| Unit name | Dissertation |
|---|---|
| Unit code | VETS30019 |
| Credit points | 40 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Mickey Tivers |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
All 1st, 2nd and 3rd year units |
| Co-requisites |
All other 4th year units |
| School/department | Bristol Veterinary School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Health Sciences |
An individual in-depth exploration of one aspect of Veterinary Nursing or Bioveterinary Science, involving the planning and execution of a piece of original research. Each student completes an individual piece of research under the supervision of one or more members of academic staff.
Aims:
The dissertation will be expected to be in the style of a research thesis and a high first-class mark would indicate that the work was of publishable quality. Students are also required to give a 15 minute (plus 10 minutes for questions) powerpoint presentation of their work.
At the end of this unit students will be able to:
1. Select an appropriate research topic with guidance
2. Shown evidence of extended knowledge and understanding of the specific area
3. Critically evaluate published research in related areas
4. Generate and test hypotheses using an appropriate experimental, observational or critical review approach.
5. Analyse data and produce an overall synthesis and evaluation of the project work
6. Demonstration of suitable oral and written communication skills including appropriate referencing.
During term 1:
Weeks 10-12: Background reading, preparation of review essay
Week 12: Introductory project talks
Weeks 12-18: Data collection and analysis
Weeks 18-20: Dissertation writing
Final project talks timetabled with other final year exams
Formal Assessment:
The students’ performance will be assessed against some or all of the following criteria, as appropriate:
1) Industry and technical ability in the practical work.
2) Overall quality of presentation.
3) Appropriate experimental design and statistical analyses.
4) The ability to process, reduce, analyse and present data.
5) Creativity displayed in the study design and implementation.
6) Critical appraisal of the experimental design, the methods used, the results obtained, and the conclusions drawn.
7) Appreciation of how the results contribute to current understanding in the field, and an awareness of their limitations.
8) The ability to select the essential features of the experiments for discussion.
9) Appreciation of how the work can be developed, including realistic suggestions for future experiments.
10) Ability to explain the purpose, execution, results and significance of the project.
Resits:
A referred Dissertation must be resubmitted by the middle of August in the year of original submission. In this event the practical performance mark (20%) will be carried forward whereas, Preliminary Literature Review (20%) dissertation (50%) and the final viva voce (10%) will be reassessed.
Specific to individual projects: supervisors will provide guidance.
