Course Catalogue

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The course looks in-depth at research (and how it's designed) on a single issue of contemporary importance in the study of authoritarian politics (e.g. opposition politics, one-party politics, propaganda/censorship, repression etc but will vary year on year). The course will explore how scholars do research in authoritarian contexts and how to read and engage with academic and policy work beyond a surface level.

Seminar: two hours per week, for 10 weeks

Entry to Honours Politics requires a grade point average of 12 (Grade C) over Politics 2A and Politics 2B as a first attempt.

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Two referee reports' (750 words each) - 40%

Students will prepare peer-review reports about published academic articles or working papers written on authoritarian politics.

Research Design Essay (2500 words) - 60%

The aim of the course is to give students a better understanding of how research in authoritarian politics, and political science more broadly, is done by delving into one or two topics in detail over the course of the term. By closely reading and unpacking a small number of academic works each week, students will have the opportunity to better understand what research is, how to do it and how to engage with it. Students will be exposed to a number of research methods and gain a better handle on how to understand and critique them.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Analyse topics of contemporary importance in authoritarian politics

■ Propose and formulate ideas for research on the issue of focus in authoritarian politics

■ Assess the research design of scholarly work on authoritarian politics