| Unit name | Phase 1 Research Project(natural hazards) |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EASCM1009 |
| Credit points | 60 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Matthew Watson |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
Successful completion of the taught section of the MSc |
| Co-requisites |
n/a |
| School/department | School of Earth Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
This phase aims to develop student skills in devising and planning a research project. The principal objective of Phase 1 is to produce a research proposal that demonstrates an ability to state the problem to be solved, summarise the state of the art, review the literature, and develop a research plan, including methodology, budget and timetable. It develops foundational research competence and a suite of highly transferable skills, equipping students to embark on their independent Masters dissertation projects (Phase 2). The outcome, which forms the basis of assessment, is a document whose structure is based loosely on a research proposal of the type required by UK research councils. The document has no formal length limit, but will typically comprise 20-40 sides of A4, including figures and bibliography. The document should be constructed under the following headings:
i. Statement of the problem to be investigated, in the form of an abstract ii. State of the art and critical review of the available literature. This section can be modeled on Nature-style Review Articles. iii. Summary of research methods to be used and objectives iv. Timetable of the proposed research, with key milestones v. Summary of resources required, including an estimate of costs, where relevant (e.g. fieldwork, visits to collaborators etc) vi. Bibliography, formatted in the style of a scientific journal of choice. vii. Lay summary of the proposed research, aimed at an informed A-level science student.
Examples of section (ii) can be found here: Examples of sections (iii)-(v) and (vii) can be found here ($$examples for Degassing Grant$$). It is anticipated that sections (ii), (iii) and (vi) will form a substantive part of the final dissertation (Phase 2). However, they will not be reassessed in that context.
The aims of this Unit are:
Students will learn through a mix of supported group learning approaches, including seminar discussions, and individual self-directed learning with support from their supervisors. Students are also encouraged to attend and discuss relevant events in the research seminar series of other Bristol departments where hazards and risk research is carried out.
On successful completion, students will have:
Understanding of good scientific practice
Transferable skills include:
Group and individual self-directed learning.
The Phase I Project report will contain: a) a critical literature review; and b) an explanation of model/data selection plus the planned methodology for the independent project.
There is no specific required reading and no common references - each student reads examples of previous submissions as part of their research.
