Planning Interdisciplinary Research
Course content
Are you gearing up to develop a research project, craft your MSc thesis, or perhaps frustrated by unsuccessful grant applications? Planning Interdisciplinary Research is designed to equip you with the essential skills needed to create a compelling and coherent research plan and research proposal that stands out. This course is especially valuable for those interested in interdisciplinary projects within the realm of development research, with a focus on natural resource management and governance.
Throughout this course, you will be guided through the process of writing a research plan and project proposal that includes:
- Identifying your research field and performing a thorough literature gap analysis.
- Formulating a strong problem statement and clear, focused research questions.
- Constructing a conceptual or theoretical framework that defines your concepts, anchors your research in the literature and supports your identification strategy (as appropriate).
- Choosing appropriate research methods and planning the practical aspects of fieldwork, particularly in challenging contexts like the Global South.
- Addressing ethical considerations to ensure your research is conducted responsibly and sustainably.
A focus will be to learn to navigate the complexities of interdisciplinary research, blending insights from both the social and natural sciences.
Tailored for second-year MSc students, this course encourages collaboration with a MSc thesis supervisor or disciplinary mentor, ideally with a research topic already in mind. We will explore both traditional disciplinary projects and the unique opportunities and challenges that come with interdisciplinary research.
Our interactive teaching approach includes critical discussions on the philosophy of science, exposure to diverse disciplinary practices, and hands-on guidance in the development of your research proposal. You will be expected to produce a literature review that meets journal publication standards, articulate research questions and hypotheses (as appropriate), outline a robust methodological approach and conduct a comprehensive risk and ethical assessment of your proposed study.
This course is particularly relevant for those who aspire to create research that bridges disciplines, addresses real-world problems, and meets the rigorous standards of academic scholarship. By the end of the course, you will have a polished, well-constructed research proposal that positions you for success in your MSc thesis and beyond.
MSc Programme in Environment and Development
MSc Programme in Forest and Nature Management
MSc Programme in Sustainable Forest and Nature Management
(SUFONAMA)
MSc Programme in Global Forestry
The course aims to equip students with the tools and hands-on experience necessary for the systematic design of research projects, with a focus on interdisciplinary approaches. While the course draws primarily on examples from natural and social sciences, particularly in natural resource management and governance, the principles taught are broadly applicable across disciplines. An additional key objective is to instill the core values of scholarship: inquiry, reflection, integrity, open-mindedness, evidence-based thinking, and collegiality.
After completing the course, students will be able to:
Knowledge:
- Critically evaluate the quality of research designs across different academic disciplines.
- Engage in reflective and critical thinking within the framework of their chosen discipline.
Skills:
- Identify and effectively apply the core components of a research proposal, including literature review, problem identification, development of research questions and hypotheses (as appropriate), determination of data requirements, and selection of suitable methods for data collection and analysis.
- Position their own research within the context of relevant empirical and theoretical literatures.
- Analyze and reflect on potential risks and ethical issues associated with the implementation of their research projects.
Competencies:
- Craft a well-structured and coherent research proposal that meets academic standards.
- Demonstrate strong independent learning skills throughout the research planning process.
- Identify knowledge gaps in relevant literature and design research projects aimed at addressing these gaps through innovative collection, analysis, and evaluation of qualitative and quantitative data.
The course adopts a blended learning approach with interactive
classroom activities. Practical exercises provide a flexible
platform for students to engage with core concepts, while classroom
sessions facilitate deeper understanding through discussions,
theoretical exercises, and critical peer review.
Key activities include:
Formulation of individual research questions: Guiding students to
develop focused researchable questions.
Presentation of research design principles: Introducing essential
concepts through examples and theory.
Formation of thematic groups: Encouraging collaborative exploration
of specific topics.
Student peer review: Fostering constructive critique and feedback
on each other's work.
Reflective learning: Promoting ongoing self-assessment and critical
thinking.
The course will cover a range of topics, including theory-driven
research, problem statements, philosophy of science,
interdisciplinarity, hypothesis development, conceptual frameworks,
ethics, and practicalities of research. Guest lectures will
complement the core teaching by providing expert insights into
specialized topics such as research ethics.
General texts are included in the online course compendium. Each student will develop his/her own course literature list according to the subject chosen for investigation.
Academic qualifications equivalent to a BSc degree is recommended.
The course is identical to the discontinued course LFKK10270U
Research Planning. Therefore you cannot register for NIFK18001U -
Planning Interdisciplinary Research, if you have already passed
LFKK10270U Research Planning.
If you are registered with examination attempts in LFKK10270U
Research Planning without having passed the course, you have to use
your last examination attempts to pass the exam in NIFK18001U -
Planning Interdisciplinary Research. You have a total of three
examination attempts.
During the course, students will develop their research plan and project proposal. A central learning activity is the formative feedback provided by teachers and students.
- ECTS
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
-
Written assignment
- Type of assessment details
- The written assignment consists of a research proposal. Students will work iteratively on the proposal during the course, and they hand in the final proposal in week 8 of the course. The research proposal counts 100 % of the grade.
- Examination prerequisites
-
In order to qualify for the final examination, students must hand in three peer review reports.
- Aid
- All aids allowed
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
Several internal examiners
- Re-exam
-
The re-examination is an oral exam and lasts 25-30 minutes. The re-examination will be an oral defence of the student's research proposal. The research proposal could be the same as the one from the ordinary exam, or the student can submit a new research proposal. It should be sent to the course responsible three weeks prior to the re-exam.
The exam registration requirements must be fulfilled three weeks prior to the re-exam.
The oral examination counts 100%
Criteria for exam assessment
To obtain the mark passed, the student must demonstrate to have obtained sufficient skills, knowledge and competencies described in the Learning Outcome
Single subject courses (day)
- Category
- Hours
- Lectures
- 10
- Class Instruction
- 20
- Preparation
- 65
- Theory exercises
- 10
- E-Learning
- 20
- Project work
- 74
- Guidance
- 2
- Exam
- 5
- English
- 206
Kursusinformation
- Language
- English
- Course number
- NIFK18001U
- ECTS
- 7,5 ECTS
- Programme level
- Full Degree Master
- Duration
-
1 block
- Placement
- Block 1
- Schedulegroup
-
C
- Capacity
- No limitation – unless you register in the late-registration period (BSc and MSc) or as a credit or single subject student.
- Studyboard
- Study Board of Natural Resources, Environment and Animal Science
Contracting department
- Department of Food and Resource Economics
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Science
Course Coordinator
- Martin Reinhardt Nielsen (4-7e837f7a517a7783803f7c863f757c)
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