MAKRE4070 Research Design and Project Description Course description

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

Knowledge

The student

• has advanced knowledge of their area of study and can identify relevant issues to clarify the need for research and professional development
• has in-depth knowledge of the research process

Skills

The student

• can analyse relevant theories and issues to initiate a research, quality or development project
• can use relevant research methods in their own work
• can analyse and deal critically with various sources of information and use them in scholarly arguments in their own research, quality or development project
• can carry out a limited, independent research, quality or development project in accordance with applicable norms for research ethics

General competence

The student

• can communicate relevant issues, analyses and conclusions from their own research, quality or development project to both the general public and academia
• can contribute to new thinking, innovation processes and evidence-based practice in the health services and in health-promoting work

MAVIT4050 Theory of Science and Research Methods, 10 ECTS credits or equivalent. MAVIT4060 Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methodology, 10 ECTS credits.

All examinations are assessed by an internal and an external examiner. The student's supervisor cannot be an examiner for the master's thesis.

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).

All aids are permitted, as long as the rules for source referencing are complied with.

Pass/fail.

All answers are assessed by one examiner.

An external examiner is used regularly, at a minimum of every third completion of the course. When selecting answers for external evaluation, a minimum of 10 percent of the answers shall be included, with no fewer than 5 answers. The external examiner’s assessment of the selected answers shall benefit all students.

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