PhD in Law

Training activities

Preparation of a short research paper and publication in a relevant journal or scientific work

  • Number of hours: 25
  • Description:
    • Justification. The doctoral candidate may carry out research tasks that lead to a short work on the subject of his/her doctoral thesis, obliging him/herself to rigorously put into practice the techniques and methodologies specific to legal sciences, to the point that it merits dissemination in a relevant field, in which some result, even partial and provisional, of his/her doctoral research will be made evident. The University of La Laguna grants aid for the writing and publication of scientific articles in open access in indexed journals for the development of his/her doctoral thesis (https://www.ull.es/portal/convocatorias/categorias/programa-de-formacion-de-investigadores/)
    • Content. Partial results of the doctoral thesis that will depend on the line of research developed
    • Time planning. Third year for full-time students and fourth year for part-time students.
    • Learning outcomes. The PhD candidate is able to focus on a specific subject or area of his/her research, apply the legal method, select sources and validate partial results of his/her research.
    • Language(s) in which they will be taught: Spanish and English
    • Competencies: CB11, CB12, CB13, CB16 and CA01, CA02, CA03

Control procedures: Copy of a journal or scientific work or certificate of acceptance for publication if this takes place after the training period. Prior authorization from the director of the doctoral thesis must be obtained.

Ethics of Scientific Research

  • Number of hours: 10
  • Description:
    • Justification. The necessary personal and institutional commitment in research work extends to safeguarding the standards of research quality, promoting the canons of equity, truthfulness, honesty and respect, to avoid bad practices in the inappropriate use of sources, scientific creation and dissemination or the violation of intellectual property. Our university has a Code of Good Practices (https://t.ull.es/17rk), establishing as a duty of doctoral students to comply with the ethical standards established by the University (art. 19.4, e) Regulations of Official Doctoral Studies).
    • Contents: Research ethics, deontology, intellectual property.
    • Time planning. First or second, for both full-time and part-time PhD students.
    • Learning outcomes. The PhD student knows and accepts the ethical and deontological rules of research work, avoids the usual bad scientific practices and is familiar with intellectual property rights.
    • Language(s) in which they will be taught: Spanish.
    • Competencies: CA02, CA03
  • Control procedures: Certificate of attendance and achievement. The activity will be organized by the University of La Laguna, and the Academic Committee may also recognize activities carried out at other universities.

Presentation of communication or poster in seminars, courses, conferences or other scientific events

  • Number of hours: 50
  • Description:
    • Justification. It is advisable for the doctoral candidate to participate in scientific and academic events specific to his/her line of research, discussing and contrasting his/her own perspectives, partial results, methodology, etc., by presenting a communication or poster. This activity, at the request of the doctoral candidate, must have the prior approval of the tutor and the director of the doctoral thesis.
    • Content. Depending on the line of research, these scientific events will have a theme related to the PhD student's doctoral thesis.
    • Time planning: In the second or third year for full-time students and in the third or fourth year for part-time students.
    • Learning outcomes. The PhD student expands knowledge, gains new methodological perspectives, and compares partial research results.
    • Language(s) in which the courses will be taught: Spanish or another foreign language.
    • Competencies: CB11, CA05, CE02
  • Control procedures: Certificate of attendance and achievement, requiring prior authorization from the tutor and the director of the doctoral thesis.

Specialized training courses and attendance at seminars, conferences, workshops or other scientific events, whether taught by the University of La Laguna, by its research teams or by other centers

  • Number of hours: 30
  • Description:
    • Justification. The objective of this activity is to help the doctoral candidate acquire a deeper knowledge of a particular subject or field that is necessary to adequately address the object of his/her research. The research lines of the program will establish courses that have a special impact on the object of the doctoral candidate's research.
    • Content. It will depend on the training needs of each doctoral student.
    • Time planning. In any academic year, both for full-time and part-time PhD students.
    • Learning outcomes. The PhD student acquires specialized knowledge of an instrumental subject or a core aspect of his/her research.
    • Language(s) in which the courses will be taught: Spanish or another foreign language.
    • Competencies: CB11, CA01, CA02, CA05, CE04
  • Control procedure: Certificate of attendance and achievement and requires prior authorization from the doctoral thesis director.

Participation in research projects

  • Number of hours: 300
  • Description
    • Justification. The objective of this activity is for the doctoral student to become familiar with research tasks, both in terms of the design of research projects and the research tasks themselves, by joining the work or research team, developed at our university or others, and attending their periodic meetings, which will facilitate the acquisition of skills and abilities that will allow them to approach with greater confidence and rigor the elaboration of their research plan, short research papers and the doctoral thesis, which may constitute part of the results of the research project.
    • Content. The doctoral thesis is part of the project's results or its subject matter is part of the PhD student's line of research.
    • Time planning. Any academic year, both for full-time and part-time PhD students, with a minimum duration of 6 months for the former and one year for the latter.
    • Learning outcomes. The PhD student knows how to work in a team, knows how to develop research projects, knows how to carry out coordinated research tasks, and increases his/her research capacity.
    • Language(s) in which they will be taught. Spanish.
    • Competencies: CB13, CB14, CB15, CB16, CA04, CE01, CE03, CE04
  • Control procedure: Certificate of membership in the work team or researcher of the research project, requiring prior acceptance by the tutor and the director of the doctoral thesis, stating the specific research tasks carried out and their use, as well as attendance at the team's regular meetings.

Research stays in national or foreign centers, public or private

  • Number of hours: 360 hours
  • Description:
    • Justification. This activity allows the PhD student to join other research teams or follow a line of research headed by other researchers, and can facilitate access to bibliographic materials, contact with other researchers, and to learn about and understand other methodologies to apply to their doctoral thesis.
    • Content. Development of research on your doctoral thesis topic.
    • Time planning. Any academic year, both for full-time and part-time PhD students.
    • Learning outcomes. The PhD student integrates into other research groups, learns, exchanges and uses new knowledge and methodologies applicable to the doctoral thesis.
    • Language(s) in which the courses will be taught. Not applicable.
    • Competencies: CB15, CA04, CE04
  • Control procedures: Prior approval by the tutor and director of the doctoral thesis, with a designed work plan, and a certificate of stay issued by the host institution or centre or by the person in charge of the research group in which the stay took place.

Introduction to research with a gender perspective

  • Number of hours: 30 hours
  • Description:
    • Justification. The objective of this activity is for the doctoral student to incorporate the gender perspective into the design and development of his/her research, taking into account the various methodological, social and legal aspects.
    • Contents: Gender equality, methodology, theoretical framework, design and analysis of equality legislation and policies.
    • Time planning. In the first academic year, for both full-time and part-time PhD students.
    • Learning outcomes. The PhD student knows how to incorporate and conduct research from a gender perspective.
    • Language(s) in which they will be taught. Spanish
    • Competencies: CE05
  • Control procedures: Prior approval by the tutor or director of the doctoral thesis, with the doctoral students providing a certificate of achievement.

The University of La Laguna has a Gender Equality Unit (https://www.ull.es/servicios/igualdad/) which, in addition to coordinating, proposing, monitoring and assessing compliance with legislation on equality between women and men, is also responsible for the implementation of the plans and measures proposed or applied for the promotion and achievement of effective equality in all areas of university life and in the relations between the university and society. It also acts as an advisory and resource service on equality and provides periodic and systematic information on the situation and development of the principle of equality between men and women at the University of La Laguna, and periodically organizes courses that facilitate training, research, transfer and management with a gender perspective. Specific courses could be developed specifically on the gender perspective in legal research.

Likewise, the University of La Laguna has a University Institute for Women's Studies (https://www.iuem-ull.org/), whose objectives include, in addition to contributing to the development of knowledge of gender studies, disseminating its results, facilitating access to them and promoting their dissemination to society, training researchers in women's studies and collaborating with university departments in teaching activities related to this subject.