1. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 INFORMATION SESSION 26.10.2004 Project Thesis (Fundamental Research Tools)

2. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Objective of Project Thesis Class The overall objective of the class is to equip the student with all the tools and methodological know-how required for the effective planning, execution and reporting of his research. To achieve this objective, we will arm you with fundamental research tools (both tangible and non- tangible) to assist you throughout the duration of your thesis….and beyond! The contents of the class should assist in the preparation of the DEA thesis and DEA presentation, and the culmination of the class will be a formal presentation

3. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 At the end of this class you will have identified the novelty and originality of your research and the contribution it will make identified the objectives and sub-objectives of your research carried out a detailed literature search, created a database of this literature (Endnote) and using this database, written a literature review written an abstract summarising your research work carried out a plan of your research, identifying research tasks, resources required, identified deliverables and milestones, carried out a risk analysis and identified a contingency plan, plotted Pert and Gnatt charts (MS Project) written an article based on your research and submitted it the Project Thesis Editorial Office refereed articles and written a referee report replied to a referee report drafted a project proposal carried out a detailed patent search and drafted a patent of your research work prepared and video-ed a presentation of your research given a formal presentation of your research work to a mock DEA panel and your colleagues and supervisors Outcomes of Project Thesis Class

4. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Ciara O’ Sullivan x 8740 ckosulli@etse.urv.es José Luis Toca X 8661 jltoca@etse.urv.es Joan Rosell X 8660 jrosell@etse.urv.es Class Profs

5. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Class layout INTRODUCTORY SESSION CLASS 1 Introduction, objectives, lit. review CLASS 2 Efficient writing and workplanning CLASS 3 Article writing and refereeing CLASS 4 Patent searching and proposals CLASS 5 Presentation guidelines and practise PRACTISE PRESENTATION PRESENTATION EVALUATION FORMAL PRESENTATION

6. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Class layout INTRODUCTORY SESSION 26 October 2004 CLASS 1 November 23 2004 JL Toca CLASS 2 November 30 2004 CK O Sullivan CLASS 3 December 14 2004 J Rosell CLASS 4 December 21 2004 JLT & CKOS CLASS 5 January 11 2005 ALL PRACTISE PRESENTATION 18 January 2005 PRESENTATION EVALUATION 19 January 2005 FORMAL PRESENTATION Thursday 27 January 2005

7. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Class Rules The language of the class is ENGLISH. All homeworks and presentations must be done in English. Students must attend at least 80% of the classes in order to pass. Students must attend 75% of Multidisciplinary Seminars as part of the Project Thesis Class. Each prof will provide homework submission dates, that will be posted on the web with the homework. Homework submitted after the deadline will not be accepted. The class will be graded on the basis of (i) class attendance and interaction (ii) homeworks and (iii) final presentation, in an equivalent manner.

8. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Tutor Groups Each class will be given on Tuesday between 17.00 and 19.00 in Aula 116. Each prof has an assigned tutor group (to be decided in information session) of nine students and the prof and tutor group will arrange a time to meet on Friday to review homeworks, discuss themes/problems/concerns etc. The students of the tutor group and their assigned prof can meet on an individual or group basis, as is decided between them. Homeworks will be carried out on an individual basis but could be reviewed within a group format.

9. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Website There will be a Project Thesis class web page, that should be consulted frequently for messages/links/downloads etc. The webpage will contain OVERVIEW CLASSES - description, ppt file, links, homework, useful downloads, book references ADDITIONAL RESOURCES - links, downloads, book references STUDENT PRESENTATIONS MESSAGES - homeworks etc. SUGGESTION BOARD - PLEASE use CLASS EVALUATION

10. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Homeworks Throughout the course there will be homeworks that all have one final common objective - preparation and execution of the DEA. Although not obligatory, it is STRONGLY recommended that the theme chosen for all the homeworks will be the research theme of your DEA. It is also HIGHLY recommended that you discuss the homeworks of the class with your supervisor and keep him/her updated of the class.

11. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Example Research Theme To complement that the student’s homeworks will be based on one constant research theme, the examples given from class to class to demonstrate tools etc. will be the constant theme of ‘Beer brewing’ …….and maybe sampling!

12. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Class 1 General Introduction, Identification of research objectives and literature review José Luis Toca 23rd November 2004

13. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Contents Identification of research theme Identification of objectives Introduction to basic definitions Philosophy, scientific methodology and ethics Literature Review Database searching and management Impact factor, citation index Live ENDNOTE tutorial Live ISI tutorial Identification of novelty of research theme Identification of contribution of literature theme

14. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Homework Identification of research themes Carry out literature review and using trial version of ENDNOTE, create organised database. Using ISI, choose 5 of the articles found and make a table listing journal, impact factor, no. of citations of paper Short summary of literature review Identification of novelty of research to be carried out, contribution that will be made and where results could be published Due date: 29 November, 2004

15. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Class 2 Efficient writing and workplanning Ciara O’ Sullivan 30th November, 2004

16. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Contents Guidelines to writing efficiently Interactive tutorial for improvement of grammar and punctuation skills outline of abstract and abstract elements Class activity - draft abstract exercise Methodology for planning of research Task timing, deliverables, milestones Resources Risk analysis and contingency planning Pert, Gantt Charts

17. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Homework Abstract of research theme Workplan - identifying research tasks, time required to carry out tasks, identification of deliverables, milestones, their timing as well as a contingency plan. Identification of required resources and Pert and Gantt charts. Due date: 7 December, 2004

18. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Class 3 Article writing Joan Rosell 14th December, 2004

19. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Contents Guidelines to preparation of a technical journal article Initial barrier considerations surrounding artcile writing will be discussed - defining the story, choosing the journal, impact factor, citation index Questions of execution will be discussed - what is in each section, computer tools, figures, log vs linear plots The submission and refereeing process

20. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Homework Students provided with a short mystery story describing a research process and asked to transform into a short communication for a scientific journal (e.g. JACS) and will be asked to submit to the Project Thesis Editorial Office Due date: 20 December, 2004 Students will be sent three manuscripts to referee and should prepare a referee report and return to the Project Thesis Editorial Office Due date: 11th January, 2005 Students will be sent referee reports and should correct and resubmit their corrected article according to correct protocol Due date: 18th January, 2005

21. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Class 4 Proposal writing and patent searching José Luis Toca & Ciara O’ Sullivan 21st December, 2004

22. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Contents Preparation of a DEA research proposal, focusing on format, use of illustration, structure, referencing and editing Example proposal will be extrapolated in class and financial planning explained Major sources of research funding (e.g. EU, NSF etc.) will be introduced and this style of research proposal will be outlined and the research proposal review process explained. IPR, ownership, inventorship, patent application, patent protection, patent databases will be outlined. An interactive patent search will be carried out using Derwent Innovation Office, European Patent Office and the US Patent Office

23. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Homework Preparation of complete DEA project proposal, complete with Introduction, Identification of novelty and potential contributions, Identification of Overall Objective and Sub- objectives, Task descriptions, Timing, Deliverables, Milestones, Resources, Finances, Risk Analysis, Contingency Planning, Pert and Gantt Charts, Bibliography Due date: 7th January, 2005 Patent search related to research theme and summary of patent search Due date: 14th January, 2005

24. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Class 5 Presentation Guidelines José Luis Toca, Joan Rosell & Ciara O’ Sullivan 11th January, 2005

25. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Contents Preparation and delivery of effective presentations Body language, attitude, effective visual aids, equipment, content & timing, structure, importance of introduction, visual aids dos and donts Guide to preparation outlined and voice exercises to highlight correct stressing will be carried out Tips to giving presentations in English Guidelines for preparation of European PhD Video highlighting examples of good and poor presentations

26. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Homework Preparation of 10 minute presentation based on research theme Due date: 18th January, 2005

27. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Presentation Practise José Luis Toca, Joan Rosell & Ciara O’ Sullivan 18th January, 2005

28. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Contents There will be two three-hour sessions on Tuesday 18th January Each student should attend the entirety of at least one of these sessions Each student will give a 10-minute presentation, that will be video-ed and 2 minutes will be allocated for questions Each student should takes notes to evaluate the other students

29. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Homework Summary of notes to assist in evaluation of student presentation Due date: 19th January, 2005

30. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Presentation Evaluation José Luis Toca, Joan Rosell & Ciara O’ Sullivan 19th January, 2005

31. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Contents There will be two three-hour sessions on Wednesday 19th January Each student should attend the entirety of at least one of these sessions (and the same one they attended on Tuesday 18th January) Each student will shown the video of their presentation and students and profs will discuss how the presentation could be improved

32. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Homework Prepare final presentation Due date: 27th January, 2005

33. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Formal Presentation All supervisors, colleagues and a mock-DEA panel 27th January, 2005

34. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Contents This should be treated as a trial run of the DEA presentation and students should dress semi- formally as the would for the final DEA presentation Students and supervisors will be asked to attend and will contribute to the grading of the presentation and will complete a feedback form that will be given back to the student so as to assist in further improving the quality of the presentation A mock DEA panel will ask questions - if possible technical - but the importance is the style!

35. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 Homework Meet with assigned tutor for final feedback on formal presentation Before 31st January HAVE MANY BEERS TO CELBRATE!

36. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 EVALUATION The only way we can improve our class is to have feedback and evaluation. There will be an anonymous suggestion board available on the web page - please use it We will distribute an informal evaluation from at the end of the course ALL students should complete the formal evaluation process - it is a very bad reflection on the profs if this evaluation is not completed!

37. Project Thesis 2004 Information Class 26.10.2004 GOOD LUCK! Whatever problem you have regarding the class - contact us! Remember this class is to help you, and any homeworks etc will assist you in your research work…. Looking forward to collaborating, JoséCiara Joan