233020 SE It´s not rocket science. How to get your MA thesis started (2023S)
Prüfungsimmanente Lehrveranstaltung
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An/Abmeldung
Hinweis: Ihr Anmeldezeitpunkt innerhalb der Frist hat keine Auswirkungen auf die Platzvergabe (kein "first come, first served").
- Anmeldung von Mi 01.02.2023 09:00 bis Mi 22.02.2023 23:59
- Abmeldung bis Sa 18.03.2023 23:59
Details
max. 25 Teilnehmer*innen
Sprache: Englisch
Lehrende
Termine (iCal) - nächster Termin ist mit N markiert
- Freitag 03.03. 09:30 - 11:30 Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien (Vorbesprechung)
- Freitag 10.03. 09:30 - 11:30 Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
- Freitag 24.03. 09:30 - 11:30 Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
- Freitag 31.03. 09:30 - 11:30 Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
- Freitag 21.04. 09:30 - 11:30 Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
- Freitag 28.04. 09:30 - 11:30 Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
- Freitag 05.05. 09:30 - 11:30 Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
- Freitag 12.05. 09:30 - 11:30 Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
- Freitag 26.05. 09:30 - 11:30 Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
- Freitag 16.06. 09:30 - 11:30 Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
- Freitag 23.06. 09:30 - 11:30 Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
Information
Ziele, Inhalte und Methode der Lehrveranstaltung
Art der Leistungskontrolle und erlaubte Hilfsmittel
To pass the seminar, students are expected to complete the following tasks:
- Read and discuss the required readings
- Develop a MA thesis exposé on their own
- Comment and evaluate other students’ drafts.This course uses the plagiarism-detection service Turnitin for larger assignments.
- Read and discuss the required readings
- Develop a MA thesis exposé on their own
- Comment and evaluate other students’ drafts.This course uses the plagiarism-detection service Turnitin for larger assignments.
Mindestanforderungen und Beurteilungsmaßstab
The grading of the course is based on the separate assessment of different tasks on a scale of 1-5.- Active participation in the class - 10 % - assessed individually, feedback on request
- Drafting different parts of your proposal and giving peer feedback (assignment 1a-d) - 30 % - assessed individually, feedback by peers and lecturers
- Designing and presenting a research poster (assignment 2) - 20 % - assessed individually, feedback by peers and lecturers
- Final proposal (assignment 3) - 40 % - assessed individually, feedback on requestMinimum requirements: To successfully complete the course, a weighted average of at least 4,5 is required. Failure to meet the attendance regulations, to deliver course assignments on time or to adhere to standards of academic work may also be considered in the course assessment.
Attendance: Presence and participation is compulsory. Absences of four hours at maximum are tolerated, provided that the lecturer is informed about the absence. Absences of up to eight hours in total may be compensated by either a deduction of grading points or/and extra work agreed with the lecturer. Whether compensation is possible is decided by the lecturer. Absences of more than eight hours in total cannot be compensated. In this case, or if the lecturer does not allow a student to compensate absences of more than four hours, the course cannot be completed and is graded as a ‘fail’ (5), unless there is a major and unpredictable reason for not being able to fulfill the attendance requirements on the student’s side (e.g. a longer illness). In such a case, the student may be de-registered from the course without grading. It is the student’s responsibility to communicate this in a timely manner and to provide relevant evidence to their claims if necessary. Whether this exception applies is decided by the lecturer.
Important Grading Information: If not explicitly noted otherwise, all requirements mentioned in the grading scheme and the attendance regulations must be met. If a required task is not fulfilled, e.g. a required assignment is not handed in or if the student does not meet the attendance requirements, this will be considered as a discontinuation of the course. In that case, the course will be graded as ‘fail’ (5), unless there is a major and unpredictable reason for not being able to fulfill the task on the student's side (e.g. a longer illness). In such a case, the student may be de-registered from the course without grading. It is the student’s responsibility to communicate this in a timely manner, and to provide relevant evidence to their claims if necessary. Whether this exception applies is decided by the lecturer.
If any requirement of the course has been fulfilled by fraudulent means, be it for example by cheating at an exam, plagiarizing parts of a written assignment, or by faking signatures on an attendance sheet, the student's participation in the course will be discontinued, the entire course will be graded as ‘not assessed’ and will be entered into the electronic exam record as ‘fraudulently obtained’. Self-plagiarism, particularly reusing own work handed in for other courses, will be treated likewise.
- Drafting different parts of your proposal and giving peer feedback (assignment 1a-d) - 30 % - assessed individually, feedback by peers and lecturers
- Designing and presenting a research poster (assignment 2) - 20 % - assessed individually, feedback by peers and lecturers
- Final proposal (assignment 3) - 40 % - assessed individually, feedback on requestMinimum requirements: To successfully complete the course, a weighted average of at least 4,5 is required. Failure to meet the attendance regulations, to deliver course assignments on time or to adhere to standards of academic work may also be considered in the course assessment.
Attendance: Presence and participation is compulsory. Absences of four hours at maximum are tolerated, provided that the lecturer is informed about the absence. Absences of up to eight hours in total may be compensated by either a deduction of grading points or/and extra work agreed with the lecturer. Whether compensation is possible is decided by the lecturer. Absences of more than eight hours in total cannot be compensated. In this case, or if the lecturer does not allow a student to compensate absences of more than four hours, the course cannot be completed and is graded as a ‘fail’ (5), unless there is a major and unpredictable reason for not being able to fulfill the attendance requirements on the student’s side (e.g. a longer illness). In such a case, the student may be de-registered from the course without grading. It is the student’s responsibility to communicate this in a timely manner and to provide relevant evidence to their claims if necessary. Whether this exception applies is decided by the lecturer.
Important Grading Information: If not explicitly noted otherwise, all requirements mentioned in the grading scheme and the attendance regulations must be met. If a required task is not fulfilled, e.g. a required assignment is not handed in or if the student does not meet the attendance requirements, this will be considered as a discontinuation of the course. In that case, the course will be graded as ‘fail’ (5), unless there is a major and unpredictable reason for not being able to fulfill the task on the student's side (e.g. a longer illness). In such a case, the student may be de-registered from the course without grading. It is the student’s responsibility to communicate this in a timely manner, and to provide relevant evidence to their claims if necessary. Whether this exception applies is decided by the lecturer.
If any requirement of the course has been fulfilled by fraudulent means, be it for example by cheating at an exam, plagiarizing parts of a written assignment, or by faking signatures on an attendance sheet, the student's participation in the course will be discontinued, the entire course will be graded as ‘not assessed’ and will be entered into the electronic exam record as ‘fraudulently obtained’. Self-plagiarism, particularly reusing own work handed in for other courses, will be treated likewise.
Prüfungsstoff
List of assignmentsAssignment 1: Exploring your interests, drafting different parts of your proposal and giving peer feedback (30% of the grade)Throughout the semester, you will write short texts and drafts in preparation of your research proposal. You will receive and give written and verbal feedback on these drafts. This is intended to give you the opportunity to explore different ways into the design of your thesis proposal and to stepwise approach a clear research focus. You will learn how to give and deal productively with feedback. This should facilitate the final writing of your research proposal (assignment 3). Assignment 1 is developed throughout the course and is divided in parts 1a, 1b, 1c , and 1d.1a: Write a 1 page statement on your interests and potential topics for your thesis proposal. Try to think about what interests you the most. What aspects of STS resonate with you best? What do you like to learn further? Why is it important to study that? What’s your own experience in relation to the topic? Bring an object (a thing, an article, a newspaper snippet, etc.) that relates to your research interest to class 1.1b:
- revise your interest statement and draft your tentative research questions (~ 500 words)
- write an outline of the literature and debates you want to draw on and contribute to (~1000-1200 words)
- prepare concrete ideas of possible field sites related to your research interest: where could you go to get a taste of ‘the field’? This can be physical places, institutions, digital or online sites, documents, etc. (max. 3 ideas, 1 paragraph per idea, including your reasons for choosing it and access possibilities and challenges)Read assignment 1b of 2 of your peers (to be assigned) and give written feedback (2-3 paragraphs) via the Moodle forum.1c:
- Go to a possible field site, explore, observe and get a sense of the site, its material properties, atmosphere, dynamic and your feelings when being there. Take pictures & notes.
- Write a vignette or memo about how you experienced the place, what seemed interesting, first ideas of how you would make sense of it, and how that would relate to or change your research focus and question. (~ 700 words)
- Write an outline of your research methods and an empirical strategy to approach your research questions. (~1000 words)Read the vignettes and method outlines of your peers (to be assigned) before the next class.1d:
- Compose a first draft of the whole proposal so far, based on your outlines and the feedback you got (4000-5000 words in total)
- include an outline of sensitizing concepts and analytical approaches you want to use for analysing your case. (~ 1000 words)Give written feedback to assignment 1d of one of your peers (to be assigned) via the moodle forum.Assignment 2: Poster presentation (20% of the grade)Prepare a poster for the poster presentation day at the department (16.06.2023). We will print the posters for you. You will get feedback from your peers and the lecturers and have time to revise the poster (if necessary) before the poster sessionAssignment 3: MA thesis proposal (40% of the grade)Hand in a final proposal based on the drafts and outlines you wrote (assignment 2) and the feedback you received. Minimum length for the full proposal is 5500, maximum length 7000 words without references. Additionally, write a 200 word abstract for the proposal.
- revise your interest statement and draft your tentative research questions (~ 500 words)
- write an outline of the literature and debates you want to draw on and contribute to (~1000-1200 words)
- prepare concrete ideas of possible field sites related to your research interest: where could you go to get a taste of ‘the field’? This can be physical places, institutions, digital or online sites, documents, etc. (max. 3 ideas, 1 paragraph per idea, including your reasons for choosing it and access possibilities and challenges)Read assignment 1b of 2 of your peers (to be assigned) and give written feedback (2-3 paragraphs) via the Moodle forum.1c:
- Go to a possible field site, explore, observe and get a sense of the site, its material properties, atmosphere, dynamic and your feelings when being there. Take pictures & notes.
- Write a vignette or memo about how you experienced the place, what seemed interesting, first ideas of how you would make sense of it, and how that would relate to or change your research focus and question. (~ 700 words)
- Write an outline of your research methods and an empirical strategy to approach your research questions. (~1000 words)Read the vignettes and method outlines of your peers (to be assigned) before the next class.1d:
- Compose a first draft of the whole proposal so far, based on your outlines and the feedback you got (4000-5000 words in total)
- include an outline of sensitizing concepts and analytical approaches you want to use for analysing your case. (~ 1000 words)Give written feedback to assignment 1d of one of your peers (to be assigned) via the moodle forum.Assignment 2: Poster presentation (20% of the grade)Prepare a poster for the poster presentation day at the department (16.06.2023). We will print the posters for you. You will get feedback from your peers and the lecturers and have time to revise the poster (if necessary) before the poster sessionAssignment 3: MA thesis proposal (40% of the grade)Hand in a final proposal based on the drafts and outlines you wrote (assignment 2) and the feedback you received. Minimum length for the full proposal is 5500, maximum length 7000 words without references. Additionally, write a 200 word abstract for the proposal.
Literatur
Zuordnung im Vorlesungsverzeichnis
Letzte Änderung: Fr 20.01.2023 13:49
We will work with inputs and discussions of readings, workshop and tutoring formats, and peer feedback to develop individual thesis exposés. To that end, students are expected to read the required literature, participate in class discussions, develop their own thesis proposal and comment and evaluate other students’ proposals.