First-Year Researchers

Compulsory requirements for the First Year of the Doctoral programme:

Seminar requirements:

one Departmental Seminar and one Research Seminar in the First Term
one Research Seminar in the Second Term

Note: attendance at any other seminar is optional. Researchers are required to clearly indicate which seminars are to be considered for their yearly requirements.

Written requirements:

Seminar Paper (by 12 December 2011)
February Paper (by 5 March 2012)
June Paper (by 4 June 2012)

June Workshop:

Researchers are also requested to participate and present their research in the June Workshop on 11 and 12 June 2012.

First-year Researchers’ Work Plan

All first-year researchers will prepare a work plan. This will be drawn up in consultation between each researcher and her/his supervisor or provisional supervisor. The plan will deal with the whole range of activities during the year – choice of seminars, seminar paper, February paper, missions and June Paper – as well as identifying language requirements or other special needs. The plan, agreed on by the researcher and supervisor, should be submitted by the 18th of November to the Departmental Assistant Anna Coda for the approval of the Head of Department.

Please use this work plan template .

Seminar Paper

First-year researchers are required to write one seminar paper and deliver it no later than the 12th of December 2011. This paper should represent a substantial piece of work, such as an essay of 5,000 words or the equivalent in shorter pieces. It should deal with topic(s) discussed in the departmental seminar and anyway different from that of the researchers’ dissertation. The title has to be agreed on with the seminar convener and the supervisor. The paper is assessed by the seminar convener and the supervisor or by another professor if the supervisor is also the convener.

February Paper and Monitoring Sessions

The first step in the dissertation work is the February Paper, a substantial paper (about 10,000 words), to be delivered by 5 March 2012 to the Departmental Assistant. This February paper outlines the main issue of the dissertation, discusses the relevant literature and puts forward some tentative hypotheses. The paper is assessed by the Supervisor and the Second Reader.

In order to give time to concentrate on finalizing the February paper, seminars will be suspended in the week 27 February – 4 March 2012.

On 22-23 March 2012 researchers discuss their work with their Supervisor and Second Reader. The supervisor will draw a report on the February Paper and the monitoring session which will help the researcher to plan his/her future work. Researchers whose progress is deemed insufficient are given specific suggestions on how to address their weaknesses.

June Paper

The June paper consists, first, of a revised version of the February paper, which takes account of feedback from the March monitoring session, plus a substantial text of about 10,000 words. This latter discusses the results of the work on sources, framing them in a general reflection on the issue, methods and objectives of the dissertation. The June paper is assessed by the supervisor and by the second reader. If they disagree, the matter is referred to the Department for a decision.

An agreed recommendation will be forwarded to the June meeting of the Admissions Committee for approval and the decision duly communicated to the researcher.

Two bound copies and one electronic copy are to be submitted to the Departmental Assistant by 4 June 2012.

General Formatting Guidelines of June Papers

It is necessary to include a cover page stating the title of the paper, the name of the author, the name of the supervisor and second reader and the word count. Please use this cover page template .
A table of contents would be important
Pages should be numbered throughout the paper
Take care also that the graphs, maps and tables are clear and easy to read both in the printed and in the digital version
The printed copies of the June Paper should be printed on two sides, and stapled.