MES4550 – Fieldwork and Data Collection: Gathering and Communicating Research Results
Course description
Course content
This course provides students with guidance, structure, and training during their fieldwork or data collection for their Master's thesis. During this crucial fieldwork or data collection stage of their Master's thesis work, students will receive guidance from their thesis supervisors, who will serve as their main point of contact throughout the semester. The course is designed to complement the fieldwork or data collection and the supervisor’s guidance on the work. This course provides a forum for receiving peer feedback throughout the semester. It also provides training on communicating research results, both to an academic audience in the form of field reports and to the general public through media such as blogs and podcasts.
Learning outcome
Students who complete the course will be able to:
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demonstrate results of their fieldwork or other forms of data collection in formal, academic writing such as in field reports?
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communicate their research results to a general audience in less formal writing like blog entries?
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work with digital media such as podcasts to communicate their research results in non-academic settings ?
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provide written and oral feedback to peers who are conducting research in Middle East Studies ?
Admission to the course
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for?in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about?admission requirements and procedures.
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This course is only available for students admitted to the programme option?Middle East Studies.
Formal prerequisite knowledge
You must have passed exams equivalent to 60 credits in the first two terms of your?Master’s degree in Middle East Studies.
Overlapping courses
- 20 credits overlap with MES4020 – Fieldwork in the Middle East.
- 10 credits overlap with MES4610 – Voices from the Middle East: How to Communicate Research Results.
Teaching
The course includes a series of seminars throughout the semester. Some of the seminars are held online while students are conducting their fieldwork.??
In addition to the seminars, students will meet with their thesis supervisors at the beginning, midpoint, and end of the semester.????
You will find more information about the requirements for the compulsory assignments and the submission deadline in Canvas.
All compulsory activities must be approved to qualify for the exam. It is your responsibility to verify that you have obtained approval for all compulsory activities.
Absence from compulsory activities:
It is important that you familiarize yourself with the rules regarding absence from compulsory activities, to prevent being excluded from teaching and losing your eligibility to take the exam.
More information on compulsory activities at the University of Oslo:
Approval of the compulsory draft of the field report is only valid for the current semester. If you retake the course, you must submit a new draft in the semester in which you are taking the exam. The approved compulsory activity remains valid for the two following autumn semesters in which the course is offered. However, exceptions may arise if the course undergoes changes in its assessment format, teaching, or other significant modifications.
Access to teaching
A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.
Examination
Portfolio exam.
The portfolio includes a field report, podcast, and blog entry.
The assignment should consist of 10 pages. One standard page is approximately 2300 characters without spaces, including references. The front page and bibliography are not included in the page count.
Detailed information regarding the exam format will be announced on Canvas.
You must submit the exam in Inspera - see guides for digital exams.
You are personally responsible for familiarizing yourself with the requirements and deadlines for the exam.
All compulsory activities must be completed and approved in order to take the exam.
You can find more information about the exam on the semester page of the course.
Language of examination
You may write your examination paper in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F?is a fail. Read more about?the grading system.
Resit an examination
A term paper or equivalent that is passed may not be resubmitted in revised form.
If you?withdraw from the exam?after the deadline, this will be counted as an examination attempt.
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.