Objectives and Content:
The goal of the course is to learn about and apply research methods and ethics in the field of religious studies as well as to learn how to conduct a research writing project.
The course shall convey knowledge of central methodological issues as well as several core research methods from the human and social sciences used in the study of religion. In addition, the course offers knowledge about how to construct and write a research project.
Content: The course first treats several concepts and issues fundamental to the methodology of studying religion today (epistemology, comparison, feminist approaches to religion, and research ethics). Then it teaches a selection of methods used in religion (participant observation, interviewing, structured observation, content analysis, discourse analysis, history, hermeneutics, philology, and document analysis). The remainder of the course is dedicated to learning and applying techniques and strategies to write an effective research project, culminating in the writing of a proposal for an MA project.
RELV309 is mandatory in the Master¿s program in the Study of Religion, and for the students who take a master in the Study of Religion within the Teacher Education Program in History or Religion.
The student shall by the end of the course have gained the following learning outcome defined in knowledge, skills, and general competence:
Knowledge:
The student
Skills:
The student
General competence:
The student
has knowledge of and experience with several core issues in doing religious research, several central research methods used in religious studies, and with setting up, composing and improving written research projects.
The teaching and student activities in this course will entirely take place online:
Forms of assessment:
Students will write a research proposal for an MA project (2000 words).
The reading list consists of 500-800 pages. In addition, students will need to read discussion postings and submissions of other students.
The reading list is published by June 1st. for the autumn semester and by December 1st. for the spring semester.