1. Earning ECTS points by attending classes
1.1. The fundamental compulsory course entitled Introduction to scientific research
The fundamental compulsory course entitled Introduction to scientific research is common for all doctoral candidates and is worth 6 ECTS points. Doctoral candidates should be given the possibility to acquire knowledge under the following objectives:
- Explain the difference between professional and scientific research work
- Scientific problem
- Bibliography, search of databases, research
- Hypothesis
- Hypothesis confirmation methods: experimental, theoretical, analytical, numerical
- Presenting results
- Error analysis of results
- Scientific research paper writing
- Professional paper writing
- Citation rules
- Writing of abstracts
- PowerPoint presentation of the work
- Project cycle management: project proposal writing, working on a project, reporting
- Communication in research community, networking
- Conference choice
- Selection of journals, creative method of research work
1.2. Other courses
The module's fundamental course or fundamental elective course is the course that more broadly defines the topic of research.
The doctoral candidate chooses a module at enrolment and if the module has more than one fundamental course, he/she chooses one. The module's fundamental course is worth 6 ECTS points.
The module's elective courses are courses offered to the doctoral candidate in his/her specific research topic. The module's elective courses are worth 6 ECTS points each.
The doctoral candidate chooses elective courses in agreement with the mentor and the module head, as a rule between the module's elective courses and the module's fundamental elective courses.
With permission of the module head, the doctoral candidate may enrol into a course from another doctoral study module or a non-attended course from the doctoral study.
With permission of the both the module head and the Committee, it is possible to enrol into courses from other institutions, provided adequate financing is ensured.
The number of ECTS points assigned to these courses is prescribed by the institution in charge. By selecting the elective courses (module's fundamental elective and elective courses) a maximum of 18 ECTS points can be recognized.
By attending classes a maximum of 24 ECTS credits can be earned.
2. Publishing and presenting in public
2.1. Common guidelines on publishing
The doctoral candidate earns ECTS credits by publishing and presenting an article that has been accepted for publishing in a journal, by delivering a presentation at a conference, science festival, exhibition or doctoral candidates' workshop, and by obtaining an internationally-recognized patent.
Only one doctoral candidate may qualify for the full number of points envisaged for one publication.
If more doctoral candidates have participated in drawing up a paper, they are assigned with the doctoral candidate's publication share factors (fu).
The sum of all doctoral candidate's publication share factors for a single publication may not be greater than 1.
The doctoral candidate's publication share factors for each paper are proposed by the mentor.
A record of doctoral candidate's publication share factors for each work according to the bib code (Croatian Scientific Bibliography, bib.irb.hr) is run by the Student Service.
A paper may qualify the doctoral candidate only if it is linked to his/her dissertation topic.
The mentor proposes the relation factor between the paper and the dissertation topic (ft). The relation factor may be between 0 and 1.
For each paper the mentor proposes, with prior opinion of the module head, the number of ECTS points to be awarded to the doctoral candidate according to the following expression: ECTS = ECTScategory * fu * ft
where the category may either refer to a journal, presentation or patent.
In this way the doctoral candidate must earn at least 40 ECTS credits.
2.2. Publications in journals with international review
Publications in journals with international review are divided into journals refereed in CC and/or SCI databases and those refereed in other databases. The module determines in the curriculum one or more areas according to the classification provided by the journal Web of Science.
Once a year for journals appertaining to these areas, the library establishes impact factors of 25 percentile (IF25%) and 75 percentile (IF75%) strongest journals in their group.
All publications ranked in 25 percentile are awarded 36 ECTS.
The number of ECTS credits assigned for a publication in a single journal with the impact factor (IF) is calculated as follows: ECTSjournal = MIN (15 + 21 / IF25% * IF, 36).
The module can prescribe also a different way of scaling ECTS credits depending on IF. In this case, journals with an impact factor lower than IF75% must have less than 20 ECTS.
Each doctoral candidate shall publish at least one publication in a journal having the impact factor greater than IF75%, i.e., a publication for which the doctoral candidate is awarded at least 20 ECTS credits.
Journals with international review are divided according to databases in which they are refereed.
Publications published in journals refereed in the Scopus database are worth up to 15 ECTS credits.
Publications published in journals refereed in the Inspec database are worth up to 12 ECTS credits.
Publications published in other journals with international review are worth up to 10 ECTS credits.
2.3. Publications in proceedings and other presentations by students
A publication published in proceedings refereed in ISI Proceedings or another database and personally presented by the doctoral candidate is worth ECTSpresentation = 10.
A publication published in proceedings refereed in other relevant databases and personally presented by the doctoral candidate is worth ECTSpresentation = 8.
A publication published in proceedings with international review and personally presented by the doctoral candidate is worth ECTSpresentation = 6.
A summary of publication published in proceedings and personally presented by the doctoral candidate as well as a publication published in proceedings of national scientific symposia and personally presented by the doctoral candidate are worth ECTSpresentation = 5.
Exhibiting at the Festival of Science or at a similar exhibition, invited lectures (HDM, etc.) are worth ECTSpresentation = 4.
Delivering a presentation at a doctoral candidates' workshop is worth ECTSpresentation = 4.
2.4. Patents Patents are worth ECTSpatent = 30.
3. Other research activities
3.1. Common guidelines on other research activities
The doctoral candidate earns ECTS credits by research and in particular by public defence of his/her own or verified research theoretical and experimental publications, research-related international mobility, attending summer schools and other forms of teaching in the field of research, industry-related research, as well as by public defence of the dissertation.
In this way the doctoral candidate must earn 23 ECTS credits.
3.2. Public defence of the dissertation topic
A successful defence of the dissertation topic is worth 10 ECTS credits.
If the doctoral candidate changes the topic after having publicly defended it, he/she loses ECTS credits earned from the first defence, in other words, he/she is not entitled to earn a double amount of credits.
3.3. Research progress report
Every academic year, the doctoral candidate shall submit a research progress report to the Committee. The Committee may request the doctoral candidate to present the results of his/her work before the Committee. The written report is acknowledged by the mentor's signature. This report approval provides the doctoral candidate with 3 ECTS credits.
3.4. Experimental exhibit
The doctoral candidate engaged in experimental research may earn up to 10 ECTS credits for making an experimental exhibit.
Based on the experimental exhibit development report and by proving that the exhibit functions properly, mentor proposes to the module head the number of ECTS credits.
3.5. Researching at an international institution
A doctoral candidate who spends at least 1 month researching at an international institution may earn up to 5 ECTS per month of stay. Based on the scientific development report the mentor proposes to the head of the module the number of ECTS credits. In this way, up to 30 ECTS credits can be earned.
3.6. International summer schools and courses
A doctoral candidate who attends international summer schools and courses which belong to the field of research or might help to acquire the knowledge necessary to obtain a doctoral degree, may get for scientific development up to 0.5 ECTS credits per each day of summer school or course attended.
Based on the summer school/course attendance report, the mentor proposes to the head of the module the number of ECTS credits. In this way, the doctoral candidate can earn up to 10 ECTS credits.
3.7. Working on projects
The doctoral candidate earns ECTS credits by working on projects. ECTS credits can be earned on the basis of verified reports on working on international projects, national scientific, technological and developmental projects for the industry.
A single report with the full amount of prescribed points may qualify only one doctoral candidate.
If more doctoral candidates have participated in drawing up the report, they are assigned the doctoral candidate's publication share factors (fu). The sum of all doctoral candidate's publication share factors for a single publication may not be greater than 1.
The doctoral candidate's publication share factors are proposed by the mentor.
The record on doctoral candidate's publication share factors is run by the Student Service.
The activities report may qualify the doctoral candidate only if it is linked to the dissertation topic. The mentor proposes the relation factor between the report and the dissertation topic. (ft).
The relation factor may be between 0 and 1.
The activities report may qualify the doctoral candidate only if the activities are science or innovation-related. The mentor proposes the factor of scientific research (fz) or the innovativeness factor (fi), that may range between 0 and 1.
For each activities report the mentor proposes to the Committee, with prior opinion of the module head, the number of ECTS points to be awarded to the doctoral candidate according to the following expression: ECTS = ECTScategory * fu * ft * fz ,
where the category may either refer to a report or mobility.
For a developmental project in cooperation with industry:
ECTS = ECTSdevelopmental * fu * ft * fi .
A report on the research results within international projects (FP6, FP7, CIP, EUREKA, and similar), the so called deliverable, if adopted, is worth ECTSreport = 15.
In this way the doctoral candidate can earn up to 28 ECTS credits.
A report on research results within a developmental project for industry (including technological projects, projects financed by the UKF, Bicro etc., projects financed by the industry, experience of conducting industry-related research), if accepted by the funding authority, is worth ECTSreport = 5.
In this way the doctoral candidate can earn up to 20 ECTS credits.
A report on research results within a scientific project (financed by MZOS, UKF, HRZZ), if accepted by the funding authority, is worth ECTSreport = 6.
In this way the doctoral candidate can earn up to 20 ECTS credits.
4. Research awards
For a national or international research reward during undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate studies, a doctoral candidate can earn up to 6 ECTS points.
If a single reward was awarded to more than one doctoral candidate for the same contribution, the Committee may decide that the total number of points be split among the doctoral candidates according to merits or each candidate be assigned the maximum number of points.