Workshop at UPFM: Challenges of Social Science Research
On Wednesday, February 1, 2023, a workshop entitled "Challenges of Social Science Research" was organised at the Faculty of Management of the University of Primorska in Slovenian language, and on Friday, February 3, 2023, it was also held in the English language, but online. The workshop was conducted by UPFM lecturers, Prof. Anita Trnavčević and Prof. Štefan Bojnec. The workshop was held in the framework of the Green, Digital, and Inclusive UP project (GDI).
Prof. Anita Trnavčević conducted the first part of the workshop "How to ask questions". Prof. Trnavčević highlighted the problematic nature of the Likert scale, which is one of the most popular scales in social science research today. Questions have been raised about the usefulness of this scale for different types of questions or statements that do not refer to personal views, as they may lead to different interpretations, which cannot be a prerequisite for good scientific research. In fact, the way in which the statement or question is written and the scale chosen is crucial for the quality of the data collected.
In the second part, Prof. Štefan Bojnec gave a lecture entitled »Academic Writing«. Prof. Bojnec presented the procedure, standard practices, and his experience with publishing original scientific articles in international journals, stressing the importance of a systematic review of the relevant literature, the elements that an internationally valid article should contain, the importance of a good abstract, and last but not least, the potential inconveniences, pitfalls and deceptive practices that both young and more experienced researchers encounter in the process of publishing their work.
The participants were very enthusiastic about the implementation of both workshops and we share their feedback below.
»The workshop was very useful for researchers and academics working in the social sciences. It offered a great opportunity to network with colleagues, share experiences, discuss common challenges, and learn new techniques for effective research and academic writing. Workshops like this one are a very useful tool to improve the quality of social science research and academic writing.« - Lea Primožič, Public Relations Specialist at InnoRenew CoE and Ph.D. student at the Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska.
»It was beneficial for researchers in different research fields; Ph.D. students, young researchers, and postdocs. Practical examples were presented that are hardly ever seen in the literature. The whole workshop was a great opportunity to learn the wisdom of academic writing.« - Dean Lipovac, a Ph.D. assistant at the Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies of the University of Primorska, Department of Psychology.
»Prof. Štefan Bojnec and Prof. Anita Trnavčević presented the workshop content in a professional manner, which will help me in writing scientific papers and preparing questionnaires for research. The workshop and the group work with Prof. Anita Trnavčević were very informative and I learned a lot, which will help me in preparing the questionnaires. Prof. Štefan Bojnec gave good guidance and advice on preparing and submitting journal articles.« - Pred. Sandra Martinuč, Member of the Chair of Nursing at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Primorska.
Green, Digital, and Inclusive UP are three pilot projects focused on the curricular renewal of professional higher education study programs at UP to support broader national reform for a green, resilient transition to Society 5.0.
The pilot projects aim to equip students with the skills for a green and digital transition to Society 5.0, focusing on the principles of UP:
- A high-quality study experience;
- Flexible study paths;
- Flexible and responsive learning environment;
- Alignment with lifelong learning concepts;
- Ensuring equal opportunity and gender balance in all areas of study.
The project is co-financed by the Republic of Slovenia, the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport and the European Union – NextGenerationEU. The project is implemented in accordance with the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) under the development area Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth, component Strengthening competencies, in particular digital competencies and those required by the new professions and the green transition (C3 K5), for the investment measure Investment F. Implementation of pilot projects, the results of which will serve as a basis for the preparation of a roadmap for the reform of higher education for a green and resilient transition to a Society 5.0: project Pilot Projects for the Reform of Higher Education for a Green and Resilient Transition.