| Responsible Department | Forest & Landscape
70 % Department of Large Animal Sciences 10 % Department of Agriculture and Ecology 10 % Department of Veterinary Disease Biology 10 % | ||||||||||||||||
| Earliest Possible Year | MSc. 1 year | ||||||||||||||||
| Duration | One block | ||||||||||||||||
| Credits | 7.5 (ECTS) | ||||||||||||||||
| Level of Course | MSc | ||||||||||||||||
| Examination | Final Examination oral examination Practical Examination All aids allowed Description of Examination: The group report is compulsory. Marks are given individually. Therefore, it must appear from the report exactly who has written what. Each individual contribution must be graded to a min of 02 on the 7-point scale. An oral exam is conducted on basis of research cases. Weight: The compulsory group project counts for 33% of final mark. Oral exam counts for 67% of final mark. 7-point scale, internal examiner | ||||||||||||||||
| Requirement for Attending Exam | Timely submission of project report. | ||||||||||||||||
| Organisation of Teaching | Lectures, group project, casedescriptions, theoretical exercises | ||||||||||||||||
| Block Placement | Block 1 Week Structure: A | ||||||||||||||||
| Language of Instruction | English | ||||||||||||||||
| Restrictions | None | ||||||||||||||||
| Course Content | |||||||||||||||||
| The course is a compulsory part of the M.Sc. programme Agricultural Development, but is also highly relevant for others interested in research design and methodology. The skills acquired through this course will be useful for research in all agricultural systems (cropping, forest and livestock), and relevant for academic work at all levels. Knowledge on available qualitative methods suitable to apply in research on Agricultural Development Some knowledge about quantitative methods. Understanding pros and cons of each method The course goes through the research process by designing the research and selecting methods to complement disciplinary skills in order to get the full benefit of subsequent thematic courses, thesis work and post-graduate career. Specifically, the students will have the possibility to acquire knowledge within: - to plan and conduct fieldwork; - when and how to apply selected techniques for data collection and analysis (interview, questionnaire and different rapid appraisals; and - relating natural resource management to household livelihood strategies. The student will, among other things, obtain knowledge on: - research processes and design - planning and conducting fieldwork - qualitative data collection methods - quantitative data collection methods - data recording - how to assess the reliability and validity of data - data quality | |||||||||||||||||
| Teaching and learning Methods | |||||||||||||||||
| Lectures and theoretical exercises to introduce the research process, methodologies, data collection methods and case studies, and to encourage critical reflection of both research design and selection and application of methods. Lectures will to a large extent be based on dialogue between teachers and students.The students will write a group project report including research design, data collection and data analysis. | |||||||||||||||||
| Learning Outcome | |||||||||||||||||
| The main aim of the course is for the students to obtain essential skills in relation to conducting field research, particularly in developing countries. The students will demonstrate that they have obtained these skills through their contributions to group project reports, and through oral exams. The objective is that at the end of the course, the students can demonstrate that they Knowledge: 1.Can describe the research methods, the theoretical aspects of these methods, and other aspects of field research which have been introduced during the course, compendium and classes Skills: 2. Can formulate a research question and/or a research problem, and can define and make the key concepts operational for an empirical enquiry in the field. 3. Can identify and choose research methods suitable for answering a particular research question/problem given a particular empirical context 4. Can argue convincingly for their choice of methods referring to theory as well as to the given empirical context. 5. Can elaborate a realistic time line for field research 6. Can apply the research methods introduced at the course 7. Can critically evaluate the quality (reliability/validity) of a given set of primary and secondary data, analyse data and draw conclusions in relation to a given research question/problem. Competences 8. Through the project work, the students will demonstrate that they can work in a team under time pressure | |||||||||||||||||
| Course Literature | |||||||||||||||||
| Useful as introduction to the field: Mikkelsen,B. 2005. Methods for Development Work and Research. A New Guide for Practitioners, SAGE. | |||||||||||||||||
| Course Coordinator | |||||||||||||||||
| Iben Nathan, in@life.ku.dk, Forest & Landscape Denmark/Unit of Forestry, Phone: 353-31736 | |||||||||||||||||
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