Introduction to research methods

Teacher(s)

De Jaeger Dominique;

Language

French

Main themes

o Fundamentals of research: principles of falsification, refutability, etc.
o Research epistemology, ontology, and epidemiology
o General principles of research and logic of the sequence of the approach: theory, research question, methods, results and discussion
o Structure of a scientific article and publication process
o Qualitative/quantitative research
o Methods and tools for identifying quality scientific sources and appropriate documentary sources according to the fields of motor science
o Methods and tools for citing sources according to the bibliographic standards in force in motor science and intellectual property
o Types of studies in motor science
o Introduction to the concept of ethics, research biases and the limits of science

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

Describe the basic principles of scientific research and the key stages of the scientific approach in the field of motor science (6.1) Describe the fields of research in the field of motor skills (6.1) Identify the similarities and differences of research fields (not. qualitative and quantitative research) in the field of motor science (6.1) Explain how to identify and cite appropriate and relevant documentary sources (6.2) Describe and identify the limits of science and its biases (6.1) Identify the key elements of the methodological process in a scientific article in French (6.3)

Content

This course introduces students to

• the specific nature of the scientific approach
• the characteristics of scientific literature that distinguish it from popular literature and other forms of literature
• the different types of documentary resources: monographs, journal articles, dissertations and theses.
• searching bibliographic databases and the UCLouvain catalog
• different fields of research in the field of motor skills

Teaching methods

Teaching will combine face-to-face lectures with online activities. The latter will enable students to appropriate the content of the theoretical lectures and develop the skills targeted by the course's specific learning outcomes. Theoretical lectures will provide an opportunity to revisit online activities to ensure that theoretical content and practical applications are properly integrated.

Evaluation methods

In this course, students will be assessed at different times of the year in two ways:

• submission of assignments and participation in various Moodle activities (10% of the final grade). Students must complete 80% of the assignments and activities proposed on Moodle to pass this part of the assessment.
• three written assessments on MOODLE (TEST) organized at different times of the year (3X30% = 90% of the final grade).

The final grade is the weighted average of the different assessments, provided the student has obtained at least 40% in each of the 3 written assessments. The final mark is maximum 9/20 if the student has obtained less than 40% for one of the 3 written assessments, maximum 8/20 if the student has obtained less than 40% for two of the 3 written assessments, maximum 7/20 if the student has obtained less than 40% for all 3 written assessments.
In the second session, the assessment relating to the submission of assignments and participation in Moodle activities acquired in the first session is maintained and still represents 10% of the final mark. The remaining 90% is assessed in the form of a written examination on MOODLE (TEST).

Other information

This course is complementary to the critical thinking course.

Online resources

https://moodle.uclouvain.be/course/view.php?id=9771

Teaching materials

• Dossier de cours sur Moodle

Faculty or entity

> FSM