Students carry out an independent research project on an approved topic under staff supervision. This paper will provide students with the opportunity to experience a research environment and is recommended for those considering postgraduate study in Science. In appropriate cases, the research project may consist of a literature review (or equivalent) instead of experimental work.

Please contact the course coordinator for information on the structure of the paper and for potential supervisors if you have not already approached someone. Note that as projects will be a part of a researcher’s overall research programme, many projects will only be available at specific times. For example, you may need to attend an already scheduled field expedition.

The project MUST be research. Usually this constitutes a field, lab, computer modelling or data analysis exercise. A literature review is not acceptable, but a meta-analysis of literature is. There are 3 pieces of assessment. The plan, the notebook and the project.

The plan: There is a template provided on Moodle. It needs to submitted 3 weeks from the start of semester.

The notebook: You need to keep reflective notes of your research progress. Each page should be dated. You should detail any blocks to progress and make notes of how you overcame them. You should also write clear minutes of each meeting with supervisor. You could include diagrams that help you work through theoretical problems, maps of sampling strategies. This is up to you.

The report: Note that most of the grading goes on the report. There is a rubric provided on Moodle. It will be marked by your supervisor and one other.

You will also need to upload your health and safety plan.

The assessment is entirely based on independent work, which is assessed through a written outline and a report. There are no formal contact hours, and so the student will need to make sure that they stay in regular contact with their supervisor so that they can be guided on the scope and detail required for the assessment.

The total workload expected for this paper is 200 hours, consistent with other 20-point 300-level papers. There are no scheduled lectures but there will be a compulsory introductory session held at the beginning of the course to outline the general expectations and requirements of the paper.

It is acknowledged that as each research project will be unique, the specific workload required will vary for each student. However, the general expectation is that students will spend approximately 100 hours completing experimental work and a further approximately 100 hours preparing their research report.

A detailed logbook should be kept outlining time spent on the project. This must be signed by your research supervisor and submitted with your research report.