Course Syllabus

The Independent Research Project provides an opportunity for exceptionally
motivated students to propose a site-specific research topic, in consultation with their
home campus faculty/academic advisor, for approval by DIS. If approved, students
enroll in a 3-credit Independent Research Project course with an assigned DIS faculty
mentor who supervises the project on-site.

Note: Students intending to return to their home campuses with data collected during their DIS semester must seek Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, if required, from their home institution and include documentation of this approval in their DIS research application. Please be informed that research approved by your home campus IRB may nevertheless require changes during your semester to meet the research norms and expectations in Sweden or Denmark.

Responsibilities and Expectations: Independent Research Project student

Conducting an Independent Research Project at DIS means that you will:
1. Spend a minimum 10 hours per week carrying out the research project, similar to a regular 3-credit course. These 10 hours are primarily independent student work.
2. Meet with your DIS mentor at mutually agreed upon times and intervals during the semester
3. Attend a research orientation in addition to two workshops during the semester arranged and facilitated by DIS Research.
4. Communicate with both your DIS faculty mentor and home advisor, as necessary, throughout the project. Clear and continuous communication with your DIS advisor is a necessary part of the independent research project and is expected from the student.
5. Present the relevance of the research and/or findings to peer(s) from other disciplines at the DIS End-of-Semester Showcase in a format appropriate to the project (this may include a poster, photo essay, film, installation, etc. – format to be determined with DIS mentor).
6. Submit a final research paper (minimum 25 pages) or other final project, appropriate to the discipline, as agreed with your DIS faculty mentor.

Specific expectations of Independent Research students are agreed upon at the beginning of the semester. In general, you are expected to initiate communications with your DIS mentor, exhibit initiative, take ownership of your project, and work independently. You must also be prepared for meetings and be willing to part take in relevant discussions. Carrying out a research project is not a straight-forward and predictable process as you are creating new (and at times unexpected) knowledge. This is part of what makes it exciting! It also means that communication is crucial. You must take responsibility for communicating about problems or issues that arise.

Responsibilities and Expectations: DIS Mentor

Your DIS faculty mentor will meet with you throughout the semester on a mutually agreed upon schedule but the bulk of your work will be self-directed. Your mentor will guide you on methodology, advise as to ethical considerations, provide feedback throughout the research process, and help you find resources to conduct your research on-site. In addition, your DIS faculty mentor will assess your work and assign your final grade for the course. The project should, however, reflect your work, as IRP student, and not the contributions of the mentor.

Learning Objectives

Learning outcomes for the Independent Research Project include:
1. understanding research design (specific to the project)
2. collecting, analyzing, and presenting data (using methods specific to the project)
3. working independently and making an original contribution in an agreed-upon format
4. disseminating research findings
5. applying ethical standards and academic integrity throughout the research process
Experiencing the realities of research – including its challenges and unpredictability - is also an important part of the Independent Research Project experience.

Readings
Students are responsible for creating a reading list, with input from your home advisor and/or DIS mentor, no later than the first week of the semester. The exact content will differ with each project.

DIS Research Resources

More information can be found on this page.

Research budget (if applicable)
Some independent research project proposals include field research, project materials, or payment to research participants. If your Independent Research Project requires travel or other expenses, you must include a budget in your proposal, indicating how you will cover the proposed expenses (examples may include your home institution or a research grant). Please note: DIS does not offer travel or other budgetary support for Independent Research Projects. Independent Research travel is only permitted during DIS official travel or study breaks – please consult the semester calendar.

Data
As noted above, many US colleges/universities require their students who are participating in research at home or abroad to acquire Institutional Review Board approval. Examples include:
• Research involving human subjects
• If the results of any research conducted during your semester with DIS are to be made public or published in the US
You are responsible for checking whether home IRB-approval is required, and for seeking the approval of your home schools’ IRB. In addition, all research conducted in Europe must adhere to GDPR regulations, as noted above.

Evaluation and grading
The Independent Research Project is evaluated by the DIS mentor. All Independent Research Project final grades include the following three (3) components:
Active Engagement (including communication with mentor, workshops)
10%
End-of-Semester Showcase
10%
Final Research Paper* (or final deliverable appropriate to the project)
80%

Disability and Resource Statement
Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the Office of Academic Support (acadsupp@dis.dk in Copenhagen, academics@disstockholm.se in Stockholm) to coordinate. To receive accommodations, students should inform the instructor of approved DIS accommodations within the first two weeks of classes.

Policies
Academic Honesty
Plagiarism and Violating the Rules of an Assignment
DIS expects that students abide by the highest standards of intellectual honesty in all academic work. DIS assumes that all students do their own work and credit all work or thought taken from others. Academic dishonesty will result in a final course grade of “F” and can result in dismissal. The students’ home universities will be notified. DIS reserves the right to request that written student assignments be turned in electronic form for submission to plagiarism detection software. See the Academic Handbook for more information, or ask your instructor if you have questions.

Academic Regulations

DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.disabroad.org