ILOS runs the thesis seminars for PhD fellows in area studies. PhD fellows from other departments at the Faculty of Humanities working within this field are welcome to participate. The session runs as follows: The papers (usually 3–4 in each seminar), about 10 pages, are circulated in advance. PhD fellows presenting papers give an introduction (about 10 minutes) followed by a commentary (5–10 minutes) and then a general discussion.
The papers may consist of presentations of the PhD project, of single chapters, or of more specialized topics, theoretical or other. If you like, you can give some instructions on how to read the material presented, suggesting which aspects to focus on. Thesis seminars are an excellent forum for general discussions and are an important social arena.The length of each seminar will depend on the number of presenters. Coffee will be served! If the seminar is scheduled to last three hours, there will also be a sandwich lunch (please check the start/end time above).
Overview
Presenting a paper is 2 ECTS; commenting is 1 ECTS. You are also most welcome to participate without presenting or commenting! We will circulate the texts in advance to make sure that everyone gets a chance to read them. There is also a possibility for registering as an Active Participant (1 ECTS). You should then read all of the papers more carefully with an eye to participating actively in the discussion throughout the seminar. This option is for those who are not listed as Presenters or Commentators.
To register
Please use the sign-up button above! If you plan to register as Presenter (2 ECTS), Commentator (1 ECTS) or Active Participant (1 ECTS), you should check the current status of how many people have already signed up for what (and, if you like, who has signed up for what). This is important because we cannot have more than 4 Presenters for each seminar, plus 4 Commentators, and 2 (if any) Active Participants. Apart from that there is no limitation on the number of people attending.
Feel free to volunteer as a commentator
The Commentator does not have to be in the same field as the Presenter. Often, someone from the "outside" will be more able to see the text presented as a text and to give valuable feedback on structure and argumentation. For example: are the aims and claims clearly stated at the outset? Does the writer indicate where he/she stands in relation to previous research or criticism and what his/her contribution consists of? Does the argument progress logically from one point to the next? The texts presented in these seminars are typically works in progress and commentary on how to improve the quality of the writing and the argumentation may therefore be especially welcome. We will discuss in English and/or Norwegian all depending. PS: You can actually learn a lot about thesis writing from commenting on someone else's paper...
It is generally recommended that you participate in these seminars more often than the program strictly requires, both as a Presenter, Commentator, and participant.
Questions? Feel free to contact Ljiljana Saric.