Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- Gatton
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- Gatton
- Coordinating unit
- Veterinary Science School
The content of the course will depend on the area of study selected and the format of the study negotiated with the Honours advisors. You can expect to study a number of issues as core content which can be presented using one or more teaching methods including but not limited to, lectures, seminars, group discussions, case studies, collating and reviewing the literature and other self directed learning.
The generation of concise, relevant and scientifically valid literature reviews is an essential skill for researchers. This course presents students with an opportunity to create a detailed literature review based on information that has direct relevance to the research project being undertaken in their Honours program. Apart from developing skills in literature review writing, it familiarises the student with key conceptual and technical information needed for their on-going research, and allows the Honours supervisor to provide feedback on writing style prior to undertaking thesis writing. The topic selected for the literature review should provide essential background knowledge needed for the Honours research project, and which the student is not likely to have encountered previously through their undergraduate training. Material included in the VETS6640 literature review should be complementary to and provided in more detail than that included in the literature review written as part of the research project thesis – i.e. the VETS6640 review should not be replicated in the thesis literature review, although a scaled-down and re-emphasised version of it is appropriate for inclusion.
You are required to prepare and submit a literature review in a topic that is related to your research project by the end of the 1st semester of enrolment as the Literature Review assists in the development of your research thesis. You will, under supervision, develop your ability to critically analyse scientific literature. Studentsﾠwill submit their literature review at the end of first semester of enrolment. The literature review will allow you to have important feedback on the standard of your scientific writing mid-candidature.
Course requirements
Companion or co-requisite courses
You'll need to complete the following courses at the same time:
VETS6001 and VETS6616 or VETS6617 (or part-time equivalents VETS6628 or VETS6629)
Course contact
Timetable
Additional timetable information
VETS6640 is delivered as entirely self-directed learning therefore you will need to develop a learning contract in conjunction with your supervisor/s which details a literature review and writing timeline, regular milestones across the semester, meeting schedule with supervisor/s (weekly is advised) and plan for review of the written literature reveiw prior to its submission. This should be emailed toﾠthe Honours Coordinator with your thesis outline for feedback, however only the outline will be marked as assessment.
Please be aware that due to unforeseen circumstances it may be necessary to make changes to the timetable throughout the semester and so it is important to check VETS6640 Blackboard site regularly. Students will be notified of changes to the timetable via Blackboard Announcements.
Aims and outcomes
The aim of this course is to allow you to develop skills in independent research within an area related to your thesis. You will learn how to communicate science through the completion of a literature review. During the process you should be able to follow scientific procedures when writing, grasp the concepts of your topic, apply principles to new information, critically evaluate other work and infer valid conclusions.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Demonstrate your ability to follow scientific procedure of writing in terms of following scientific writing structure and relevant literature citation
LO2.
Show evidence of command and understanding of relevant concepts within your writing
LO3.
Demonstrate an application of relevant principles to new information within your writing
LO4.
Demonstrate critical thinking/problem solving within your writing by evaluating other studies, being aware of knowledge gaps and provide ways to improve or fill in these gaps
LO5.
Show an ability to appropriately infer and make relevant conclusions within your writing
LO6.
Professionally present the literature in terms of style, formatting, presenting relevant tables and figures and editing.
LO7.
Develop and/or displaying an in-depth knowledge of the field of work being reviewed
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participation/ Student contribution, Performance |
Honours Assessment Authenticity Report
|
Pass/Fail |
18/10/2024 5:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Outline of literature review | 10% of course mark |
19/08/2024 2:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Postgraduate Advanced Topic Literature Review | 90% of course mark |
25/10/2024 3:00 pm |
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
Honours Assessment Authenticity Report
- Hurdle
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Participation/ Student contribution, Performance
- Weight
- Pass/Fail
- Due date
18/10/2024 5:00 pm
Task description
UQ acknowledges that AI presents novel and evolving opportunities to assessment and learning, and will support students and staff in maintaining academic integrity. Individual assessment tasks will detail any form of acceptable use of AI across all courses. Use of AI outputs without attribution is a form of plagiarism which is unacceptable and constitutes academic misconduct. Assessment will always centre on critical appraisal of student knowledge, skills and attributes. This may include students’ critical reflection and application of AI within their discipline. This assessment task evaluates student’s abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies for submitted responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
The Honours Authenticity Report must be submitted one week prior to the submission of the literature review. This is a pass/fail assessment item for this course.
To pass this assessment, students are required to demonstrate to their supervisors, detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI tools. The use of the Honours Authenticity Report in conjunction with your academic supervisors oversight has been designed to authenticate and document the student's understanding of the topic and scientific principles, contained in their literature review. Students may use AI as a learning tool; to hone their understanding of a topic and improve their scientific writing style. However, all assessment submitted for grading must have been generated by the student, WITHOUT the use of any form of generative AI.
As this is a pass/fail assessment piece, if a supervisor is unwilling to sign this authenticity record, the student will need to provide evidence of why this should overridden by the Hons. Program Coordinator. Students should make minutes from their supervisory meetings and secure copies of their draft documents at each iteration on the UQ RDM. If a student feels they are not receiving adequate or the agreed level of support from their supervisor, they should contact the Hons. Program Coordinator (f.shapter@uq.edu.au) as soon as possible.
Hurdle requirements
This document must be submitted one week prior to submission of literature review.Submission guidelines
The form is to be emailed to the course coordinator (f.shapter@uq.edu.au), by the student's principal supervisor, by the due date.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 21 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Outline of literature review
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 10% of course mark
- Due date
19/08/2024 2:00 pm
Task description
This task is a brief, planning outline (maximum 2 pages) of the literature review following the detailed structure and formatting outlined in the SVS Hons. Handbook. The student and supervisor should discuss the structure of the literature review in detail before this document is submitted to the Honours Coordinator for assessment. The task overview is as follows:
Project Title
1.0 Introduction
2-3 concise paragraphs of background and development of the review question, scope or hypothesis. This section should be correctly referenced and be a demonstration of appropriate use of scientific writing structure and etiquette.
2.0 Major section A
Develop a title (~topic) for each of the major sections of the review. Depending on the research discipline, there should be 3-6 sections. The number of major sections should suit the discussion being developed. No further referencing required for Section 2.0 onwards.
2.1 Point 1
Subsections should be listed as bullet points, summarising broad topics that will be covered in each section. Number of subsection is topic dependant and should be guided by supervisors experience at this early stage of candidature.
2.2 Point 2
2.3 etc
3.0 Major section B
3.1 Point 1
3.2 Point 2
3.3 etc
4.0 Major section C, etc.
etc
5.0 Conclusion
A couple of bullet points at most, which should be framed as alternative hypotheses, expected gaps or potential future directions (ie their research question). This is acknowledging, it is far too soon in their review process for students to form any conclusion objectively. But also recognising the need for a conclusion in a review.
6.0 Refences
5-10, to demonstrate correct referencing technique. This section is not included in the two page limit.
Submission guidelines
The document must be emailed to the Honours Coordinator, f.shapter@uq.edu.au , by the due date.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.
10% loss of marks per day.
Postgraduate Advanced Topic Literature Review
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 90% of course mark
- Due date
25/10/2024 3:00 pm
Task description
Honours students are required to prepare and submit a literature review in a topic that is related to their research project by the end of their 1st semester of enrolment as the literature review assists in the development of the thesis. The format of the literature review may vary according to the nature of the field (experimental, theoretical, comparative, descriptive etc) but its purpose is the same in all fields. It should be on a topic that is relevant to the honours research question being asked in VETS6616, VETS6617, VETS6628 or VETS6629 but should not be the same as the actual literature review of the honours thesis. For example - the topic could be related to a particular set of methodologies that are required to conduct the research project such as hormone assays or nutritional analyses. The review should summarize salient findings, arguments, theories and other developments.
Submission guidelines
Submit via the Turnitin portal in the Assessment Folder on Blackboard.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.
10% loss of marks, per day.
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: 0-29% |
| 2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 30-44% |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: 45-49% |
| 4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 50-64% |
| 5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 65-74% |
| 6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 75-84% |
| 7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 85%-100% |
Additional course grading information
The grade is 100% of the course mark and the GPA goes towards theﾠfinal honours mark.ﾠA mark of 50% is required to pass the course.
Ensuring work-life balance and seeking help at an early stage are key attributes of high performing students.ﾠUQ Student Services, mindfulness programs and counselling andﾠStudent Help on Campus (SHOC) provide helpful resources to support students during their time at UQ. If immediate help is needed, please call the 24/7ﾠUQ Counselling and Crisis Lineﾠ1300 851 998ﾠ
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
Specific formatting guides and further detail about all assessment items are provided in the SVS Hons. handbook on Blackboard.
Guidelines for timelines of submission of documents to supervisors are:
• An essay outline (section heading, paragraph contents) submitted to the supervisor and course coordinator within four weeks following commencement of the program. This will be assessed by the Honours Coordinator (10% of final mark).
• An essay draft submitted to the supervisor within eight weeks following commencement of the program. Recommended but will not be assessed.
Two examiners will assess the literature review. It is the responsibility of the supervisor to identify and contact the two examiners, and confirm they are willing and able to mark the literature review within a two week period after the due date.ﾠAt least one should be from the SVS, but the other may be external. The percentage marks awarded for the literature review will be the average of the two examiner's marks.
Examiners will be looking for evidence of the following general criteria when evaluating the literature review:
• Clarity of definition: of the issue being investigated
• Theoretical orientation: if there are several theoretical positions in relation to the topic, which one(s) are used and is there a sound rationale for this choice? Are any fresh suggestions of an explanatory or interpretative kind offered?
• Logical development of arguments: including critical, interpretative commentary that relates the study to other work in the field
• Interpretation: of previous and current research literature findings in relation to relevant theory
• Thoroughness of critique: based on clearly stated criteria, sound arguments and supporting evidence
• Integration: consistency of focus on issues that directly relate to the specific research task being undertaken, coherence and flow of writing, assembly of sections into a ‘whole’ review, cross-referencing of themes and conclusions of prior research
• Rationale for the current study: significance of reviewed research findings to thesis research topic.
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
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
Ensuring work-life balance and seeking help at an early stage are key attributes for successful study at university. UQ Student Servicesﾠand the Student Union (UQU) provide many resources for students studying at UQ. Student Services provide a range of mindfulness programs and counselling services to help improve confidence and overall wellbeing. UQU also provide a range of student support, welfare and wellbeing resources.
If immediate help is needed, please call the 24/7ﾠUQ Counselling and Crisis Line 1300 851 998
Relevant scientific databases (http://www.library.uq.edu.au/) and referencing resources (http://www.library.uq.edu.au/services/referencing.html) are available to students via UQ libraries. The University offers a range of other resources and services to support student learning. Details are available on the myServices website (https://student.my.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 |
Prepare a literature review outline See assessment task description |
Not Timetabled |
Literature review research |
|
Not Timetabled |
Write a scientific literature review |
|
Not Timetabled |
Review other related studies |
|
Not Timetabled |
Carry out appropriate research into topic |
|
Not Timetabled |
Critique other related studies |
|
Not Timetabled |
Review the Assessment Authenticity form The Assessment Authenticity report must be reviewed with your supervisor during week one. This form must be completed as directed to pass this course. |
Additional learning activity information
An Honours course of study should be considered a full time, semester-based, student workload of 8 units/per semester. This equates to 40 hours of study per week for the 13 weeks of semester, and the three weeks of SWOTVAC and exam block (640 hours total). As with any degree, students who wish to excel may choose to spend more study hours per week, but this is at the student's discretion and should not be a requirement for passing this degree.
Students should discuss their study plan with their supervisor from enrolment. Honours is a self-directed learning program, with set due dates for numerous assessment items, across two semesters (or four, for part-time) of enrolment. However, as with all research, the individual student's study plan can be aligned to the specific research project's design and timelines, and the student's individual circumstances. This includes studying during semester breaks. The study plan must be agreed to by both supervisor and student in advance, and students should not be required to exceed the total of 640hours of candidature during enrolment. For example, a student enrolled in the Sem. 2 intake may choose to work less hours per week, but continue to work throughout the summer break, if appropriate supervision is still available.
Appropriate alternate supervision should be identified if the supervisor is not available for extended periods, and/or to supervise practical components, where the agreed study plan is continuing during their absence.
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.
You'll also need to be aware of the following policies and procedures while completing this course:
Course guidelines
Please access the SVS Hons. Guidelines Handbook for detailed information on all aspects of your candidature in the BSc (Gatton) Hons program.