Tags
See further down.
Admission requirements
Academic Writing (or equivalent).
Other requirements may be in place for specific research projects, please check each project outline separately.
Course description
This course introduces students to academic research, from start to finish, by engaging them in ongoing research projects of LUC staff members. Students are invited to participate in the various stages of a project, from the set-up or the application for research grants, over the gathering of data and the drafting of findings, to the final polishing of a text and preparing it for publication.
Application
Students are invited to select up to three projects in which they would like to participate, as well as rank them in order of preference. Also, they are requested to submit a motivation letter (→ via email to [course.administration@luc.leidenuniv.nl](mailto:course.administration@luc.leidenuniv.nl?Subject=Application Research Clinic)) of how they intend to offer added value to the project (for example, because they speak a specific language relevant to the field of research or because they have taken one or more courses dealing with issues that the project relates to).
PLEASE NOTE THE DEADLINE TO SUBMIT YOUR MOTIVATION LETTER IS 10 JANUARY
Selection
Based on students’ preference and their qualification, the course convenor will assign each student to a project, in consultation with the project leaders. Should this not be possible (for example because the student has only indicated a preference for one particular project for which there are many applicants), the course convenor will contact the student, who will then be offered a choice among the remaining positions, or, opt to take another course.
Tagging
The tagging for this course depends on the particular project (see overview below).
Credit
Last year, many students and project leaders indicated they would prefer for projects to be less time-intense, but longer running. Hence, research projects can run over one or two blocks (block 3 and 4). The overall amount of time that students are expected to spend on their project remains the same (5 EC course).
Available clinics
Meaning and Mortality: Origins of the Existential Philosophy of Death
Dr. Adam Buben
Tags: HD, HI
Not open for registration
Real time Air Quality Monitoring in The Hague Using Low-Cost, Bike Mounted Sensors.
Dr. Paul Behrens
Tags: EES, S
Prerequisites: Energy Science and Geographic Information Systems or Quantitative Research Methods.
Dietary Acid Load and Colorectal Cancer Risk – A Population-Based Cohort Study
Dr. Jessica Kiefte-de Jong
Tags: GPH
Prerequisites: basic epidemiology/public health course and Quantitative Research Methods (or equivalent).
Developing a Fish Population Model to for Risk Assessment of Oil Spills
Dr. Thijs Bosker, Dr. Patsy Haccou
Tags: EES, S
Prerequisites: an interest in ecosystem health and environmental modelling.
Microplastics: Contaminants of Global Concern
Dr. Thijs Bosker
Tags: EES, S
The Political Economy of Natural Resource Management: Do Solutions to the “Resource Curse” Work?
Dr. Anar Ahmadov
Tags: GED, ID, PSc
The Hague Terrorism Database: who are these so-called jihadi terrorists? What are the characteristics and is there a typical jihadi terrorist?
Prof.dr. Edwin Bakker
Tags: WP, IJ, GJ
Note: this clinic will run for the duration of Block 3 only
Environmental Change along the Mahakam and Kupuas Rivers
Dr. Paul Hudson
Tags: EES, S
Floodplain Processes along an Intensively Managed River – The Dutch Rhine
Dr. Paul Hudson
Tags: EES, S
Property rights, access to justice, and conflict in Africa
Dr. David Ehrhardt
Tags: GED, ID
Theories & Methods in International Relations
Dr. Beatrix Futak-Campbell
Tags: WP
Learning objectives
After having successfully completed this course, students will have gained a better idea of how to:
formulate research questions and structure a collective project;
draft and revise an academic text of high quality;
cooperate in a research team.
As such, this course provides excellent preparation for students’ Capstone projects as well as later academic research at graduate or post-graduate level.
Mode of instruction
Each student is expected to meet with her/his project leader at least once per week to discuss her/his progress, receive feedback on earlier work, ask questions and outline further assignments.
Individual project leaders may require additional meetings during which students can be asked to give presentations to all project participants. Project leaders may also ask students to attend specialist lectures, seminars or conferences – insofar as relevant for the project.
Plenary meetings with the course convener are organized to explain the set-up of the course and to prepare students for the writing of their final report. The dates of these meetings will be communicated via email. The first meeting will be on Wednesday 4 February from 15:00-16:00 (room TBD). In addition, the course convener is available for individual feedback.
Important: students are expected to keep a log of their activities, detailing per hour spent on the project what they have accomplished.
Assessment
Grade by project leader:
Participation during research clinic meetings: 20%
Weekly assignments: 40%
Graded by convener:
Keeping a research log: 10%
Writing a report on the content and relevance of the research project for society: 30%
Compulsory literature
Relevant readings differ per project – this will be indicated by the project leaders during the first week of the course.
Registration
First choice registration is open to LUC students. Remaining positions will be offered to Honours Academy students.
Contact information
p.f.hudson@luc.leidenuniv.nl