1. Lecture Time and Location

• Time: 14:00 - 16:00 (Odd week) / 18:00 (Even week), Tuesday
• Location: 507, Teaching Building 1
• Lecturer: Likan Zhan

2. Course Information

This course is designed to expose students to the academic side of scientific research. They will learn the basic concepts of science and scientific research. They will also learn how to synthesize results, present them, and explore related topics. Students will analyze and discuss published research articles, engage in conversations with the teacher about different aspects of research, and design and present their own research.

3. Text Books

• American psychological association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6 ed.). Washington, DC: American psychological association.
• Stanovich, K. E. (2013). How to think straight about psychology (10 ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.

4. Syllabus and Lecture Notes

• Part I. Science and Scientific Research
  • 1. What is science
  • 2. Falsifiability
  • 3. Operationism and essentialism
  • 4. Testimonials and case study
  • 5. Correlation and causation
  • 6. Getting things under control
  • 7. The artificality criticism
  • 8. The importance of converging evidence
  • 9. The issue of multiple causation
  • 10. Probablistic reasoning
  • 11. The role of chance
• Part II. Academic reading
  • 12. Category and structure of academic articles
  • 13. References in academic articles

4. Final examination

To Be Announced