Research Methods in Philosophy II

Code:

MFIL047

Acronym:

MIF_II

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Philosophy

Instance: 2017/2018 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Philosophy
Course/CS Responsible:	Masters in Philosophy

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MFIL	24	MFIL - Study Plan	1	-	3	30	81

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

The CU continues the work initiated in Methodology of Research in PhiIosophy I, going through the stages of a particular research plan (planning, researching, writing, revising, delivering or presenting, discussing). The student will become familiar with methodological resources for presenting research and his/her own thinking in a consistent, grounded and rigorous way. The student will be confronted with practical situations, preparing him/herself for writing articles, reviews, monographs, dissertations, etc, from responding to a “Call for papers”, to the effective use of text programs, to the presentation of works following the structure and norms of professional scientific publications.

The CU is related to work pursued by the student in all the CUs and with his/her dissertation. Besides practical supervised work, the student should integrate rigorous procedures in the preparation, writing and presentation of his/her works and projects underway within the programme.

Learning outcomes and competences

At the end of the CU, students should:

• be able to plan research in Philosophy;
• be able to define which methodologies to adopt, depending on topics chosen and on the aim of research;
• know how to prepare proposals of written work (presentations, articles, dissertation project) and to pursue the related research;
• be able to write clearly, using the tools of philosophical work: concepts and arguments;
• be able to work with different types of norms for written works and for work presentations;

have both practical and theoretical training in philosophical writing, so has to be able to convey the research pursued and to highlight the original ideas of his/her own work;

Working method

Presencial

Program

Developing research: from Project to final work

1. Preparing the research

1.1. Defining and describing a topic

1.2. The Project and the development of research

1.3. Elaborating and presenting work proposals (article, presentation, dissertation)

2. Developing the research

2.1. Methodologies : critical-historical, problem-posing, comparatist, essay writing, etc.

2.2. From plan to actual work

2.2. Freedom of thought, criativity and use of norms

3. The work of writing

3.1. From research to writing: effectively using text programs (word, LaTex)

3.2. Nature of philosophical work: Argumentation, Reading and Writing

3.3. Quotation and notes: confronting sources

3.4. Overcomig research-block: what to do and how to do it

3.5. The ethics of writing and scientific research: plagiarism and other inconveniences

4. At last, the work (almost) concluded

4.1. Deadline: ponctuality and procrastination

4.2. Introduction, conclusion, indexes

4.3. Revising, final version, corrections

Mandatory literature

AAVV; Editer, traduire, interpréter: essai de methodologie philosophique, Leuven, Peters, 1998
Both, W.C et al.; The Craft of Research, Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 1996
Irene Borges Duarte et al.; Texto, leitura e escrita. Antologia, Porto, Porto Editora, 2000
Eco Umberto 1932-2016; Como se faz uma tese em ciências humanas. ISBN: 972-23-1351-7
Harvey, G.; Writing with Sources: A Guide for Students, Indianopolis, Hackett, 1998
Meirinhos, J.; Breve guia para a elaboração e apresentação de trabalhos de pesquisa
Katz, M.J.; From Research to Manuscript: A Guide to Scientific Writing, Dordrecht: Springer, 2006
Perry, J. ; The Art of Procrastination: A Guide to Effective Dawdling, Lollygagging and Postponing, New York: Workman Publ., 2001
Pryor, J.; Guidelines on Writing a Philosophy Paper
Weston, A; A arte de argumentar, Lisboa, Gradiva, 1996

Teaching methods and learning activities

The sessions of the CU will be concentrated in the first 5 weeks of the semester 2. A relatively small number of sessions will have the form of lectures, taught by faculty of all branches of the Programme so as to have the students contact with the specificity of research in each one of the areas. Sessions will mostly be devoted to practical work aimig at solving particular problems the student is confronted with in his/her research (different research methodologies, precision in use of sources or in making explicit confrontation of positions in texts, use of norms of citation and bibliographic references, clarity of writing, oral presentation and discussion, complying with deadlines).

Evaluation: 2 practical works and their presentation: (1) preparing a proposal of a study/article and of a presentation in a conference, responding to an actual Call for Papers (40%); detailed Project of a Masters dissertation (40%); presentation of own research resorting to written media or to multimedia (20%).

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Participação presencial	40,00
Trabalho escrito	60,00
Total:	100,00

Calculation formula of final grade

Practical works and their presentation: (1) preparing a proposal of a study/article and of a presentation in a conference, responding to an actual Call for Papers (40%); detailed Project of a Masters dissertation (40%); presentation of own research resorting to written media or to multimedia (20%).