Course detail

Methodology of Scientific Work

FEKT-MPA-MVPAcad. year: 2024/2025

The course will be a practical introduction into basics of technical and scientific writing and presentation making. Course covers also the methodologies in science and research and gives an overview of financial sources for science support in Czech Republic and EU.

Language of instruction

English

Number of ECTS credits

2

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Entry knowledge

The general knowledge on the Bachelor´s degree level is requested.

Rules for evaluation and completion of the course

Individual projects focused on utilization of Internet scientific sources are solved by students. These projects are evaluated by teacher and discussed with students.
Hand in the projects and presentation is obligatory.

Aims

The aim of this course is to provide a fundamental orientation in writing scientific and technical texts, in basic terminology from research and science and in possibilities of research funding in Czech Republic and EU.
Student will be able to discuss problems in evaluation of scientific results, will be able to search relevant information in scientific databases (Web of Science, Scopus). He will be able to analyze scientific text to relevant parts and will be able to apply this knowledge in practical situation, e.g. writing technical or scientific texts. Student will be able to describe possibilities in science funding in Czech Republic and EU.

Study aids

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

R. A. Day: How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper, Greenwood Press, 2006
J.W. Creswell: Research design. Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches, SAGE Publications, 2014 (CS)

Recommended reading

N. Walliman: Your research project. A step-by-step guide for the first-time researcher, SAGE publications, 2001 (CS)

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme MPA-BIO Master's, 1. year of study, summer semester, compulsory
  • Programme MPAD-BIO Master's, 1. year of study, summer semester, compulsory
  • Programme MPA-BTB Master's, 1. year of study, summer semester, compulsory

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

13 hours, optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

Syllabus

1. Fundamentals of scientific text production.

2. Formal requirements for scientific text.

3. Bibliographic citations.

4. Software products for managing citations (RefWorks, EndNote).

6. Information resources on the Internet.

7. Presentation of research results.

8. Communication with people.

9. Research and science - characteristics.

10. Methodology of basic and applied research.

11. Grants and grant support in the Czech Republic and the EU.

12. Phases of research projects.

13. Commercialisation of science and research outputs.

 

Project

13 hours, optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

Syllabus

Proposal of a topic for a future thesis and preparation of a literature review using relevant professional sources, including an abstract, introduction, selected chapters and a list of references. Both the content and the formal aspect of the submitted thesis, the originality of the chosen topic, the correctness and feasibility of the research questions are evaluated.