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Becoming a Bioscientist: Research in Action - BIO00066I

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  • Department: Biology
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. Amanda Barnes
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: I
  • Academic year of delivery: 2024-25
    • See module specification for other years: 2023-24

Module summary

In this module, students will draw together many of the elements from the previous skills modules to perform a guided research project in an area of bioscience related to their degree programme. The project will involve the collection and analysis of experimental data, complemented with instruction in the analysis and interpretation of a related big data set of high throughput data. The results of the research studies will be presented in a scientific report, using appropriate graphical methods to present data with a concise review of the research area using scientific literature to introduce and discuss the wider context of the research study.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 2 2024-25

Module aims

The aim of the module is to practise and extend the use of scientific approaches and experimental methods to investigate a discipline specific bioscience research question. The module will extend student capability in laboratory techniques, R, statistical approaches and data handling skills that will be relevant to a variety of other modules and prepare students to complete independent research projects in stage 3 and 4. Students will perform a series of experiments using bioscience techniques relevant to the research area, to generate results which can be integrated together to address a hypothesis. In addition to laboratory experiments, which concentrate on collecting small data sets, concepts required to understand and interpret related big data sets will be taught in workshops. Students will use the big data sets to support the hypothesis addressed. The module will also enable students to improve their skills in exploring and analysing scientific literature, which will be communicated alongside the analysis of all data, in the research report. Students will also reflect on the development of their personal attributes and transferable skills, throughout all skills modules, in a reflective piece of writing.

Module learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this module will be able to:

Describe and carry out multiple discipline specific specialised techniques to address a research question

Demonstrate how different experimental approaches can be used in combination to address different biological questions

Design the preprocessing, analysis and visualistion of univariate and multivariate data generated with some degree of automation.

Use R to perform these analyses, reproducibly, on data in a variety of formats and present the results graphically

Interpret combined experimental results in the context of the wider literature to communicate findings to a scientific audience

Reflect on personal attributes and skills developed during a discipline specific research project

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Coursework : Scientific Report		 N/A 80
Essay/coursework
Reflection : Reflective piece		 N/A 20

Special assessment rules

None

Reassessment

None

Module feedback

Marks for all summative assessments will be made available to you and your supervisor via e:vision. Feedback will be either individual or cohort-level, depending on the assessment format. You should take the opportunity to discuss your marks and feedback with your supervisor.

For exam-style summative assessment, model answers will be provided for all questions along with cohort-level feedback indicating how students answered questions in general. Marks achieved per question will be added to your script.

For coursework assessments (eg. reports or essays) you will receive individual feedback on your work. This will usually be in the form of a feedback sheet that will include suggestions for further improvement.

During the teaching of the module you will receive formative feedback that may be at a whole class or individual level. Such feedback may include: model answers and discussion of workshop questions, summaries of performance in practicals, VLE-based quizzes, individual spoken comments during workshops, individual written comments on formative work.

Indicative reading

These are available through the VLE module site.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.