Module Information
Course Delivery
Assessment
Due to Covid-19 students should refer to the module Blackboard pages for assessment details
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Research plan (1500 words) | 10% |
| Semester Assessment | Research project (8,000 words) | 80% |
| Semester Assessment | Oral presentation (10 minutes) | 10% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Students must take elements of assessment equivalent to those that led to failure of the module. | 100% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
1. Assess and evaluate information from a range of sources.
2. Identify and apply appropriate techniques of study design and data analysis.
3. Draw out conclusions and discuss these in relation to existing knowledge in the field.
4. Highlight unanswered questions and areas of controversy in their research area and formulate suggestions for future research.
5. Use appropriate writing and IT skills to present the context, data, results and conclusions in a thesis.
6. Identify & present key themes of the research project in the form of an oral presentation.
7. Develop a clear, testable hypothesis.
8. Develop an achievable, safe and ethically sound research plan.
9. Demonstrate the successful acquisition of subject-specific technical skills.
Brief description
The Research project module is a graduating level cap-stone experience building and developing students’ skills and knowledge. The module provides students with the opportunity to perform in-depth research on a topic that is broadly relevant to their degree or their interests. Many projects will be based on laboratory experiments or fieldwork exercises; others may comprise a computer modelling exercise based on secondary data sources. Others again will involve analysis of data obtained from published literature. All projects, regardless of their mode, will require students to work independently under the guidance of a supervisor, to perform a review of literature, conduct investigative work and data analysis, develop suitable conclusions and recommendations, and present this in the form of a Research project.
Content
An introductory lecture in the 1st semester will provide guidance on how to approach the Research project research. In the 2nd semester, optional weekly drop-in clinics will be held to provide advice on specific aspects of the preparation of the Research project.
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | This module will require students to develop general mathematical awareness and its application in practical contexts (e.g. measuring, weighing, or applying formulae), according to the nature of the project. Students will also obtain or interpret mathematical and statistical information. Assessed in the Research Project. |
| Communication | Students undertaking the project will develop effective listening skills during supervisory meetings, assessed in all assignments. Written literacy will also be developed through production of the written elements. Oral communication skills will be developed in production of the research seminar. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | This module will help students develop and apply realistic learning and self- management strategies. Students will devise personal action plans to include short- and long-term goals, and to review and monitor progress, revising action plans as appropriate to improve overall performance, assessed by the Research Plan. |
| Information Technology | Literature searches, analysis of data, presentation of data, and preparation of written and oral elements will require the use of IT. This use of IT will be assessed in the Research project and oral presentation. |
| Personal Development and Career planning | Will develop transferable skills in the evaluation and application of new research findings. |
| Problem solving | This skill is a key component of the module, assessed in the Research Project. Students will be encouraged to critically analyse primary and/or secondary data, identify factors that might influence potential solutions, and apply creative thinking to develop appropriate solutions. |
| Research skills | This is a research-based module that requires students to understand and evaluate a range of research methods and procedures, plan and carry out research, and produce an academic report. Assessed in the Research Project and Research Plan). |
| Subject Specific Skills | Subject-specific skills developed will depend on the research project being undertaken and assessed in the Research Project e.g. training in DNA sequencing and analysis, questionnaire design, behavioural observation, etc. |
| Team work | Not a specific element of this module although some students will be required to work with other members of a laboratory or research group, including other Research project students. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 6