MVZb1017 Academic Writing and Skills

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2024
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Taught in person.
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Petr Ocelík, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Lukáš Lehotský, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Martin Jirušek, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. et Mgr. Dominik David (seminar tutor)
Mgr. Petr Vadovič (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Petr Ocelík, Ph.D.
Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Olga Cídlová, DiS.
Supplier department: Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course introduces students to the principles of academic writing and related standards of academic work. The aim of the course is therefore to acquire basic skills in writing academic texts and working with sources, to understand the purposes and main features of different academic genres, and to master the basics of critical evaluation of information and argumentation. All this with an emphasis on examples from social science research practice.
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course, students should be able to: recognize and use different types of academic genres; structure and format academic text; find adequate sources of information and use them appropriately; argue and engage in discussion on professional topics; learn ethical standards of academic writing and work.
Syllabus
  • (1) Course organisation and general introduction
  • (2) Academic genres I.: Relevance and breakdown of academic genres
  • (3) Academic Genres II: Reporting Research
  • (4) Academic Genres III: Definition and Structure of a Scholarly Article
  • (5) Definition of the topic, research question
  • (6) Reading Week
  • (7) Working with sources I: Ethical and citation standards
  • (8) Working with sources II: Finding sources and working with a citation manager
  • (9) Working with Sources III: Summarizing the Literature
  • (10) Critical reflection and argumentation
  • (11) Course summary and collective assessment of interim assignments
Literature
  • Craswell, G.; Poore, M. (2012). Writing for Academic Success (2nd ed.). New Delhi: SAGE Publications
  • Barbour C. and Wright G.C. (2014). Keeping the Republic – Essentials: Power and Citizenship in American Politics, 6th edition, CQ Press, pp. 20-21.
  • Chivers, B.; Schoolbred, M. (2007). A Student´s Guide to Presentations: Making Your Presentation Count. Los Angeles: SAGE Publications
  • Belcher W. L. (2009). Writing Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks, SAGE
  • Hartley, J. (2008). Academic Writing and Publishing: A Practical Handbook. New York: Routledge
  • Biggam, J. (2008). Succeeding with Your Master´s Dissertation: A Step-by-Step Handbook. Maidenhead: McGrawHill/Open University
Teaching methods
The course will take the form of lectures. Students are required to read the required readings for each lecture. It is also recommended to use the resources provided to further expand the knowledge on discussed topics. The course assessment is divided into two components: midterm assignments and a final exam. Submitting both assignments on time is a prerequisite for passing the final course, and therefore the entire course. Therefore, to successfully complete the course, students must pass both assignments and pass the final exam with at least the minimum required score.
Assessment methods
Tasks (60%)
- Task 1 - defining the research topic and research question
- Task 2 - Position paper
Final Exam (40%)
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2023.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2024, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/autumn2024/MVZb1017