spring 2019 HEL-8004 General and Scientific Research Communication (English) - 3 ECTS

Application deadline

PhD students at UiT The Arctic University of Norway apply for admission by registering for class in Studentweb by 15 June for autumn semester and 15 December for spring semester.

Application deadline for other applicants: June 1st for autumn semester and December 1st for spring semester. Application code 9303 in SøknadsWeb. Write which of the two course arrangements you wish to attend in the remark field in SøknadsWeb.


Type of course

Ph.d.-course. The course can be taken as a single course.

Admission requirements

PhD students or holders of a Norwegian master´s degree of five years or 3+ 2 years (or equivalent) may be admitted. PhD students must upload a document from their university stating that they are registered PhD students. This group of applicants does not have to prove English proficiency and are exempt from semester fee.

Holders of a Master´s degree must upload a Master´s Diploma with Diploma Supplement / English translation of the diploma. Applicants from listed countries must document proficiency in English. To find out if this applies to you see the following list:

Proficiency in English must be documented - list of countries

For more information on accepted English proficiency tests and scores, as well as exemptions from the English proficiency tests, please see the following document:

Proficiency in English - PhD level studies  

It is recommended to take the course halfway through the PhD programme. Students at the the Student Research Programme should take the course after the 4th year.

This course has a maximum capacity of 22 students.

If there are more applicants than available seats in the course, students will be given priority from category 1 to 4:

  • PhD students, research fellows and students participating in the Student Research Programme at UiT The Arctic University of Norway
  • Participants in the Associate Professor Programme.       
  • PhD students and students at a Student Research Programme at other universities
  • Applicants who have minimum a master's degree or equivalent, but have not been admitted to a PhD programme.  

If there are more than 22 applicants from category 1, the students who has the course as a mandatory part of their instruction component and has been in the PhD programme the longest will be prioritized.


Course overlap

If you pass the examination in this course, you will get an reduction in credits (as stated below), if you previously have passed the following courses:

SVF-8048 Popular research communication 3 stp
BIO-8007 Communicating Science Module 2 – Coping with media 1 stp
BIO-8010 Communicating Science Module 3 – Visualizing your science 1 stp
HEL-8004 General and Scientific Research Communication (Norwegian) 3 stp

Course content

Through this course you will gain knowledge about how to handle inquiries from the media in a professional manner. You will gain insights into journalistic working methods that will enable you to be proactive when you want to convey your research to multiple audiences in various channels. The course also has a scientific part that focuses on scientific research dissemination, primarily in the form of Open Access publishing. The lecturers have backgrounds from media, communications and academia.

Objectives of the course

Knowledge and understanding

  • You gain knowledge about the possibilities and limitations of various public-oriented communication channels and communication techniques
  • You understand the positions of the researcher and journalist at the intersection of science and journalism
  • You gain insights into the ethical aspects of research communication aimed at the general public
  • You gain knowledge about how to convey research findings to other researchers on scientific dissemination arenas, e.g. through Open Access publishing

 

Skills

  • You are able to use the media to call attention about your own research or research policy issues
  • You have sufficient journalistic knowledge to take a journalist's standpoint and anticipate his questions
  • You cope professionally with being interviewed on TV or radio, or in the newspapers
  • You are able to convey your research findings to other researchers through presentations at national and international research conferences

 

Competences

  • You are able to consider which medium is suitable for which target group, and you know how to convey pertinent messages to multiple audiences
  • You are capable of crafting an efficient presentation adapted to an academic audience

Language of instruction and examination

Norwegian. The course is held in English some semesters.

Teaching methods

The course is conducted partly as ordinary lectures, and partly as practical training. Participants will prepare, conduct and evaluate a television interview with a journalist during the course based on a press release they have to submit one week prior to the course. The press releases are reviewed during the course days.

Assessment

Arbeidskrav:

  • One week prior to the course, participants have to submit a press release based on their research projects.
  • Mandatory attendace (minimum 70 % of the course)

 

Examination and assessment:

The course's home exam is to write a commentary article or a blog post based on the participant's research project. The text length depends on the channel the post is to be published in. The post should be considered ready for publication in a newspaper or online newspaper, such as Nordlys, Aftenposten or Dagbladet, or on The Health Faculty's blog. The exam is assessed with pass/ fail.

 

The course is arranged every semester. There will be no re-sit exam.


Recommended reading/syllabus

You will receive the compendium 2 - 3 weeks before the course starts.

Error rendering component

  • About the course
  • Campus: Tromsø |
  • ECTS: 3
  • Course code: HEL-8004