Research Training II

Course goals

The aim of the course is to further improve and effectively use academic research skills that were addressed in SHP08. In addition, students will have the opportunity to gain experience in a different area of research and to prepare for their research to be conducted in the master thesis.

Content

Each student will actively participate in ongoing research by means of an advanced research training under supervision of a supervisor in the domain of social and health psychological research. By assisting in ongoing (Ph.D.) research projects, students will get 'hands-on' experience with a variety of steps in doing research. The specific activities of the research training will be determined together with the daily supervisor of each student. In addition to participating in these activities, the student participates as much as possible in the routines of the research group, for example by attending research meetings, colloquia, and lectures.
 
At the end of the first year, students are introduced to a list of available research projects that they may choose to participate in. Ideally and most efficiently, this project should be linked to the master thesis project that the student will perform in the second half of this year. Students are assigned to projects of their choice (depending on available places) and individual supervisors. From September to the end of December, each student participates individually in his/her research project for 20 hours a week and receives individual training in the research group. Students will participate in discussions about the progress of the research with other members of the research group.
 
Due to the practical character of the course, much informal (and individual) feedback will be given during active participation in ongoing research by the supervisor, with whom planning and evaluation meetings will be held on a regular basis. In these meetings, student and supervisor detail the plans and tasks for the upcoming period and evaluate the students' progress with respect to the appointments made in the previous meeting. For these meetings, students will prepare the agenda and progress reports. Students hand in a final training report that addresses the learning goals, skills and research activities that have been part of the research training. The report forms the basis for evaluation. The course is finally graded by the course coordinator in consultance with the research training supervisor and the performance during the research training.