Course duration

This is a year long course. It commences in Semester 2, 2016 and completes in Semester 1, 2017.

Course description

This course will involve the development of practical research and intellectual skills in the formulation of a hypothesis and testing it by appropriate experiments. This will begin with the development of a research proposal that outlines the work that students will undertake in their research project. This proposal is intended to provide an early focus for project work, and may later form the basis of the introductory research report chapter. In the process of learning the techniques to perform their proposed research, students will learn to keep detailed written records of all laboratory and field work and report the details of their research project in the form of a substantial research report. The ability to present research findings at scientific meetings, and the ability to defend the research findings, is an essential part of the training of a research scientist. Thus, this course will also develop skills in science communication with emphasis on oral communication. In addition to the core research component, students will participate in selected research seminars and provide a critical evaluation of selected seminars, as well as contribute to a Journal Club exercise with their peers.

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