Master
2021/2022
Research Seminar "Research Methods in Urban Studies"
Type:
Compulsory course (Prototyping Future Cities)
Area of studies:
Urban Planning
Delivered by:
Vysokovsky Graduate School of Urbanism
When:
2 year, 2 semester
Mode of studies:
offline
Open to:
students of one campus
Master’s programme:
Prototyping Future Cities
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
3
Contact hours:
36
Course Syllabus
Abstract
The course is aimed to deepen students’ knowledge and gain practical skills needed for planning and conducting analytical research on urban topics. The emphasis is made on the ontology and epistemology of the research process and means of conversion of the ideas into academic texts. The course introduces fundamental research methodologies in urban analysis and creates opportunities to apply skills obtained during other courses. Via Writing Studio classes it facilitates individual work on the Final Project. By the end of the course students will be able to compose internally cohesive, individual research proposals as well as compose their own design of the Final Project.
Learning Objectives
- to gain an understanding of how to plan and execute the research on urban topics, and the research phase of the research-based design project;
- to deepen an understanding of different research methodology and methods;
- to gain hands-on experience with mixed methods research via exploring qualitative and quantitative research methodology;
- to provide academia best practices, including introduction to research ethics, and master techniques of academic reading and writing;
- to deploy a critical approach to the research area and the available data.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- composed literature review for a selected research topic
- critical assessment of the challenges and limitations of the planned research and the proposed outcomes
- logical, cohesive and critically assessed research proposal and transparent and repeatable research strategy, including background and research rationale and a key research question
- plan the research properly, applying correct methodology to chosen key research question
- provided theoretical or empirical framework for a selected research topic
- the final results of the course are problematization of the selected topic and evaluation of the research outcomes, which are laying the foundation for the project proposal
Assessment Elements
- Attendance and active seminar participationRegular attendance of the course classes both online and offline (at least, 70% of the classes in total), engagement and active participation in in-class activities, providing a valuable contribution to the discussion as well as imposing questions and providing answers from the critical perspective.
- Home AssignmentsHomeworks are collected before the following Seminar and usually take up to one week (seven calendar days) to accomplish. In cases of absence or missing deadlines without valid reason the grade will be reduced: with each 24-hour period delay from the given deadline, 0,05 points are reduced from the final grade of the assignments. In case of a prolonged absence of a submitted work, the maximum mark for the assignment is 4 points.
- Writing StudiosThe objective of the Writing Studios format is to directly assist students in preparing the textual part of the Final Projects. It brings together students’ independent research and practical skills obtained at Academic Writing course. On Writing Studios instructors provide students’ with personal and group consultations on preparing for and writing Brief and Research parts of the final project. Writing Studio combines both in-class activities and at-home preparation. The outcome of Writing Studios are a number of thematic texts that can be included in the textual part of the Final Project.
- Synopsis Defence (Midterm 1)Synopsis Defence is aimed at evaluation and critical assessment of students Research Proposal. The main goal of Synopsis Defence is to evaluate student’s synopsis (research proposals) for compliance with the established "Guidelines for Final Project of students enrolled in the Master’s ‘Prototyping Future Cities’". The following materials are submitted for Synopsis Defence: - a 15-min video presentation of the synopsis (research proposal); - a text of the synopsis; - a pdf-presentation. The content of the textual and presentational part is stated by "Guidelines for the Final Project of students enrolled in the educational program "Prototyping Future Cities" (master's level)".
- Preliminary presentation of the Final Project (Midterm 2)Preliminary Presentation of the Final Project is aimed at evaluation and critical assessment of Brief and Research parts of the Final Project. The following materials are submitted for Preliminary Presentation of the Final Project: - a 15-min video presentation of the Brief and Research components; - a text of the Brief and Research components; - a pdf-presentation.
Interim Assessment
- 2021/2022 2nd semester0.2 * Home Assignments + 0.3 * Preliminary presentation of the Final Project (Midterm 2) + 0.15 * Synopsis Defence (Midterm 1) + 0.2 * Writing Studios + 0.15 * Attendance and active seminar participation
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- Elisabete A. Silva, Patsy Healey, Neil Harris, & Pieter Van den Broeck. (2014). The Routledge Handbook of Planning Research Methods. Routledge.
- George Lakoff, & Mark Johnson. (1980). Metaphors We Live By. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.F721BF48
- Hesse-Biber, S. N., & Johnson, B. (2015). The Oxford Handbook of Multimethod and Mixed Methods Research Inquiry. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=989215
- Imbroscio, D. L., & Davies, J. S. (2010). Critical Urban Studies : New Directions. Albany: State University of New York Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=343793
- Leavy, P. (2014). The Oxford Handbook of Qualitative Research. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=779511
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- Bailey, S. (2017). Academic Writing : A Handbook for International Students (Vol. Fifth edition). London: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1650435
- Bresnihan, P., & Byrne, M. (2015). Escape into the City: Everyday Practices of Commoning and the Production of Urban Space in Dublin. Antipode, 47(1), 36–54. https://doi.org/10.1111/anti.12105
- Erdi Lelandais, G. (2014). Understanding the City : Henri Lefebvre and Urban Studies. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=806572
- Jaffe, R., & Koning, A. de. (2016). Introducing Urban Anthropology. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=nlebk&AN=1091921
- Lowenthal, D. (1961). Geography, Experience, and Imagination: Towards a Geographical Epistemology. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 51(3), 241–260. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8306.1961.tb00377.x
- Neil Brenner, & Christian Schmid. (2015). Towards a new epistemology of the urban? City, (2–3), 151. https://doi.org/10.1080/13604813.2015.1014712
- Noterman, E. (2016). Beyond Tragedy: Differential Commoning in a Manufactured Housing Cooperative. Antipode, 48(2), 433–452. https://doi.org/10.1111/anti.12182
- Tuan, Y.-F. (1975). Images and Mental Maps. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 65(2), 205–213. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8306.1975.tb01031.x