ECTS - Research Methodology and Communication Skills

Research Methodology and Communication Skills (MDES600) Course Detail

Course Name Course Code Season Lecture Hours Application Hours Lab Hours Credit ECTS
Research Methodology and Communication Skills MDES600 1. Semester 3 0 0 3 5
Pre-requisite Course(s)
N/A
Course Language English
Course Type Compulsory Departmental Courses
Course Level Natural & Applied Sciences Master's Degree
Mode of Delivery Face To Face
Learning and Teaching Strategies Lecture, Demonstration, Discussion, Question and Answer, Drill and Practice, Observation Case Study, Problem Solving, Team/Group.
Course Coordinator
Course Lecturer(s)
Course Assistants
Course Objectives The objective of this course is to improve the research and communication skills of students early in their graduate program to help them better plan, conduct and present their research and thesis work.
Course Learning Outcomes The students who succeeded in this course;
  • The students will become familiar with the stages of systematic research and related tools.
  • The students will be able to conduct effective literature surveys and prepare taxonomy reports.
  • The students will be informed about the general principles of data gathering and management.
  • The students will gain hands-on experience on formulating and writing a research/thesis proposal.
  • The students will improve their verbal and written communication skills.
  • The students will better appreciate the importance of ethics in research.
Course Content Rigorous, scholarly research, particularly theses or dissertations. Literature review, surveys, meta-analysis, empirical research design, formulating research questions, theory building, qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methods, validity, reliability, triangulation, building evidences, writing research proposal

Weekly Subjects and Releated Preparation Studies

Week Subjects Preparation
1 Introduction; What is Research? Why to do research? Lecture Notes
2 Identification of a research problem Lecture Notes
3 Managing and Planning Research Lecture Notes
4 Literature mining, taxonomy Lecture Notes
5 Data gathering and data management Lecture Notes
6 Technical Writing Lecture Notes
7 Writing a research/thesis proposal Lecture Notes
8 Ethics in Research Lecture Notes
9 Communication Skills Lecture Notes
10 Scientists must speak Lecture Notes
11 How to present Lecture Notes
12 Student Presentations
13 Student Presentations
14 Student Presentations
15 Student Presentations
16 Student Presentations

Sources

Other Sources 1. Robert L. Peters. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Getting What You Came For: The Smart Student's Guide to Earning a Master's or Ph.D. (Revised Edition), 1997.
2. Zina O’Leary, The Essential Guide to Doing Research, Sage Publications, London, 2004.
3. Bruce A. Thyer, Preparing Research Articles, Oxford University Press, London, 2008.
4. Paul Oliver, The Student’s Guide to Research Ethics, Open University Press, Philadelphia, 2003.
5. James E. Mauch and Namgi Park, Guide to the Successful Thesis and Dissertation: A Handbook for Students and Faculty, 5th Ed., Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, 2003.
6. D. Eric Walters and Gale Climenson Walters, Scientists Must Speak, Rutledge, London, 2002.
7. Owen Hargie (Ed.), The Handbook of Communication Skills, 3rd Ed., Rutledge, London, 2006.

Evaluation System

Requirements Number Percentage of Grade
Attendance/Participation - -
Laboratory - -
Application 1 20
Field Work - -
Special Course Internship - -
Quizzes/Studio Critics - -
Homework Assignments 3 30
Presentation 3 20
Project - -
Report - -
Seminar 1 30
Midterms Exams/Midterms Jury - -
Final Exam/Final Jury - -
Toplam 8 100
Percentage of Semester Work 100
Percentage of Final Work 0
Total 100

Course Category

Core Courses
Major Area Courses X
Supportive Courses
Media and Managment Skills Courses
Transferable Skill Courses

The Relation Between Course Learning Competencies and Program Qualifications

# Program Qualifications / Competencies Level of Contribution
1 2 3 4 5
1 Attains knowledge through wide and in-depth investigations his/her field and surveys, evaluates, interprets, and applies the knowledge thus acquired. X
2 Has a critical and comprehensive knowledge of contemporary engineering techniques and methods of application. X
3 By using unfamiliar, ambiguous, or incompletely defined data, completes and utilizes the required knowledge by scientific methods; is able to fuse and make use of knowledge from different disciplines. X
4 Has the awareness of new and emerging technologies in his/her branch of engineering profession, studies and learns these when needed. X
5 Defines and formulates problems in his/her branch of engineering, develops methods of solution, and applies innovative methods of solution. X
6 Devises new and/or original ideas and methods; designs complex systems and processes and proposes innovative/alternative solutions for their design.
7 Has the ability to design and conduct theoretical, experimental, and model-based investigations; is able to use judgment to solve complex problems that may be faced in this process.
8 Functions effectively as a member or as a leader in teams that may be interdisciplinary, devises approaches of solving complex situations, can work independently and can assume responsibility. X
9 Has the oral and written communication skills in one foreign language at the B2 general level of European Language Portfolio. X
10 Can present the progress and the results of his investigations clearly and systematically in national or international contexts both orally and in writing. X
11 Knows social, environmental, health, safety, and legal dimensions of engineering applications as well as project management and business practices; and is aware of the limitations and the responsibilities these impose on engineering practices. X
12 Commits to social, scientific, and professional ethics during data acquisition, interpretation, and publication as well as in all professional activities. X

ECTS/Workload Table

Activities Number Duration (Hours) Total Workload
Course Hours (Including Exam Week: 16 x Total Hours)
Laboratory
Application 1 40 40
Special Course Internship 1 30 30
Field Work
Study Hours Out of Class 16 3 48
Presentation/Seminar Prepration 2 15 30
Project
Report
Homework Assignments 3 10 30
Quizzes/Studio Critics
Prepration of Midterm Exams/Midterm Jury
Prepration of Final Exams/Final Jury
Total Workload 178