230218 SE Comparative Research (2017S)
From epistemic debates to practices
Continuous assessment of course work
Labels
Registration/Deregistration
Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).
- Registration is open from We 01.02.2017 07:00 to We 22.02.2017 23:59
- Deregistration possible until Su 18.06.2017 23:59
Details
max. 15 participants
Language: English
Lecturers
Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N
- Wednesday 07.06. 10:00 - 12:00 STS Bibliothek, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
- Thursday 08.06. 09:00 - 12:00 Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
- Tuesday 13.06. 09:00 - 12:00 STS Bibliothek, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
- Tuesday 20.06. 09:00 - 12:00 STS Bibliothek, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
- Thursday 22.06. 15:00 - 18:00 Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
- Tuesday 27.06. 12:00 - 15:00 Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
- Wednesday 28.06. 12:00 - 15:00 Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
- Thursday 29.06. 12:00 - 15:00 Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
Information
Aims, contents and method of the course
Assessment and permitted materials
To pass the seminar, students are expected to complete the following tasks:
- Participation
This is a PhD seminar class. Students’ active engagement is required. Mere attendance is not enough.
- Preparation for each session
For the first meeting, each student will hand in a 500-word document on his/her PhD research project to the lecturer, no later than June 5th, 2017, at noon. Each student will present his/her project (5 min) in class.
For all sessions, students must read the seminar literature prior to arriving in class, and prepare short reflections on the papers. For each paper on the obligatory reading list, one student will be asked to write a 1,000-word summary. S/he will hand in his/her written document to the lecturer right before the session. S/he will introduce the key themes of the paper (10-min presentation) and will lead discussion with the class.
For the two last sessions ('Comparing comparisons 1', and 'Comparing comparisons 2'), students will be divided in groups of 2-3 (depending on the class size). Each group will write a 2,000-word document discussing issues of comparison they encounter in their PhD research work, to be handed in to the lecturer right before the session. Each group will present its collective reflections (20 min), and will engage the class in a robust discussion.
- Final assignment
Each student must submit an essay (4,000-word) addressing the topic of comparative research in his/her PhD research project. The essay can draw on readings, presentations and discussions in class, but must be done on an individual basis. The essay should read like a 'methodology section' of a PhD thesis, e.g. it should reflect on 'why to compare' and 'how to compare'. The essay will be handed in to the lecturer, no later than July 31st, 2017.
- Participation
This is a PhD seminar class. Students’ active engagement is required. Mere attendance is not enough.
- Preparation for each session
For the first meeting, each student will hand in a 500-word document on his/her PhD research project to the lecturer, no later than June 5th, 2017, at noon. Each student will present his/her project (5 min) in class.
For all sessions, students must read the seminar literature prior to arriving in class, and prepare short reflections on the papers. For each paper on the obligatory reading list, one student will be asked to write a 1,000-word summary. S/he will hand in his/her written document to the lecturer right before the session. S/he will introduce the key themes of the paper (10-min presentation) and will lead discussion with the class.
For the two last sessions ('Comparing comparisons 1', and 'Comparing comparisons 2'), students will be divided in groups of 2-3 (depending on the class size). Each group will write a 2,000-word document discussing issues of comparison they encounter in their PhD research work, to be handed in to the lecturer right before the session. Each group will present its collective reflections (20 min), and will engage the class in a robust discussion.
- Final assignment
Each student must submit an essay (4,000-word) addressing the topic of comparative research in his/her PhD research project. The essay can draw on readings, presentations and discussions in class, but must be done on an individual basis. The essay should read like a 'methodology section' of a PhD thesis, e.g. it should reflect on 'why to compare' and 'how to compare'. The essay will be handed in to the lecturer, no later than July 31st, 2017.
Minimum requirements and assessment criteria
Grading Scheme
The grading scheme is based on a total of 100 points. These points will be awarded in relation to students’ performance in meeting the course learning aims in the different obligatory tasks.
The maximum number of points to be acquired for each task is:
Participation: 15 points, assessed individually, feedback by lecturer
Oral presentation of the seminar literature: 20 points, assessed individually, feedback by lecturer
Group written work and presentation: 25 points, assessed as group work, feedback by lecturer
Final essay: 40 points, assessed individually, feedback by lecturerMinimum requirements
A minimum of 50 points is necessary to successfully complete the course. Failure to meet the attendance regulations, to deliver course assignments on time or to adhere to standards of academic work may result in a deduction of points.
Grades
100-87 points Excellent (1)
86-75 points Good (2)
74-63 points Satisfactory (3)
62-50 points Sufficient (4)
49-0 points Unsatisfactory (5) (fail)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 fulfil 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 re-using own work handed in for other courses, will be treated likewise.
The grading scheme is based on a total of 100 points. These points will be awarded in relation to students’ performance in meeting the course learning aims in the different obligatory tasks.
The maximum number of points to be acquired for each task is:
Participation: 15 points, assessed individually, feedback by lecturer
Oral presentation of the seminar literature: 20 points, assessed individually, feedback by lecturer
Group written work and presentation: 25 points, assessed as group work, feedback by lecturer
Final essay: 40 points, assessed individually, feedback by lecturerMinimum requirements
A minimum of 50 points is necessary to successfully complete the course. Failure to meet the attendance regulations, to deliver course assignments on time or to adhere to standards of academic work may result in a deduction of points.
Grades
100-87 points Excellent (1)
86-75 points Good (2)
74-63 points Satisfactory (3)
62-50 points Sufficient (4)
49-0 points Unsatisfactory (5) (fail)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 fulfil 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 re-using own work handed in for other courses, will be treated likewise.
Examination topics
Reading list
Association in the course directory
Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:39
This course will first introduce historical perspectives on the rationale for comparative research, and will dig around a series of questions which are core to comparative research: What is a 'case'? What does it entail to do multi-sited ethnography? What does it take to think comparatively across different contexts? The course will then move on recent STS contributions on comparison as a set of practices, with an aim to looking at how comparison is done. Finally, the course will engage PhD students with collective work and discussion on how the issue of comparison may emerge in their research projects, and on the difficulties and challenges they may confront in practicing comparison.
This course will have a strong interactive dimension. Students will be expected to develop collective and reflexive work on comparison, through a series of group exercises and exchanges in class.