, deadlines, and all details regarding assignments. Lecturers assume that all students read information posted on Brightspace.

  • How to login

The homepage for Brightspace is: Brightspace

Please log in with your ULCN-account and personal password. On the left you will see an overview of My Courses.

For access to courses in Brightspace you need to be registered for those courses in My Studymap.

Course Literature

Rabinow, Paul. 1977. *Reflections on Fieldwork in Morocco. *University of California Press.

Small, Mario Luis. 2017. Someone To Talk To. Oxford University Press.

Articles from electronic journals and encyclopaedias are available through the digital university library (to be announced).

Contact

Dr. Erik Bähre