After successful completion of the course, students are able to better structure their own process of realizing their doctoral thesis, and to break it down in smaller work-packages.

The aim of this course is to provide an accompanying orientation for improving the process of thesis-writing to all doctoral students who are writing their final thesis at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Urban Culture and Public Space. The facilitation of peer-to-peer learning and debate rounds on salient urban studies issues is an important achievement here. Therefore, semi-public presentations will take place during the first part of each “Thesis Fenster” - whereas the second part will feature face-to-face debates between doctoral students and the thesis supervisor(s). 

This course includes active participation in the so-called SKuOR Thesis Fenster (Doctorate Thesis Fenster and Master Thesis Fenster). All ongoing thesis projects which are currently carried out at the Interdisciplinary Center for Urban Culture and Public Space (Research Unit E285-02) will be discussed here (working languages are German, English and Spanish). In addition to the content-relevant aspects of urban research (current phenomena of urban development, public spaces, urban and everyday culture, wider issues in urban studies, etc.), we jointly explore other research issues such as research design, questions, barriers and ethics. Participants will be supported in the creation of work plans. We jointly discuss the setting up of concrete milestones along individual thesis projects. We turn the "huge" thesis project into "tiny little pieces" which can be elaborated and finalised.

Unit 1 Kick Off | 02.03.2023 | 12:00 - 13:30
Unit 2 - 4 Master Presentations | 09.03.2023 | 08:30 - 14:00 
Unit 5 - 10 PhD Writing Retreat Landuni Drosendorf | 19.04. - 21.04.2023
Unit 11 - 13 Master Presentations & Consultations | 04.05.2023 | 08:30 - 14:30
Unit 14 - 17 PhD Group | 07.06.2023 | 08:30 - 16:30
Unit 18 Master | 22.06.2023 | 12:30 - 14:00
Unit 19 Closing Unit with All | 22.06.2023 | 14:00 - 15:30 

Debates about research methods are key ingredients of research designs in empirical urban research and planning theory. Therefore, we will discuss these alongside each respective research project.

To register for the privatissimum, please contact Antonia Skenderović (antonia.skenderovic(at)tuwien.ac.at). All students writing their thesis at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Urban Culture and Public Space under the supervision or at another institute or university under (internal or external) co-supervision by Prof. Dr. phil. habil. Sabine Knierbein are expected to regularly present their projects in this course.  Also, those interested in a potential supervision by Prof. Dr. phil. habil. Sabine Knierbein are welcome here (mail to: antonia.skenderovic(at)tuwien.ac.at).

• 80% of attendance is required
• Active participation in feedback sessions and discussions is required.
• Presentation of your own topic, including updated materials to be uploaded on TUWEL
• Peer-to-peer feedback

Doctorate presentations:
- Preparation of a presentation of max. 20 minutes and max. 10 slides. The last slide should always end with a formulation of what difficulties the presenter is currently facing and where help is needed from the group (e.g. three questions to be discussed in breakout sessions).

- Submission of an excerpt from one of the chapters (if at the beginning, then instead an exposé), a preliminary table of contents and a work plan on TUWEL 10 days before the presentation. Ideally, the work plan should indicate (for cumulative dissertations) when which paper is to be submitted with which thematic focus, or (for monographs) when which chapter is to be written or how many of the chapters have already been written (percentage).

Peer feedback:
All participants of a Thesis Fenster (either master or doctorate) are required to read the presenters’ submissions and prepare one or two written paragraphs for each presentation. The written feedback must be uploaded on TUWEL by the evening before the Thesis Fenster session.

Joint focus sessions (master and doctorate):
Each participant has to prepare one slide related to the respective topic of the session (key concepts, research design, etc.), outlining how the individual thesis project deals with the topic under discussion. The slide must be uploaded on TUWEL by the evening before the joint Thesis Fenster session.

For doctoral students: You should have ideally contacted Prof. Dr. Knierbein via personal mail prior to visiting the Thesis Fenster.