HU Credits: 2

Degree/Cycle: 2nd degree (Master)

Responsible Department: European Studies

Semester: 2nd Semester

Teaching Languages: English

Campus: Mt. Scopus

Course/Module Coordinator: Prof Gili S Drori

Coordinator Email: gili.drori@mail.huji.ac.il

Coordinator Office Hours: Wednesdays 10:30-11:30

Teaching Staff:
Prof Gili S Drori

Course/Module description:
The course is designed to guide research students (MA and PhD) towards composing the research proposal for their MA thesis of PhD dissertation; it is also relevant for student working towards their research seminar paper. To this aim, the study plan includes acquisition of academic research tools for designing an independent-mentored study, selection of research topic and question, preliminary literature review, building mentorship relations, developing research strategy relevant to the research direction, accreditation in research ethics, and composition of a comprehensive and revised research proposal.
Course assignments are sequential, reflecting stages of research planning process and submission deadlines are “road marks” in the progress towards a comprehensive research proposal. Therefore, the research proposal required for completion of the course is an accumulation – and revision – of assignments submitted along the semester.

Course/Module aims:
Course is intended to guide research students (MA and PhD) towards composing the research proposal for their MA thesis of PhD dissertation. Specific goals are:
acquisition of academic research tools for designing an independent-mentored study, selection of research topic and question, preliminary literature review, building mentorship relations, developing research strategy relevant to the research direction, accreditation in research ethics, and composition of a comprehensive and revised research proposal.

Learning outcomes - On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
- Comprehensive, even if preliminary, research proposal for MA thesis or PhD dissertation;
- Recruitment of faculty mentor;
- Receipt of CITI ethics in research certificate.

Attendance requirements(%):
Compulsory-elective; graded.

Teaching arrangement and method of instruction: Course combines lectures, exercises, discussions, and student presentations, along with one-on-one meetings, on-line certification and…plenty of writing and rewriting of the proposal.

Course/Module Content:
Variety of topics that shall guide research students (MA and PhD) towards composing the research proposal for their MA thesis of PhD dissertation. Among the topics are: What is an independent-mentored research? Developing criteria for topic selection; Preparing for the literature review; Selection of research question, and relevant research strategy; Planning the process of research and writing; Student presentations of their work.

Required Reading:
Booth, Wayne C., Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams. 1995. “From topics to questions.” In The Craft of Research, University of Chicago Press, pp. 35-45.

Karnieli-Miller, Orit, Roni Strier, and Liat Pessach. 2009. "Power relations in qualitative research." Qualitative Health Research 19(2): 279-289

Geddes, Barbara. 1990. “How the cases you chose affect the answers you get: Selection bias in comparative politics.” Political Analysis, 2(1): 131-150

Lipson, Charles. 2005. “”Every thesis should have a thesis.” In How to Write a BA Thesis? University of Chicago Press, pp. 110-119

Frances Kelly. (2011). “‘Cooking together disparate things’: the role of metaphor in thesis writing.” Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 48(4): 429-438

Additional Reading Material:
* Only as far as required for the topical focus of the literature review and the research proposal; and, based on prior consultation with Prof. Drori.

Course/Module evaluation:
End of year written/oral examination 0 %
Presentation 0 %
Participation in Tutorials 0 %
Project work 0 %
Assignments 0 %
Reports 0 %
Research project 0 %
Quizzes 0 %
Other 100 %
see additional information

Additional information:
- Mandatory course for the European Forum’s M.A. students registered in the research track and PhD candidates.
Course/module assessment; Percent of final grade (%):
10% &eq; CITI on-line course and certification
45% &eq; submission of 2 mid-term written assignments and in-class presentation (15% each)
25% &eq; final, comprehensive and re-written research proposal (for thesis or dissertation)
10% &eq; one-on-one meetings (with Prof. Drori and potential mentor; 5% each)
10% &eq; attendance and participation