Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

A research project is taken at the end stage of the LS96 course and enables you to develop detailed expertise in one area of research related to biotechnology. It usually enables specialisation in a research field but may also be taken in some clinical speciality area as approriate.

Aims

This postgraduate unit is specifically designed to develop and refine your generic and high order academic skills and attributes, scientific research hands-on skills, your information retrieval and communication skills. You will be expected to work semi-independently with minimal supervision.

Objectives

After having completed this unit, you should be able to:

1. Conduct a thorough and critical review of an area of literature.
2. Design and develop an area of research independently.
3. Conduct a series of experiments that lead to a logical conclusion.
4. Analyse the data obtained and to draw relevant conclusions.
5. Write up the research work in the style of a scientific journal for publication.

Content

No formal content is needed since this unit involves compilation and analysis of information and data that will assist in the writing of a comprehensive and critical review of the literature and hands-on research project work that will be written-uport according to prescriptive guidelines.

You should select your area of research investigation from those offered by research groups internal (e.g., IHBI) or external (e..g., MMRI or QIMR) to QUT or from projects that maybe available at your place of employment, if applicable. In conjunction with your supervisor(s), you will then define the problem to be addressed and how best to achieve these goals.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

You will work mainly in an independent manner, but under the overall supervision of your research group (or workplace) supervisor(s) with assistance as needed by tthe unit coordinator. You are expected to prepare (early) drafts of the literature review and final research paper for feedback from your supervisor(s) well prior to a submission deadline.

Assessment

Full descriptive details of assessments, assessment criteria, expectations, timelines, late submission penalties, etc. together with useful advices to compiling and writing both the literature review and project report are provided to you in the ¿Guide¿ document available on Blackboard.You will have the opportunity to gain feedback regarding your performance by making an appointment with the unit coordinator at a mutually convenient time. Assessors usually also provide feedback directly to you.

Assessment name: Literature Review
Description: Compiling and writing a critical review of the literature according to prescriptive guidelines (Summative)
Relates to objectives: 1, 2
Weight: 35%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 5 or 6

Assessment name: Research Paper
Description: Compiling and writing a research report according to prescriptive guidelines (Summative)
Relates to objectives: 3,4,5
Weight: 65%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 14 or 15

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

Texts:

The students would be expected to read, review and summarise in the order of 50-100 journal articles to support the area under investigation.

Risk assessment statement

There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 08-Oct-2012