SAS4020 – South Asian Fieldwork
Course content
The duration of the course is one full semester. The aim in this course is for you to identify and collection the material that will form the basis for your master’s thesis.
Your material can be of various kinds, depending on the topic you are researching for your thesis.
- Literary, historical, political or other forms of written text
- Interviews, participant observation or other forms of ethnographic material
- Linguistic field material
All generation of material and in particular when dealing with people demands a critical and ethical approach. Your own reflection on the process will be a crucial part of the course.
Learning outcome
Knowledge:
- Deep knowledge of the topic you have chosen
- Solid understanding of South Asian society
- Experience in and understanding of research as a process
- Experience in generating, processing and critically evaluating data
Skills:
- Practical experience of project management and generation of own material
- Completion of a research project
- Use of and refection over methodological and theoretical tools for the generation, processing and evaluation of data
- Reworking field material into data, and data into text, in ethical ways
General competence:
- Respect for academic values, such as openness, rationality and precision
- The ability to distinguish between research-based knowledge, practical knowledge, and political opinions
- Conscious understanding of ethical issues in research
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.
Formal prerequisite knowledge
Students must have completed their first year of studies before they can take this course.
Recommended previous knowledge
SAS4002 – Key Debates in South Asia Studies
Teaching
There is no teaching in this course. Your primary point of contact will be your supervisor, who will assist and guide your data collection and provide individualized advice. You are advised to communicate with your supervisor at least once a month throughout the semester.
Compulsory activities
- A draft of the two field reports. The drafts must be sent to your supervisor before the submission (halfway and at the completion of the fieldwork) and on which you will receive feedback.
Valid absence
If you have valid absence from the compulsory activity, you must submit an application and hand in documentation.
This is how you apply for a valid absence from compulsory activity.
Examination
The exam is a portfolio consisting of the two field reports (one halfway and one at the completion of the fieldwork).
The reports will detail your field experience, evaluate it in general and in particular its relevance to the project idea and the validity of the material as well as ethical aspects of your fieldwork. The reports should also explicitly address unexpected turns of event or discoveries.
You must fulfill the requirement of the compulsory activity in order to qualify for taking the exam.
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
- 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.