NWNR301742 Research design

Type
Lecture and exercise
Semester hours
2
Lecturer (assistant)
Tran, Anita , Janesch, Jan , Riegler, Martin
Organisation
Wood Technology and Renewable Materials
Offered in
Wintersemester 2025/26
Languages of instruction
Englisch
Content

Course Part Dr. Tran (two units): The lecture includes an introduction to scientific theory Learning objective: Basic understanding of the theory of science.

Course Part Dr. Janesch (four units): In this lecture, students learn how to take a dataset and turn it into insights in a hands-on, practical way. We begin with a quick refresher on basic statistics, then move on to exploring data through descriptive statistics and simple plots. From there, we ask questions and test them using core statistical methods such as t-tests, ANOVA, and non-parametric alternatives, before building simple regression models to examine relationships. Finally, we bring everything together in clear, publication-ready figures.

Course Part Dr. Riegler (two units): In the first unit, we will address aspects that need to be considered when designing a scientific experiment. A simple design of experiments needs to be elaborated in groups and presented in the second unit.
In the second unit, aspects for designing research projects are highlighted. Which resources are needed? Which stakeholders are to be incorporated? What are technology readiness levels and how should they be addressed in a research project?
Previous knowledge expected

No prior coding experience is required; all necessary materials and guidance will be provided.
Objective (expected results of study and acquired competences)

Basic understanding of the philosophy of science; Using statistical tools to turn questions into answers; Creating clean and appealing figures for publication.
Students are able to understand the nature of fundamental and applied research, how research projects can be set up and which simple but powerful statistical tools are available for designing experiments.
You can find more details like the schedule or information about exams on the course-page in BOKUonline.