Unit name | Palaeobiology Analytical Project |
---|---|
Unit code | EASC30048 |
Credit points | 30 |
Level of study | H/6 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
Unit director | Professor. Mike Benton |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
Mandatory units for year 1 and year 2 of either BSc Geology and Biology or MSci Palaeontology and Evolution: EASC10001, BIOL11000, BIOL12000 EASC20007, EASC20024, EASC20026, EASC20029, BIOL20001, BIOL20212 |
Co-requisites |
n/a |
School/department | School of Earth Sciences |
Faculty | Faculty of Science |
The analytical project is a piece of independent research work, carried out under close supervision. Students choose and develop a research theme in discussion with the Unit director / their Tutor. There are three pieces of work, phased through the year: a literature review, a grant application, and a talk, and details and submission dates will be agreed between students and Tutor each session. The aim is to encourage students to think about current research, read widely into the current literature, and learn to present clear and well formulated reviews of research. Further, students will learn how to plan and design an ambitious research project, and to defend it on questioning. The unit is part of the progression in independent work offered through the programme. Students apply numerical and communication skills they have learned in Level 2 to a novel analytical problem.
The principal learning outcome of this unit is for successful learners to think critically, looking at assumptions, experiments and evidence from all perspectives, attempting to derive logically coherent explanations for evidence.
More specifically, on successful completion of the unit you will be able to:
1-1 advice sessions - each student will have three one-hour, one-to-one sessions, at the time of conceiving the project, at the beginning of the Literature Review, and at the beginning of the NERC grant writing.
This unit runs throughout the teaching period; exact timing of the sessions is dependent on the balance of timetabled taught units throughout the four teaching blocks and may vary slightly from year to year, thus timetabling in advance is difficult. Sessions will, generally, be around weeks 3, 12 and 17 but final scheduling will be in agreement with the student.
You will demonstrate your success through the justification for, and design of, a research project. You will also demonstrate the feasibility of the research project by undertaking a proof of concept cameo study. The unit will be assessed through three pieces of work:
(1) a literature review (3,500 word limit; 40%),
(2) a NERC research proposal (8 pages, following NERC rules; 40%), and
(3) a Powerpoint presentation (20%).
Background papers will be identified in discussion with supervisor.