Course coordinator
Professor Salit Kark
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- The Environment School
Students undertaking this course will have a unique opportunity to develop core research skills relevant to a wide spectrum of biological research, including written and oral communication, skills in making scientific observations, and recording and analysing data by participating in an individual or group research project associated with a discipline of interest to them.
Please apply for permission to enrol in this course using the ONLINE FORM .
Note: two concurrent research project courses are offered to undergraduate students. SCIE3240 Introduction to Research in Biology (submitting a report and a poster) and SCIE3241 Special Project in Biology (submitting a report and presenting a seminar). You are invited to choose the right course for you.
Students taking this course will have a unique opportunity to develop core research skills relevant to a wide spectrum of biological research by doing a short field, theoretical, modelling or laboratory research project in an area of interest. Typically, the project will involve a small data-gathering or other scientific assignment which is then written up in the form of a short scientific paper (including a title page, abstract, introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion and references sections).
Students must organise a supervisor in advance, who should be an academic staff member from the School of the Environment, before enrolling in this course. The research interests and contact details of potential supervisors can be found on the School of the Environment website.
Students should contact a potential supervisor before the course starts (preferably by email) to determine if they are available and agree to supervise your project. In many cases, the supervisors will propose the area and topic of the project, and if they are unavailable to accept a new student, they may be able to propose alternative supervisors from the school.
NOTE: Academic staff may already be over-committed and unable to supervise student projects, it is advisable to apply and enquire early.
Once a supervisor has agreed to supervise you, the student should complete the online form (see link above) and email senv.admin@uq.edu.au who will ask the supervisor to formally confirm their willingness to be your supervisor You will be notified when you have been given permission to enrol in this course.
More details relating to the course will be discussed in the first meeting of the students with the coordinator at the start of the semester.
Please note:
- Students should have completed at least 4 units of 3rd year courses before enrolling.
- Students can enrol in up to 4 units of project courses throughout their program (students who enrol in more than 2 project courses will be asked to withdraw their enrolment from the third course).
Course requirements
Assumed background
Studentsﾠare recommended to have completed #4 of 3 level courses. It also is assumed that all students will have done level 2 courses which provide an appropriate background to their project. In particular, some component of level 2 laboratory work would be desirable. All students as a minimum must have completed the basic aspects of occupational health and safety issues associated with working in a laboratory. Students should have adequate background in the area of their topic as assessed by the project supervisor and course coordinator.ﾠ
Restrictions
Permission of School of the Environment.
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Professor Salit Kark
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Aims and outcomes
To provide students with an appreciation of rigorous scientific investigation and analysis.
To develop the ability to write on a topic at a level appropriate for entry into a supervised industry, government or research environment.
To develop the students ability to critically and constructively analyse scientific problems and questions.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Design a small experiment/project to test an idea/hypothesis
LO2.
Independently collect and analyse data
LO3.
Perform appropriate statistical analysis and be able to interpret the results
LO4.
Write a scientific report in the format of a scientific paper
LO5.
Design, construct and present a poster that summarizes the key findings of your research and answer questions related to this research
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notebook/ Logbook | Research performance & Record keeping | 25% |
21/10/2024 |
| Project | Research report | 55% |
30/10/2024 2:00 pm
Submit the report via Turnitin |
| Poster | Poster presentation | 20% |
22/10/2024 2:00 pm
Please submit all posters via Turnitin the day before the poster session (which will take place 35-519 for you on 23 October 2024). On the day of the poster session please bring the hard copy printed poster with you. More information will be provided during the course. |
Assessment details
Research performance & Record keeping
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Notebook/ Logbook
- Weight
- 25%
- Due date
21/10/2024
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
The mark for this section will be based on the supervisor's assessment of the student work during the course of the project.
Performance: This practical component of SCIE3240 is an important part of the course and this part of the assessment will focus on the student's overall ability to carry out research. This includes the use of a lab or field notebook, which is an important document to record experimental design and data in a manner that can be easily understood by another person from this area of research. In some cases data may be monitored and stored on electronic devices. It is appropriate for supervisors to modify the criteria depending on the type of project. Please inquire whether your supervisor wishes to modify the criteria. The lab / field / modelling and other logbook, notebooks or agreed electronic records must be submitted to your supervisor on the due date.
Submission guidelines
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.
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
- Project
- Weight
- 55%
- Due date
30/10/2024 2:00 pm
Submit the report via Turnitin
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
Research Project: The research project will usually be undertaken in a research laboratory, as a field study, modelling project or other; the students might work independently or as part of a small research group and will be supervised by an academic staff member from the School of Environment and can have cosupervisors from other schools and organisations. As a guide, it is expected that students will undertake ~100 hours of laboratory/field and library work. This may be undertaken at any time in the semester that is mutually suitable to the student and supervisors.
Report: You will write a detailed report in the same style as a scientific paper (~3500 words in total but not over 4000 words, excluding title, author name, acknowledgements, references, figures, tables and their legends; However, in-text citations are included in the word count). the paper will be is formatted in the style consistent with the requirements of a selected peer reviewed journal, as decided with the student supervisory team. Please add the word count on the first page of your report and the journal the paper is formatted for. You can use the journal's instructions to authors (but do not pass the word count of 4000 words).
You should discuss with your supervisor which journal would be an appropriate outlet in which to publish the type of research that you have done, and identify the journal in your written report.
Your report will be marked by two academics but not by your supervisor.
Acknowledging the contribution of others: if you have done your project with help from other members of the laboratory you are working in, this should be acknowledged on your first page. Collaborations with others is expected in science, but it must be clear to your markers what is your own work. Contributions include: substantial help with acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data, or drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content. If you have been provided with a dataset to analyse, also make this clear in your report (it is sometimes unclear whether the student was given the data or collected it themselves).
Submission guidelines
via Turnitin only, send a copy of the submission to your supervisor by email on the due date or earlier.
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.
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.
Poster presentation
- Mode
- Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia
- Category
- Poster
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
22/10/2024 2:00 pm
Please submit all posters via Turnitin the day before the poster session (which will take place 35-519 for you on 23 October 2024).
On the day of the poster session please bring the hard copy printed poster with you. More information will be provided during the course.
- Learning outcomes
- L05
Task description
Posters are a common way of presenting scientific research at conferences. In the end of course poster session, students will present a poster based on their project research to their peers and supervisors. Ideas on poster presentation will be presented at the poster workshop/ lecture during semester, but students should also seek the advice of their supervisors and obtain feedback before they print their posters. Students will be expected to answer questions relating to their poster and research project but they will not make a formal oral presenation to accompany their poster. Academics attending the SCIE3240 poster session will grade the posters. All students must attend the poster session in person.
Submission guidelines
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.
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% |
Additional course grading information
All Assessment is Compulsory
All required assessment items MUST be completed in order to obtain a passing grade for this course.
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.
Course information
All details relating to course organisation and assessment will be discussed in the first lecture
Students should receive feedback from their supervisors about every aspect of assessment AT LEAST ONCE. However, to be able to provide this, students must organise a meeting with their supervisors and hand in the preliminary work (i.e. draft of research report, draft of poster or notebook in the early stages of the project) early enough so supervisors have sufficient time to give useful feedback.
Attend Lectures: Lectures and workshops will provide a forum for the discussion of the preparation of scientific manuscripts and posters
Research Performance: Student performance during the project will be assessed by the supervisor. Assessment of professionalism, experimental design, conduct of research experiments, enthusiasm, inquisitiveness, writing, and record keeping will all contribute to this mark.
Poster Presentation: Students will present a 10-minute seminar on their research at the SCIE3240 poster session at the end of semester. During the seminar session students will present their work to an audience that consists of supervising academics and other students taking the course. Students are expected to attend all the presentations made by their peers during the seminar session. Presentations will be assessed by the academics attending the seminar session.
Project Report: Students will write a detailed report in the format of a manuscript for submission to selected journal which will be chosen with the supervisor. Students should discuss the selection of a suitable journal with their supervisor and clearly identify this journal when they submit their research report. The report will be marked by two academics from the School of the Environment. Supervisors will NOT mark the reports of their own students.
ﾠ
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE USE (AI)
AI use will be explained by the course coordinator during the introduction session.
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.
Additional learning resources information
See under resources on the subject home page
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 |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (22 Jul - 28 Jul) |
Lecture |
Introduction to the course We will meet on Monday 22 July 2024 at 12:00 pm noon in Goddard 501 to discuss the course Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 11 (07 Oct - 13 Oct) |
Workshop |
Presentation skills Recorded or in person Learning outcomes: L05 |
Week 13 (21 Oct - 27 Oct) |
Seminar |
Poster presentation session Poster presentation session Mandatory 23 October 2024 (12-4 pm) Learning outcomes: L05 |
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.