Tags
See below.
Admissions requirements
Academic Writing (or equivalent)
Other requirements may be in place for specific research projects.
Second or third year students only
Like for any other course, students cannot enroll for the research clinics more than once.
Description
This course introduces students to academic research by engaging them in ongoing research projects of LUC staff members. Students are invited to participate within various stages of a project, ranging 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.
Registration
If you are interested in one of the clinics below, please submit a brief motivation before 27 July to course.administration@luc.leidenuniv.nl. We hope to be able to inform students about their application by 7 August.
Projects
Earth, Energy and Sustainability (EES)
Another yet overlooked socio-agricultural revolution? HANNP-based sociometabolic energy flux as an efficiency indicator of the early to high Middle Ages agricultural and technological transformation (Dr. Peter Houben). Prerequisites: Willingness to conduct a literature search for archival sources, may require to read German or French sources describing land use pattern, basic GIS skills to map and quantitatively compare two historical modes of land use applying he concept of (Human Appropriated) Net Primary Production.
Comparing available hydropower resources across two conditions of natural and medieval, human-engineered floodplain environments. (Dr. Peter Houben). Prerequisites: may include to read French sources, basic GIS skills (helpful but not a prerequisite) to calculate hydropower availability for two different stages of historical floodplain evolution.
Taking stock of past to present human soilscape change: Pointing up landscape-scale soil profile change based on considering historical land use, available geodata and soil information. (Dr. Peter Houben). Prerequisites: skills in working with a data base (simple SQL queries), basic understanding of soil stratigraphies and human-caused soil profile change, basic GIS skills for visualization of results
Does environmental education affect attitude and behavior of students (Dr. Thijs Bosker)
Measuring levels of microplastics on beaches from across the globe (Dr. Thijs Bosker and Dr. Paul Behrens)
Integrated River Management in an Era of Global Environmental Change (Dr. Paul Hudson)
Global Public Health (GPH)
Dietary patterns and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a population-based study (Dr. Jessica Kiefte-de Jong). Additional prerequisite: Quantitative Research Methods.
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and colorectal cancer risk (Dr. Jessica Kiefte-de Jong). Additional prerequisite: Quantitative Research Methods.
Population-wide screening for celiac disease: is it justified? (Dr. Jessica Kiefte-de Jong). Additional prerequisite: Quantitative Research Methods.
Governance, Economics and Development (GED)
The Political Economy of Natural Resource Management: Do Solutions to the “Resource Curse” Work? (Dr. Anar Ahmadov)
Traditional authority in a (post-)modern world: constructing a global dataset on the political functions of ‘traditional’ rulers (Dr. David Ehrhardt). Additional prerequisite: Quantitative Research Methods.
“Back of the envelope — from theory to data to results” (Dr David Zetland)
“A history of water metering in the Netherlands.” (Dr. David Zetland). Prerequisites: Dutch speaker, who is interested in institutions, resources and governance.
Human Diversity (HD)
Engaged Research: Slavery & Memory in The Hague (Dr. Ann Wilson)
Engaged Research: Expats & Immigrants in The Hague (Dr. Ann Wilson)
Second wave feminism in The Netherlands (Dr. Ann Wilson)
International Justice (IJ)
The emperors strike back: State backlash against international courts (Dr. Freya Baetens). Additional prerequisite: Public International Law (recommended: International Dispute Settlement)
Knowledge is power: a cross-regime comparison of transparency rules and the legal protection of trade secrets (Dr. Freya Baetens). Additional prerequisite: Public International Law (recommended: International Environmental Law)
‘Arctic Governance’ (Dr. Brid Walsh and Dr. Beatrix Futak)
Insight into Human Trafficking (Dr. Alexis Aronowitz)
World Politics (WP)
Attack Planning and Preparation by Lone Actor Terrorists (Prof. Edwin Bakker and Bart Schuurman)
Journey to the West: The ‘Theory Migrant’ in the Age of China Rising (Dr. Jay Huang)
‘Arctic Governance’ (Dr. Brid Walsh and Dr. Beatrix Futak)
Theories and Methods in International Relations (Dr. Beatrix Futak)
European Conceptions of Human Security: EU as Normative Power (Dr. Beatrix Futak)
Course objectives
After having successfully completed this course, students will have be proficient in one or more of the following course objectives to be able to :
formulate research questions and structure a collective project;
draft and revise an academic text of high quality;
utilize specific research skills and methodologies in the context of a larger research question,
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.
Timetable
Once available, timetables will be published here.
Mode of instruction
Each student is expected to meet with her/his project leader regularly 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.
Important: students are expected to keep a log of their activities, detailing per hour spent on the project what they have accomplished.
Assessment
Participation during research clinic meetings, 10%, Block 1 + Block 2;
Weekly assignments, 60%, Block 1 + Block 2;
Keeping a research log, 10%, Block 1 + Block 2;
Research report, 20%, Block 1 + Block 2.
Note that all assignments as well as the final grade for the clinic will be stated as Pass/Fail.
Blackboard
There will be a Blackboard site available for this course. Students will be enrolled at least one week before the start of classes.
Reading list
Relevant readings differ per project – this will be indicated by the project leaders during the first week of the course.
Registration
This course is open to LUC students and LUC exchange students. Registration is coordinated by the Curriculum Coordinator. Interested non-LUC students should contact course.administration@luc.leidenuniv.nl.
Contact
Dr. F. Baetens (f.baetens@luc.leidenuniv.nl)