Unit information: Earth Science Research Project in 2020/21

Unit name	Earth Science Research Project
Unit code	EASCM0010
Credit points	60
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52)
Unit director	Professor. Kohn
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	N/A
Co-requisites	N/A
School/department	School of Earth Sciences
Faculty	Faculty of Science

Description including Unit Aims

In this unit students will work closely with established researchers in the School in order to design and plan an individual experimental project executable in the available time. The project may be largely field- or specimen-based or of a theoretical character. Projects will provide an insight to the research approach and allow students to place their results in the context of existing work and to present and discuss the results of their findings so they cross the gap between merely reading what others have said to contributing their own observations and ideas to the scientific world.

The projects will occupy students for part of teaching block 1 and full-time in teaching block 2 in year 4.

Intended Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the unit you will be able to:

• maintain high professional standards (use adequate sample size, eliminate bias, consider errors in data, limitations to models etc).

• critically appraise the strengths and weaknesses of the research project, evaluating the findings against those of others

• adapt and react if the project diverts from the original plan

• demonstrate practical and analytical skills relevant to the project

• collect, record and manage information and/or findings, and decide when it is sufficient to meet the aims of the project

• work diligently and independently, and develop your own interpretations of data

• communicate the outcomes of the project to different audiences in an appropriate manner

• produce a final project report presented to the standard expected for submission of a manuscript to a leading international journal.

Teaching Information

Independent work with synchronous supervised components in the laboratory or in computation. Students who either begin or continue their studies in an online mode may be required to complete laboratoryor fieldwork, or alternative activities, in person, either during the academic year 2020/21 or subsequently, in order to meet the intended learning outcomes for the unit, prepare them for subsequent units or to satisfy accreditation requirements.

Assessment Information

Coursework 100%

The project will be examined on the basis of the presented coursework. Assessment criteria are given in the School guidelines for individual project work and oral presentations. All written work submitted for this project must be word processed and adhere strictly to guidelines provided on Blackboard.

Short presentation on project research progress to research group [Pass/Fail element]

Final report [85%]

Seminar presentation [15% = 12.5% talk & 2.5% abstract]

Reading and References

Background papers will be identified in discussion with supervisor.