Course description
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to finding, evaluating, and communicating scientific knowledge. Participants learn to develop effective search strategies, manage and cite literature accurately, and critically use generative artificial intelligence tools. The course also covers key principles of Open Science, including open access publishing, the FAIR principles, and how to create data management plans. In addition, participants work on practical academic writing skills, including crafting strong abstracts, navigating the publication process and peer review, and enhancing the visibility of their research.
Learning outcomes and objectives:
Day 1: Academic workflows and integrity in the research process
Objectives and Content
Presentation of techniques, tools, and approaches for collecting, managing and using scientific literature.
Work requirements
- Perform a (semi-systematic) search for relevant research literature and document the approach
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge
- Relate academic integrity to a well-thought-out strategy for collecting, reading, and using literature in research and dissemination
- Identify strengths and caveats of the academic use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools
Skills
- Determine information needs, articulate a search strategy, and implement advanced searches in databases and discovery tools
- Effectively build a reliable and verifiable knowledge base as a basis for own research and dissemination, as well as to know which method of information retrieval is needed for a specific task (e.g. systematic review)
- Produce correct, consistent bibliographies at any time adapted to the relevant publication channel
- Appropriately integrate generative AI tools in academic workflows
Day 2: Open Science and Research Data Management
Objectives and Content
Introduction to the philosophy of Open Science. Candidates will learn about open access to publications and develop a data management plan for their research project.
Work requirements
- Create a data management plan (DMP)
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge
- Outline the basic concepts of open science and locate the University of Bergen's policy for open science.
- Identify the different routes to open access publishing
- Exemplify good research data management (RDM) practices throughout the research data life cycle
- Summarize the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable), and how to make research data open and FAIR.
Skills
- Integrate good research data management (RDM) practices in their own work and implement the FAIR principles to make research data more accessible and reusable
- Assess appropriate platforms for making research outputs available
- Write a data management plan that covers the entire life cycle of research data
Day 3 and 4: Scientific Paper Writing and Publishing
Objectives and Content
This workshop has two main goals. Firstly, to provide the participants with a set of tools to help them to present their scientific results clearly and interestingly, and secondly to make them aware of various strategic issues connected to paper writing (which journal to publish in, cover letter to the editor, etc.). A particular emphasis will be put on the writing of the paper abstracts.
Work requirements: 6 hours
Before the workshop, you are expected to have written an abstract (max 300 words) on your own or an invented research result (2 hours). This abstract must be uploaded on Mitt UiB. After the workshop, you have one week time to upload a second, improved version of your abstract based on what you have learned in the first module (2 hours). You will then be assigned the task of peer-reviewing two abstracts written by other workshop participants and uploading your reviews on mitt UiB (2 hours). This must be completed before the second module.
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge
- Recognize the different components of a clear and formally correct scientific paper, including correct use of the past and present tense and direct and indirect speech
- Understand various steps in the submission process from the initial idea to the final publications, including how to write a cover letter to the editor and write a response addressing referee comments
- Recognize how to organize the writing process efficiently, including how to handle the involvement of co-authors
- Outline different strategies to increase visibility of your work
Skills
- Assess the quality of abstracts and titles.
- Create a well-organized writing process plan, including the involvement of co-authors
- Produce a clear and concise abstract for a scientific paper.
- Apply the correct use of past and present tense, and direct and indirect speech when writing a scientific paper.
- Develop a clear and formally correct scientific paper.
- Implement the steps in the submission process, including writing a cover letter and responding to referee comments.
- Create a declarative or descriptive title for a scientific paper.
- Develop constructive peer feedback for other abstracts.
- Assess the value of different academic profiles to make your research outputs findable, accessible and visible