Home > Useful contents > The Craft of Scientific Research ( PhD course)
The Craft of Scientific Research ( PhD course)
Title: The Craft of Scientific Research
Type: Hybrid course
Methods of coverage: 10 classroom lectures + two online tutorials
Physical Classroom: Aula 2.5 - Faculty of Engineering, Viale del Risorgimento, 2, Bologna
Virtual Classroom: Link to access the Virtual Classroom. Only for tutorials, or for PhD students doing their period abroad.
Teaching hours: 36 hours of frontal teaching
Credits: up to 7.2 depending on the rule of each doctoral school)
Assessment methods Pass after the approval of the two tutorial reports
Teaching period from 7-01-2026 to 25-02-2026
Recommended for 1st year of the PhD program
Learning outcomes The module formalises a large body of transferable skills related to scientific research that can be used throughout the research career in Italy and abroad.
Abstract
The craft of Scientific Research focuses on a set of transferable skills that are deemed essential for the practice of scientific research. The first part focuses on the fundamental concept of scientific truth and how humanity pursues it: Why do we need to know? How do we know? How to do research? What is a model? Then we deliver a list of “how to” lectures: How to choose a research topic, How to produce reliable information, How to write and publish a scientific paper, How to review a paper or a grant, How to give a scientific presentation, How to build and run a research group, and How to write a grant application. Grant writing and peer reviewing will also be the subject of two tutorials and two individual projects; their completion will be required to pass the exam. The delivery is hybrid: all frontal teaching will be delivered in a classroom, while the two projects will be restructured online.
