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SDP405 Framing the PhD

Credits (ECTS):5

Course responsible:Timothy Kevin Richardson

Campus / Online:Taught campus Ås

Teaching language:Engelsk

Limits of class size:14

Course frequency:Annually, in the autumn semester

Nominal workload:Five full days of workshops including lectures, seminars, group and individual work (30 hours). One tutorial (1-2 hours). In addition, 95 hours of preparation, reading and independent work.

Teaching and exam period:

The course contains two teaching blocks in the Autumn semester. The provisional dates for the course are:

  • Monday 23 - Wednesday 25 September 2024
  • Monday 28 - Tuesday 29 October 2024

Assignments will be carried out in the two weeks before first block, between the blocks, and after the second block until final assessment submission on 29 November 2024

About this course

Intended audience: The course is aimed primarily at PhD candidates in the Faculty of Landscape and Society. The course is normally taken during the first year of study but may be taken later.

Course description: This is a course in research design, which is the meta-design of a research project. The course opens with an introduction to the PhD as a form of scholarly work. The central focus for this course is then the participant´s own research proposal. The aim of the course is to give participants a solid foundation for developing a research design for their PhD research. During the course, participants will rework and improve their research proposals. We will work with all parts of research design, with a significant emphasis on identification of research problems and questions, and the implications for research design. The contact part of the course is organised in two blocks during the autumn semester, five full days in total, plus an individual tutorial. More experienced PhD candidates and senior researchers from across the faculty will give presentations on how they have handled particular challenges in research design. One part of the course will concern research ethics, and another will address effective supervision. The output of the course will be a revised PhD research proposal, accompanied by a reflective paper.

Learning outcome

Participants will develop early competence in research design. They will understand the scientific requirements for a PhD, and be able to:

  • critically assess the merits of alternative research designs
  • identify and critically reflect on research design challenges of their own PhD study
  • identify ethical challenges arising in research and adapt their research design accordingly
  • improve their own PhD research design
  • Learning activities
    The course will be based on an interactive workshop format, with lectures, full group and small group discussions and exercises, individual tutorial and self-guided study.
  • Teaching support
    Teacher-led seminars. Workshop based supervision and feedback from teachers and fellow students. Individual tutorials will take place between the two course blocks.
  • Prerequisites
    Enrolled as PhD candidate
  • Recommended prerequisites

    Participants must submit the current version of their PhD research proposal (preferably in English) at least one week before the course starts. The proposal should include an abstract.

    Preparatory reading: Participants should read all abstracts submitted to the course. They could also have made themselves familiar with the content of the reading list.

    Participants will be allocated a fellow participant´s project descriptions to analyse before the first teaching block.

  • Assessment method

    A combined assessment based on:

    1. Active participation in the course sessions

    2. A research project proposal submitted after the end of the course

    3. A reflective report of up to 1000 words on how the candidate has improved their research design during the course

    Submission deadline: 29 November 2024



    Portfolio Grading: Passed / Not Passed
  • Examiner scheme
    The external censor will read and assess all the submitted coursework.
  • Mandatory activity
    80% attendance, and completion of individual and group assignments.
  • Teaching hours

    Five full days of lectures, seminars, group work , plus an individual tutorial.

    Indicative programme for workshop days

    Theme 1: Introduction. Participants´ backgrounds, projects and goals for the PhD will be shared and discussed. Short presentations by students, exercises and inspiration.

    Theme 2: Research questions. How do we develop good research questions (and related framing of scientific problems) and research aims?

    Theme 3: Research designs by experienced researchers. Several researchers will come and talk about different aspects of research design, in relation to their own research projects. There will be room for discussions in plenary.

    Theme 4: Presentations by course participants. All participants present their own research designs. We assign discussants, and discuss them in depth.

    Theme 5: PhD candidates present the main challenges in their research design, and how they have solved them. Plenary discussion.

    Theme 6: Research ethics. Lecture(s) on research ethics followed by an open discussion in the group. exercise on ethical challenges particular to participants' research designs. Exercises in smaller groups and well as plenary discussion.

    Longitudinal work: During the semester, the participants are expected to work on their PhD research designs.

  • Preferential right
    PhD candidates enrolled at the Faculty of Landscape and Society
  • Reduction of credits
    Complete overlap with ILP405
  • Admission requirements
    Participants must be part of a PhD programme