ADMREP: Research Project: Agriculture, Ecology and Environment

Module code: ADMREP

Module provider: School of Agriculture, Policy and Development

Credits: 120

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Full year

Module convenor: Dr Jake Bishop, email: j.bishop@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s): IN THE SAME YEAR AS TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST TAKE ADMRES (Compulsory)

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 20 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

Conduct an in-depth extended research project in a specialist area relating to agriculture, ecology and environment. In this entirely practical module, you will develop a project on a topic that most interests you. You will work with an academic to plan, design, train in key skills, conduct your research project and statistically analyse your data, and write up your findings in the format of a scientific paper.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Critically appraise the relevant scientific literature and their own data.
2. Develop research aims and objectives.
3. Demonstrate skill in data analysis, interpretation and accurate reporting of scientific methodology and results.
4. Produce a report which communicates a research project and its findings, demonstrating reasoned discussion of results in the context of the subject area.
5. Clearly convey the outcomes of their research by means of an oral presentation.

Module content

A small number of seminars will introduce the module in semester 1, following which, you will choose a topic in collaboration with the programme director and an academic working in your chosen research field. During semester 2, you will then complete a literature review of the subject area, form a hypothesis and devise a programme of work. You will present these plans in a short (formative) research proposal. Training in the specific field/laboratory/data analysis techniques and methods needed for the project will be provided. You will then work on your own research project with close supervision and regular meetings to provide feedback and to discuss results. You will use an oral presentation to synthesise your project findings and their fit within the wider literature. You will write up your findings in the format of a scientific paper.  

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Meetings with supervisor and guided research.

Study hours

At least 3 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Formative feedback is provided on a 2-page project proposal submitted to the project supervisor early in semester 2

Reassessment

Additional costs