MAELD4070 Research Design and Project Description Course description

Language of instruction: Norwegian and English

This course covers the research process from the planning phase until completion of the master’s thesis, including literary searches and referencing, formulation of research questions/hypotheses/issues, choice of research method and development of a project description, as well as ethical assessments relating to the student’s own work. Formal requirements for the project description are also covered to enable the student to complete the project description for their master’s thesis by the end of the course.

The teaching takes place with in-person attendance on campus. The students participating in the Literature Reviw option, will participate in seminars and work individually, in groups and plenary sessions. Students participating as a reseach assistant, will gain research experience through pedagogical interaction with a professional researcher.

The student must have been admitted to the Master’s Programme in Health Sciences.

After completing the course, the student should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student

• can develop a research question for their master’s thesis
• can independently describe relevant academic frame of reference and/or context as a foundation for a project plan for the master’s thesis

Skills

The student

• can plan a research project and write a project description in a precise scientific format and language
• can carry out extensive and systematic literature searches relating to their own project description, summarise and discuss the findings of others, and cite sources correctly
• can reflect upon ethical issues related to the project

General competence

The student

• can analyse and deal critically with various sources of data and use them in scholarly arguments
• can critically assess relevant ethical norms and values related to the chosen method in the project plan
• can assess whether a research project requires various forms of registration or approval in accordance with the applicable legislation

The course will use varied, student-active work methods. The teaching will be given digital and physical, in addition to blended learning with seminars on campus during the course. Work and teaching methods include digital and physical lectures, individual literature studies and written work, oral presentations, group discussions and supervision. Up to two hours of guidance is given on the project description.

The following must have been approved in order for the student to take the examination:

• compulsory attendance and participation at seminar days for your own specialisation
• presentation of own student’s project description for the master’s thesis with subsequent discussion in a plenary session
• held the role of opponent, providing feedback on one or more fellow students' project plan (peer assessment/opponent)

A project examination in the form of a project description for the student's master’s thesis, individual or in groups, depending on whether the thesis will be written individually or in a group. Scope: 3,000 words (+/- 20%). For group assignments, one overall grade is awarded for the whole group.

Resit examination: If the student fails the assignment, he/she will be given opportunity to submit a reworked version.

If the course is taught in English, students can also choose to write/conduct the examination in a Scandinavian language (Norwegian, Swedish or Danish).

This course has two options. One is for students to write a literature review for their master thesis. The other option is to be a research assistant getting research training. Both are described below.

Literature Review

The aim is to let students make a literature review for their master thesis. The literature review can be a part of the introduction of the thesis or a thesis as a literature review. During the seminars students learn to reflect on searching for literature, to make a critical evaluation, interpretation and summary of the research that provides a "State of the art" about the topic (research question) of the student’s own master thesis. This helps the student to write an introduction to the master thesis that answers "What do we know about this topic?" and "What does my study add to existing knowledge?". The introduction chapter will also help the student to lay the ground for how to discuss the results in relation to previous research. If the student writes a thesis as a literature review, this project also gives the student additional knowledge to choose what kind of literature review the student wants to make.

Lectures are in English, but students coming from a Norwegian spoken program can speak and write Norwegian.

Research Training

The main purpose of this option is for the student to gain research experience through pedagogical interaction with a professional researcher or faculty. As a research assistant, the student will perform a defined and limited research task under supervision. Through empirical studies and theoretical reflection, the student gain insight and skills, enabling the student to undertake research tasks of a scientific standard.

The student will be participating in a project on a relevant research topic as a research assistant at the Faculty of Social Sciences or the Centre for Welfare and Labour Research (SVA).

Call for research assistant must be given by Qualified supervisors at the Faculty of Social Sciences or the Centre for Welfare and Labour Research (SVA). The supervisor decides who will be the research assistants, based on the student's application and previous qualifications. Students can motivate potential supervisors to call for research assistants of this kind.

If others than the assistant is going to use the work the assistant has produced through the course, the assistant must be credited for the work. The use of the work by others than the assistant, however, cannot be closely related to the analytical framework of the assistant’s thesis unless it is published after the assistant has submitted the thesis.

None.

After completing the course, the student should have the following overall learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student has

• insight into planning and running a research project
• a specialised knowledge in the research methods and theories being used in the project.
• an insight into how social research can come into practical use or have an impact

Skills

The student can

• make an independent and critical evaluation of relevant studies for a research project
• handle data in an ethical and critical manner, and adhere to the norms of ethical conduct in research
• critically reflect on the researchers role in knowledge production
• conduct an independent small-scale research or development project under supervision

General competence

The student has

• developed general competence for independent research
• practiced innovative thinking and competence in transferring knowledge and skills to new areas

No coursework requirements or compulsory activities.