Course coordinator
Dr Nick Hudson
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- Gatton
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 4
- Administrative campus
- Gatton
- Coordinating unit
- Agriculture and Food Sustainability School
Design, implementation & presentation of a research project with emphasis on defining the research issue, establishing methodology, undertaking appropriate analysis of data & drawing defensible conclusion.
Students must submit the Research Project Contract by the first Thursday of February for students commencing in semester 1, and the first Thursday of July for students commencing in semester 2 to agriculture@enquire.uq.edu.au.
NOTE: Students completing their project at St Lucia or at an external institute should enrol in the Gatton Internal mode of offer. Contact agriculture@enquire.uq.edu.au for enrolment queries.
Students enrolled into a 2 year Masters program should not enrol into this course until they have completed 16-units of study (2 semesters full-time equivalent)
Students enrolled into a 1.5 year Masters program should not enrol into this course until they have completed 8-units of study (1 semesters full-time equivalent)
In the #4 Graduate Research Project, you have the opportunity to study an Agribusiness/Agriculture/Animal Scienceﾠrelated issue in depth. In consultation with an academic staff member you will develop a research proposal and conduct a systematic literature review or other form ofﾠdesktop research or a case study/analysis as agreed with the supervisor and course coordinator. Upon the completion of your study, you will be given an opportunity to present your research and write a report in the format of a short research communication. This course does not require you to collect primary data.ﾠﾠ
Enrolment in this course
This course has an enrolment permission list in Si-net and only students with an approved Application Learning Contract are allowed to enrol. Students must work with their academic supervisor to complete the Application Learning Contract and submit it by the first Thursday of February to agriculture@enquire.uq.edu.au
If the Application Learning Contract is approved the student will be given permission to enrol in the course.
Course requirements
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
AGRC7045 or AGRC6631
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
AGRC7611
Jointly taught details
This course is jointly-taught with:
- Another instance of the same course
This course shares content and activities with AGRC7400 External in a shared blackboard site.
Course contact
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Writing workshops are timetabled. If you have any concerns regarding your official timetable or course allocations, or there are no suitable class times available, contact Faculty of Science Timetable science.mytimetable@uq.edu.au for advice.
Also, students must schedule meetings (preferably weekly) with their supervisor and ask for feedback as they progress.
Aims and outcomes
To introduce students to the activities involved in carrying out a research project.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Define a problem, state a hypothesis and propose a process for the investigation of the problem.
LO2.
Design and implement a research project, analyse and interpret data, discuss results and draw relevant conclusions.
LO3.
Produce a research report in the form of a potential journal article.
LO4.
Deliver an oral presentation on a defined topic.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Research Project Proposal | 20% |
24/03/2025 2:00 pm |
| Presentation | Research Project Presentation | 20% |
30/05/2025 2:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | In the format of a Short Communication | 60% |
30/05/2025 2:00 pm |
Assessment details
Research Project Proposal
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
24/03/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02
Task description
The research proposal should describe the research problem which can be addressed by reviewing existing literature or secondary data sources in a systematic way, specify its importance and detail the methods to be used and why they are appropriate. The proposal should be no more than 1,000 words. It should contain sufficient information for the supervisor to assess the degree to which the student is familiar with the background and history of the problem and has assessed the strengths and weaknesses of previous work in the area.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Submit an electronic copy either as a word or pdf file via Turnitin to the relevant submission link in the course Blackboard site by the submission deadline. You should also retain an electronic copy of every piece of assessment you submit.
Legal Declaration:
By submitting your work via this website, you formally declare that (1) it is your own original work, and no part of the work has been copied from any other source or person except where due acknowledgement is made; (2) no part of the work has been previously submitted for assessment in this or any other institution; and (3) you have read the Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy (https://policies.uq.edu.au/document/view-current.php?id=149) and understand its implications.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Assessment deadlines are firm and must be met. Late submission without permission or non-submission of assessable work will result in penalties being applied. Late submission of assessment will only be granted for documented medical reasons, accident, bereavement, jury service and other circumstances allowed in the UQ Policies and Procedures Library (PPL).
Submission of an Extension of Assessment Due Date (EADD) should be completed online through your My Requests tab via my.UQ Dashboard before the due date of the assessment item.
Research Project Presentation
- Mode
- Oral, Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
30/05/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L04
Task description
Students are required to submit a 10-minute-long pre-recorded video presentation, twice, via the course Blackboard site.
Students should use appropriate visual aids (e.g. PowerPoint Slides) based on the UQ template to assist your presentation, also clearly showing the presenter's video on the presentation. Research project presentations will be marked by a minimum of two academic staff members.
Students will need to submit their Presentation twice (the same version) because there will be two markers. Therefore, please allow sufficient time on the due date to submit it twice.
Presentation marking criteria, plus an example of presentation slides and a presentation template are available in the course Blackboard site.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
You must submit your Assessment task twice, in the course Blackboard site, via the submission links by the due date and time. You should also retain an electronic copy of every piece of assessment you submit.
Legal Declaration:
By submitting your work via this website, you formally declare that (1) it is your own original work, and no part of the work has been copied from any other source or person except where due acknowledgement is made; (2) no part of the work has been previously submitted for assessment in this or any other institution; and (3) you have read the Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy (https://policies.uq.edu.au/document/view-current.php?id=149) and understand its implications.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Assessment deadlines are firm and must be met. Late submission without permission or non-submission of assessable work will result in penalties being applied. Late submission of assessment will only be granted for documented medical reasons, accident, bereavement, jury service and other circumstances allowed in the UQ Policies and Procedures Library (PPL).
Submission of an Extension of Assessment Due Date (EADD) should be completed online through your My Requests tab via my.UQ Dashboard before the due date of the assessment item.
In the format of a Short Communication
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 60%
- Due date
30/05/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03
Task description
The research project report should be presented in the format of a short communication. The word limit is in the range of 4,000 – 6,000 words.
You are required to discuss the format of your research project report with your supervisor. However, in general, you are required to include the following in your Report:
Title page including research topic
Abstract or Executive Summary
The background and history of the research problem, research gap (s) and aim/purpose of the research,
Research Methodology/Techniques used in collecting, analysing data/literature
Review of literature and analysis of that data
Reflection/discussion of results based on the analysis.
Concluding findings and recommendations based on the analysis/discussion of results
References
Acknowledgement/Appendices – if applicable
The research project report will be marked by two academic staff members. The average of your marks from both markers will be used as your grade. In the event that there is a difference of more than 15% between markers, your report will be sent to an independent marker for assessment and this mark will be used as your final mark for the assessment.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Students should submit either a word or pdf file via Turnitin on the course Blackboard site, via the relevant submission links by the submission deadline. You should also retain an electronic copy of every piece of assessment you submit. Students will need to submit their Report twice (the same version) because there will be 2 markers. Therefore, please allow sufficient time on the due date to submit it twice.
Legal Declaration:
By submitting your work via this website, you formally declare that (1) it is your own original work, and no part of the work has been copied from any other source or person except where due acknowledgement is made; (2) no part of the work has been previously submitted for assessment in this or any other institution; and (3) you have read the Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy (https://policies.uq.edu.au/document/view-current.php?id=149) and understand its implications.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
For students in their final semester: Please be aware that the marking expectations for this assessment are a minimum of 7 days. Please note that extensions to this assessment may delay graduation.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Assessment deadlines are firm and must be met. Late submission without permission or non-submission of assessable work will result in penalties being applied. Late submission of assessment will only be granted for documented medical reasons, accident, bereavement, jury service and other circumstances allowed in the UQ Policies and Procedures Library (PPL).
Submission of an Extension of Assessment Due Date (EADD) should be completed online through your My Requests tab via my.UQ Dashboard before the due date of the assessment item.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 34 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 0-34%ﾠ |
| 2 (Fail) | 35 - 46 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 35-46%ﾠ |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 47 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: 47-49% |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 50-64% |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 65-74% |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 75-84%ﾠ |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 85% - 100%ﾠ |
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Should you fail a course with a grade of 3, you may be eligible for supplementary assessment. Refer to my.UQ for information on supplementary assessment and how to apply.
Supplementary assessment provides an additional opportunity to demonstrate you have achieved all the required learning outcomes for a course.
If you apply and are granted supplementary assessment, the type of supplementary assessment set will consider which learning outcome(s) have not been met.
Supplementary assessment can take any form (such as a written report, oral presentation, examination or other appropriate assessment) and may test specific learning outcomes tailored to the individual student, or all learning outcomes.
To receive a passing grade of 3S4, you must obtain a mark of 50% or more on the supplementary assessment.
Additional assessment information
Please note the following when writing your assignmentsﾠ
You must not re-use past work from previous assessments in your assignments.
Academic Integrity and Plagiarism
All reported work must be done by the individual student. Assignments that look and sound alike will be reported as plagiarism – a serious offence at UQ. Please note the university’s policy on academic integrity and plagiarism which can be accessed at Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy / Document / Policy and Procedure Library
TurnItIn Assignments
Assignments that are required to be submitted through TurnItIn, mustﾠonlyﾠbe uploaded to the assessment specific Turnitin link on the relevant course Blackboard site.ﾠIf you submit any version of your assessment item to any alternative Turnitin link, this is considered cheating, and you will be held liable for this action.ﾠﾠ
Results
Unless specifically indicated by the course coordinator, every attempt will be made to have the results for progressive assessment available within 3 weeks of submission. For items of assessment submitted in the last 2 weeks of the semester, the results will not be available until grades release day. Results and feedback availability will be advised to you by email or announced via the course Blackboard site.ﾠ
Re-mark Applications – refer to the University's Re-mark Policy to check your eligibility
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Other course materials
If we've listed something under further requirement, you'll need to provide your own.
Required
| Item | Description | Further Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| AGRC7400 Blackboard site | http://learn.uq.edu.au/ |
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks |
Not Timetabled |
Teaching and learning modes This course is based on an independent study under the supervision of an academic staff member. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Workshop |
Writing Workshops Writing workshops to assist students in their writing, are timetabled. Learning outcomes: L03 |
Additional learning activity information
Writing workshops are run by the School to help overcome writer's block.
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.