210007 PS BAK3: Introduction to Scientific Work (2020S)

PS Introduction to Scientific Work

The course introduces students to the principles and research processes of scientific work in political science. Students will have to complete regular assignments on specific topics, which will be discussed in class and used as building blocks for their final essay. Students attending the course must have a good command of English, since all the lectures, seminar materials and assignments will be exclusively in English.

The broader aim is to equip students with the knowledge of the principles, methods and techniques in the field of social scientific work that are required for the studies of political science. This includes in particular the critical use of scientific argumentation, texts and text types as well as the ability to develop and find answers to scientific questions. The textual work, i.e. reading, appropriating, processing, interpreting, discussing and drafting texts, is a key part of social scientific work. Therefore, it is aimed to improve the reading and analytical skills to deal with complex matters of political theory and applied research through joint discussions of texts on various political science topics, but also transdisciplinary themes.

Fundamental scientific techniques – quoting, paraphrasing, structuring and writing – are taught and applied by means of selected texts. Particular attention will be given to addressing the issue of plagiarism. Likewise, students will be familiarized with basic strategies and techniques of social science literature review, and will also be introduced to "soft skills" (understanding of the scope and limits of knowledge – validity and reliability issues, self-organization, workflow creation, teamwork and communication skills, presentation skills) as well as to the use of web-based e-learning platforms.

Moreover, a particular focus will be on the preparation of the final research essay. This will be done by following a typical research workflow starting from information gathering, formulating a research question, drafting and presenting the outline (exposé), writing the first draft and editing and developing it all the way to the final research essay that complies with all formal scientific requirements.

The thematic guide for this seminar will include concepts, theories, methods and current issues in the fields of democracy, the state, authority, power and power relations, identity, peace and conflict studies, civil society and social change.

All relevant course material will be provided on the Moodle E-learning Platform.