DESIGN CONDUCT AND COMMUNICATE INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH

The current global challenges push us to tackle complex issues in a multidisciplinary form. Ethnobiological research, dealing with the dynamic relationship between man, biota and environments, offers a chance to explore and deepen the roots of global challenges. This course therefore aims to explore multidisciplinary research methods including obtaining primary and secondary data and to learn how to communicate these results in the form of a scientific article. The course has a limited number of lectures to give space to practical activities in the field and in the classroom. The tools obtained by the students will be an excellent basis for structuring documents such as reports, thesis. Students will develop a critical ability to select research objectives, to combine them with the correct research methods, to apply them in order to elaborate a scientific article and another popular one.

1. Knowledge and understanding
a) (S)he knows the terminology of the methodology used in ethnobiological research.
b) (S)he knows the characteristics of the different methodologies.
c) (S)he knows the structure of a scientific article

2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
a) (S)he can correctly select the methodology on the basis of the research objectives
b) (S)he can apply the methodology in the field
c) (S)he can correctly structure a scientific article
d) (S)he knows how to present his scientific results in a popular way

3. Critical skills
a) (S)he will learn how to choose a topic for self-employment.
b) (S)he will learn to formulate scientific hypotheses.

4. Communication skills
a) (S)he can explain and argue ethnobiological research methodologies.
b) (S)he can communicate their research.
c) (S)he can interact with colleagues and tutors in a critical and respectful way.

5. Learning skills
a) (S)he improved her/his ability to discern methods by knowing how to combine research objectives and methods
b) (S)he developed skills in structure and drafting and communicating the results of a scientific article.

There are no specific knowledge requirements for this course, but students are expected to have an open mind and ready for experimentation. Section B is open only to these students who have attended Section A.

The course will be divided into two sections:

Section A (15 hours) A Ethnobiological research methods: Work with literature and design of the research topic; formulation of primary research questions and research tools (structured and semi-structured questionnaire scheme, design of participant observations and group discussions, biological data collection perspective). Primary data collection -> semi-structured interviews, free-listing, questionnaires (citizen science?); Collecting secondary data -> search in archives and databases.

Section B (15 hours) Writing of a scientific article (multidisciplinary): Methods of data analysis: Qualitative data analysis -> textual analysis (and software for). Quantitative data analysis-> Indices (Jaccard and other ethnobotanical indices) and relative statistical analysis. Structure and form of: introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion, conclusion. Practical exercise on writing both scientific and popular articles. Communication of results to colleagues.

Section A: active participation in the supervised field: 20%; research questions and research tools: 50%; elaboration on own experiences: 30%
Section B: Data analysis: 30%; scientific article: 60%, popular article: 10%,

1. (3 hours) introduction to research methods for the collection of primary and secondary data
2. (2 hours) research question formulation laboratory
3. (2 hours) laboratory for the drafting of research tools
4. (6 hours) supervised field research experience
5. (2 hours) elaboration on own experiences in the field

Section B:
1. (2 hours) data analysis methods
2. (2 hours) data analysis laboratory
3. (2 hours) laboratory for drafting the results
4. (2 hours) laboratory for writing materials and methods
5. (2 hours) laboratory for writing discussion
6. (2 hours) laboratory for writing introduction and conclusion
7. (1 hour) overview of the process of submitting, reviewing and editing articles
8. (2 hours) workshop for writing popular articles

English