Type of course

Course content

The course will focus on the life cycle of results and data from scientific research projects with emphasis on the various stages of a project. This includes how scientific results and data are treated starting with project planning, collecting and processing, analysis and preservation, and finally sharing and reuse of data.

The course will cover principles and practices of data management, open data and open access publishing, as well as intellectual property rights (IPR) protection in molecular sciences.

Use of databases, software and electronic resources relevant to literature search, analysis, and referencing (e.g. ISI, Scifinder, Endnote) as well as knowledge in standards for presentation of literature in molecular sciences will be covered. Ethical issues, such as plagiarism, will also be discussed.

The course will cover basics of scientific dissemination such as graphical, oral and written presentations of scientific results such as structuring of written and oral presentations, scientific presentation standards and use of presentation software (e.g. Powerpoint, Excel, ExplainEverything, ChemDraw, 3-D visualisation software). The student will prepare reports and critically analyse work by others, e.g. previous master theses.

The mandatory projects the students will document and present include an interview with a representative from the relevant job market executed by the student. The focus is to gain insight into the competence needs for candidates in molecular sciences.

Objectives of the course

After completing the course the student has acquired a solid and broad theoretical and practical basis for conducting and documenting projects in molecular sciences. This means that the student

Knowledge

• is able to search scientific databases efficiently and independently
• has in-depth knowledge of techniques used in oral and written scientific communication
• understands how to structure various types of scientific reports
• has knowledge of relevant standards and conventions for presentation of research data and literature
• understands the legal framework of scientific publication
• understands essential aspects of data management
• understands the basic prerequisites for IPR protection

Skills

• can plan and document research project work in molecular sciences under guidance
• can analyse and evaluate the quality of data and results in a scientific presentation
• can conduct and analyse literature and data searches in molecular sciences
• can present scientific data according to relevant scientific standards in molecular sciences
• can make appropriate choices regarding publication styles and copyright conditions
• can prepare clear and concise professional scientific reports and oral presentations pertaining to relevant problems in molecular sciences

Competence

• can read critically, cite and analyse own and others scientific reports and presentations
• can independently and critically analyse, compare and judge the reliability of information obtained from different sources
• understands the relationship between knowledge and presenting knowledge
• can communicate scientific information clearly and precisely, both in written and oral form
• can combine knowledge from several topics and obtained from different sources to put molecular sciences in a scientific and societal context.

Language of instruction and examination

Teaching methods