PART I: RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Learning objectives:
More general learning objectives:
After completion of this first part of the module, a student has written a clear and doable research proposal including a research question,
a literature review, appropriate research methods, a discussion of the relevance of research and a realistic time planning.
More specifically:
After completing this module part, students have:
- Given a description of the goals of the research in a specific area and explained how this generates new answers to research questions;
- Derived a research question and sub-questions from a careful study of the relevant literature in this area;
- Clarified which theories are used to answer the research question and have derived hypotheses from these theories;
- Have justified the choices made regarding:
- the selected research design
- the data used to answer the research question;
- Made a detailed time planning and time expenditure;
- Generated a list of the literature consulted;
PART II: BACHELOR THESIS WRITING
Be able to:
- Formulate a sharp research question, and a consistent set of sub-questions from a careful study of the academic literature;
- Critically assess and comment on academic texts, within the context of a societally relevant problem;
- Explain why the research question is relevant in terms of (a) contribution to scientific insights and (b) relevance for a societal problem;
- Systematically describe the relevant theories in the broad spectrum of the social sciences to answer the research question;
- Develop a research design that is consistently derived from the research questions and hypotheses;
- Conduct a concise empirical or analytical study aimed at answering the research question, applying the standard and, if applicable, the more advanced research methods as taught in the curriculum;
- Draw consistent conclusions from the research findings, and provide a discussion of these findings based on a reflection on the research process;
- Report the findings in a consistent and verifiable manner;
- Generate a list of the literature consulted;
- Orally present the thesis to a non-scientific audience.
|
 |
|
|
This module consists of two module parts.
The first element of the module Thesis semester is the first stage of the bachelor circle project.
The goal is the making of a research proposal within a supervised bachelor circle. The bachelor thesis and bachelor thesis proposals are written in so-called circles: In groups of up to 6 students with similar but individual subjects;
In the first stage of the bachelor circle students
(1) are introduced to the bachelor circles (week 1);
(2) select a thesis circle (end of week 1);
(3) prepare their individual research proposal (week 2-7)
(4) for students who fail: revise the individual research proposal (week 8-10).
The second element of the module Thesis semester is the second stage of the bachelor circle project.
Students build upon the research problem, design, and theoretical expectations that were developed in the first part of the module. Under close supervision of the bachelor circle thesis supervisor students:
(1) gather and analyze the relevant literature, empirical data and documents for their research, according to the research design;
(2) write their bachelor thesis;
(3) provide other students with feedback on their thesis work;
(4) present their thesis work at a student end conference in week 20 of the module.
|
|
|