MES4020 – Fieldwork in the Middle East
Course description
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
This course aims to train you in the collection, processing, critical assessment, and initial analysis of data in preparation for work on your master's thesis. Based on your project description and under the guidance of your supervisor, you will identify and collect different kinds of data. Depending on the topic of research, these may include data from:
- literary, historical, political, or other kinds of texts
- interviews, participant observation, other kinds of fieldwork
- online sources, radio and TV programmes, films, etc.
All methodologies of collecting relevant data require a conscious and critical approach. Therefore, an important part of the course implies reflection on the methodology and practices of data collection.
The course is designed to be taken in conjunction with MES4610 – Voices from the Middle East: How to Communicate Research Results
Learning outcome
After completing this course, you will be able to
- determine the relevance and validity of different sources through identifying and collecting data for your project
Depending on your chosen methodology, you will, for instance, be able to
- communicate with interviewees?in your language of specialization
- find historical texts through local and/or digital archives
- work as a researcher in different cultural or political settings
- identify different versions of the same text in a Middle Eastern language
Admission to the course
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.
This course is only available for students enrolled in the Middle East Studies (programme option).
Formal prerequisite knowledge
Students must have completed their first year of master studies before they can take this course.
Overlapping courses
- 20 credits overlap with MES4550 – Fieldwork and Data Collection: Gathering and Communicating Research Results.
Teaching
This course is taught as five seminars throughout the semester. The seminars will serve as a platform to discuss experiences and challenges that the students face when doing field work.
Your primary point of contact will be your academic supervisor, who will assist and guide your data collection and provide individualized advice regarding methodology. You are advised to communicate with your supervisor at least once a month throughout the semester.
In addition to the seminars, the course has a Canvas room where you submit your obligatory paper. In the Canvas room you will find both a discussion forum and announcements concerning the course.
Compulsory activity
- Written assignment: Submission of a 6-10-page field report (draft) explaining your choice of methodologies, the process of data collection, and reflections on the research process. The paper should engage with at least one of the texts on the syllabus.
The draft of the field report must be submitted in Canvas and approved by your supervisor in order to qualify for the final exam.
Approval of the compulsory activity is only valid for the current semester. If you retake the course, you must submit a new field report for the semester in which you are taking the exam.
All compulsory activities must be approved to qualify for the exam. It is your responsibility to verify that you have obtained approval for all compulsory activities.
Absence from compulsory activities:
It is important that you familiarize yourself with the rules regarding absence from compulsory activities to prevent being excluded from teaching and losing your eligibility to take the exam.
More information on compulsory activities at the University of Oslo:
Access to teaching
A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.
Examination
Portifolio exam.?
The exam is a portfolio that consists of two papers:
- Field report, revised after comments from your academic supervisor.
- One of the following options, to be determined after consulting with your supervisor:
- Translation (into English or a Scandinavian language) of an original text (2-4 pages) within your Middle East language of specialization.
- Transcription in your language of specialization of 1-3 recorded interviews (depending on length).
- Translation into English or a Scandinavian language of 1-3 recorded interviews (depending on length).
- Translation of any kind of sources in your language of specialization, for instance, parts of a movie, a TV show, blog discussions, speeches, etc.
You must submit the exam in Inspera - see guides for digital exams.
You are personally responsible for familiarizing yourself with the requirements and deadlines for the exam.
All compulsory activities must be completed and approved in order to take the exam.
You can find more information about the exam on the semester page of the course.
You can find the?grading guidelines for this course by following this link.?
Language of examination
You may write your examination paper in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a pass/fail scale. Read more about the grading system.
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- How to use AI as a student
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.