Friday 17 February 15:15-17, "Workshop 1" (voluntary): Aim, Research Questions and Delimitations

During this workshop you discuss each others' proposals in your project groups, focusing on the formulation of, and links between, research aim, question/s and delimitations. See further instructions here.

Teachers: Joakim Berndtsson, Isabell Schierenbeck, Julie Bennett and Pernilla Nordqvist

Wednesday 15 March 10:15-12, "Workshop 2" (voluntary): Theory, methods and empirical data

During this workshop you discuss each others' proposals in the project grous, focusing on the interplay between theory, methods and empirical data.

Teachers: Isabell Schierenbeck, Julie Bennett, Arne Wackenhut and Pernilla Nordqvist

Instructions: Students upload draft proposals with theory, methods and empirical data parts in their project group's discussion forum (on the Friday before the workshop at the latest). Each student reads and comments on 1-2 of their peers' drafts. Students divide the drafts between themselves.

Suggested questions to discuss:

- What role with theory play in your thesis?
- How does theory link to other parts, e.g. methods and analysis?
- Can you outline a theoretical/analytical framework, or a set of core concepts?
- Can the proposed method be used to address all the research questions?
- Is the design qualitative, or quantitative, or mixed?
- How will data be selected/collected?
- How will data be used, is it representative, a special/unique case, or an example?
- To what extent can data be used to generalise (if that is the aim/purpose) to a specific population (of cases)?
- Is the quantity of data enough to address (answer) the question and fulfill the aim?
- Is the quality of data good enough to allow for address the question and fulfill the aim?
- How can scientifically grounded conclusions be drawn from the data?
- Is the project and research design, including descriptions of data collection etc., robust enough in terms of reliability and validity (or transparency and trustworthiness and replicability)?

Monday 20 March 13:15-17 Final Seminar (obligatory), "Discussing Research Proposals (PMs)"

This seminar is structured on the "inter-groups", not the project groups

For the final seminar, you will each upload your draft proposal in the inter-group's discussion forum on Canvas. The aim is that you will get in-depth feedback on research design before final submission. The draft does not have to be complete, and the draft is not graded. However, the more complete your draft is, the easier it will be for your peers to give feedback on the proposal. The draft should be uploaded on Friday 17 March at 12 noon at the latest to give your colleagues time to read and reflect before the seminar.

After the seminar, you will have a few days to revise your proposal before final submission (see Assignments for deadline).

How do I know which proposal to read and give feedback on?

Go to your inter-group's page on Canvas and click on People in the menu to the left. In the list you will see all members of the group. Do this on a computer so you get the names listed alphabetically. You will read and comment on the person below you on the list. The last person reads the first person's draft. There might be students listed who are not active. Then you must skip that person on the list. You will know who is active in the group by checking if they have uploaded their draft.

Each feedback session takes about 10 min, followed by 5 min general discussion.

Your assessment and feedback should be critical but (as always!) constructive. What challenges and problems do you see? How can they be resolved within the assignment? You should also point to the strengths in the proposal. Start with your most overarching and central feedback, and leave details to the end (if there is time left). Avoid spending too much time on commenting on formatting etc. but focus instead on substantive issues. As a point of departure and guide for planning your evaluation and feedback, look at the questions for the workshop sessions and the key points in the description of the assignment.

Look at the schedule to find the room for this seminar.

Teachers: Joakim Berndtsson, Isabell Schierenbeck, Julie Bennett, Arne Wackenhut and Pernilla Nordqvist

After the final seminar, you may revise your proposal using the feedback you have received.

The final submission should be uploaded on Canvas (see Assignments for deadline).

Supplementary written assignment:

If you cannot participate in the final seminar, you will need to do the assignment (commenting on another student's proposal) in writing and upload to Canvas (about 2 pages, Times New Roman, 12 pt, 1,5 spacing). See Assignments for deadline. You will find proposals to comment on in the discussion forum for your inter-group.