MAPFY4070 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.

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

No aids are allowed during the oral presentation.

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

All organisations need a strategy. In different ways, all organisations compete for resources in the trade-off with the environment it operates in. Understanding value creation and survival through insight in the field of strategy is a key aspect of the course. This course in strategy formation will help to impart insight into the three dimensions of the strategy discipline: process, content and context. The course is particularly useful for students who want to work on strategy formation in staff functions, in management consulting or as a middle manager in future. Recent research and current articles will play a key role in the course.

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

• insight and specialist insight into strategy, process and content that is fundamental to understanding how a strategy is developed
• knowledge and understanding of why an organisations competitive arena is important for understanding the environment within which a strategy is developed
• developed his/her ability to reflect in order to understand strategies at different levels
• up-to-date knowledge of the forefront of research and different strategic dilemmas in the area of strategy
• theoretical knowledge of what makes some organisations more able than others to resist pressure from competitors over time

Skills

The student is capable of

• analysing complex and comprehensive strategic issues
• applying methods for developing competitive advantages in organisations

General competence

The candidate has

• insight into relevant subjects and professional ethical issues
• can plan and execute varied work tasks and projects in accordance with ethical requirements and guidelines
• can communicate key subject matter such as theories and problems and solutions both in writing and orally
• can exchange views and experiences with others with background in the subject area and through this contribute to the development of good practice
• be familiar with innovative thinking and innovation processes

The course is taught in weekly sessions with assignments for submission, various forms of case discussions, including discussion of dilemmas relating to defining an organisation's goals and how this takes place in relation to different groups of stakeholders, presentations and participation in lessons.

The following coursework requirements must have been approved in order for the student to take the exam:

• Coursework 1: Teaching sessions in the course are compulsory. The minimum attendance requirement is 70 percent active participation. The teaching sessions in this course are compulsory in order to acquire the necessary competence to fulfill the course's learning objectives. These skills cannot be achieved by reading the syllabus and/or taking the exam alone.
• Coursework 2: 4 oral presentations of a maximum of 15 minutes. The presentations are carried out in groups of approximately 3 students. The presentations deal with articles, cases or relevant issues related to the syllabus.
• Coursework 3: Two written individual submissions totaling a maximum of 10 pages. Font and font size: Arial / Calibri 12 points. Line spacing: 1.5.

All required coursework and activities must be completed and approved by the given deadline in order for the student to take the exam. If one or more coursework requirements have not been approved, the student will be given the opportunity to give a new oral presentation or submit an improved version by a given deadline.

The exam in the course consists of two parts: a project assignment and an oral presentation.

1) Students must write a project paper with a scope of 20 pages, excluding appendices. The project assignment must deal with theories and issues from the course. Font and font size: Arial / Calibri 12 points. Line spacing: 1.5

The assignment counts for 60% of the grade in the course, and can be written individually or in groups of a maximum of three students.

2) Oral presentation of a maximum of 25 minutes.

The oral presentation count for 40% of the grade in the course.

All parts of the exam must be passed in order to pass the course. If one of the exam parts is assessed as not passed, the part that is not passed can be taken again.

Grade scale A-F