Course From analysis to text

Course description

Course objectives

The aim of this course is to develop participants’ ability to produce and reflect on an academic text, and through that enforce the ability to write dissertations in a style and genre that suits the material and individual personality of each participant while at the same time complying with the requirements of academic writing. You will learn how to develop an argument in a text (a draft of a chapter or and article), and to place it in the wider context of the overall argument of the thesis. The course will explore different styles of writing to allow you to critically reflect on the implications of your stylistic choices for the validity and ethics of your thesis.

Methodology

Day 1 will pay attention to the form and argumentation of scientific texts and discuss how form and structure may sustain an argument. This will be applied to precirculated drafts of excerpts of participants’ theses (a chapter or an article, max. 15 pages and 2400 strokes incl spaces per page). Comments and suggestions will be given – mostly in the shape of two or three requirements or constraints, which will open for analytical creativity. Each participant is invited to use the comments and ideas given by the other participants and the course organizers in the revision of the text. The revised text shall be circulated before the second meeting. Two participants are assigned as discussants to each paper for the second meeting.

On Day 2, revisions will be discussed. It will be explored how the argument relate to the overall structure of the thesis, and the process of revision will be discussed with the aim of giving ideas for the writing process.

We may also discuss the implications of different styles of writing based on readings of short paradigmatic texts. These are selected after the first seminar.

Readings

Before day 1: thesis excerpts from all participants.

Before day 2: two revised thesis excerpts and stylistically paradigmatic texts.

The participants are requested to forward a thesis excerpt (max 15 pages) and a contextualisation (1 page). Before day 2 all participants are expected to prepare a revised text, prepare for two “revised text dissections” and to read the circulated paradigmatic texts.

Further information on handing-in of text will follow.

Aim

This course is for PhD students who are in the process of writing up their dissertations. The aim of the course is to train how to write with clarity, how to engage the reader in the presentation of the material, and how to present the overall argument in writing and in structuring the thesis.You are asked to submit a text ahead of the course. Participants may be at different stages of the process, and some will be ready to present more completed texts than others, but don’tworry if you present a non-finished text. You will learn just as much from that, if not more. The text should be a maximum of 20 pages. It could be a draft for a chapter or an article that forms part of your thesis. In addition you must submit one page presenting the overall argument of your thesis. We propose that you meet with your supervisor shortly after first course day andd iscuss the feedback you have received. Between the first and second course days you are expected to work on your text.

Target group/Participants

This course is for PhD students who are in the process of writing up their dissertations. The aim of the course is to train how to write with clarity, how to engage the reader in the presentation of the material, and how to present the over all argument in writing and in structuring the thesis.

PhD fellows from the Departments of Anthropology at AU and KU are given precedence

Language 

• English

ECTS-credits

3.5

Lecturers

• Maria Louw, Department of Anthropology, Aarhus University
• Hanne Overgaard Mogensen, Department of Anthropology, University of Copenhagen

Venue

• Aarhus: 6 March 2025, 11.00-17.00: Jens Chr. Skous Vej 4 , 8000 Aarhus C. Building 1481, room 231. 

• Copenhagen: 24 March 2025 08.30-16.30.  CSS 1.1.17 (20 pl.). How to find us – Faculty of Social Sciences - University of Copenhagen

   

Course dates:

• 06 March 2025 11:00 - 17:00
• 24 March 2025 11:00 - 17:00