Veidlapa Nr. M-3 (8)
Study Course Description
Introduction to Studies and Specialty
Course Code
SZF_055
Branch of Science
Political science
ECTS
4.00
Target Audience
Political Science
LQF
Level 6
Study Type And Form
Full-Time
Study Course Implementer
Course Supervisor
Lelde Metla-Rozentāle
Structure Unit Manager
Ieva Puzo
Structural Unit
Faculty of Social Sciences
Contacts
Dzirciema street 16, Rīga, szf@rsu.lv
About Study Course
Objective
The course "Introduction to Studies and Specialization" is designed to prepare political science students for their upcoming 3-5 years of study.
During the course, students will be introduced to the fundamental requirements of the RSU ESF regarding the study process and collaboration between students and lecturers, such as the content and formatting of written assignments, understanding plagiarism and self-plagiarism, opportunities for searching academically appropriate information in library resources, critical thinking, using the MyRSU portal in the study process, etc. Concurrently, the course will also provide insights into the basic concepts of the chosen academic discipline – political science and international relations, and students will go on educational excursions to various government institutions (the Parliament, the Cabinet of Ministers, the State Chancellery, etc.), as well as meet with industry experts - guest lecturers.
Preliminary Knowledge
Basic knowledge of international relations and politics: students should have a general understanding of the international system, the main actors in international relations (states, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, etc.), as well as the fundamental concepts and theories that explain the dynamics of international relations.
Interest in European politics and history: Although detailed prior knowledge of European politics and history is not mandatory, students' interest and basic knowledge in this area will help in the successful acquisition of course materials. It is recommended to be informed about the functioning of the European Union, the main events in European history, and their impact on contemporary politics.
Analytical skills: The ability to analyze, compare, and synthesize information is essential for successfully mastering the course materials. This includes reading texts with comprehension, evaluating arguments, and critical thinking.
Communication skills: Good written and oral communication skills will help students effectively express their thoughts and arguments, as well as successfully participate in discussions and presentations.
Language skills: Although the primary language of instruction is Latvian, good English language skills are necessary, as many study materials and sources may only be available in English. Knowledge of other European languages can be beneficial for accessing a wider range of information sources.
Motivation and self-discipline: Students must have high motivation and self-discipline to independently organize their study process, follow the course requirements, and meet deadlines.
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge
1.• Will be able to identify situations where references must be used. • Will be able to identify the key information in a text to provide an answer to an essay question. • Will be able to evaluate ethical and unethical principles in academic activities. • Will be able to define the basic terms of political science. • Will be able to develop and present a paper idea, as well as write the paper. • Will be familiar with the key institutions of the field, their main tasks, and operating principles.
Skills
1.• Will be able to independently create a summary/essay text. • Will be able to select the most appropriate literature in information databases. • Will be able to explain the basic definitions of political science. • Will be able to present the results of a paper.
Competences
1.• Will be able to articulate their opinion in seminars. • Will be able to develop an independent written work that meets the requirements of a summary, scientific essay, or paper. • Will be able to defend their viewpoint with reasoned arguments in a scientific essay.
Assessment
Individual work
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Title
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% from total grade
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Grade
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1.
Individual work |
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Attendance of lectures is mandatory – at least 50% of classes must be attended. If attendance falls below 50% (six classes), the module must be retaken the following academic year for an additional fee.
Successfully pass a test and actively participate in seminar discussions, where you must be able to express an argued opinion based on the literature read.
Write summaries that reflect the essential information about the literature read (if the summary question is about the required literature) or provide quality answers to the summary question(s), searching for answers in reliable information sources.
Summaries must be submitted in e-studies by the deadlines specified for each class's assignment.
For each day late, the grade is reduced by one point. If less than 50% of all written assignments are submitted by the specified deadline, or if due to failures or unjustified absences, 50% of the written works are graded with "0", then the student must retake the course the next academic year for an additional fee.
NB! Within the course "Introduction to Studies and Specialization," all electronically submitted written works are corrected and checked with the honesty and plagiarism detection tool TurnitIn. Therefore, students must understand that all submitted written works will be subjected to textual comparison with other works and the internet to ensure there are no signs of plagiarism.
Submit a paper that is written according to the requirements – min. 3,000 words (!!), max. 4,500 words (excluding: title page, table of contents, list of used literature!), font size – 12 (Times New Roman), line spacing – 1.5. For additional information on the paper's content, please see the section "Papers".
Successfully pass an exam that consists of two parts – the first part is a test with 25 closed questions; the second part is one essay question, where a broader answer is required on one of the topics covered in the course.
To evaluate the overall quality of the course, the student must complete the course evaluation survey in the Student Portal.
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Examination
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Title
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% from total grade
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Grade
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1.
Examination |
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During the course, it is required to read George Orwell's novel "1984" – a story that has regained popularity among modern intellectuals, an existential horror tale, about which the book's publisher, Frederic Warburg, said: "I pray to God that I may be spared ever having to read anything like it again." Not because it's uninteresting, but because it's frighteningly real.
As each paper topic involves comparing the novel with real life, to write a quality paper, you must read one or several scientific articles that reflect the reality events relevant to the paper's topic. Then, according to the chosen topic, you must compare what is written in the novel with what has actually happened/happens in the political history of Latvia or other countries today. For example, when writing about the government control over people's private lives depicted in the novel, to compare it with modern times, you can use scientific articles on the role of social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) in monitoring private life, as well as the use of CCTV cameras and other freedom-restricting/violating methods employed by governments. It is mandatory to use at least 1 scientific article that reflects the manifestations of the question studied in the paper in the real world, e.g., SAGE Publications, Cambridge Journals Online, EBSCO A-to-Z - Academic Search Premiere (for newer and additional information, see the RSU website section "Library" – Databases). Free scientific articles are available on www.findarticles.com. It is strictly FORBIDDEN to use the internet "encyclopedia" Wikipedia as a resource for the paper!
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2.
Examination |
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The final grade is the sum of all grades. Knowledge is assessed on a 10-point scale. The final grade is composed of:
Participation and answer quality in seminars – 15%;
Written analysis of summary questions (quality of analysis) – 40%;
Paper (its compliance with the given task) – 25%;
Exam grade – 20%.
The exam consists of two parts: the first part includes a test with 25 closed questions and 5 open questions; the second part includes one essay question, where a broader answer is required on one of the topics covered in the course.
Students who have not passed all the above requirements and who take the exam during the spring or autumn session for unjustified reasons will have their exam grade reduced by one point.
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Study Course Theme Plan
FULL-TIME
Part 1
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Introductory Lecture. What it means to study - the process of organizing studies - familiarization with MyRSU, libraries, and other fundamental aspects.
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Introductory Lecture. What it means to study - the process of organizing studies - familiarization with MyRSU, libraries, and other fundamental aspects.
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Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Text analysis and note-taking skills, summarization and essay writing. Academic writing.
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Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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References and Their Use. Academically Correct Utilization of Information Resources.
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Plagiarism - What Is It?
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Adherence to Ethical Principles in the Study Process.
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Learning Critical Thinking Skills.
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Academic Paper Writing Skills, Paper Thesis, Paper Presentation.
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Politics as a Science and What It Means to Study Politics and International Relations. The State and Politics as the Art of Governing and Understanding Society.
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Fundamental Questions of Democracy - Representation, Elections, and Political Parties.
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Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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The Structure of Latvia's State Administration System - Legislative Power, Executive Power - The Process of Political Procedures - SIMULATION.
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Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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The Structure of Latvia's State Administration System - Legislative Power, Executive Power - The Process of Political Procedures - SIMULATION.
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Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Study trip
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2
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Topics
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Visit to the Supreme Legislative Institution of the Republic of Latvia - The Saeima: Educational Excursion.
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Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Study trip
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2
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Topics
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Visit to the Supreme Executive Institution of the Republic of Latvia - The Cabinet of Ministers.
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Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Study trip
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2
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Topics
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Visit to the Supreme Judicial Institutions of the Republic of Latvia - The Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court.
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Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Study trip
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2
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Topics
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Vsit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia.
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Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Presentation of the thesis abstract, discussion, error analysis, and recommendations.
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Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Presentation of the thesis abstract, discussion, error analysis, and recommendations.
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Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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Off site
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E-Studies platform
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2
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Topics
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Individual Work with Students - As Needed.
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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Off site
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E-Studies platform
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2
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Topics
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Individual Work with Students - As Needed.
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Total ECTS (Creditpoints):
4.00
Contact hours:
40 Academic Hours
Final Examination:
Exam (Written)
Bibliography
Required Reading
1.
Diana Hopkins & Tom Reid.Diana Hopkins & Tom Reid. The academic skills handbook: your guide to success in writing, thinking and communicating at university. 2nd edition. Los Angeles: SAGE, 2024.
2.
Zhihui Fang. Demystifying academic writing : genres, moves, skills, and strategies. London: Routledge, 2021.
3.
What is Plagiarism? Plagiarism.org.
4.
What Are Footnotes? | Guide with Word Instructions.
5.
Preventing Plagiarism when Writing. Plagiarism.org
6.
Orientation Lecture Series. Learning to Learn: Developing Critical Thinking Skills. Learning Centre: University of Sydney.
7.
Walden University Writing Center. Wrining A Paper.
8.
POLITICS, POWER, AND PURPOSE: AN ORIENTATION TO POLITICAL SCIENCE. Chapter 6: Political Theory.
9.
LR Satversme Saeimas kārtības rullis MK kārtības rullis Normatīvo aktu projektu izstrādes rokasgrāmata Valsts prezidenta pienākumi, pilnvaras un tiesības Vēlētāju likumdošanas iniciatīva CVK Kolektīvais iesniegums Saeimai Tiesību aktu ceļš Ministru kabinetā Likums ‘’Par tautas nobalsošanu, likumu ierosināšanu un Eiropas pilsoņu iniciatīvu’’ Kā top likums Valsts prezidenta darbība likumdošanas jomā Nepieciešamais vēlētāju skaits tautas nobalsošanās Saeimas vēlēšanu likums (latviešu plūsmai)
Additional Reading
1.
What Is The Most Effective Way To Study?
2.
Rowntree, D. 1998. Developing a Strategy for Reading. In: Learn How to Study: A Realistic Approach. 4th edition. London: Warner Books.
3.
Macrina, F.L. 2014. Authorship and Peer Review. In: Scientific Integrity. 4th edition. Washington: ASM Press. 61-78.
4.
Bradley, S.G. 2014. Managing Competing Interests. In: Scientific Integrity. 4th edition. Washington: ASM Press. 159-186.
5.
Mays, D.T. 2014. Ownership of Data and Intellectual Property. In: Scientific Integrity. 4th edition. Washington: ASM Press. 179-213
6.
Keller, W.R. 2008. Introduction to Critical Thinking. In: Chemistry Connects to Critical Thinking. Gravitas Publications: Access Research Network.
7.
Kas ir Saeima? Kas ir Saeimas prezidijs? Video animācija – vai Saeima ir valdība? Materiāli, kas raksturo Saeimas darbu Kas ir Ministru kabinets (funkcijas, pilnvaras, lēmumu pieņemšana, apstiprināšana, neuzticības izteikšana, atkāpšanās) (latviešu plūsmai)