Multidisciplinarity is a defining feature of health sciences. Therefore, knowledge in the field is characterised by a very broad methodological pluralism encompassing a range of approaches. A basic level of knowledge or proficiency in certain methods is also an essential prerequisite for a scientific approach to health sciences and critical thinking. The course is based on this idea and it aims at facilitating the understanding of the methodological pluralism in health sciences and behavioural sciences, at creating a common language and at introducing techniques and procedures specific to the sub-disciplines with a research training focus. The course does not aim at a full technical presentation of the methodology of each sub-discipline. The emphasis is rather on experiencing diversity. Thus, in the first part of the two-part course, in addition to basic methodological introductions to psychophysiology and brain imaging, there will also be lectures on research ethics, statistics, epidemiology, content analysis-hermeneutics, quantitative and qualitative health sociology, psychometrics and neuropsychology. The course approaches the field from a mental health sciences perspective.
