Research Strategies in Contemporary Criminology and Security Studies 2100-MON-RSCC-ZIP-OG

Scholarship Development:
- Introduction: Who we are and you are?
- Career-Building A: Developing your publications, profile, networks, mapping and navigating your field.
- Career-Building B: The 5 Is of Research: innovation (paradigm shifts), interdisciplinarity, international (collaborations and networks), income (grants), and impact (external influence).
- Individual student presentations on their careers, research orientations, and 1-2 emerging ‘big issues’ that they must confront.
- Assessment 1.

Big Themes in Criminology and Security Studies:
- Feedback on Assessment 1.
- The Foundations of Criminology and Security Studies.
- New Avenues in Criminological debate.
- Where Criminological Futures Lie.
- Assessment 2.

Methods:
- Doing the Research: How to gain access/entry to your sources of data, do interviews and focus groups, analyse your data.
- Ethical Issues and Dilemmas in Social Research.
- Feedback on Assessment 2.
- Discussion on working with external research groups – co-creation vs academic expertise.
- Assessment 3

Research Experience and Moving on to the Next Stage
- Vivas / oral examinations and completing the MA/PhD.
- The Productive Academic: measuring performances, and the working successfully with the managerial credentialism of contemporary academic life.
- Improvising and Adapting for Career Success: working in research, teaching, business, government, non-profits, and management.
- Feedback on Assessment 3.

Type of course

elective courses
general courses
elective monographs

Mode

Classroom

Prerequisites (description)

The course will be conducted as a workshop seminar: each participant will be preparing an outline of individual research project in criminology and security studies under the supervision of the tutor providing students with extended and expert knowledge on research strategies, research methods and techniques in criminology and security studies as well as practical and applicable insights.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge: student should know and understand big themes in contemporary criminology and security studies and be aware of current ethical dilemmas that refer to the research process.

Skills: student should be able to conduct individual research within the contemporary criminology and security studies, draft individual research project and/or paper/grant application, apply adequate research method and/or technique to the research topic.

Social competences: student should be able to perform complex research activities related to the theory and methodology of contemporary criminology and security studies individually or in collaboration and to prioritise research tasks.

Assessment criteria

Grading scale:
The final grade of the course will result from the total number of earned points:
46-50 points: 5
41-45 points: 4+
36-40 points: 4
31-35 points: 3+
26-30 points: 3
25 points and below: 2

Total number of 0-50 points = 0-20 points for Assessment 1 + 0-20 points for Assessment 2 + 0-10 points for Assessment 3

Assessment 1:
Students will be required to write a reflective essay on their research orientation and career plans/possibilities. Length is 1,000 words (excluding references – up to 500 words is permitted here). Submission date is October 30th, 2021.

Assessment 2:
Students will be required to write an essay on relevant big themes in their research. Length is 1,000 words (excluding references – up to 500 words is permitted for references). Submission date is December 5th, 2021.

Assessment 3:
Students will be required to make group presentations on methodological issues, challenges, and dilemmas that they face.

Important note: any kind of academic dishonesty (especially intellectual property infringement) will be immediately reported to the disciplinary bodies of the University of Warsaw and will result in a final course grade of 2.

Important note: Attendance throughout the semester is required. Maximum 2 absences are allowed. Every next unjustified absence results in deduction of 5 points out of the total number of earned points.

Make-up exam:
Any student who fail to meet the requirements to pass the course will receive the grade of 2 in first term and will be allowed to take the make-up oral exam consisting of set of different types of questions related to the substance of the course.

The second and final grade of the course will result from the total number of earned points on the make-up exam:
46-50 points: 5
41-45 points: 4+
36-40 points: 4
31-35 points: 3+
26-30 points: 3
25 points and below: 2

Additional information

Information on level of this course, year of study and semester when the course unit is delivered, types and amount of class hours - can be found in course structure diagrams of apropriate study programmes. This course is related to the following study programmes:

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of 2100-MON-RSCC-ZIP-OG in USOSweb