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Master Project Research Design (STG-MA-MPT-RDS)

STG-MA-MPT-RDS

Description

The Master Project Research Design Seminar (MPS) accompanies the students during the process of writing their MP but it is not a substitute for individual supervision by their individual STG faculty supervisor. The Master Project Research Design Seminar (MPS) is a mandatory seminar within the Master Project Training of the MTnG. The MPS is for all students of the MTnG—and students are able to pursue master projects (MP) from the full range of topics developed at the School of Transnational Governance. 

Please consider the context in which this seminar is situated: MTnG Master Project Training. Master Project Training within the MTnG consists of a total of 8 ECTS, delivered to students through the following three formats:
1. Master Project Research Design Seminar (4 ECTS;
2. Master Project Methods (2 ECTS); and
3. Master Project Quantitative Methods (2 ECTS) or Master Project Qualitative Methods (2 ECTS) which the students can chose according to their master projects methodological needs.
This syllabus encompasses exclusively the Master Project Research Design Seminar (MPS) (4 ECTS)

The MPS is taught in three phases. The preparation phase will get the students prepared in terms of clarifying the formalities, the process of delivery and the criteria of assessment of their MP as well as to make the students familiar with requirements of data protection and research ethics. Another important element is a recapitulation of important aspects of the research process and research design. 
The creation phase revolves around students' conceptualization of their master projects. Based on their initial selection of topics, students are organized into groups, each led by a knowledgeable faculty member. Within these groups, students convene to present and discuss their individual research proposals, fostering collaborative engagement and constructive dialogue.
In the third or consolidation phase, the MPS accompanies student in their efforts to consolidate their chosen projects—and allows for debating specific problems and how to pragmatically tackle them in view of completing their individual master project on time. This phase facilitates discussions on specific challenges which students may encounter during their work on their thesis projects and providing a platform for pragmatic problem-solving strategies aimed at successfully completing individual master projects.

In sum, the MPS is an exercise in practical MP writing guidance and the students benefit by benchmarking their individual project to that of their peers. The students thus gain knowledge in how master research projects are conducted and successfully completed in discussions with the instructor(s) and their peers. The students always remain, however, fully individually responsible for their projects. While the Master Project Research Design Seminar (MPS) accompanies the students during the process of writing their MP, it is not a substitute for individual supervision by their individual STG faculty supervisor. It is also important to highlight that the MPS does not “replace” in any way the supervision by the STG faculty supervisor and it does neither constitute a “second supervisor” role of the instructor of the MPS. The responsibility for the project development lies entirely with the students. Instead, the MPS will provide a frame of orientation and intellectual exchange for the students to accomplish their project successfully and it will focus, more specifically, on the research design aspects of the dissertation/capstone. The MPS is thus a complementary exercise in which students, beyond receiving orientation about formal, procedural, research ethical questions, are encouraged to design and develop their MP themselves and autonomously in a dialogue with the professor(s) of the MPS and—most importantly—their fellow peers. Students thus receive input from the participants and instructors of the seminar for their individual endeavors and how to cope with potential problems on the way to the completion of their individual MP. The MPS is thus a “guided” peer-to-peer exercise which helps the students to take responsibility for their own choices regarding their projects and gain in confidence how to improve and defend them.
In sum, the MPS is an exercise in practical MP writing guidance and the students benefit by benchmarking their individual project to that of their peers. The students thus gain knowledge in how master research projects are conducted and successfully completed in discussions with the instructor(s) as well as with their peers. The students always remain, however, fully individually responsible for their projects. 

Schematic overview of the timeline for the MPS

March (Year 1)
Session 1    Kick-off
March (Year 1)
Session 2    Data Protection and Research Ethics
September (Year 2)
Session 3    Reminder Session: Formats, Time line & Deliverables
January (Year 2)
Session 4    Research Process and Design
February (Year 2)
Session 5    Thematic Groups
March (Year 2)
Session 6 and 7    Trouble Shooting I & II

The objective of this seminar is to help students in the process of producing an appropriate master project inter alia by counseling them:

I.    to independently formulate a clear and articulate research question; 
II.    to develop a research design suitable for effectively addressing the research question or capstone objective that they want to pursue;
III.    to choose the adequate research methods to independently construct and;
IV.    to choose either a master’s thesis or a capstone project, i.e. to help them identify the most appropriate format for their MP;
V.    to demonstrate and apply their knowledge of the formal requirements for preparing a master project thesis.
VI.    To understand the obligations in terms of data protection and ethical implications and challenges when conducting academic research and dealing with human subjects.

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