STV4911 ¨C Master Thesis - Research Design and Project Management

Course content

Research design is essential for valid research. In this course, organized as a seminar series, students are introduced to strategies for improving the design of their master thesis project as well as being made aware of common pitfalls. Theoretical knowledge from the previous methods courses will be applied to show how different types of research projects are developed in practice. Students will be offered general instruction in research ethics and data protection and management. Moreover, they will receive additional training in presentation of data and empirical results and advice on how to manage their research project and write up their thesis in an efficient manner.

The seminar series will be divided into three main parts: 1) research question and research design, 2) planning and preparation of different types of studies, 3) other aspects of project planning and management.

During the seminar period, students will read literature on their chosen topic and work on developing the relevant aspects of their research plan for the master thesis. They will submit notes on their project every second week and submit complete a project plan at the end of the seminar period.

STV4911 is an integrated, compulsory part of the master theses in STV4992 ¨C Masteroppgave i statsvitenskap and in PECOS4096 ¨C Master's Thesis.?

Learning outcome

Knowledge

You will:

• Know what the common pitfalls of designing a research project are
• Know well-established strategies for avoiding such pitfalls

Skills

You can:

• Develop and specify a research question at an advanced level
• Situate the research question in scholarly literature
• Identify key concepts, relevant theory and the appropriate logic of inference
• Justify a general choice of research design
• Develop a suitable research plan for case selection, time frame, data collection and choice of methods
• Develop an ethically responsible research project
• Draft a data management plan in line with EU¡¯s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

General competencies

You can:

• Present a research plan to a group of peers
• Participate in academic discussion of research designs
• Reflect on your own research and writing process
• Plan a large-scale project for successful completion
• Deal with data protection and management issues in a responsible manner

Admission to the course

The course is reserved for students enrolled in the master programmes in Political science and Peace and conflict studies.

Recommended previous knowledge

Students should complete STV4021 ¨C Å·ÖÞ±­ÔÚÏßÂòÇò_Å·ÖÞ±­Í¶×¢ÍøÕ¾ÍƼö@sdesign i statsvitenskap and STV4022 ¨C Anvendt statistikk for statsvitenskap, or PECOS4025 ¨C Analytic perspectives on peace and conflict?and PECOS4022 ¨C Applied Statistics for Peace and Conflict Studies,?plus one data course (STV4030A ¨C Digital Data in Political Science, STV4030B ¨C Qualitative Data in Political Science or STV4030C ¨C Survey design for political scientists).

Overlapping courses

• 5 credits overlap with STV4910 ¨C Designseminar i statsvitenskap.
• 5 credits overlap with PECOS4081 ¨C Design Seminar (discontinued).

Teaching

Lectures and seminars

Mandatory activities:?

• attending all the seminar sessions (one during the first week and a 1 ? day workshop during the sixth week)

• submission of two short memos

• oral presentation of MA research plan draft?

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• Absence from compulsory activities:
  
  For many courses, UiO requires participation in the form of compulsory activities. These must be approved before you can sit for the examination.
  
  If you are ill or have another valid reason for being absent from compulsory activities, your absence may be approved or the compulsory activity may be postponed.
  
  Report absence from or the need for a postponed deadline on a compulsory activity Absence from compulsory activities - University of Oslo (uio.no)

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Examination

The week after the final sessions students submit their final master thesis research plan / pre-analysis plan.

Language of examination

You may submit your response in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a pass/fail scale. Read more about?the grading system.

More about examinations at UiO

• Use of sources and citations
• Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
• Withdrawal from an exam
• Illness at exams / postponed exams
• Explanation of grades and appeals
• Resitting an exam
• Cheating/attempted cheating

You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.