Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Science Honours Research Methods

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

ONPS2412

City Campus

Undergraduate

135H Applied Sciences

Face-to-Face

 Sem 1 2010,
Sem 1 2011,
Sem 1 2012,
Sem 2 2012,
Sem 1 2013,
Sem 1 2014,
Sem 1 2015

ONPS2412

City Campus

Undergraduate

135H Applied Sciences

Internet

 Sem 2 2014,
Sem 2 2015,
Sem 1 2016,
Sem 2 2016

ONPS2412

City Campus

Undergraduate

171H School of Science

Face-to-Face

 Sem 1 2018,
Sem 2 2018,
Sem 1 2019,
Sem 2 2019,
Sem 1 2020,
Sem 2 2020,
Sem 1 2021,
Sem 2 2021,
Sem 1 2022,
Sem 2 2022,
Sem 1 2023,
Sem 2 2023,
Sem 1 2024,
Sem 2 2024,
Sem 1 2025

ONPS2412

City Campus

Undergraduate

171H School of Science

Internet

 Sem 1 2017,
Sem 2 2017

Course Coordinator: Dr Amy Gelmi

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925

Course Coordinator Email: amy.gelmi@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Availability: By appointment


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

This course is designed for Honours students preparing to undertake their research projects. As such, you are expected to have an undergraduate degree in a physical or biological science.


Course Description

The course aims to introduce you to the methods and practices employed in undertaking research in science. The topics studied will prepare you to succeed as an Honours student in science.

You will develop skills in the retrieval and critical analysis of scientific information.

You will develop a strategy to work safely on your project and develop skills to analyse and present your results in a form suitable within your Discipline.

You will also develop scientific communication skills required for the dissemination of your results in different forms.

Please note that if you take this course for a bachelor honours program, your overall mark in this course will be one of the course marks that will be used to calculate the weighted average mark (WAM) that will determine your award level. (This applies to students who commence enrolment in a bachelor honours program from 1 January 2016 onwards. See the WAM information web page for more information.)


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

This course contributes to the development of the following  School of Sciences Program Learning Outcomes at AQF Level 8: 

  • PLO 1: Understanding science
  • PLO 3.1:Inquiry and Problem Solving
  • PLO 3.2 Critical-thinking ability
  • PLO 4: Communication skills (written and verbal)
  • PLO5: Personal and Professional Responsibilities and Self-directed learning skills

 


On successful completion of the course you should be able to:

  1. Use advanced information retrieval techniques.
  2. Develop professional scientific communication skills.
  3. Analyse and present data in an appropriate form for your Discipline.
  4. Understand and apply laboratory safety principles relevant to the research project undertaken.
  5. Develop skills to critically analyse scientific information.


Overview of Learning Activities

You will be guided through the course by online or face-to-face workshops and online learning materials made vailable through Canvas. You should spend most of your time in self-guided learning using the resources provided to complete the assessment tasks.

 


Overview of Learning Resources

Material for this course is provided throughout the semester, with much of the material available on-line.   You will be advised of specific learning material requirements by the Course Coordinator and providers of the separate topics at the commencement of the semester.


Overview of Assessment

Note that:

This course has no hurdle requirements.

All hurdle requirements for this course are indicated clearly in the assessment regime that follows, against the relevant assessment task(s) and all have been approved by the College Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning & Teaching).

The assessments are as follows.

Complete the following compulsory modules

1. Office OHS (workstation setup) (10%)

2. Library information skills assignment (30%)

And

Choose 2 out of the following 4 modules:

3. Laboratory safety assignment (30%)

4. Data treatment workshop/assignment (30%)

5. Oral presentation skills workshop/assignment (30%)

6. Document preparation with LaTex (30%)

 

Assessment (1) supports CLO 4

Assessment (2) supports CLO 1

Assessment (3) supports CLO 4

Assessment (4) supports CLO 3

Assessment (5) supports CLO 2

Assessment (6) supports CLO 2, 3