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Course profile

Research Topic (GEOS3400)

Study period
Summer 2024
Location
St Lucia
Attendance mode
In Person

Course overview

Study period
Summer Semester, 2024 (25/11/2024 - 08/02/2025)
Study level
Undergraduate
Location
St Lucia
Attendance mode
In Person
Units
2
Administrative campus
St Lucia
Coordinating unit
The Environment School

Individual research projects in particular specialised aspects offered by staff members in their fields of interest. Departmental consent is required. Prior to obtaining consent, intending students must discuss their project with, and obtain agreement to supervise that project from, an appropriate member of academic staff. A consent form must be completed and submitted for approval before enrolment will be permitted.

This is a research-based course where a student investigates in detail a topic defined by the student in conjunction with their academic supervisor. The purpose of this course is to allow students to develop a deeper understanding of key issues in the fields of their studies that interest them.


It is the responsibility of the student to identify a supervisor with expertise in their chosen topic and negotiate details of the research project with the supervisor. Supervisor availability is not guaranteed, as supervision of research projects is in demand. Students are advised to contact potential supervisors well in advance of the semester in which they plan to enrol.


Prior to the semester of commencement and once the student and supervisor agree on a topic, students will need to submit a completed special topics permission form online in order to obtain permission to enrol. The form is available atᅠᅠhttps://environment.uq.edu.au/current-students/apply-research-project.


*Make sure you have selected the correct course. The School offers a range of courses carrying different unit values (which reflect the scale and scope of the research) and durations. Read the information at https://environment.uq.edu.au/envm-coded-research-courses-postgraduate-students to choose the most suitable research course.

Course requirements

Assumed background

Completion of 2 years undergraduate study ; Content specific assumed background - consult supervisor.

Prerequisites

You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:

Permission of Head of School

Course contact

Course staff

Course administrator

Timetable

Additional timetable information

There are no timetabled classes for this course. Contact with your academic supervisor should be discussed and arranged during your initial supervision discussions.

Guidance on workloads: As a two (2) unit course it would be expected that a workload of around 10 hours per week of self-directed learning would be the norm.

Aims and outcomes

The course aims are:
* To enable advanced students to pursue in-depth study in a chosen research field;
* To enhance students’ capacity for independent research;
* To enable students to acquire research skills appropriate to an area of specialisation.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

LO1.

Demonstrate enhanced content knowledge in the chosen research field

LO2.

Demonstrate skill in independently accessing relevant information resources

LO3.

Demonstrate high-level information synthesis skills

LO4.

Demonstrate enhanced data base access and interrogation skills (if applicable)

LO5.

Demonstrate enhanced field research skills (if applicable)

LO6.

Demonstrate enhanced laboratory research skills (if applicable)

LO7.

Demonstrate enhanced skills in critical thinking and/or logical analysis

LO8.

Demonstrate enhanced written and/or oral communication skills

Assessment

Assessment summary

Category Assessment task Weight Due date
Paper/ Report/ Annotation Research Proposal 20%

20/12/2024 2:00 pm

Paper/ Report/ Annotation Final report 80%

3/02/2025 2:00 pm

Assessment details

Research Proposal

Mode
Written
Category
Paper/ Report/ Annotation
Weight
20%
Due date

20/12/2024 2:00 pm

Learning outcomes
L01, L02, L03, L08

Task description

In no more than 2000 words (maximum total length), prepare a proposal outlining:

  • the background to the intended research;
  • the research question, aims and objectives;
  • the research methods;
  • the expected outcomes;
  • the significance of the research and its contribution to new knowledge;
  • the budget for the research and funding sources, if applicable.


This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.

A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.

Submission guidelines

Electronic submission via turnitin. You will also need to negotiate with your academic supervisor what format they require for feedback and grading.
Students are advised to ensure their academic supervisor is available to provide feedback and grading on their proposal to ensure progress to complete the project on time.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

See the Additional assessment information section further below for information relating to extension and deferral applications

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 report

Mode
Written
Category
Paper/ Report/ Annotation
Weight
80%
Due date

3/02/2025 2:00 pm

Learning outcomes
L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08

Task description

Details of the report format should be negotiated between the student and academic supervisor, in consideration of the marking criteria. Word limit approx 6000 maximum.


This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.

A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.

Submission guidelines

Electronic submission via turnitin. You will also need to negotiate with your academic supervisor what format is required for final grading.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

See the Additional assessment information section further below for information relating to extension and deferral applications

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.

Supplementary assessment is available

 Courses graded 1-7

 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

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. 


PLAGIARISMᅠwill not be tolerated: 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:ᅠPlagiarism 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.



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.

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Learning period Activity type Topic
Multiple weeks
Not Timetabled

Project

No formal classes; self-directed learning.
Contact by arrangement with supervisor.

Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08

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:

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.