MES4550 – Fieldwork and Data Collection: Gathering and Communicating Research Results

You learn to:

• carry out data-collection for an independent research project
• manage an independent research project
• implement one or several methodological approaches
• reflect about methodology and data-collection
• increase your Middle East area expertise through fieldwork and data collection in the region
• write a field-report

Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.

If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.

This course is only available for students admitted to the programme option Middle East Studies.

You must have passed exams equivalent to 60 credits in the first two terms of your Master’s degree in Middle East Studies.

The course is meant to be an implementation of your methodological plan. Teaching is in principle through individual feedback from the lecturer and your supervisor. Feedback will be on your submissions in Canvas of your data-collection plan and your field-report draft in Canvas. Otherwise, supervision will be in oral or written form from the course instructor and/or your supervisor based on your needs throughout the semester.

Compulsory activities

• Field report draft

You will find more information about the requirements for the compulsory assignments and the submission deadline in Canvas.

All compulsory activities must be approved to qualify for the exam. It is your responsibility to verify that you have obtained approval for all compulsory activities.

Approval of the compulsory draft of the field report is only valid for the current semester. If you retake the course, you must submit a new draft in the semester in which you are taking the exam.

Absence from compulsory activities:

• Here you will find information about compulsory activities at the Department of Culture, Religion, Asian and Middle Eastern Studies

It is important that you familiarize yourself with the rules regarding absence from compulsory activities, to prevent being excluded from teaching and losing your eligibility to take the exam.

More information on compulsory activities at the University of Oslo:

• Common guidelines relating to compulsory activities - University of Oslo (uio.no)

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.

Field report.

You submit a field report consisting of 15 to 20 pages. One standard page is approximately 2300 characters without spaces, including references. The front page and bibliography are not included in the page count.

The report should consist of:

1. A presentation of your project and your methodological plan.
2. Reflection on your experiences from the field.
3. Reflection on your chosen method and lessons learned.

Detailed information regarding the field report will be announced on Canvas.

You must submit the exam in Inspera - see guides for digital exams.

You are personally responsible for familiarizing yourself with the requirements and deadlines for the exam.

All compulsory activities must be completed and approved in order to take the exam.

You can find more information about the exam on the semester page of the course.

A field report or equivalent that is passed may not be resubmitted in revised form.

If you withdraw from the exam after the deadline, this will be counted as an examination attempt.