Methodology for Research on the Built Environment
Metodik för forskning inom samhällsbyggnad

VBR005F, 5 credits

Valid from: Autumn 2020
Decided by: Gudbjörg Erlingsdóttir
Date of establishment: 2020-11-09

General Information

Division: Division of Fire Safety Engineering
Course type: Third-cycle course
Teaching language: English

Aim

The aim is that the postgraduate students get an understanding of how scientific studies may be planned, carried out and reviewed within the framework of engineering science and the built environment.

Goals

Knowledge and Understanding

For a passing grade the doctoral student must

• demonstrate knowledge and understanding of a general research process in engineering science and the built environment.
• demonstrate knowledge different types of research methods and designs and their advantages and disadvantages.

Competences and Skills

For a passing grade the doctoral student must

• account for different data collection methods and their advantages and disadvantages.
• be able to argue for the best suited research method and data collection method for a given problem.
• describe different data analysing techniques applicable for engineering science and the built environment.
• describe the most frequently used methods for communicating research results.
• be able to review a paper and give constructive feedback.

Judgement and Approach

For a passing grade the doctoral student must

• demonstrate a capacity to make judgements on the applicability of various research methods for research in engineering science and the built environment.
• demonstrate an ability to critically reflect on relevant aspects of research and development within the student’s area of study.

Course Contents

The course will be centred around the book Research Methodology and it consists of five seminars with five different topics. The students will read in the course book prior to each seminar and send a summary, reflection and three (3) discussion questions one (1) week prior to each seminar to the responsible lecturer. The discussion questions will be distributed to all the students and they will be discussed at the seminar. The discussion will be related to research on the built environment.

Course Literature

Säfsten, K. & Gustavsson, M.: Forskningsmetodik. Studentlitteratur, 2020. ISBN 9789144122304.

Instruction Details

Types of instruction: Seminars, self-study literature review. Literature is read before each seminar

Examination Details

Examination formats: Written assignments, seminars given by participants
Grading scale: Failed, pass
Examiner:

Admission Details

Assumed prior knowledge: The student is enrolled as doctoral student.
Selection criteria: Doctoral students at the Department of Building & Environmental Technology have priority.

Further Information

The course will be given in Swedish if only Swedish participants.

Course Occasion Information

Contact and Other Information

Course coordinator: Nils Johansson <nils.johansson@brand.lth.se>