This course is designed for student considering doing an Honours project in Biology. A research project will be designed to address new questions in biological research in one of the areas of Biomedical Sciences and Biochemistry; Ecology, Evolution & Genetics; or Plant Sciences. A research academic from one of these areas will lead small group discussions and will oversee supervision of the research proposal. The course applies the principles from BIOL2202 (Experimental Design and Analysis in Biology) to an individual research proposal. Students will gain skills in various forms of scientific writing and thinking to formulate experimental approaches to current questions in biology.

On satisfying the requirements of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Understand how research in biology is conducted
2. Research the scientific literature to identify known and unknown aspects of a specific biological topic
3. Plan a biology research question and report on experiments designed to address this question
4. Appreciate different writing styles for different purposes such as grant proposals and journal articles
5. Communicate ideas both in writing and orally
6. Understand the ethical and safety implications of biology research

Research proposal (60%; LO 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

Tutorial quizzes (20%; LO 2, 3, 6)

Seminar (20%; LO 1, 3, 5)

One lecture per week, small group tutorials and individual project work  supervised by the academic tutor to a total of 130 contact and non contact hours per semester.

BIOL2202