MVZb1017 Academic Writing and Skills

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2026
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Petr Ocelík, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Lukáš Lehotský, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. 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
Abstract
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.
Key topics
  • (1) Course organisation and general introduction
  • (2) The basics of academic writing
  • (3) Critical reflection and argumentation
  • (4) Academic genres I.: Relevance and breakdown of academic genres
  • (5) Academic Genres II: Reporting Research
  • (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) Artificial Intelligence tools
  • (11) Definition of the topic, research question
  • (12) Course summary and collective assessment of interim assignments
  • (13) Preterm
Study resources and 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
Approaches, practices, and methods used in teaching
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 the discussed topics. To successfully complete the course, students must pass the final exam with at least the minimum required score.
Method of verifying learning outcomes and course completion requirements
Final Exam
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, Autumn 2024, Autumn 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2026, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/autumn2026/MVZb1017