Module BIOL4094: Research Project (MBiol)

Department: Biosciences

BIOL4094: Research Project (MBiol)

Prerequisites

• None

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• To carry out a research project in a specific topic on biological sciences to Masters' degree standard.
• To produce a poster and perform an oral presentation to communicate the research undertaken to an audience of peers.
• To write a research proposal in the style of a UKRI research proposal.
• To produce a thesis to Masters' degree standard based on the research project.

Content

• Supervised and self-directed research.
• Self-directed analysis, review of literature, and research proposal, poster, oral presentation and thesis production.

Learning Outcomes

• Knowledge and understanding to Masters' degree level of a selected topic in biological sciences.

• To be able to carry out an independent research-led piece of work in the area of biological sciences, in which qualities such as time management, problem solving, and independence are evident.
• To be able to prepare a thesis on a specialised research topic, reporting on research carried out by the student, in which complex information and detailed argument is presented in a clear and orderly way to a standard suitable for publication with minimal editing.
• To be able to present the results of research in a form accessible to an audience of peers, in the form of a poster and an oral presentation.
• To articulate the broader impact and relevance of the research, the proposed experimental plan and personal training required in the format of a research proposal.

• Literacy, in being able to consult and extract information from printed and online archives.
• Numeracy, in data analysis, statistics and calculation.
• Communication skills, in presenting research proposal, poster, thesis report and oral presentation.
• IT skills, in use of online databases.
• Self-motivation, in self-guided learning, independent work on research proposal, thesis report and poster and oral presentation.
• Time-management, in planning experimental work.
• Academic qualities, such as flexibility, discrimination and resourcefulness, together with personal qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment requiring: i. the exercise of initiative and personal responsibility; ii. decision making in complex and unpredictable contexts; iii. problem posing and problem solving; iv. identification of and respect for empirical data.

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

• Research Project: an extended piece of research, based on academic research being carried out in the Department or the Field. The student has the opportunity to carry out research in a self-directed manner, based on training in generic areas, and on a framework supplied by the project supervisor. The project is assessed by means of a research proposal, a thesis prepared to Masters' degree standard, containing material suitable for publication, and by a poster and an oral presentation based on the student's research.
• Project supervision: the project supervisor will meet with the student for a minimum average 1 hour per week throughout the project and thesis preparation to discuss progress. The project supervisor will also read and criticise a research proposal and thesis draft.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

None

■ 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