spring 2026
GEN-8001 Take Control of your PhD Journey: From (p)reflection to publishing - 2 ECTS

Type of course

The course can be taken as a singular course.

Admission requirements

This course is aimed at PhD candidates from all scientific disciplines, but is open for postdoc fellows if seats are available. If PhD candidates aim to include the credits from the course in their 30 mandatory PhD ECTS, they should discuss it with their supervisor.

PhD candidates from both UiT and other European universities may be admitted to the course. PhD candidates not registered at UiT must upload a document from their university, stating that they are registered PhD candidates.

All participants must have completed a Master´s degree (or equivalent).

Maximum 40 participants.

If more than 40 applicants, priority will be given as follows:

  • Participants admitted to the PhD programme at UiT, with priority given to those candidates admitted most recently.
  • PhD candidates from other universities
  • Postdoc fellows

PhD candidates at UiT apply for admission by registering for class in Studentweb by September 1 for the autumn semester and by February 1 for the spring semester.

Other participants apply for admission in Søknadsweb by June 1 for the autumn semester and December 1 for the spring semester. Application code 9301.


Course content

This course is designed to support PhD candidates in their acquisition of research competencies related to ethical and structured handling of scientific sources, management of research data, and open access publishing. With research integrity, transparency, and openness as guiding principles, the participants will be introduced to and actively engaged with questions, challenges, and possible solutions associated with these central topics.

Objectives of the course

Knowledge:

  • Explain the ethical use of sources in scientific publications.
  • Explain the purpose of complex literature searches for the research process.
  • Explain the purpose and advantages of research transparency and open science, for research and society in general.

Skills:

  • Determine when and how to cite sources, including own material, in line with existing norms and conventions.
  • Select and use scientific databases to build complex literature searches, using controlled vocabulary, operators, search history, and other relevant techniques.
  • Identify essential challenges related to structuring, documenting, and storing research data in line with the FAIR data principles.
  • Evaluate and select suitable publication channels for own research.

Competence:

  • Disseminate academic work in line with current developments and requirements in scholarly publishing.
  • Communicate with peers and the larger scholarly community about the concept of transparency in science.
  • Be familiar with the research support services at the University Library.

Language of instruction and examination

English. (The exam may be written in a Scandinavian language)

Teaching methods

The course is organized as interactive sessions combining theory, plenary discussions, group activities, and individual practice. Participants are asked to carry out a certain number of small pre-assignments related to the various sessions.

Reading material and other preparatory tasks will be provided in advance.

The course runs over 3-5 days. The format alternates between in-person (Tromsø, autumn semester) and digital (Teams, spring semester). When organized in-person, the course runs over 3 days. When organized on Teams, the course runs over 5 days.


Schedule

Examination

Examination: Duration: Grade scale:
Off campus exam 1 Semesters Passed / Not Passed
UiT Exams homepage

Re-sit examination

A re-sit exam will not be held.
  • About the course
  • Campus: Tromsø |
  • ECTS: 2
  • Course code: GEN-8001
  • Earlier years and semesters for this topic