ACIT4100 Understanding and Communicating Research Course description

This course offers an introduction to the practice of writing and reading academic literature. Communicating properly, both in written and oral form, is a cornerstone of research. This course therefore also contains an element of rhetoric and writing techniques. The course will cover common concepts from research methods, such as qualitative and quantitative methods. A brief introduction of the philosophy of science helps us put the vast variations of research in context. Finally, the course introduces research and professional ethics.

No formal requirements over and above the admission requirements.

A student who has completed this course should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

On successful completion of this course the student:

• has thorough knowledge of writing in research processes
• has advanced knowledge of forums and channels in which research results are published
• has thorough knowledge of the formal academic writing conventions
• has thorough understanding of the common research methods within either qualitative or quantitative research

Skills

On successful completion of this course the student:

• can find research results in literature databases
• can analyse and critically evaluate various information sources
• can write summaries using his/her own words
• can formulate scientific reports
• can use electronic reference tools
• can carry out objective and constructive peer reviews on written work
• can identify the research method used in a scientific text
• can explain the application of a research method in a research project
• can discuss and compare research approaches in the domain of quantitative or qualitative methods

General competence

On successful completion of this course the student:

• can identify research fraud and plagiarism
• has a thorough knowledge of responsibility for author and co-authorship in accordance with the Vancouver Convention

The course is divided into three modules, the first is in navigating the world of scientific literature. Here, the course will focus on the structure of scientific documents such as thesis and research papers as well as how to search for and find relevant literature for own research. It will also cover presentation technique in this part. Module one will be based on mainly lectures and workshops/labs where students work on assignments.

Topic keywords Module 1:

• Structure of research papers and thesis
• Conducting literature surveys
• Presentation technique and public speaking

The second module will focus on different research methods. There will be several versions of this module available focusing on sub-areas of research methods, such as quantitative methods. Here, the student will pick the appropriate module for their own specialization field. The modules will be taught with their own structure, either seminar or regular lab-based teaching where appropriate.

Topic keywords:

• Module 2A - Quantitative methods
• Module 2B - Qualitative methods

The third and final module will cover aspects of ethics in research, such as plagiarism and forgery.

Topic keywords Module 3:

• Plagiarism in research
• Forgery of scientific results
• The role of the researcher / expert

All modules will be taught as lectures / seminars with assignments for students. Throughout the course, students will work on an individual essay from their own specialization topic. The essay will contain:

• a literature survey
• a discussion on the methods applied by the researchers in the material reviewed in their survey
• a discussion on the ethical challenges related their topic both with regard to the research applied and relative to uses in society

The essay will give the opportunity for the student to tie together all modules in this course into a cohesive document.

The following required coursework must be approved before the student can take the exam:

Two mandatory assignments:

• One recorded presentation of between 10 and 15 minutes.
• A spreadsheet containing results of a research survey including columns for relevant meta-information with at least 7 relevant research papers

Written individual essay of between 7500 and 10000 words.

The exam can be appealed.

New/postponed exam

In case of failed exam or legal absence, the student may apply for a new or postponed exam. New or postponed exams are offered within a reasonable time span following the regular exam. The student is responsible for applying for a new/postponed exam within the time limits set by OsloMet. The Regulations for new or postponed examinations are available in Regulations relating to studies and examinations at OsloMet.

All aids are permitted.

For the final assessment a grading scale from A to E is used, where A denotes the highest and E the lowest pass grade, and F denotes a fail.

Two internal examiners. External examiner is used periodically. The exam grade can be appealed.

Associate Professor Kyrre Begnum