October 18, 22/UG4 in der Ihnestr.22 October 25, 22/UG4 in der Ihnestr.22 November 1, 55/302a in der Garystraße 55 November 8, 22/UG4 in der Ihnestr.22 The course aims at students who have not acquired their first degree at a German department of sociology. It will introduce basic scientific methods for master students, with a focus on the sociological analysis of European societies. The course will also provide help with indispensable internet and other resources which are only available in German so far. The course is organized in five sections: 1. Searching literature: How do I find and access appropriate articles and books in the FU Berlin library and in online databases like the Web of Knowledge? 2. Finding specific resources for the Master's program: Which sociological journals are most relevant? Which datasets and online databases can be helpful for quantitative analyses of European societies and how do I access them? 3. Methodological and ethical principles of scientific research. 4. Introduction to scientific writing: How do I write an assignment or a Master's thesis? How do I structure an argument and a scientific paper? What are the formal rules that I have to comply with (e. g. citation rules)? 5. Advanced presentation skills: Since most of you will have learned the ba-sics of giving a talk in your BA program, here we will concentrate on the sub-tleties of presentation, such as informative and yet readable PowerPoint sheets, body language, and a lively presentation style. The course is meant to help you with your first steps in the Master's program Sociol-ogy - European Societies. It can be adjusted to your needs and if necessary, other issues can be taken into account. It is recommended to bring your own netbook to the class as much will be done online. It is advisable to complete the tasks on your personal computers, since this is how you will be doing it most of the time during your studies. close