9 ECTS credits
250 h study time

Offer 1 with catalog number 1020331ANR for all students in the 2nd semester at a (A) Bachelor - preliminary level.

Semester
2nd semester
Enrollment based on exam contract
Impossible
Grading method
Grading (scale from 0 to 20)
Can retake in second session
Yes
Taught in
Dutch
Faculty
Faculty of Law and Criminology
Department
Criminology
Educational team
Lars Breuls (course titular)
Aude Fieuw
Activities and contact hours
26 contact hours Lecture
30 contact hours Seminar, Exercises or Practicals
100 contact hours Independent or External Form of Study
Course Content

In this course, the main focus is on formulating a scientific-criminological research question, and then answering it based on a literature review. The following themes will be covered during the semester: 

Part 1. Criminology as a science
Part 2. Scientific and non-scientific criminological sources 
Part 3. Scientifically grounded research questions
Part 4. Systematic search for sources and correct reference to consulted sources
Part 5. Literature study 
    5.1. Analysing scientific and legal sources 
    5.2. Incorporating scientific literature into a written text 
    5.3. Using scientific language

Course material
Digital course material (Required) : Het studiemateriaal bestaat uit lesslides van HOCs en WPOs, beeld- en geluidsopnames van HOCs en online zelflerende modules op Canvas, Canvas
Digital course material (Required) : &A-boekje (Verwijzingen en Afkortingen), APA-handleiding en teksten/fragmenten (video/audio) die in de les worden gebruikt en/of via Canvas beschikbaar worden gesteld (al dan niet via een URL-link), Canvas
Digital course material (Required) : Er wordt een studiewijzer ter beschikking gesteld op Canvas waarin alle noodzakelijke informatie te vinden is., Canvas
Additional info

WPOs: attendance and participation are mandatory.
Online self-paced modules: during the semester, a number of online modules will be provided via Canvas. Completion of these modules is mandatory. 
Working students: for working students, the lectures will be made available digitally. Working students are not required to participate in WPOs. Some Q&A contact moments are provided for them.
All necessary information can be found in the study guide made available through Canvas.

Learning Outcomes

General Competencies

  • You gain insight into the various sources of criminological research, into the formulation of a research problem and into the relationship between a concrete research question and the sources relevant to study it.

  • You know the sources with which a criminologist works.

  • You know the classic and new access mechanisms to search for sources.

  • You develop a systematic and targeted search strategy for relevant sources.

  • You use specialized access tools.

  • You critically evaluate your found source material.

  • You incorporate your sources critically in a scientific literature study (paper) and you refer to them correctly.

  • You write your scientific text in correct and academic Dutch.

  • You develop a general, critical-scientific attitude (doubt and testing) towards your sources.

  • You can make some basic ethical reflections.

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
PRAC Practical Assignment determines 25% of the final mark.
SELF Paper determines 75% of the final mark.

Within the PRAC Practical Assignment category, the following assignments need to be completed:

  • WPO with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 25% of the final mark.

Within the SELF Paper category, the following assignments need to be completed:

  • Examenpaper with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 75% of the final mark.

Additional info regarding evaluation

The grading for this course unit consists of two parts.

  1. Students must write a scientific paper. This component is graded at 15 out of 20 points (75%). This assignment is further described in the study guide made available on Canvas, as well as discussed during the HOC. 
  2. The remaining 5 points (25%) can be earned on the individual work-in-progress track that is supervised during the WPOs. The evaluation of this track is done with one final grade based on the interim assignments, the active participation during the WPOs and the test referrals. For the exact details of these assignments and the evaluation of the track, see the study guide on Canvas. An alternative work-study assignment for the August/September exam period is possible. Information about this will be provided via Canvas.

Insufficient attendance, late submission of assignments and/or non-cooperation during the WPOs may translate into a loss of points (-1 per unexcused and attested absence from the WPOs and late submission of midterm assignments, failure to receive feedback for late submission of preparatory papers, and with transfer to the August/September exam period for late submission of the exam paper). 
Transfer of partial grades is possible between exam periods, but not between academic years.

Allowed unsatisfactory mark
The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context

This offer is part of the following study plans:
Bachelor of Psychology: Profile Profile Work and Organisational Psychology (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Psychology: Profile Profile Clinical psychology (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Criminology: Standaard traject (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Criminology: Verkort traject (only offered in Dutch)