Objectives
Upon completion of the course, students will acquire:
- Knowledge of scientific methodology and scientific communication;
- Skills in researching, identifying, and selecting a scientific article from specific database(s);
- Skills in reading and describing both the theoretical and methodological content of a scientific article;
- Competence in formulating a scientific hypothesis and developing a research project;
- Development of critical analysis and oral presentation skills.
Syllabus
The course consists of both a theoretical part, and practical and experiential part.
The theoretical content will cover:
- The basics of inductive, deductive, and inferential reasoning;
- The scientific method;
- The main differences between qualitative and quantitative methodology in the field of applied experimental psychology;
- Bibliographic research and best practices to avoid plagiarism;
- APA guidelines for preparing a paper according to the style and formats of international scientific communication.
The practical-experiential part will be conducted in work groups and will mainly focus on organizing and structuring a research project, starting from the formulation of a hypothesis, choosing the method and tools.
The research project will be carried out throughout the course and will focus on a topic chosen by the students, using the criteria and guidelines provided by the instructor.
Exam
The assessment will consist of two parts: an oral component, where students will be asked to present the work completed during the course both in groups and individually, and a written component, which involves submitting a short paper to the instructor.
The oral part will account for 60% of the final grade and will be evaluated based on the following criteria: active participation during lessons, engagement in discussions during classes and within work groups, and cooperation in the final execution of the project.
The written part will account for 40% of the final grade.
The formal criteria for both the oral presentation and the written paper will be provided during the lessons.
Bibliography
Scientific articles will be suggested during the course.
