AGDK14017U Interdisciplinary Field Research
This course gives students an opportunity to prepare, implement and report on field research in interdisciplinary groups. The course emphasizes qualitative and quantitative methods commonly used in the social sciences. Students will experience the difficulties, trade-offs, limitations and possible benefits of applying various methods in real world situations.
The main objective of this course is for students to gain experience of the research process in its entirety: from identifying and formulating a research question; preparing a research design; planning and implementing data collection, analyzing data and writing an academic report. The course gives students the possibility to appreciate how different approaches to data collection affect the findings obtained, and to reflect upon the material gained (or not gained) from the specific methods used. Additionally, an important aim is to create awareness of research ethics.
The course includes preparing a (small scale) research project and two weeks of field research in a context of relevance to themes of global development. With point of departure in a specific field site and logistical setup, students work in groups refining their research design and applying relevant methods in order to collect the data necessary to answer their research questions. Based on the field work, the groups write a report on the findings of their research, which form part of the exam along with an individual essay reflecting on the methods used and empirical findings.
The learning outcomes of the course relate both to design and implementation of research in a complex and messy field situation and to knowledge and reflection upon social science methods and ethics.
Knowledge
• identify, define and justify a set of research
questions
• describe and define central concepts of relevance to social
science data collection and interpretation
Skills
• design a research plan for field study, incorporating
relevant methods
• collect, process and analyze relevant data during and after
fieldwork
• clearly communicate research findings
Competencies
• critically discuss the different kinds of data and forms of
knowledge obtained by alternative data collection and analytical
methods, including how these methods shape research findings
• reflect on ethical concerns in relation to empirical
research
- Category
- Hours
- Exam
- 20
- Exam Preparation
- 120
- Field Work
- 100
- Lectures
- 40
- Preparation
- 120
- Seminar
- 20
- Total
- 420
- Credit
- 15 ECTS
- Type of assessment
- Oral examination, 20Written group report with individual contributions marked out and a group oral examination. Each group has an exam of 40 minutes (of which the group has ten minutes to present followed by thirty minutes of questions).
The groups are formed by the Head of Studies. The two parts of the exam (report and oral) are given approximately equal weight in the final mark. 7-point grading scale, internal evaluation.
To mitigate the consequences of a spread of coronavirus, the government has decided that students and staff at all higher education institutions in Denmark are not to turn up at the University for studying or working. All unnecessary activities are closed down and physical study activities are suspended for a temporary period. Due to the situation the examination will consist om a written group report with individual contributions marked out. - Exam registration requirements
- Aid
- All aids allowed
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
Criteria for exam assesment
Se learning outcomes
Course information
- Language
- English
- Course code
- AGDK14017U
- Credit
- 15 ECTS
- Level
- Full Degree Master
- Duration
- 1 block
- Placement
- Block 3 And Spring
- Schedule
- %
- Course capacity
- THE COURSE IS NOT OPEN TO CREDIT/EXCHANGE STUDENTS
- Study board
- Study Board for Global Development
Contracting departments
- Department of Anthropology
- Department of Food and Resource Economics
- Department of Economics
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Social Sciences
Course Coordinators
- Helle Bundgaard (helle.bundgaard@anthro.ku.dk)
Lecturers
Pablo Selaya, Department of Economics
Rune Bolding Bennike, IFRO