THESIS RESEARCH

This course is designed to help students select, contextualize and narrow a research topic; generate research questions and arguments; and think critically about the approaches employed in the research and writing process. This course also focuses on the vital role of citation in academic research. You will survey different citation styles, and apply appropriate citation in an annotated bibliography that relates to your research topic. Pedagogically diverse, the course involves one-to-one tutorials and workshops throughout the term. The goal of the course is to provide students with a roadmap and tools needed to produce a high quality MA thesis. Students will engage with key readings that demonstrate the epistemological, ontological and methodological debates that underpin your research areas, and discuss key theories that your thesis intends to address. We will explore frameworks for analysis and search out examples of their application in scholarship that pertains to Islamic Studies and Muslim societies. Students will develop a MA thesis proposal and annotated bibliography that will be further developed and realized during your time at the Aga Khan University. Students are asked to make a schedule of one-to-one meetings with faculty members and to provide peer feedback at points during the term. You are asked to come to the workshops and meetings prepared and ready to engage in a discussion about the key components of your research design process.