Every PhD thesis needs to explicitly grapple with issues of theory, methods and ethics. The course facilitates thorough discussions on a broad range of theoretical and methodological problems, including scientific theory and ethical issues. Topics will change from year to year, and the course will introduce current debates in international historiography in relation to them.
The course has a core syllabus that all participants are expected to have read and reflected upon before the course begins. There will be additional recommended reading lists on issues related to and beyond those dealt with in the course. The course will be conducted in English. The students are expected to contribute actively in all parts of the course.
It is recommended to take this course early in the PhD-education. Even though tailored for first-year doctoral candidates, it is open for everyone who works on a dissertation using historical methods and approaches.
Confirmed teachers:
- Toufoul Abou Houdeib, UiO
- Wojtek Jezierski, UiO
- Klaus Nathaus, UiO
- Svein Atle Skålevåg, UiB
- Espen Storli, NTNU
- Hanne Hagtvedt Vik, UiO
Program
Click the link for the draft program.
Essential Information:
- This is a 5-day course. It will start at 9.00 on Monday, March 7, and end at at the latest on 16.00 on Friday, March 11. The course will be at the Blindern Campus of the University of Oslo.
- Participation in all course activities every day, including social events which will most likely be on Monday and Wednesday evenings, is mandatory.
- Active participation in discussions of all papers and seminars is required. It is possible to audit the course rather than take it for credits, and in than case you will not do the mandatory writings.
- The course language is English, but essays may be written in English or in one of the Scandinavian languages. The latter may be discussed in Scandinavian.
- Credits: 5 ECTS
- The syllabus is max. 500 pages.
Mandatory Writing:
Reading responses: 400-600 words response for each of the seminars. The response should be uploaded to the relevant seminar folder at the latest 1 week prior to the workshop. You are expected to to make one or a set of observations that they think are worth taking particular note of in the readings.
Essay: The essay of 2400-3200 words, excl. references, should discuss a specific methodological and/or theoretical and/or ethical problem. The problem shall be clearly identified and be the center of the discussion. The essay should be analytically advanced and situated in the relevant literature, with full references. We recommend that you choose a problem that is central to your thesis or related to one of the course modules. Please note that the essay should be a standalone piece, and that a draft introduction for your PhD will not be acceptable. Your essay will be discussed as part of the course, and each participant will serve as a main commentator for one essay as will one of the teachers. The essay should be uploaded to the learning platform three weeks before the workshop. After the course, the essay is to be revised and resubmitted. Revised essays must be resubmitted by April 4th. The grading will be pass/fail.
Deadlines:
Deadline for application is January 10, but candidates may be accepted after this date if the course is not fully booked. Applicants who are based at NRSH partner institutions will have priority and will be accepted on a rolling basis.
Accepted students will be given access to Teams folder with all the course readings and other information.
Deadline for the submission of the essay is February 18.
Revised essays must be resubmitted by April 4th.
To apply, please fill out the application form
Questions ca be sent to:
Hanne Hagtvedt Vik, h.h.vik@iakh.uio.no, with a copy to
Ragnar Holst Larsen, ragnahl@iakh.uio.no.
Costs:
All participants must organize and pay for their own travel.
Participants from the partner institutions of the Norwegian Research School in History who do not live in the Oslo area will have their accommodations for March 6 - March 11 paid for. The Norwegian Research School will book accommodations.
There will be a lunch served every day and also a dinner for all participants on Monday and Wednesday.
Partner institutions of the Norwegian Research School in History are:
Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet (NTNU) - Det humanistiske fakultet
Universitetet i Agder - Institutt for religion, filosofi og historie
Universitetet i Bergen - Institutt for arkeologi, historie, kultur- og religionsvitskap
Universitetet i Oslo - Institutt for arkeologi, konservering og historie, Universitetet i Oslo
Universitetet i Tromsø - Institutt for arkeologi, historie, religionsvitenskap og teologi
Nord Universitet - Fakultet for samfunnsvitenskap
Høgskulen i Volda - Samfunnsfag og historie
Handelshøyskolen BI - Institutt for rettsvitenskap og styring