After completing the course, the doctoral student is able to grasp research as a process that starts with studying the background to the research and ends with reporting the research results and data processing and storage. S/he understands the role of the research questions, data and research methods in the process and recognises the significance of concepts and theory to her/his research. S/he is able to pose relevant ethical questions that are related to the research process. The doctoral student is able to make use of the dialogue between analysis and theory in her/his research. S/he is able to plan and adjust her/his own research process.
The course motivates a new doctoral student to start a systematic research process and to regulate it by making conscious choices. The course offers tools for the conceptual and practical management of the thesis process. The courses organised under this heading typically consist of lectures and group work or exercises.