Notes assignment Urban Perspectives (deadline 13 dec.

2013)

Two options: 2000 words each 1. Research proposal: use findings from urban labs, as pilot data for research project. You do not need to use all the data. You have to show that you understand what research is about. A research proposal includes the following sections: 1. Object: - statement of subject matter: what is it you are studying? - justification of object study: why worth knowing this? Needs to be scientific, sociological perspective. - what are you going to learn from your study? What kind of finding do you expect? Why relevant? Focus on policy relevance etc. 2. Context: describe your object of study. What do we already know: features, characteristics, historical/comparative perspective, relevant facts. What is it about: place, group etc. What places are made of and other relevant information to get a sense of the research. 3. Literature review: brief summary of academic research on this topic. Refer to the texts from this course. Do not use other texts. Example: Ash Amin is relevant to use here because his work focusses on perspectives and therefore is relevant because 4. Research question: 1 main question, 2 or 3 sub questions. How are they related. 5. Methodology: how are you going to answer your research question and make shore that the data are valid. Example: interviewing for following reasons better than
2. Research paper: use research data. Is about processing your data and building an argument. Show your mastery of the data and use quotes. Can test a point made in the literature, does it apply here? Here you can use your urban lab findings too. Include the above five sections in your paper a bit different: Section 1 smaller, section 2 more extended. Emphasis on analysis. Stick to literature from the course.

This assignment has 2 options. OPTION 1: Students use the material collected in Urban Labs to design research proposals. In this case, urban labs are treated as 'pilot projects', and the data from them is used to inform and motivate future research. OPTION 2: Students write a research paper based on the results of one and more urban labs collected as a group or shared among groups. In this case, the emphasis is on the analysis and the demonstration of the use of concepts from the course literature in sociological research. OPTION 1, make sure to make clear: -The focus of your study and why it is important -What the object of your study, or the phenomenon, is about and what it consists of -Related literature/studies and what perspective they offer (this does not have to be very elaborate) -Your original research Questions -Methodology OPTION 2 contains some of the above, but the emphasis is on the presentation of the data/case/material and its analysis. Make sure to articulate: -your focus and its importance -relevant literature and concepts -research questions -methodology -analysis of your material. This should be the most developed part of your research paper. Use between 2,000 and 3,500 words.