Critical Thinking and Writing for Postgraduate Students
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About course
What you'll learn
The course will help you develop the critical thinking and writing skills you require to effectively analyse and communicate your research during your Ph.D. programme and beyond.
Materials Include
3 hours of on-demand video
6 modules
29 units
31 articles
6 quizzes
Community forums
Optional mentoring track
Who can Join?
Anyone can enrol in the taught course, but postgraduate students with clearly defined research objectives are most likely to benefit. A separate mentoring component is open only to mid- to late-stage Ph.D. students currently enrolled in transport or urban studies programmes at African universities.
Completion Criteria
To be eligible to apply for the limited mentoring slots, you must achieve an average quiz score of 80 percent or higher. There are no minimum requirements for the taught component.
Certifcation
Course participants who successfully complete the mentoring component will receive a certificate.
Course Curriculum
Module 2 – Critical Thinking and Writing
Participants will evaluate the scientific merit of arguments using criteria such as relevance, clarity, methodological rigour, validity and originality. They will learn about the principles of critical reading and writing in academia, and how to confidently articulate the limits of scientific research. Additionally, participants will practice blending critiques and counter-critiques into coherent, well-articulated opinions.
Module 3 – Theoretical Frameworks
Participants will be introduced to various theoretical frameworks used in the urban studies literature. The module addresses the central question of the role of theory in framing scientific inquiry and research questions. By the end of the module, participants will understand how to effectively integrate theoretical frameworks with primary data in their research.
Module 4 – Thematic Analysis
Participants will learn to identify emerging themes from primary and secondary sources and code qualitative data accordingly. They will explore how to integrate empirical themes with relevant theories to create coherent, evidence-based narratives. The module also covers the strategic use of quotes to illustrate themes and support claims, as well as the application of thematic analysis in writing original, critical literature reviews.
Module 5 – Citation and Referencing
Participants will learn how to effectively cite and reference sources without plagiarising, and at the same time balance convention with creativity. The module covers various referencing styles and the use of reference management software.
Module 6 – Navigating the Scientific Publishing Cycle
Participants will learn about the steps of the scientific publishing cycle and how to navigate them. Topics include: defining the focus and contribution of a manuscript; developing a working title and abstract; identifying suitable journals; understanding the peer review process; responding to reviewer comments; and increasing one’s visibility as an author in a given field.
Testimonials
What Students are Saying
The hands-on activities…, plus the readings attached, provided insights and impacts on practice almost immediately because we learned while doing and reading. It is indeed an invaluable course that is relevant to every researcher at every point in their career. This should serve as course content in any professional development programme.
BT
This course has helped me to pause, think and rethink how to critically and logically present, analyse and approach my ongoing thesis. The mentoring sessions were the most useful and thought provoking for me. My mentor was calm, ready to listen and her reviews have helped clarify issues and how to proceed in my ongoing thesis.
AA
I learned so many new things from each of these sessions, especially thematic analysis. After the session, I was certain I would go in for mixed methods. There was this exciting feeling after the sessions of being open to new and quality knowledge. The required readings also helped to deepen my insight of each session.
AN
Before undergoing the training, my critical writing skill was at its lowest, in the sense that most of my writing lacked flow and rigour… I can confidently say that through the skills I acquired from the Critical Thinking and Writing Skills course, I now understand the techniques of methodological and theoretical framing, which subsequently reflected in my PhD thesis. My supervisors attested to this fact…
GA
