Veidlapa Nr. M-3 (8)

Course Description Status: Approved

Course Description Version: 25/26.P.1.00

Description Period: 2025./26 academic year pavasara semestris

Study Course Accepted: -

Study Course Description

Drafting and Defence of the Master's Thesis

Main Study Course Information

Course Code
KSK_146
Branch of Science
Media and communications
ECTS
30.00
Target Audience
Communication Science
LQF
Level 7
Study Type And Form
Full-Time

Study Course Implementer

Course Supervisor
Līga Ozoliņa
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 supports advancement of a Master’s thesis project forming with the help of theoretical approaches and practical examples a clear report on tasks to be performed, as well as by practically developing and conceptually creating the Master’s thesis creation plan and theses of the Master’s thesis. Its principal goal is to provide profound knowledge about principles of creation of an academic research paper in communication science focusing on theoretically conceptual, methodological, logical, argumentation and text production principles.

Preliminary Knowledge

Courses “Analysis of Communication Situations”, “Theoretical Models of Communication”, “Media Theories” have been mastered.

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge

1.Students are able to name and characterise the most important parts of the process of creation of a Master’s thesis, potential problems and solutions, criteria for scientific work, peculiarities of language style and presentation.

Skills

1.Students are ready: • to conduct a Master’s thesis research in accordance with logic and criteria of scientific research; • to create a structure and a system of theoretical references of a Master’s thesis; • to write and defend a Master’s thesis.

Competences

1.Students are able to orient in the field of science, position and characterise own work in accordance with requirements of the field, scientific nature criteria, laws of logic and language and presentation requirements.

Assessment

Individual work

Title
% from total grade
Grade
1.

Individual work
-
-
To read required reading texts on scientific nature, logics and argumentation of a scientific paper, as well as conducting of scientific research and description of data. • What aspects / matters/ problems of a scientific paper does the text talk about? • What can you learn from it? To select literature for the theoretical part of the paper and to create an overview of fields of theoretical reference. To create and prepare a list of references. To write theses of a Master’s thesis and to present them.

Examination

Title
% from total grade
Grade
1.

Examination
-
-
Participation (activity, preparedness and quality of answers) in classes and quality of answers, fulfilment of tasks, theses of Master’s thesis, presentation and defence of theses of Master’s thesis.

Study Course Theme Plan

FULL-TIME
Part 1

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Introductory class. Research planning.

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Scientific (and science fiction) style (historical retrospect, impact of different cultures, modern characteristics) in the Latvian language stylistic system. Substyles and typical genres of scientific style. Adaptation of scientific style in publicistic writing.

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Structure of a scientific text: logical arrangement of expressions, use of terms, structure of sentences, quotes, references, footnotes. Author’s objectivity and identitylessness.

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Scientific style dictionary: terms and foreign words. Linguistic, interlinguistic and extralinguistic principles of term use. Sources of terms, databases.

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Stylistics and editing of a research paper (stylistics of introduction, talk abstracts, conclusion).
Total ECTS (Creditpoints):
30.00
Contact hours:
10 Academic Hours
Final Examination:
Defence (Master’s thesis)

Bibliography

Required Reading

1.

Eko, U. Kā uzrakstīt diplomdarbu. – Rīga: Jāņa Rozes apgāds, 2006.

2.

Apsalons, E. Valodas lietojuma loģika. – Rīga: Zvaigzne ABC, 2012.

3.

Mārtinsone, K., Pipere, A. (2016). Pētniecība: teorija un prakse. Rīga : RaKa. - 546 lpp.

Other Information Sources

1.

SAGE Research Methods