Developing Your Research Project
Undertaking an Extended Project Qualification, IB extended essay or any other scholarly research? This guides you step-by-step.
Duration
8 weeksWeekly study
1 hour
Developing Your Research Project
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?
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
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.
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
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- Access to this course for 10 weeks
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- Access to this course for as long as it’s on FutureLearn
- Access to this course’s tests as well as a print and digital Certificate of Achievement once you’re eligible
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