autumn 2013
PSY-3000 Research Proseminar - 10 ECTS

Type of course

This course is for students who have been admitted to the master program in psychology. It is a mandatory requirement.

Course content

The main goal of this course is to present and familiarize new Master's students during their first semester in the program with the goals and methods of the masters program and with research going on at the Department of Psychology. This will create the foundation for selecting a supervisor and developing a research path for a master's thesis. Each course contributor will focus on the kinds of issues they work with in their research as well as the types of techniques and methods they use to explore them (e.g., specific types of research designs, statistical analyses or technology). They will also suggest relevant readings for those interested in learning more. Student participation entails attending class and writing a review paper on one chosen area of research. Complementing these research lectures are a week of orientation to the IPS Masters program, and an introduction to UiT library resources and instruction on how to write a review paper. Though not required, it is recommended that students choose a topic for their review paper that is potentially relevant for their master¿s thesis and through that work take the opportunity to get to know a potential thesis supervisor.

Objectives of the course

By the end of this course, the student should be able to:

- Write a scientific review paper using the APA standard. This involves:

  • Identifying 10-20 key studies done in a certain research area that naturally fit within a single theme (e.g., a current conflict or controversy, or a heretofor unanswered question)
  • Using the UiT library resources effectively to find relevant research.
  • Critically evaluating and analyzing research , focusing especially on very recent publications that do not appear in previous reviews on the same topic or more classic publications that shed light on new problems in interesting ways
  • Interpreting how each line of research supports or fails to support a particular theory, model, or account.
  • Drawing well-argued conclusions about the findings and/or methods in order to make interesting suggestions for future research.
  • Applying the APA writing standards correctly
  • Participate actively and with curiosity in scientific dialog with faculty and peers
  • Explain the goals of the master`s program and how it is organized, and act on identifying a final thesis topic and supervisor.

Language of instruction and examination

English.

Teaching methods

This course is only offered in the fall semester. The main instructional form is lectures by potential thesis supervisors. The research lectures are complemented with a week of introduction to the UiT Masters program, an introduction to the UiT library resources, and instruction on how to write a review paper. Attendance is obligatory. In addition, up to four hours of supervision are offered for the review paper.

Assessment

The exam is a 10-page review that can be written in either a Scandinavian language or English. Students choose one of the presented research themes about which they want to write a review paper. Topics must be approved by the faculty member responsible for the course. The exam will be evaluated as pass/fail. In the event that an exam is evaluated as "fail", there will be an opportunity to submit a new or revised exam at the beginning of the next semester.

The exam paper may be written in a Scandinavian language or in English.

Arbeidskrav: Students must attend a minimum of 80% of the lectures in order to be able to turn in an exam.


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  • About the course
  • Campus: |
  • ECTS: 10
  • Course code: PSY-3000
  • Tidligere år og semester for dette emnet