Curiosity is one of humanity’s most important characteristics. It has enabled us to make the unknown known, to break barriers and to shine a light on all aspects of life, from our day to day hobbies to the exploration of the stars. Our innate desire to explore is responsible for many of our proudest achievements. This course will help train you to harness your curiosity and use it to undertake your own research projects in a scholarly manner.

The course is intended for anyone who is currently undertaking or planning to undertake a piece of academic research, be that the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), International Baccalaureate Extended Essay, Welsh Baccalaureate Individual Project, coursework or a piece of independent scholarship. The course is running throughout the year so you can chose the start date that suits you (select your preference below).

Developed and delivered by research-active academics, the course will support you with every step of the research process, from developing a hypothesis and finding sources to writing up and presenting one’s findings.

The practical, hands-on lessons will give you the opportunity to share your ideas with fellow researchers from all over the world, to receive peer feedback on your research proposals and enable you to review and comment on the work of other researchers, building a supportive community of like-minded curious learners.

What topics will you cover?

Academic research: principles and definition
Drafting and developing research proposals
Gathering information from literature and from findings
Research methods: choosing an appropriate methodology
Academic reading and note taking
Referencing, plagiarism, and academic integrity
Academic writing: organising sources, structuring essays
Academic writing: summarising a research project into an abstract
Academic presentations: preparation and delivery

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and learn at your own pace. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

Available now

Learning on this course

You can take this self-guided course and learn at your own pace. On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

Develop a research hypothesis
Formulate research questions
Summarise a research proposal
Assess the validity of a research proposal
Justify the choice of a specific research methodology
Explore academic literature about a specific research subject
Prepare a presentation to illustrate the key components of your specific research project

Who is the course for?

There are no specific course requirements, other than a curious disposition and desire to undertake some academic research.

Who will you learn with?

Emma Thompson

Learn with US Transition Leader, University of Southampton. Research Interests: political behaviour in the UK, the student experience and the value of the EPQ. Twitter: @DrEmmaThompson #FLcuriosity

Richard Penny

Post-doctoral researcher on economic inequality and social jusice & Learn with US Transition Officer at the University of Southampton. www.soton.academia.edu/RichardPenny @DrRichPenny #FLcuriosity

Who developed the course?

University of Southampton

Southampton is a place for ambitious people keen to stretch their intellectual abilities and help change the world.

		Recommended
Ways to learn	Upgrade this course	Unlimited	Basic access
Choose the best way to learn for you!	$49	$23.33/month Billed at $279.99 for a year	Free
	Unlock your expertise	Endless possibilities!	Try before you upgrade
Access to this course	tick	tick	Limited to 8 weeks
Access to ALL eligible short courses with additional benefits, for a year	cross	tick	cross
Discuss your learning in comments	tick	tick	tick
Tests to check your learning	tick	tick	cross
Certificate when you're eligible	Printed and digital	Digital only	cross
	Join and Upgrade

Ways to learn

Buy Unlimited to access this course and hundreds of other short courses for a year or Upgrade just this course for extra benefits. Or, join with basic access.

Unlimited

$23.33/month

Billed at $279.99 for a year

Endless possibilities!

Access to this course
Access to ALL eligible short courses with additional benefits, for a year
Discuss your learning in comments
Tests to boost your learning
Digital certificate when you're eligible

Upgrade this course

$49

Unlock your expertise

All of the above* for this course only, plus a printed certificate when you’re eligible

Join and Upgrade

*Excludes access to all eligible short courses with additional benefits for a year

Basic access

Free

Try before you buy

Limited access to course content for 8 weeks

Find out more about certificates, Upgrades or Unlimited.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps, but you can complete them as quickly or slowly as you like
Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn