Methodology in Scientific Work

Code:

MHP014

Acronym:

MTC

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	History

Instance: 2024/2025 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of History, Political and International Studies
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in History and Heritage

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MHP	17	MHP - Study Plan	1	-	6	41	162

Teaching language

Portuguese and english
Obs.: The course will be taught in Portuguese. Erasmus students who wish to take the assessment in English or Spanish should contact the instructor in advance.

Objectives

• Develop skills for the formulation and structuring of research projects in History and Heritage;


• Equip students with the ability to critically review the literature and identify historiographical gaps;


• Promote proficiency in bibliographic and documentary citation standards;


• Foster an understanding of different data collection and analysis methods and their application in historical research;


• Refine scientific writing skills, including the construction of academic discourse and the presentation of results;


• Develop the ability to structure and present a scientific paper clearly and rigorously.

Learning outcomes and competences

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Design and develop an original research project, grounded in solid theoretical and methodological foundations;


• Conduct a critical literature review, identifying relevant contributions and historiographical gaps;


• Apply bibliographic and documentary citation standards correctly, using appropriate reference management tools;


• Select and apply suitable data collection and analysis methods for historical and heritage research;


• Produce coherent, well-structured scientific texts that comply with academic standards;


• Interpret and present data and results clearly, using appropriate graphical and analytical tools;


• Prepare and deliver effective oral presentations, adhering to scientific and academic communication standards.

Working method

Presencial

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

Not applicable

Program

1. From idea to project

2. Scientific writing
2.1 Types of academic texts
2.2 Academic discourse
2.3 Interpretation and presentation of results

3. Bibliographic and documentary citation rules
3.1 APA 7th edition
3.2 Bibliographic management software

4. Data collection and analysis of different types
4.1 Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods
4.1.1 Choosing the method
4.2 Spreadsheets and databases; classification; categorisation, … [Data analysis and representation tools: tables, graphs, maps, … word cloud, …]
4.3 Qualitative analysis of written documents: textual criticism, hermeneutics, written documents [types of documents: legal, normative, fiscal, literary, chronicles, political speeches, …]

5. The structure of the scientific text and its importance
5.1 Understanding its (de)limitations

6. Rules for oral presentations

Mandatory literature

Adu, P., Miles, D. A.; Dissertation Research Methods: A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing up Your Research in the Social Sciences, Routledge, Taylor & Francis, 2024. ISBN: 9781032213859
Berger, S., Feldner H., Passmore, K. (eds.); Writing history. Theory & practice, Bloomsbury Academic, 2010. ISBN: 9781474255905
Berry, R.; The Research Project: How to Write It. 5.ª ed., Routledge, 2004. ISBN: 9780415334457
Booth, W. C., et. al.; The Craft of Research. 4.ª ed., The University of Chicago Press, 2016. ISBN: 9780226239736
Burton, D. (ed.); Research Training for Social Scientists: A Handbook for Postgraduate Researchers, SAGE, 2000. ISBN: 9780761963516
Feinstein, C. H, Thomas, M.; Making History Count: A Primer in Quantitative Methods for Historians, Cambridge University Press, 2002. ISBN: 9780521001373
Gastel, B., Day, R. A.; How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper. 8.ª ed., Greenwood, 2016. ISBN: 9781440842801
Mullaney, T. S., Rea, C. G.; Where Research Begins: Choosing a Research Project That Matters to You (and the World), The University of Chicago Press, 2022. ISBN: 9780226817446
Pinker, S.; The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person’s Guide to Writing in the 21st Century, Penguin Books, 2014
Quivy, R., Campenhoutdt, L.; Manual de investigação em ciências sociais, Gradiva, 1998. ISBN: 9789726622758
Urban, J. B., Van Eeden-Moorefield, B. M.; Designing and Proposing Your Research Project, American Psychological Association, 2018. ISBN: 9781433827082
Storey, W. K.; Writing History: A Guide for Students. 3.ª ed., Oxford University Press, 2009

Complementary Bibliography

Black, J., MacRaild, D. M.; Studying History. 2.ª ed., Macmillan, 2020
Delacroix, C., Garcia, P., Offenstadt, N. (eds); Historiographies. Concepts et débats, Gallimard, 2010
Eco, U.; Como se faz uma tese em Ciências Humanas, 15.ª ed., Editorial Presença, 2015
Porta, D., Keating, M. (eds.); Approaches and Methodologies in the Social Sciences: A Pluralist Perspective, Cambridge University Press, 2008
Berkhofer, Robert F.; Beyond the Great Story: History as Text and Discourse, Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1998
Spencer, S.; Visual Research Methods in the Social Sciences: Awakening Visions, 2.ª ed., Routledge, 2023

Comments from the literature

Specific bibliographic materials and other supporting resources will be made available by the course instructor on the Moodle website.

Teaching methods and learning activities

Software

Power point

keywords

Social sciences > Educational sciences > Research methodology
Social sciences > Communication sciences
Humanities > Information science > Information management > Information processing

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Trabalho escrito	50,00
Trabalho laboratorial	50,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	60,00
Frequência das aulas	27,00
Trabalho de investigação	30,00
Trabalho laboratorial	45,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

Attendance of at least 75% of classes is mandatory.

Calculation formula of final grade

Laboratory Work (in-class exercises): 50%
Written Work (research project/final report): 50%
At the beginning of the semester, students will find detailed information about the assessment on the Moodle website.

Examinations or Special Assignments

Not applicable.

Internship work/project

Not applicable.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Classification improvement

The grade improvement applies only to the written work.