Course info

Writing interpretive research papers


Description: As more students engage in PhD thesis as collection of papers, learning to construct research texts that meet high publication standards is of extreme relevance for the success of the PhD studies. Furthermore, a growing number of students at the Faculty of Engineering and Science and the Faculty of Medicine, as well, work on studies that rely on qualitative and interpretive methodologies and analysis from the social and human sciences to investigate issues in science and technology. More often than not students learn to write using a “trial and error” method. Indeed, writing successfully research papers takes lots of efforts for professional researchers. The process of writing at the level that paper-based dissertations demand is not a “natural” skill that research students master; it is in fact one of the most demanding competence that a researcher develops as part of his/her research practice.

Prerequisites: Submit a max. 10 pages paper or text that the student is working on at the moment, that one would like to work with during the course.

Teaching methods: Lecturers and students will be drawing on their own experiences of writing. The course follows a workshop format where many hands-on sessions will be facilitated for the students to have a ground for further discussion and reflection on their own written production. The workshop combines short presentations by the lecturers, individual work, group discussions, and sessions of feedback to their writing by peer students and lecturers.
Participants are also requested to read some basic material as preparation.
But most importantly, participants have to sign with a paper they want to set under “workshop” during the course. The paper to be submitted needs to be maximum 10 pages (or around 3.000 words).

Organizer: Paola Valero

Lecturers: Matthew Cashmore and Paola Valero

ECTS: 3

Time: October 21 to 23, 2015

Place: Aalborg University, Rendsburggade 6, Rdb 6 R-271, 9000 Aalborg

Number of seats: 20

Deadline: October 9, 2015

Important information concerning PhD courses 
We have over some time experienced problems with no-show for both project and general courses. It has now reached a point where we are forced to take action. Therefore, the Doctoral School has decided to introduce a no-show fee of DKK 5,000 for each course where the student does not show up. Cancellations are accepted no later than 2 weeks before start of the course. Registered illness is of course an acceptable reason for not showing up on those days. Furthermore, all courses open for registration approximately three months before start. This can hopefully also provide new students a chance to register for courses during the year. We look forward to your registrations.