Research Design (GEOS6001)

Course overview

Development of research proposal for honours year through active participation in a workshop style class which covers all aspects of research design, implementation, management and communication. The activities covered directly contribute to developing a viable honours proposal and effective working relationship with your Honours Advisor.

(Formally ENVM4008 - Science & the Environment)

This course provides a transition between undergraduate training and the research required for an honours orﾠpostgraduate thesis or dissertation as part of Honours, Masters or Doctoral research in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences.

Our approach is to provide the knowledge and skills you require for effective research design and management so you can successfully complete your proposal and thesis work. The course deals with the practical aspects of proposal design and writing, thesis construction and academic writing, along with skills generic to research and general project design, implementation, scientific communication and management.

We recognise our graduates will work in a range of professional settings and this course is designed to provide skills and knowledge for you to establish the role and career path you wish to follow.

Course objectives:

1. To develop an understanding of the nature of scientific and non-scientific research in earth sciences, geography, planning, environmental science and environmental management, and the necessity for project design, time management and effective communication.

2. To develop skills to enable you to identify a significant research or applied problem, and then obtain relevant literature and design a research or project methodology to collect and analyse data for addressing the problem. The research design and implementation stage will involve selection and critical assessment of relevant literature, development of appropriate data collection and analysis strategies, formulation of research objectives and hypotheses, generation of task lists and project timelines, communication skills and identification of limitations and outputs from the research process.

This course is co-taught between GEOS6001 and GEOS7001.

Course requirements

Assumed background

Prerequisites

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

Permission Head of School

Recommended prerequisites

We recommend completing the following courses before enrolling in this one:

Undergraduate degree

Incompatible

You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:

ENVM4008 and ERTH6701

Restrictions

Head of School permission

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Aims and outcomes

1 - To provide an introduction to the process of research design and implementation leading to the development of a proposal and timeline for completion of your thesis/report.

2 - To develop critical thinking skills that can be applied to analysis of research from a broad range of topic areas.

3 - To learn to effectively communicate scientific information through written communication, oral presentation and small group discussions.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.

Assessment details

3MT-style presentation

• Hurdle
• Identity Verified
• In-person

Mode

Activity/ Performance, Oral

Category

Performance, Presentation

Weight

30%

Due date

To be delivered in class in Teaching Week 4

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Submission guidelines

The presentation to be delivered in class in Teaching Week 4. The classroom location will be provided to students via Blackboard closer to the presentation date.

Deferral or extension

You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.

This assessment is in-person presentation. If you are unable to attend the presentation as scheduled, please contact your Course Coordinator to explore any alternative support they may be able to provide.

Literature review

Mode

Written

Category

Paper/ Report/ Annotation

Weight

30%

Due date

10/10/2025 2:00 pm

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03

Task description

Submission guidelines

Online submission by Turnitin only by the due date and time. No hard copy or assignment cover sheets required.

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.

You are required to submit assessable items on time. If you fail to meet the submission deadline for any assessment item, then 10% of the maximum possible mark for the assessment item (the assessment ‘marked from’ value) will be deducted as a late penalty for every day (or part day) late after the due date.

For example, if you submit your assignment 1 hour late, you will be penalised 10%; if your assignment is 24.5 hours late, you will be penalised 20% (because it is late by one 24-hour period plus part of another 24-hour period).

Two-page research proposal (EOI-style)

Mode

Written

Category

Essay/ Critique

Weight

25%

Due date

31/10/2025 2:00 pm

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L04, L05, L06

Task description

Submission guidelines

Online submission by Turnitin only by the due date and time. No hard copy or assignment cover sheets required.

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.

You are required to submit assessable items on time. If you fail to meet the submission deadline for any assessment item, then 10% of the maximum possible mark for the assessment item (the assessment ‘marked from’ value) will be deducted as a late penalty for every day (or part day) late after the due date.

For example, if you submit your assignment 1 hour late, you will be penalised 10%; if your assignment is 24.5 hours late, you will be penalised 20% (because it is late by one 24-hour period plus part of another 24-hour period). 

Seminar notes

Mode

Written

Category

Notebook/ Logbook, Reflection

Weight

15%

Due date

31/10/2025 4:00 pm

Learning outcomes

L01

Task description

Submission guidelines

Online submission by Turnitin only by the due date and time. No hard copy or assignment cover sheets required.

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 below for information relating to extension 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.

You are required to submit assessable items on time. If you fail to meet the submission deadline for any assessment item, then 10% of the maximum possible mark for the assessment item (the assessment ‘marked from’ value) will be deducted as a late penalty for every day (or part day) late after the due date.

For example, if you submit your assignment 1 hour late, you will be penalised 10%; if your assignment is 24.5 hours late, you will be penalised 20% (because it is late by one 24-hour period plus part of another 24-hour period). 

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Additional course grading information

Assessment Hurdle

In order to pass this course, you must meet the following requirements (if you do not meet these requirements, the maximum grade you will receive will be a 3):

You must obtain 50% or more on the 3MT-style presentation.

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 the UQ website 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 to Assessment Due Dates

Read the information contained in the following links carefully before submitting an application for extension to assessment due date.

For guidance on applying for an extension, information is available here: https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/manage-my-program/exams-and-assessment/applying-assessment-extension

For the policy relating to extensions, information is available here (Part D): https://policies.uq.edu.au/document/view-current.php?id=184

Please note the University's requirements for medical certificates here: https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/manage-my-program/uq-policies-and-rules/requirements-medical-certificates

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.

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 for Students Policy and Procedure

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