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The objective of the curricular unit on Experimental Design in Research and Innovation, positioned at the end of the 2nd semester, is to develop critical thinking in students with the view to experimentally design a research and innovation essay, in a subject of interest to the student in the area of Biopharmaceutical Sciences. It will allow the acquisition of knowledge, skills and competences to: 1) understand the overall context of the research and how it influences scientific knowledge and application opportunities; 2) analyze critically and objectively related work, both through literature search and direct interaction with the tutor and his/her research; 3) understand the different phases of preparation of a research project (identification of a scientific question, analysis of applicability, design of experimental procedures, methods of analysis and validation); and 4) understand and apply ethical concepts in the development of the work and in achieving results. The student should also develop skills that allow application of similar strategies to different scientific areas, as well as to integrate knowledge, capacities and competences in the preparation of hypotheses, which can be tested experimentally, allowing the advancement of knowledge and the development of opportunities.
This curricular unit consists of a period of direct contact of the student with scientific areas of interest, within the scope of the program contents of the Master Course in Biopharmaceutical Sciences. This is followed by the design of an experimental research essay, under the supervision of the tutor. The programme includes the study of: 1) principles and methods of selection research topics, as well as research processes based on critical and creative thinking; 2) planning and implementation of research and innovation design; ethics in experimental design; 3) approaches to collection, analysis and validation of experimental data; and 4) dissemination and presentation of the experimental design; content organization; standards for writing and editing. It includes theoretical and practical knowledge on how to write a pice of work with emphasis on experimental research, how to aplly cocepts of experimental design, how to recognise and use advanced research methodologies, always prioritizing the key component of motivating students to equate and solve problems.