Please note: Due to alternative arrangements for teaching and
assessment in place from 18 March 2020 to mitigate against the restrictions in
place due to COVID-19, information shown for 2019/20 may not always be accurate.
Please note: you are viewing unit and programme information
for a past academic year. Please see the current academic year for up to date information.
| Unit name |
Research Skills |
| Unit code |
VETSM0042 |
| Credit points |
20 |
| Level of study |
M/7
|
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24)
|
| Unit director |
Dr. Rooney |
| Open unit status |
Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None
|
| Co-requisites |
None
|
| School/department |
Bristol Veterinary School |
| Faculty |
Faculty of Health Sciences |
Description including Unit Aims
The aim of this unit is to provide students with an advanced training in research methods that will prepare them for their forthcoming research project (VETSM0040) and any future research that they may pursue. The unit will introduce how to:
- search for and review the scientific literature
- generate hypotheses and meaningful research questions
- work as a group and individually to design and plan rigorous scientific studies
- write grant proposals to generate potential funding
- source, analyse and interpret qualitative and quantitative data, including the use of statistical software
- present results in a clear and unambiguous manner
- write technical reports and scientific research papers, including citing references and avoiding plagiarism
- incorporate ethical and Health and Safety principles into study design, and prepare risk assessments
Intended Learning Outcomes
On completing this unit students should be able to demonstrate that they have acquired a research skills platform which will allow them to carry out independent research. In particular, they should be able to:
- articulate research questions
- design and plan a research project
- research, digest and critique the scientific literature
- source, manage and correctly analyse and interpret data
- give a clear and effective oral presentation
- understand health and safety principles, and ethical considerations
Teaching Information
This unit will involve a mixture of lectures, case studies, plenary discussions and presentations. Practical sessions in a computer laboratory will provide the opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience using electronic search engines, bibliographic tools and statistical software.
Assessment Information
The student’s performance on this unit will be assessed using:
- an oral and poster presentation by each student describing and critiquing the research methodology used to solve a wildlife research problem, sourced from the scientific literature (40%).
- a written grant proposal introducing and justifying the forthcoming independent research project (60%).
Reading and References
The following are some examples of basic texts - others will be recommended by the individual tutors during their teaching sessions:
- Cottrell, S. (2005) Critical Thinking Skills: Developing Effective Analysis and Argument. Palgrave Macmillan.
- Davies, W.M. (2008) Study Skills for International Postgraduates. Palgrave Macmillan.
- Dytham, C. (2010) Choosing and Using Statistics: A Biologist’s Guide. (3rd ed.) Wiley-Blackwell.
- Hughes, P. & Ferrett, E. (2011) Introduction to Health and Safety at Work. (5th ed.) Butterworth-Heinemann
- Pears, R. & Shields, G. (2005) Cite Them Right: The Essential Guide to Referencing and Plagiarism (6th Ed.). Pear Tree Books.
- Wallace, M. & Wray, A. (2011) Critical reading and writing for postgraduates. Sage Publications Ltd.
