| Unit name | Biomedical Sciences Research Skills |
|---|---|
| Unit code | MVSF30001 |
| Credit points | 40 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Carazo Salas |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
N/A |
| Co-requisites |
4 x 20cp level 6/H lecture units offered by the schools of Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience. |
| School/department | Life Sciences Faculty Office |
| Faculty | Faculty of Life Sciences |
Students will carry out a laboratory, literature, computer-based or school-based education research project in an area of current interest in biomedical sciences. The Introduction to the project dissertations will require a review of the relevant primary scientific literature. Students will be able to evaluate and discuss the key research papers underlying their project. Students doing laboratory projects will learn experimental skills and to disseminate their results in a written dissertation, an oral presentation. All students will learn to assess the scientific literature and will evaluate whether appropriate conclusions have been drawn. The literature interpretation exam will assess the students' ability to read and interpret data, figures and tables presented in the biomedical sciences literature.
The unit aims to allow students to develop the skills necessary to carry out a research project in the field of biomedical sciences. They will read, analyse and interpret scientific data presented in the literature.
Knowledge and understanding of a specific area of modern biomedical sciences, including understanding of the scientific literature pertaining to the project and an ability to evaluate this literature critically.
Knowledge and understanding of design, execution and analysis of research projects.
The ability to reason; analyse and interpret data; identify and solve problems; exercise independence of mind; form and defend scientific judgements.
Transferable skills including the ability to communicate in writing and orally; be self-reliant and organise time effectively; work as a group member where appropriate; take appropriate decisions when needed; an appropriate level of numeracy and IT skill; plan, execute and interpret the results of experimental work; and manage a research project.
Laboratory project or literature- or bioinformatics computer-based project work.
Specific instruction on data and literature interpretation will be given within the co-requisite level H/6 units.
Students will be given the opportunity to gain formative feedback on their performance on practice questions.
There will be two assessed components:
1) Project (counting 75% of the unit mark)
2) Literature interpretation exam (counting 25% of the unit mark)
Project
All students will present a 10-minute project talk, with 5 minutes for questions, which will be summatively assessed (counting 10% towards the final project mark), with formative feedback.
Laboratory or literature project
- a dissertation of 8,000 words, to include a 3,000-word introductionOr
Laboratory research plus short literature project
- laboratory research project with a 5,000-word dissertation, plus a short literature project with a 3,000-word dissertation.Or
University Ambassadorial Scheme (teaching project)
- a dissertation of 8,000 words, to include a 3,000-word introduction
Formative feedback will be provided on drafts of the Introduction and Results or Analysis Sections.
The Level 6/h Project is marked by the Supervisor and another Assessor:
Laboratory-based projects
| Initiative and Industry | 5% (supervisor mark) |
| Technical Ability | 5% (supervisor mark) |
| Abstract | 5% |
| Introduction | 30% |
| Materials and Methods | 5% |
| Results | 15% |
| Discussion | 15% |
| Presentation of the Dissertation | 10% |
| Project Talk | 10% |
Literature Projects
| Initiative and Industry | 5% (supervisor mark) |
| Originality/ Independence of Approach | 5% (supervisor mark) |
| Abstract | 5% |
| Introduction | 15% |
| Scope | 15% |
| Detail | 15% |
| Conclusions/ Analysis | 20% |
| Presentation of the Dissertation | 10% |
| Project Talk | 10% |
Laboratory research plus short literature project
| Laboratory Research | |
| Initiative and Industry | 2.5% (supervisor mark) |
| Technical Ability | 2.5% (supervisor mark) |
| Abstract | 5% |
| Introduction | 10% |
| Materials and Methods | 5% |
| Results | 15% |
| Discussion | 15% |
| Presentation of the Dissertation | 5% |
| Literature project | |
| Initiative and Industry | 2.5% (supervisor mark) |
| Originality/ Independence of Approach | 2.5% (supervisor mark) |
| Abstract | 2.5% |
| Introduction | 5% |
| Research and Understanding | 7.5% |
| Critical Ability | 5% |
| Presentation of the Dissertation | 5% |
| Project Talk | 10% |
University Ambassadorial Scheme (teaching projects)
| Initiative | 5% (supervisor mark) |
| Technical Ability | 5% (supervisor mark) |
| Teaching and Ambassadorial skills (description, evaluation and reflection on teaching and ambassadorial activities) | 20% |
| Abstract | 5% |
| Introduction | 20% |
| Materials and Methods | 5% |
| Results | 15% |
| Discussion | 10% |
| Presentation of the Dissertation | 5% |
| Project Talk | 10% |
Literature interpretation exam
Summative 2.5 hour written literature interpretation exam, students will answer one question from a selection on the exam paper.
Reviews and primary articles from the current scientific literature relevant to the project.
