Unit information: MRes Phase 1 Research Project in 2012/13

Unit name	MRes Phase 1 Research Project
Unit code	EASCM1006
Credit points	60
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director	Professor. Vance
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
School/department	School of Earth Sciences
Faculty	Faculty of Science

Description including Unit Aims

This unit provides supported learning that builds on the broad overview provided in the taught component of the MRes programme. The focus is on the specific topic areas of the planned research projects, with supervision of the work by the eventual project supervisor. It develops foundational research competence and a suite of highly transferable skills, equipping the students to embark on their independent Masters dissertation projects. The specific activities in this unit will be determined and guided by the particular research project planned. But key activities might be the development of statistical and scientific literature synthesis skills, data collation, the investigation of analytical methodology, or the selection and coding of models for research projects. The students will prepare a critical literature review and report on their data collation and methodology development, as the basis for the analysis and interpretation to be carried out in the subsequent dissertation project.

The students will prepare a report that:

• presents a critical review of the existing literature;

• details the results of any data collation, methodology development etc;

• and outlines a research plan as the basis for the work to be carried out in the subsequent dissertation project.

The aims of this unit are:

• to develop students' ability to formulate a research problem and to plan a programme of research to address that problem;

• to familiarise students with specific research tools (analytical, numerical, modelling) in Earth System science that can be used to address specific research questions;

• to instruct and support students in the sourcing, handling and management of background material and relevant published data;

• to develop competence in the synthesis of this information in a coherent written report;

• to provide a skills platform for independent research.

Intended Learning Outcomes

On successful completion, students will:

• have experience in the coherent formulation of a research problem in the context of previous work;

• be able to plan a programme of enquiry that addresses research problems, choosing appropriate analytical or computational tools;

• have the skills needed to thoroughly research the background to a research topic in such a way as to elucidate the key steps in advancing our understanding of it;

• have gained experience in producing a clear synthesis of the background material and proposed methodologies, both on paper and in oral presentation;

• have acquired a knowledge and understanding of scientific practice.

Teaching Information

The unit will be assessed through a written report that should: (i) present a

Assessment Information

The unit will be assessed through a written report that should: (i) present a critical review of the existing literature; (ii) detail the results of any data collation, methodology development etc; (iii) and outline a research plan as the basis for the work to be carried out in the subsequent dissertation project.

The report should consist of a maximum of 15 pages for all the text, and in addition have:

• a title page (name, project title, programme of study, date of submission)

• a one page abstract

• figures and tables with captions

• references

All written work submitted for this project must be word-processed and submitted on A4 paper of laser print quality. The text should be formatted with 2.5 cm margins on all sides, 12 pt font and 1.5 line spacing, except for reference lists, which should be single-spaced. Pages should be numbered and in single column format. Numbered figures and tables should have informative captions.

The use of well-presented and well-organised printed appendices or attachment of data on CD or DVD format is allowed, and will not be counted within the specified page limit. However, note that appendices are for archiving data or detailed descriptions of methods etc. for future users of the report, and will not contribute to the dissertation mark. All illustrations, data, tables and method descriptions that are needed to support your project must be in the main text.