Universidade Nova de Lisboa

Universidade Nova de Lisboa

Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas

Research Methodology and Scientific Writing - 1st semester

Code

711160003

Academic unit

Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas

Department

Línguas, Culturas e Literaturas Modernas

Credits

6

Teacher in charge

Alda Jesus Correia, Rogério Puga

Weekly hours

4

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

a) To present an overview on the specificity of conducting research within the Humanities;
b) To identify individual sciences in the western scientific body of knowledge;
c) To provide a set of basic rules and guidelines (on conducting research, discourse; organisation and compiling a bibliography) necessary to work in this area;
d) To apply basic rules when compiling a working bibliography and preparing academic papers;
e) To develop research skills and to evaluate sources when selecting information in the area of Human Sciences.

Prerequisites

Not applicable.

Subject matter

1. Science
1.1. Culture, Literature and Science
1.2. Research in the Humanities
1.3. Scientific work
1.4. Methodology in scientific work

2. Methods
2.1. Conventional research techniques and methodology
2.2. Research aids
2.3. Resources: libraries, archives and other documentation centres
2.4. Defining appropriate objectives and objects of study: corpus
2.5. The book and the edition
2.6. Sources: researching and selecting information
2.7. Norms: bibliography, notes and citing

3. Revolutions
3.1.ICT: an epistemological need and a change of paradigm
3.2. Library research and electronic sources (Internet, CD-ROM)
3.3. Databases in the Humanities
3.4. Compiling a working bibliography, evaluating sources, taking notes and outlining

4. Discourse
4.1. Plagiarism, paraphrasing, citing
4.2. The discoursive character of knowledge
4.3. Organising discourse
4.4. Different types of academic papers
4.4.1. The summary, the abstract, the review
4.4.2. The essay
4.4.3. The dissertation

Bibliography

Azevedo, M. (2009). Teses, Relatórios e Trabalhos Escolares. Lisboa: Universidade Católica.
Ceia, C. (2012). Normas para a Apresentação de Trabalhos Científicos. Lisboa: Presença.
Gibaldi, J. (2009). MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. Sétima edição. Nova Iorque: Modern Language Association.
Lakatos, E. (2012). Metodologia Científica. São Paulo: Pé da Letra.
Soles, D. (2010). The Essentials of Academic Writing. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Teaching method

Practical (60%) and theoretical (40%) classes will familiarize the students with the research methods of the Social Sciences and Humanities.

Evaluation method

Written essay (30%), one written practical work (20%) and one test (50%).

Courses