Research Planning and Preparation
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| LIFE4109 | Life Sciences | 4 | 20 | Full Year UK |
- Code
- LIFE4109
- School
- Life Sciences
- Level
- 4
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Full Year UK
Summary
This is a year-long module, but with most of the work being complete by the end of January. The module focuses on the preparing students to engage in substantial independent research in Life Sciences, and is supported by lecture content in Research Presentation Skills (C14705). Students choose a research topic from a list provided the previous academic year, and are allocated an individual research supervisor accordingly. In regular meetings, student and supervisor discuss relevant research literature and design a practical research project addressing a specific hypothesis. Assessment is via a poster presentation outlining the proposed research project and a substantial research proposal.
Target Students
4th year students taking their project in the School of Life Sciences and Natural Sciences. Only available to Year 4 students.
Classes
This module may be delivered through lectures, seminars, workshops and labs etc
Assessment
- 70% Coursework 1: 12 page grant proposal
- 30% Presentation: Poster - (based on research project)
Assessed by end of spring semester
Educational Aims
This module will provide students with an opportunity to use their imagination and research skills to plan and prepare for an original research study. The student will familiarize themselves with, and review in detail, a specific area of the research literature. They will then identify one or more unanswered research questions, and plan a programme of research designed to answer them. During the planning process, students will consider: the feasibility of the proposed work in a specified time period its novelty and timeliness its potential scientific and societal impact the costs involved in the execution of the project the ethical context for the work and contingencies for situations in which the work does not go to plan. By presenting a poster on their research proposal to their peers, students will enhance their presentation skills and will increase their skills in scientific discussions.Learning Outcomes
By preparing and presenting a poster on the planned work of their 4th year project, students will increase their intellectual skills by transferring a project plan in a short-pictured display form that highlights the project background, aims and objectives. In addition, by presenting the poster to their peers, students will enhance their transferable skills by explaining scientific content to the interested public rather than experts in the field.