PWS preparation

• Mens & Maatschappij
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

What is a 'profielwerkstuk'? What does it look like? Why is it part of your high school programme?

I already know who I am going to write my PWS with

1. Yes!
2. No!

PWS groups

• Groups of 3 (languages and maths: 2)
•  TTO because you will write your PWS in English (can be from the other class)

Do you already know which school subject you want to write your PWS about?

1. Yes!
2. No!

How can you decide which school subject you want to choose?

Do you already know which specific topic you would like to research?

1. Yes!
2. No!

Where can you find inspiration for your research topic?

v5: writing your PWS proposal

0. Front page and table of contents

1. Introduction

2. Theoretical framework/literature review

3. Methodology and planning 

4. Bibliography 

5. Logbook + reflection 

Word count indication: 5000-7500 words,

Detailed explanation  of every section in PWS instruction booklet!

Next steps

•  Find a group of 3 people 
• An idea of which school subject and topic you want to research
• A shared folder
• The start of your logbook

Start your PWS logbook today!

Create a shared folder with your teammates so you can easily share sources and collaborate on documents.

Logbook example

What should be in an introduction?

Introduction: what are you going to do and why should anyone care?

• Start with a bang to grasp the readers' attention!
• Objective: explain what your research aims to achieve (which research questions are you going to answer)
• Relevance: cite sources that show the added value to academic research and/or society (NOT: We find this a very interesting subject.)
• Structure: outline what follows, what the reader can expect
• The guide throughout your research: adapt as you go 

Do ghosts exist?

Name 3 reasons why this is not a good research question.

This week's assignment

• Write a paragraph describing the relevance of your topic for research and/or society.
• Brainstorm at least 3 potential research questions about your topic.

Any questions/comments?

Today (16/4)

• Internship (form + Q&A)
• PWS (this week's assignment)
• Podcast (research/script)

Theoretical framework

Literature review (at least 4 academic sources)

- Short summary + author background

- Specific relevance for this PWS 

- Compare and contrast with other sources

Glossary (list + explanation of important terms)

Why is googling your research question NOT a good way to find quality sources?

What is a good place to start looking for academic sources?

Good places to look for sources...

• Google Scholar 
• Aura --> Databanken --> Nexis Uni
• Snowball method: sources used/theories mentioned in your subject textbook or other articles, wikipedia footnotes, etc.

Methodology and planning

1. Methodology: well thought through strategy for how to answer your research questions

• Data collection methods: Qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods? Primary or secondary sources? Literature study, survey, interviews, experiment and/or observations?
• Reflection (explain why!): show awareness of strengths and limitations

2. Planning: table giving a realistic, detailed overview of who is going to do what and when in v6 

What could be the advantage of an experiment/observations compared to interviews/surveys?

What could be the (dis)advantage of interviews compared to a survey?

Quality criteria for research

• Transparency: be clear about the research process, aims and limitations 
• Validity: the methods measure exactly what you want to measure
• Representativeness and generalizability: the sample used is representative of the population you want to research, it is clear to what extent the results can be generalized
• Reliability: the research will lead to the same results when repeated at a different time and/or by another researcher (TIP: use triangulation, multiple methods to check the results) 

This week's assignment

Brainstorm which (combination of) methods are most suitable for answering your research question. Answer the following questions: 

• What are the strengths and weaknesses of your chosen research methods? (Keep in mind the quality criteria!)
• How will you select and gain access to participants and/or sources? How will you address potential obstacles?
• Is your research feasible within the given limitations (time, access, etc.)?  What will your research NOT be able to do given those limitations? 

Which challenges are you facing at this moment in your PWS preparation process?