The primary goal of this course is to support participants in choosing, argumenting, and properly applying research methods for their PhD theses that concern, in a broad sense, socio-technical systems. This encompasses a broad overview of the research method arena on the one hand and the competence to select an appropriate method on the other hand. According to these two objectives, the course will include some interactive lectures and a part in which students will present their research questions and preliminary method choices and these will be considered cooperatively in class, with facilitation from the instructors. 

 

The course is highly person-centered in so far as the instructors act as facilitators to the group by providing resources and, most importantly, a facilitative atmosphere. Participants are welcome to contribute actively by attentive listening to one another as well as sharing their feelings, meanings, goals, thoughts etc. in the contet of their research projects. 

 

At a group level, the course aims to facilitate community building among the participants of the iCom doctorate course offering while sensitizing them to person-centered principles and communication. Based on the course experience, participants elaborate refinements of their respective methodological processes such that the can advvance the methodological parts of their PhD theses.  

 

Besides participating in the group sessions, participants will work alone or in small teams of 2 persons to elaborate theory topics in a self-directed way. The course assessment will take into account the participants’ active participation in face-to-face sessions, online reflections, a brief seminar thesis in the context of their research, and will include an element of self-evaluation.