ORI2100 Theory of Science and Research Methods Course description

The course covers quantitative and qualitative research methods that are relevant to prosthetics and orthotics. The students will learn about research design, data collection and analysis and research ethics. The themes reliability, construct validity and internal and external validity as a basis for critical reading of research articles and other sources will be emphasised. These themes are followed up in subsequent courses and provide the students with a basis for their work on the bachelor’s thesis at the end of the programme.

The student must have passed the first year of the programme or equivalent, with the exception of the course ORI1050.

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 explain basic concepts in theory of science
• can explain different types of research design
• has knowledge of the use of systematic literature reviews and relevant quantitative research methods (RCT, repeated measures, cross-sectional etc.)
• can describe interviews as a qualitative research method and other qualitative research methodology
• can explain hypothesis testing, credibility, reliability, validity, normal distribution, p-value and probability calculation
• can describe univariate and bivariate statistical methods

Skills

The student

• can collect and analyse quantitative individual data, both descriptive and inferential, from questionnaires/experiments/statistics
• can collect and analyse qualitative individual data
• can reflect on the collection and analysis of individual data
• can present analysis results

General competence

The student

• can identify potential research ethical issues in research articles

The work and teaching methods include self-study, group work, seminars, lectures and skills training.

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

• minimum attendance of 80 % in seminars, literature search classes, computer labs and group work.

This course provides in-depth knowledge of quantitative design and statistical analysis that can be used in the students’ master’s theses, the possibilities and limitations of different quantitative designs, knowledge of different sources of data and the social science research tradition’s quality requirements for studies based on statistical analysis.

The course includes in-depth knowledge of cross-sectional design, time design, experiments and the survey method. Students will also acquire in-depth knowledge of the factors that can affect the validity and reliability of a study, as well as skills that are necessary to assess such factors. They will also learn and, not least, practise using univariate, bivariate and multivariate analyses.

The course will pay particular attention to regression analysis, and students will acquire in-depth knowledge of and skills in the use of regression-based analysis through lectures, online resources and seminars. The course aims to enable students who choose a quantitative design to use regression analysis in their master’s theses.

Language of instruction is Norwegian.

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

Skills

The student can

• engage in methodological reflection on the relationship between research questions and design
• develop a research design for their master's thesis that is appropriate to their research question
• apply statistical analysis techniques and interpret the results they produce
• develop statistical analysis models based on theory and empirical data
• engage in methodological reflection on the relationship between research design and knowledge claims
• acquire in-depth knowledge of the methodological approach chosen for their master’s degree project
• engage in methodological and critical reflection on other research literature
• evaluate research ethics issues in connection with their master's degree project
• evaluate which questions can be empirically studied

General competence

The student

• is familiar with and able to reflect on different consequences of conducting research
• can apply ethical discretion in relation to their own role as researchers and how their participation in research can intervene in people's lives
• is familiar with and are able to comply with ethical guidelines such as correct and complete source information, informant anonymisation, confidentiality and researcher responsibility

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

• Coursework 1: individual project sketch. The project sketch must have a scope of up to 1 page.

The project sketch must be completed and approved by the given deadline for the student to take the exam. If the project sketch has not been approved, the student will be given one opportunity to submit an improved version by a given deadline. Coursework that is not approved on the second submission will disqualify the student from taking the exam.

The exam in the course is two-part: 1) individual supervised exam and 2) individual semester assignment

1) Supervised exam of 2 hours, in the form of a multiple-choice school examination. Counts 30 percent of the final grade.

2) Semester assignment with a scope of 10 pages (+/- 10 per cent). Font and font size: Calibri 12-point font. Line spacing: 1.5. Tables and figures are in addition. Course paper counts 70 percent of final grade.

A students who receive a fail grade of the semester assignment are given one opportunity to submit an improved version of the semester assignment for assessment.

Both exams must be passed for the overall assessment to be passed.