Module CHEM4081: RESEARCH SKILLS

Department: Chemistry

CHEM4081: RESEARCH SKILLS

Prerequisites

• One of Inorganic Concepts and Applications (CHEM3021), Advanced Organic Chemistry (CHEM3031) OR Molecules and their Interactions (CHEM3041).

Corequisites

• Chemistry Research Project (CHEM4073) OR Bioactive Chemistry Research Project (40 Credits) (CHEM4272) OR Bioactive Research Project (20 Credits) (CHEM4271).

Excluded Combination of Modules

Aims

• To support research projects and to help students gain a knowledge of the range of skills used in scientific research laboratories.

Content

• Health and Safety Induction programme.
• Information retrieval.
• Presentation skills.
• Perspectives from industry.
• Process Development Workshop.
• Separation methods*.
• Practical spectroscopy*.
• Introduction to statistical design of experiments*.
• Experimental design*.
• Introduction to Fortran programming*.
• Numerical methods*.
• Practical electronic structure calculations*.
• [*Each student will follow three of these alternative assignments].

Learning Outcomes

• (separation methods*) demonstrate an understanding of the principles involved in carrying out a chemical reaction and isolating and purifying the products;
• (practical spectroscopy*) make appropriate use of the range of spectroscopic services available and interpret the results obtained;
• (introduction to statistical design of experiments*) provide an appreciation of the importance of variable selection and process interactions in optimising a chemical process;
• (experimental design*) demonstrate an understanding of the principles of instrument design;
• (introduction to FORTRAN programming*) demonstrate an ability to understand and construct simple FORTRAN programs;
• (numerical methods*) demonstrate how to process quantitative data and assess the significance of the results obtained; demonstrate the numerical methods used to model chemical processes;
• (practical electronic structure calculations*) calculate a range of molecular properties using an electronic structure package, and judge the quality of published calculations.

• Construct risk assessments for proposed research in collaboration with project supervisor;
• Show skill in designing a poster presentation of the project that will communicate key aspects clearly and concisely;
• Construct a well-structured written proposal or report and deliver a clear oral presentation, appreciating the level of presentation appropriate for the target audience.
• Demonstrate an awareness of the role of professional chemists in industry, the factors driving industrial research and productivity and the responsibilities of industrial chemists in responding to the needs of society.

• After completing the module students should be able to: search the scientific literature using both paper-based and online facilities.
• use specialist databases.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Facts and new concepts are introduced in the lecture courses.
• Practical computing helps the students to gain hands-on experience of computer packages or programming and information retrieval.
• Courses on presentation skills give an insight into presenting results in various different media.
• The information retrieval assignment tests students' abilities to search the scientific literature and use specialist databases.
• The ability to deliver a clear oral presentation, appreciating the level of presentation appropriate for the target audience is tested by the summatively assessed presentation.
• The alternative assignments summatively assess the specialised skills developed in the sessions chosen by students according to their research project.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

The seminar and poster display in the Chemistry Research Project will be used to assess information retrieval and presentational skills.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University