Graduate Course:

Research Planning, 3 credit units (3p)

August-October. 2005

Mail to group (including Hans)

Assignments handed in by participants (including info about reading assignments)

Links and material

Purpose:

To familiarise yourself with your own research area, and get an understanding of the research areas of other participating students. This includes identification of

o     Central literature

o     Key conferences

o     Leading researchers and research groups

o     Current research issues and hot topics

o     Main results in the field

o     Seminal papers

To formulate a research plan for your own licentiate or PhD project, including

o     Hypothesis

o     Concrete research questions

o     Activities

o     Time plan

o     Milestones

Target group

The course is primarily intended for first year graduate students, but students that are about to be enrolled or second year students may participate (may also be of interest for students entering a new area or a new phase in their research)..

Content

The course is organised into three workshops, including presentations of assignments. You are expected to actively participate in these workshops.

Workshop 1

Date, Time, and Location: Saturday August 20th, 2004; 9am-4pm  in Västerås, at MdH, room Turing building U (third floor) - please call Hans Hansson at +46 70 491 2288 if you need help getting into the office space where the room is located.

Preparations (assignment 1): Each student should

o     no later than 3 days before the WS mail a 1 page presentation of the own research area/project to me. Approx. half the page should be devoted to the topic and the rest should present the research method used. [Students that do not yet have concrete projects of their own, may instead consider some other relevant research in his/her research group.]

o     prepare a 10-15 min presentation of the above

Preliminary schedule:

Workshop 1

Workshop 2

Date, Time, and Location: October 4-5 - starting 10 am Oct 4, ending 12 am Oct 5 - at MdH in Västerås  in Turing (same as for WS 1)

Preparations (assignment 2): Each student should

o     no later than 7 days before the WS (Sept 27)  mail a report to me. This report should include

• an updated version of assignment 1 (approx 2 pages)
  
• an overview of the field of research, presenting related research activities, including
• Current research issues and hot topics
• Central literature, including seminal papers
• Key conferences and leading research groups
• Relation and relevance for own research
  
• References

• No later than 4 days before the WS the reports will be distributed to the students. Each student will be assigned 2 fellow student reports to read in depth and provide feedback on at the WS.
• Prepare a 15 min presentation of the report.
  

Workshop 3

Date, Time, and Location: Nov 15-16 at MdH (starting time 1.15, ending 2pm Nov 16)

Preparations (assignment 3): Each student should

o     no later than Monday Nov 7 mail the final report to me. This report should include

• an updated version of assignment 2 (approx 10 pages)
  
• a plan of the own research activities, including
• Hypothesis
• Concrete research questions
• Concrete expected results
  
• Activities, including planned publications and co-operations, and conference trips etc.
  
• Time plan
  
• Milestones

• Tuesday Nov 8  the reports will be distributed to the students. Each student will be assigned 2 fellow student reports to read in depth and provide feedback on at the WS.
• Prepare a 15 min presentation of the report.
• Reviewers should prepare oral feedback and a brief written statement to be given to Hans and the author, including
• Overall statement
• Required improvements
• Suggested improvements (including detailed comments)
• Other comments

Participants:

Lecturer:

Hans Hansson