FBB3320 Knowledge Generation in the PhD Education Process 4.0 credits

The course takes place once a week (2 hours, office hours) over one semester. Six lectures and six seminars make up the course. Lectures are chosen to get deeper into the theoretical background of some issues of knowledge generation and seminars are used to actively look at and discuss different parts of the research methodology in a dialogue between students and supervisors.

The goal of this course is give an understanding of how knowledge is generated to support the professional performance of an individual researcher.

Knowledge and understanding

·         know the particular goals of the PhD training program to which he/she are enrolled

·         be familiar with the elements of general research methodology and their interdependence

·         understand the academic requirements with regard to the level of research problems and research methods

·         understand the concept of tacit knowledge and its implications In the PhD profession

·         have a basic understanding of elements of critical thinking and creativity

·         know about development phases in the PhD process

·         know about different leader styles in the PhD process (supervisor, student)

·         understand how differences in cultural background and individuality affect group dynamics

Skills and ability

·         be able to critically review the different elements of formulating: the state-of-the-art in a research area, a research problem, a hypothesis, a research strategy, results interpretation and discussion

Assess and form an attitude

·         be able to critically evaluate scientific postulations, questions and texts and express the evaluation to a scientific community

·         be able to make a self-assessment of his/her individual progress towards the PhD goals

·         be able to perform a professional assessment of a research paper manuscript with respect to its possibility for publishing in accordance to best practice

The student should be enrolled in a PhD program and have some basic understanding in biotechnology that allows reading and understanding of biotech research literature from a research methodology

Published research papers and manuscripts.

Bo Göransson; The practical intellect. Santérus academic press, Sweden.

Literature distributed during the course

If the course is discontinued, students may request to be examined during the following two academic years.

Based on recommendation from KTH’s coordinator for disabilities, the examiner will decide how to adapt an examination for students with documented disability.

The examiner may apply another examination format when re-examining individual students.

The mark for the course will be pass/fail. In order to pass the course the following is needed:

·         active participation in all lectures and seminars

·         read, comment and discuss all research papers dealt with in the course

·         presentation of and/or opposition of one research paper

·         bring requested material to the discussions upon request

·         reading of specific written material

·         active participation in the Review exercise

Gen Larsson

• All members of a group are responsible for the group's work.
• In any assessment, every student shall honestly disclose any help received and sources used.
• In an oral assessment, every student shall be able to present and answer questions about the entire assignment and solution.