Office Hours:
Monday, 8.30-10.00, in office AP-23. (Emails received during the week will be answered during the next office hours).
Office hours are intended for discussions about course requirements, research essays, master's theses, etc. (Since such questions are complex, they will not be addressed via email - please attend office hours instead).
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Research project Anxious Peace: https://www.fdv.uni-lj.si/en/research/research-centres/department-of-political-science/defence-research-centre/anxious-peace
Zoom link: https://uni-lj-si.zoom.us/j/96108049219
Meeting ID: 961 0804 9219
NOTICE FOR STUDENTS WHO PLAN TO CHOOSE PROF. ZUPANČIČ AS A SUPERVISOR
To avoid misunderstandings, I would like to clarify some important points. Before the first discussion about their thesis topic, students are expected to study the first four chapters of the following book: Kellstedt, P., & Whitten, G. (2013). The Fundamentals of Political Science Research. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Based on this reading, students should reflect on the following before the meeting:
- A specific topic and title
- The research puzzle
- An appropriate theoretical framework
- Research objectives and questions (both theoretical and empirical; in particular, what your thesis will contribute theoretically—what unexplored theoretical gap it will fill)
- Operationalization (how you will translate/break down concepts into measurable indicators, relationships between dependent and independent variables, causality vs. correlation, how to transition from theory to research variables and hypotheses—see Kellstedt/Whitten for guidance)
- A potential methodological approach that will allow for empirical investigation
Once you believe you have resolved these points, write them down in a thesis proposal (the official FDV form), which I will read before you attend office hours.
Due to the large number of students working with me on master's and doctoral theses, teaching responsibilities, and frequent fieldwork abroad, you can expect to wait about three weeks for feedback on your thesis proposal (this is the upper limit, which is rarely exceeded; if you are the only one, you might receive feedback within a week. However, in January and February, this period is usually extended, as most students come forward with their ideas during the first quarter of the year.
Theoretically, your proposal might be good enough after the first draft, but this is very rare—occasionally for master's proposals and almost never for doctoral proposals. In most cases, proposals go through multiple revisions before they are of sufficient quality for official submission. Master's proposals usually require two to three revisions, sometimes more.
What does this mean in practice? If you want to submit your thesis proposal by the official deadline (March 15), I strongly advise you to send the first version of your proposal (following the provided structure and addressing the above questions) by the end of January at the latest. However, it is more advisable to send the first draft of your master's proposal at least three months before the official submission deadline.
After each round of feedback, you will likely leave with more questions that need to be resolved before the next submission. Addressing theoretical and methodological issues typically takes more than a few hours, as this process requires deep reflection based on studying the relevant literature, which I will recommend during office hours (depending on where I see gaps in your understanding). Only after you resolve all the questions with me, you are able to submit the MA thesis proposal officially.
Room:
AP 23
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