FB3PFB: Research Project

Module code: FB3PFB

Module provider: Food and Nutritional Sciences; School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy

Credits: 40

Level: Level 3 (Honours)

When you'll be taught: Semester 1 / 2

Module convenor: Professor Gunter Kuhnle, email: g.g.kuhnle@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

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: Yes

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module is designed to provide you a research experience by completing either a laboratory-based or a theoretical research project. The module will provide you with the skills required to effectively undertake research in food and nutritional sciences. This will include guidance on the preliminary development of a research idea, the collection and assessment of supporting literature, the planning of experiments, the statistical analysis of experimental data and the communication of scientific reports. The overall aim of the project work is to provide you with an experience of research through the design and execution of an individual project. 

Module learning outcomes

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

1. Develop practical skills and competencies necessary to carry out research in food and nutritional sciences 
2. Evaluate scientific publications in food and nutritional sciences and formulate scientific arguments based on experimental data 
3. Design and carry out a scientific project in consultation with others, responding to any changing circumstances that may arise 
4. Develop skills on basic statistics, apply them on the evaluation of experimental data and set the research in context.

Module content

Students will select a project and develop and perform it under the supervision of a member of academic staff. Students are first required to attend a workshop on Scientific Methodology organised at the beginning of Semester 1. They will search the literature relevant to their project and plan their project work. They will then perform their research project and write a summary report. 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Lecture and workshop sessions will be used at the beginning of Semester 1 to teach Scientific Methodology. Most of the learning will then be self-directed with the exception of occasional tutorial sessions with the supervisor. 

Study hours

At least 45 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 40% 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 during meetings with supervisor on project progress.

Reassessment

Additional costs