Course content - Learning outcome - Admission - Prerequisites - Overlapping courses - Teaching - Examination - Evaluation

Course content

The course will give you insight into research methodologies in legal and social sciences relevant for writing a thesis in the field of human rights. It will discuss basic issues and controversies in the conduct of scholarly research, and will offer you necessary tools and guidelines for researching and writing a good scholarly thesis based on independent thinking and sound argument.
Students writing their thesis in the field of social sciences should also be given insight in legal methods, and students writing their thesis in the field of law should also be given insight into social science.

The course will further allow you to develop and discuss your thesis topic. You will be expected to develop a preliminary draft that includes your thesis problem stated succinctly, its background and importance, its relation to international human rights, an introduction to your research agenda, any preliminary conclusions, a draft outline, and a bibliography.

Learning outcome

This course has a dual objective;

• (a) assisting you in further refining your own thesis project
• (b) provide good understanding of methodological issues

The preparation of your thesis project will demonstrate your ability to critically analyze and address methodological questions. When this course is finished, you will have further developed your project and improved your ability to complete it.

Admission

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Admission is limited to students undergoing the programme Theory and Practice of Human Rights (master's two years).

The examination in this course is not available for external candidates. Only students admitted to the course may sit for the examination.

Prerequisites

Formal prerequisite knowledge

Id does not exist in shared text No obligatory prerequisites beyond the minimum requirements for entrance to higher education in Norway.

Overlapping courses

10 credits overlap with HUMR5190 - Research Methodology and Thesis Development (discontinued).

Teaching

Lectures and seminars

Access to teaching

A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.

Examination

Written assignment of maximum 10 pages.

Use of sources and rules for citing

Be sure that you are familiar with the use of sources and the rules for citing/quoting from others’ work
UiO uses a plagiarism checking tool as one of several instruments for detecting suspicion of cheating and attempted cheating.

Examination support material

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Language of examination

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English

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a pass/fail scale. Read more about the grading system.

Explanations and appeals

You may request an explanation of your grades, and you may also appeal against your grades or make a complaint about formal examination errors. Read more about explanations and appeals.

Resit an examination

You can usually resit an exam, but the conditions depend on whether you had a valid reason for absence from the regular exam. Read more about resitting an exam.

If a student has submitted a written assignment a second time in the same course s/he can only submit it in a new version. This means that there must be another title and theme, or that the new version must be considerably changed from the first version.

Students who wish to retake the exam in a later semester are not guaranteed that the course is ever repeated with a similar reading list, nor that the exam arrangement will be the same.

Withdrawal from an examination

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Special examination arrangements

If you have a disability or a health problem that entails significant inconvenience in an examination situation, you may be considered for special examination arrangements. Mothers who are breastfeeding may apply for extra time to complete the exam.

Evaluation

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