GLCb1004 Academic Skills

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2022
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
prof. Bernadette Nadya Jaworsky, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Alica Synek Rétiová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. Bernadette Nadya Jaworsky, Ph.D.
Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: doc. Mgr. et Mgr. Adéla Souralová, Ph.D.
Supplier department: Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies (51,00 %), Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies (49,00 %)
Timetable
Mon 10:00–11:40 M117
Prerequisites
none
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
At some point in their academic life, students of the social sciences must develop their own voice to express their thoughts and knowledge. One of the primary ways in which they do so is through their academic skills. This course is intended to help students improve their academic research, reading, note-taking, and writing skills and to practice exchanging their work with their peers. First and foremost, this is a writing-intensive course that provides training in writing social scientific essays and research papers. Further, special attention is given to learning effective methods of research and norms for proper citation of sources, as well as reading academic texts and taking efficient notes. Importantly, students gain experience in organizing the writing process, offering and receiving constructive criticism and revising first drafts of their work. The ultimate goal is to boost students’ confidence in their academic skills and prepare them for future endeavors both inside and out of the university.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the semester, students will gain experience in:
- Reading academic texts and taking notes
- Research and citation practices
- Response/discussion papers
- Expository essays
- Writing articles on quantitative and qualitative research

By the end of the semester, students will be able to:
- Read academic texts effectively
- Organize and plan the writing process
- Give and receive constructive criticism
- Evaluate and revise first drafts
- Demonstrate knowledge of and practice proper research and citation
Syllabus
  • Week 1 – Introduction to the course
  • Week 2 – Evaluating Academic Sources
  • Week 3 – Research and Citation Practices
  • Week 4 – Effective Academic Reading and Notetaking
  • Week 5 – Writing Response/Discussion Papers
  • Week 6 – Peer Review #1: How do we help one another constructively?
  • Week 7 – Reading Week NO CLASS
  • Week 8 – How do we write an expository or opinion essay?
  • Week 9 – Peer Review #2: Social Issue Essay
  • Week 10 – How do we get started on a research essay?
  • Week 11 – How do we finish sociological research and begin writing?
  • Week 12 – How do we finish writing a research essay or thesis?
  • Week 13 – Peer Review #3 and Presentation of Essay First Drafts
Literature
  • University of Waikato. 2017. “APA Referencing.” Available at https://www.waikato.ac.nz/library/study/referencing/styles/apa/examples.
  • Turabian, Kate L. 2018. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. 9th ed. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press.
  • American Sociological Association style guide. 5th ed. Washington, DC: American Sociological Association, 2014, xiv, 122. ISBN 9780912764214. info
  • Theory and methods in social research. Edited by Bridget Somekh - Cathy Lewin. 2nd ed. London: SAGE, 2011, xxiii, 344. ISBN 9781849200158. info
  • A guide to writing sociology papers. 6th ed. New York, NY: Worth Publishers, 2007, xv, 230. ISBN 9780716776260. info
  • BECKER, Howard S. and Pamela RICHARDS. Writing for social scientists : how to start and finish your thesis, book, or article. 2nd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007, xiv, 197. ISBN 9780226041322. URL info
  • The sociology student writer's manual. Edited by William A. Johnson. 5th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2006, xii, 260. ISBN 0131928511. URL info
Teaching methods
The teaching methods used in this course involve weekly seminar meetings, reading of literature, homework exercises and several formal writing assignments.
Assessment methods
Formal writing assignments:
- Response to academic article (300-400 words)
- Social issue opinion essay (1000 words)
- Final research essay (3000-4000 words; 10-13 pp. double-spaced, Times New Roman)

Class Participation:
• Attendance: All students are required to attend every seminar meeting. Any absence must be documented (for example, due to family or medical emergency). Your attendance is important because the course is organized around classroom discussion and giving feedback to each other.
• Discussion: Active participation in classroom discussion is an important part of your grade. You are required to read the assigned literature before the seminar meeting to facilitate discussion.
• Peer Review: We will engage in the written and oral in-class critique of each student’s first drafts of the written assignments. Each student will be assigned to read another student’s draft essay and give a presentation about suggested revisions.
Students receive a final letter grade (A-F) based on the following criteria:
10 points - Response/discussion paper
15 points - Social Issue Essay
30 points - Class participation (each class and peer review = 2%)
10 points - Final essay draft and presentation
35 points - Final essay
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2023, Autumn 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2022, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/autumn2022/GLCb1004