Research Project 1

BIOL66121 Research Project 1 30 Semester 1 Postgraduate Taught Level 6 Andreas Prokop Unit coordinator Janine Lamb Unit coordinator John Curtin Unit coordinator Guoqing Xia Unit coordinator Joe Swift Unit coordinator School of Biological Sciences School of Medical Sciences Pharmacy 1 FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' Masters/Integrated Masters P4 ' European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 15.0 The initial part of Research Project 1 is a supervised literature review on an important current research topic in the field. The second part of the unit will involve students formulating a research proposal that arises from their literature studies and describes their future experimental work.   Research Project 1 provides an opportunity to delve deeply into a biomedical topic of the future research project. The starting point for the project will usually be a topic defined by your supervisor. Your supervisor will provide you with a brief outline of the topic and some starter references. At this stage, you will usually not be given specific project aims as you are intended to develop a hypothesis and aims during the research proposal aspect of the unit. During the first 10 weeks of the unit you will focus on the literature review. You will need to read the background and history of the problem, critically examine previous research that has been reported in the literature, consider the relevant molecular, cellular and tissue level processes, and any clinical implications. Your supervisor will help you to fill gaps in your basic knowledge, depending on your background. The methods you learn in the practical skills unit and techniques workshops, and your tutorial and seminar work will all help you to better understand the concepts and methodologies you will later use. During the work on your literature review, you will have regular progress meetings with your supervisor.  When the literature review is well-advanced and you have introduced yourself to the scientific context, you will prepare a research proposal to address a hypothesis you generate based on the gaps in knowledge identified during the literature review. Your proposal should be for a 6-month project which usually is the project that you will carry out. Developing a proposal is an essential skill for researchers, for example when writing applications to apply for research funds by convincing an independent body that the research will be worth the investment. It also provides you with a clear focus and direction for your own experimental work.Your engagement during Research Project 1 will have a major impact on your performance during your actual project work which will benefit from good background knowledge and understanding.  <o:p></o:p> The aims of Research Project 1 are to train students in strategies<ul><li>for literature searches and information management with the aim of identifying relevant literature and data sources.</li><li>of critical resource analysis.</li><li>to identify important questions, formulate respective hypotheses and design experiments to address them.</li><li>to plan and organise written reports.</li><li>to plan and generate appropriate illustrations and their legends.</li><li>of appropriate scientific referencing.</li><li>of effective communication with other researchers (here your supervisor).</li><li>of effective time management. <o:p></o:p></li></ul> Students should be able to... <ul><li>Grasp the scientific context of their future experimental project.</li><li>undertake background work to provide themselves with the intellectual foundations for a full understanding of their chosen area, especially where interdisciplinarity demands a wider frame of reference than former training might have required.  </li><li>report on the current state of research in a chosen area.  </li></ul> Identify and isolate basic scientific and translational concepts of the area of their chosen MSc programme.<ul><li>extract gaps in scientific fields and formulate questions to address them which can be turned into scientific strategies.  </li><li>report on the current state of research in a chosen area. </li></ul> <ul><li>use library, electronic and online resources  </li><li>use reference managing software  </li><li>develop appropriate illustrative materials for a report</li></ul> <ul><li>synthesise, analyse and store data and information including the application of statistics and the use of relevant software.</li><li>demonstrate the ability of critical thinking, including abstraction, analysis, critical judgement and the ability to formulate testable hypotheses.</li><li>pose a problem and frame it in a fashion that is amenable to solution.</li><li>apply communication skills in written and spoken form, including the use of illustrations, electronic media and constructive dialogue with peers and supervisors.</li><li>use software and/or online applications for word processing, to generate illustrations, manage references, databases, spreadsheets and presentations.</li><li>make efficient use of library, electronic and online resources.</li><li>plan time effectively, apportioning efforts to literature research and writing in a well-balanced way, while undertaking other essential course activities</li><li>meet agreed informal and formal deadlines for written assignments.</li><li>use effective word processing  </li><li>improve their own learning through planning, monitoring, critical reflection, evaluation and altering strategies  </li><li>manage obtained data, samples and resource materials.</li><li>make a written presentation using language appropriate to a specialist readership</li><li>collect and integrate evidence to formulate a research hypothesis  </li></ul> Awareness of professional standards and work ethics. Analytical skills Demonstrate analytical skills and critical evaluation. Research Demonstrate research experience and project ownership. <ul><li>Participation in training sessions on relevant strategies of literature review and report organisation provided by unit coordinators</li><li>Regular consultations and email exchanges with supervisor(s) starting with a project orientation meeting and starter references.  </li><li>Regular informal contacts with research staff with overlapping interests.</li><li>How to distinguish 'I don't understand this' from 'the answer is not known', leading to the identification of an important unsolved problem.  </li><li>Constructive feedback to improve your scientific writing. <o:p></o:p></li></ul> 0 Other 50% 4 Dissertation 50% <ul><li>Combined literature review & project proposal (≤ 6000 words; 50% of mark; assessed by supervisor / 2nd marker); submitted by end of January  </li><li>Upload of 7 min recorded presentation followed by a 20 min viva (50% of mark; assessed by supervisor / 2nd marker); before end of January  </li></ul> <ul><li>Formative feedback is provided by a supervisor for the written assignment:  <ul><li>a detailed plan of the written assignment for organisation</li><li>a few-page excerpt of the written assignment for academic writing style  </li></ul></li><li>Further feedback through comments and discussions during the viva  </li></ul> N Students will receive starter references relevant to their research projects from their Supervisor(s). 0 0 300