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Doctoral Programmes

Postgraduate Seminar

2025/2026
Academic Year
ENG
Instruction in English
3
ECTS credits
Delivered by:
School of Sociology
Type:
Compulsory course
When:
3 year, 2 semester

Instructor

Savinskaya, Olga

Savinskaya, Olga

Course Syllabus

Full SyllabusAsk Question

Abstract

The purpose of the research seminar is threefold: first, to provide doctoral students with the required structures of first year academic outcomes (synopsis, literature review, first article) and share the tools and approaches to do it effectively; second, to arrange for a regular and systemic opportunity for the doctoral students to discuss their research proposals, article drafts, ideas, plans and progress; third, to establish a peer-review practice in online and offline small groups where the doctoral students can review, give feedback, criticism and recommendations, support each other by sharing knowledge, giving advice, as well as information about conferences and journals’ CfPs. By completing this course, the students will improve their academic writing and editing skills, learn how to give peer-to-peer feedback, enhance the feelings of belonging to the academic community.
Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

  • The purpose of the discipline is to develop among graduate students the skills of substantiating a chosen topic, formulating a research problem, drawing up a plan and structure of work, formulating research questions, goals and objectives, peer review, book reviewing, preparing a review of sources, planning as well as writing and preparing for publication of academic texts.
Expected Learning Outcomes

Expected Learning Outcomes

  • Book review of a recently published book relevant for the student's own research topic ready to submission to a publisher
  • Literature review based on the selecting, reading and analysing of the relevant literature
  • Peer review of a class mate's state of the art article or a literature review
  • Student finds relevant literature on a topic, using academic search engines, full-texts databases, and bibliographic databases.
  • Student is able to access the quality of a piece of academic literature based on various dimensions.
  • The state-of-the-art article ready for peer-review and subsequent submission to a publisher
  • The student prepared synopsis of the thesis according to the assigned structure, the synopsis will be reviewed and discussed by the Academic Board.
  • The student is able to write structurally and substantially sound research synthesis presenting the research problem and design
  • The student is able to write structurally and substantially sound research synthesis presenting the research problem and design.
Course Contents

Course Contents

  • Introduction. Synopsis
  • Synopsis writing and revision
  • Publication strategies of PhD students
  • Literature review
  • SOTA article
  • Reading seminar
  • Final presentations
Assessment Elements

Assessment Elements

  • non-blocking Synopsis of the dissertation
  • non-blocking Participation in seminar discussions
  • non-blocking Home assignment: literature review
  • non-blocking Home assignment: the state of the art article
  • non-blocking Home assignment: the state of the art article
  • non-blocking Participation in seminar discussions
  • non-blocking Synopsis of the dissertation
Interim Assessment

Interim Assessment

  • 2023/2024 2nd semester
    0.3 * Home assignment: literature review + 0.3 * Home assignment: literature review + 0.2 * Home assignment: the state of the art article + 0.2 * Home assignment: the state of the art article + 0.4 * Participation in seminar discussions + 0.4 * Participation in seminar discussions + 0.1 * Synopsis of the dissertation + 0.1 * Synopsis of the dissertation
  • 2024/2025 2nd semester
    1 * Home assignment: the state of the art article + 1 * Home assignment: the state of the art article
  • 2025/2026 2nd semester
    0.5 * Participation in seminar discussions + 0.5 * Participation in seminar discussions + 0.5 * Synopsis of the dissertation + 0.5 * Synopsis of the dissertation
Bibliography

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

  • Academic writing for graduate students : essential tasks and skills, Swales, J. M., 2004
  • Academic writing for graduate students. Essential tasks and skills, Swales J.M., Feak C.B., 2014
  • How to write a paper, , 2003
  • How to write and illustrate a scientific paper, Gustavii, B., 2017
  • How to write better essays, Greetham, B., 2008

Recommended Additional Bibliography

  • Effective academic writing 3. The essay, Davis J., 2006

Authors

  • DESIATOVA MARIIA IVANOVNA
  • YARSKAYA-SMIRNOVA ELENA ROSTISLAVOVNA