Research Seminars - BIO00073M

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Module summary

The broad aim of this module is for students to acquire a critical awareness of the research process. Seminar topics will be drawn from relevant research specialisations across the Department. Several research case studies will be presented, each covering initial ideas and hypotheses, preliminary findings, basic research and analyses and ultimately how the outcomes can be translated to the real-world. Students will then explore and critique the literature in a related area and write an assessed review.

Module will run

Occurrence	Teaching period
A	Semester 2 2025-26

Module aims

The seminars aim to provide students with a critical insight into the research process, including how various factors, such as funding opportunities, new technology, methodological development, competition, and often, serendipity, contribute to important breakthroughs. Where appropriate, the seminars will include a lab visit/tour and/or opportunity for early career researchers to tell students about their research and the underpinning methodological approaches and technologies being applied to research questions. Supported by tutorials and inspired by the lectures, students will undertake research of the literature in an area of their choosing and write a critical review that appraises the validity and impact of the data.

Module learning outcomes

Explain the underlying mechanistic concepts of a specific biological process.

Discuss how a research investigation has been designed and implemented.

Evaluate experimental and data analysis techniques used to study a research question.

Critically evaluate the scientific literature in a chosen topic.

Synthesise an argument that draws upon evidence from multiple sources.

Provide constructive feedback on written work.

Indicative assessment

Task	% of module mark
Essay/coursework	100

Special assessment rules

None

Indicative reassessment

Task	% of module mark
Essay/coursework	100

Module feedback

Marks for all summative assessments will be made available to you and your supervisor via e:vision. Feedback will be either individual or cohort-level, depending on the assessment format. You should take the opportunity to discuss your marks and feedback with your supervisor.

For coursework summative assessments (eg. reports, essays, presentations) you will receive individual feedback on your work. This will usually be in the form of a feedback sheet that will include suggestions for further improvement.

During the teaching of the module you will receive formative feedback that may be at a whole class or individual level. Such feedback may include: model answers, individual spoken comments during workshops, peer feedback and individual written comments on formative work.

Indicative reading

These are available through the VLE module site.