Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 14
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- The Environment School
In the School of the Environment BSc Honours program you will undertake your own research project in a setting of academic excellence in biological research. The program challenges you to make the transition from undergraduate student with set course of study to a postgraduate student actively involved in research and associated activities. During the Honours year you will develop and demonstrate your capabilities for critical thought and independent research within an area of biology. You will learn how to conceive, design, carry out and communicate science. This course includes a research proposal, proposal seminar, research project, final seminar and seminar diaries.
In the School of the Environment BSc Honours program you will undertake your own research project in a setting of academic excellence in biological research. ﾠThe program challenges you to make the transition from undergraduate student with set course of study to a postgraduate student actively involved in research and associated activities.ﾠ During the Honours year you will develop and demonstrate your capabilities for critical thought and independent research within an area of biology.ﾠ You will learn how to conceive, design, carry out and communicate science.ﾠ The Honours program is comprised of two courses: ﾠBIOL6502 (which includes the research proposal, proposal seminar, research project and final seminar) and BIOL6403 (Critical Thinking and Communication in Biological Sciences also includes the seminar diary and attendance).
Course requirements
Assumed background
Students must have been awarded a Bachelors degree and have completed appropriate subjects at third year level.
Restrictions
Enrolment restricted to Bachelor of Science (Honours) students.
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Aims and outcomes
The aim of this course is to encourage the student toﾠdevelop and demonstrate capabilities for critical thought and independent research within an area of biology.ﾠ You will learn how to concieve, design, carry out and communicate science through the development and practice of sound research skillsﾠtogether withﾠthe presentation of your results.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Research project - Demonstrate well-developed practical and theoretical research skills
LO2.
Research project - Formulate hypotheses and test them with appropriate research
LO3.
Research project - Keep detailed written records of all research activities
LO4.
Research project - Present your findings as a research report in the format of a scientific manuscript
LO5.
Research proposal - Summarise and critically appraise literature relevant to your field of study.
LO6.
Research proposal - To identify goals and a explain strategies to achieve these.
LO7.
Research proposal - To understand the methods to be employed in your research and their limitations.
LO8.
Research proposal - To demonstrate the ability to consider time in project planning.
LO9.
Seminars - Listen, read, analyse and critically evaluate scientific information presented in scientific seminars, and actively participate in seminar discussions
LO10.
Seminars - Give clear, concise, organised and accurate oral presentations of your own research within the School and University
LO11.
Seminars - Take successful diary notes during seminars to aid comprehension and recollection of scientific presentations, and to formulate questions for the speaker
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay/ Critique | Research Proposal Seminar | 10% |
Tuesday of Teaching Week 1 in the second semester of the Honours year |
| Presentation | Final project presentation | 20% |
Tuesday and Wednesday of Teaching Week 13 in the second semester of the Honours year. |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Research report | 70% |
To be submitted by 2 pm on Friday in Teaching Week 13 in the second semester of the Honours year. Refer to handbook for more information |
Assessment details
Research Proposal Seminar
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 10%
- Due date
Tuesday of Teaching Week 1 in the second semester of the Honours year
- Learning outcomes
- L02, L05, L06, L07, L08, L09, L10
Task description
Students will give a 10 minute verbal report of their research project, followed by 5 minutes for questions from the audience.
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
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.
Final project presentation
- Mode
- Oral
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
Tuesday and Wednesday of Teaching Week 13 in the second semester of the Honours year.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02
Task description
The purpose of the oral presentation is for students to have the opportunity to share their work in a public forum and feature the highlights of their project. It is important to emphasise that this oral presentation is not intended to be an inquisition; nor is it designed to put the candidate through a rigorous defence of the Thesis. Each student will have about 15 mins to deliver a presentation of their project and answer a few questions from the audience.
Submission guidelines
Tuesday and Wednesday of Teaching Week 13 in the second semester of the Honours year.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
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.
Research report
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 70%
- Due date
To be submitted by 2 pm on Friday in Teaching Week 13 in the second semester of the Honours year. Refer to handbook for more information
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L04, L05
Task description
This is also referred to as a ‘thesis’. Your report should represent your own original work and clearly identify any research or analysis performed by someone else. The research report could be presented in the form of a scientific manuscript or a longer, ‘traditional’ thesis format. Please discuss the format of your thesis/report with your advisor. The length of a thesis may vary but could range between 4000 words to 8000 words. In exceptional circumstances it may exceed 8000 words – this must be discussed with your advisors and the Honours Coordinator, and will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Work counts will exclude abstract, figure and table captions, references, acknowledgement, or appendices.
Submission guidelines
You are required to submit a Word version of your Research Report electronically via TurnItIn. The TurnItIn site can be accessed through the course Blackboard site. You are also required to email a PDF copy of your report to biologyadmin@uq.edu.au.
Please include a word count on the first page of your report and ensure that you keep an electronic copy of every piece of assessment you submit.
A penalty of 2% reduction of the mark per day is applied for late submission of the research report.
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.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The minimum percentage required for this grade is: 0% |
| 2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The minimum percentage required for this grade is: 30% |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: The minimum percentage required for this grade is: 45% |
| 4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The minimum percentage required for this grade is: 50% |
| 5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The minimum percentage required for this grade is: 65% |
| 6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The minimum percentage required for this grade is: 75% |
| 7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The minimum percentage required for this grade is: 85% |
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
Applications for Extensions
Information on applying for an extension can be found here - my.UQ Applying for an extension
Extension applications must be received by the assessment due date and time.
If you are unable to provide documentation to support your application by the due date and time you must still submit your application on time and attach a Word document outlining why you cannot provide the documentation and upload the documentation to the portal within 24 hours.
Please note: While your extension request is being considered, you should work towards completing and submitting your assessment as soon as possible.
If you have been ill or unable to attend class for more than 4 weeks in a semester, we advise you to carefully consider whether you are capable of successfully completing your courses. You might need to consider applying for removal of course. We strongly recommend you seek advice from the Faculty that administers your program.
Extensions with Student Access Plans (SAP)
For extensions up to 7 days, your SAP is all that is required as documentation to support your application. However, extension requests longer than 7 days (for any one assessment item) will require the submission of additional supporting documentation e.g., a medical certificate. A maximum of two applications may be submitted for any one assessment item, unless exceptional circumstances can be demonstrated. All extension requests must be received by the assessment due date and time.
TURNITIN SUBMISSION
Unlike undergraduate courses,you can only submit your assignment ONCE through Turnitin - multiple submissions cannot occur. The Turnitin site will be open on the due date.
Please make sure you submit only the final version through Turnitin
Turnitin submission:
1. Access the Assessment folder on the course Blackboard site
2. Upload an electronic version through Turnitin the assessment Turnitin site
3. You will be sent a receipt, retain the receipt as proof of submission.
A penalty of 2% reduction of the mark per day is applied for late submission of the research report.
PLAGIARISM: You should be aware that the University employs purpose built software to detect plagiarism. It is very important that you understand clearly the practical meaning of plagiarism.
DEFINITION OF PALGIARISM: Plagiarism is the act of misrepresenting as one's own original work the ideas, interpretations, words or creative works of another. These include published and unpublished documents, designs, music, sounds, images, photographs, computer codes and ideas gained through working in a group. These ideas, interpretations, words or works may be found in print and/or electronic media.
EXAMPLES OF PLAGIARISM:
1. Direct copying of paragraphs, sentences, a single sentence or significant parts of a sentence;
2. Direct copying of paragraphs, sentences, a single sentence or significant parts of a sentence with an end reference but without quotation marks around the copied text;
3. Copying ideas, concepts, research results, computer codes, statistical tables, designs, images, sounds or text or any combination of these;
4. Paraphrasing, summarising or simply rearranging another person's words, ideas, etc without changing the basic structure and/or meaning of the text;
5. Offering an idea or interpretation that is not one's own without identifying whose idea or interpretation it is;
6. A 'cut and paste' of statements from multiple sources;
7. Presenting as independent, work done in collaboration with others;
8. Copying or adapting another student's original work into a submitted assessment item.
Your research report cannot contain plagiarised sections. Inform yourself at the University of Queensland websites on plagiarism:
http://www.library.uq.edu.au/training/plagiarism.html,ﾠ http://www.uq.edu.au/hupp/index.html?policy=3.40.12
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE USE (AI)
The assessment tasks in this course evaluate students’ abilities, skills, and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
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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.
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 |
Practical |
Experimental study Practical or theoretical experimental work, under the guidance of an experienced supervisor. |
Practical |
Record Keeping Recording the planning and outcome of experiments in a manner suitable for scientific research. Learning outcomes: L03 |
|
Seminar |
Proposal seminar Students will present a 10 minute seminar with 5 minutes of questions. Learning outcomes: L05, L06 |
|
Seminar |
Final Seminar Presentation of own scientific research in a seminar situation at the end of the honours program Learning outcomes: L10 |
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.