B9746 - PROGETTO TESI

Learning outcomes

At the end of the activity the student will be able to achieve a basic knowledge of the Italian language, with particular attention to scientific terminology. In particular, the student will be able to understand scientific texts in Italian and to produce a short document containing a bibliographical research on a scientific subject.

Course contents

The course is devoted to the design of the Master's thesis project and provides the methodological tools required to develop a scientifically sound and innovative research proposal in the field of Heritage Science.
The course covers the following topics:

• defining a research problem and formulating scientific objectives;
• literature search and critical review of the scientific literature;
• identifying the innovative aspects of the proposed research with respect to the current state of the art;
• designing an experimental research plan;
• selecting the most appropriate analytical and experimental methodologies;
• structuring and presenting a research proposal through the discussion of representative examples and case studies.

Readings/Bibliography

The reference bibliography will consist primarily of scientific papers selected according to the research topic developed by each student.

Teaching methods

The course includes interactive lectures, discussion of representative examples from the scientific literature, and guided activities aimed at developing a research proposal. Students will be actively involved in the critical discussion of research ideas, the evaluation of the current state of the art, and the identification of innovative aspects of their future research project. The course will also introduce Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based tools to support scientific research, promoting their critical, informed, and responsible use, particularly for literature searching, critical literature analysis, and the development of research proposals.

Assessment methods

Assessment consists of the oral presentation and discussion of the research proposal developed during the course.
Students will be assessed on their ability to:
define a scientifically relevant research problem;
critically review the scientific literature;
identify the innovative aspects of the proposed research with respect to the current state of the art;
design a coherent experimental research plan;
justify methodological choices using appropriate scientific terminology.
Assessment criteria
30 cum laude – 30: The student demonstrates the ability to develop an original, scientifically sound, and well-structured research proposal, supported by excellent critical thinking, autonomy of judgement, and effective scientific communication.
27 – 29: The student presents a well-developed research proposal, supported by a good critical review of the literature and appropriate scientific argumentation.
24 – 26: The student demonstrates a good understanding of the course topics and develops a coherent research proposal, although some methodological aspects or critical discussion could be further improved.

18 – 23: The student presents an essential research proposal, demonstrating sufficient knowledge of the basic concepts but limited autonomy in research planning and scientific discussion.

Fail: The student is unable to formulate a coherent research proposal or demonstrates significant deficiencies in the understanding of the methodological aspects discussed during the course.
For the purposes of assessment, the examination consists of two complementary components: one involving the substantial use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools for activities such as problem solving and content generation, and a second mandatory component requiring the student's critical analysis, evaluation, and discussion of the AI-generated outputs.

Students with learning disorders and\or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students ) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

Teaching tools

Teaching activities will be supported by lecture slides, selected scientific papers, international bibliographic databases (e.g., Scopus and Web of Science), and additional teaching material made available through the University's Virtuale e-learning platform.

During the course, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based tools will also be introduced and used for educational purposes, supporting literature searching, scientific information retrieval, and the development of research proposals. Their use will be discussed from a critical, informed, and responsible perspective.

Office hours

See the website of Giorgia Sciutto