180165 KU Practical Research Methods (2025S)

The seminar is assessed through weekly preparation tasks that build up to writing a final essay, and the final essay itself.

1) Weekly tasks: These tasks guide students from reading a research paper all the way to writing an essay based on this reading. They aim to build reading, writing, argumentation, and other research skills. Each task is marked by criteria indicated in the respective task. *Weight of all tasks combined: 35%.* *Deadline: 15:00* on the day before the seminar to which the task belongs. Tasks that are late without authorisation can at most score a grade of 4 (mere pass).

2) Presentation of research idea: A short (3-5 minute) presentation of an idea for a final essay. *Weight: 15%*. The presentations will be scheduled on Moodle and are held live in class. Students who for reasons outside of their control miss their presentation, can supply an alternative written assignment, subject to agreement with the lecturer.

3) A short essay of 1500-1700 words (including bibliography), based on any reading from the seminar. The goal of the essay is to combine all the different research skills that have been practiced throughout the semester. *Weight: 50%*. *Deadline: September 15, 23:59.* I will only mark submissions after this deadline, irrespective of how early you submit. However, if you need your final seminar grade earlier than late September, e.g. if you are on an exchange semester, then you can also submit by an optional early submission deadline of June 30, 23:59, and I will then mark your submission as soon as possible after this deadline.

The essay is to be submitted on Moodle, as pdf file, with all identifying information (name, student ID) in the text, file name, and file metadata removed to facilitate anonymous marking.

Delayed essay submissions get a marking penalty of +0.2 for each day (24h) of lateness, although this penalty does not itself lead to a failing grade. Beyond 15 days delay, any essay will receive a fail grade. If your submission is delayed for reasons outside of your control, e.g. illness, please contact me via email as soon as possible to request a deadline extension.

By registering for this course/seminar, you tacitly agree to having all your electronic submissions checked by the plagiarism detection software Turnitin.

Permitted tools:
For the final essay, you are permitted to use generative AI such as chatGPT as a supplementary tool to aid you in your writing. If you use such a tool in any step of the writing process, then you must append to your essay a brief explanation of how the technology was used. You are not permitted to use generative AI in any of the weekly tasks, unless this is explicitly stated otherwise.

Undeclared use of the technology is not permitted and is considered academic misconduct. Use of such technology can and must not replace your understanding and well thought-through argumentative engagement. If I am in doubt about the authorship and tools used in an essay, then I may request of any student that they come to an oral examination on their final essay, in which they need to explain and defend individual sections of their text. Furthermore, thorough referencing, including page numbers, and use of references and explanations which show that all sources referenced have actually been read and minimally understood, is a strict condition for the final essay to pass.