Module overview
This module provides a great deal of key skills training that will prepare students for a career beyond this programme, whether that be a career in academia or in the workplace. The module also encourages students to take part in lively discussions and debates, enhancing their spoken presentation and debating skills. These skills will be vital for students’ dissertations later in the year.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Understand current debates regarding the quality of scientific research
- Understand how to assess the quality of scientific research
Subject Specific Practical Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Plan and manage practical aspects of conducting research with human participants
- Use appropriate software and technical skills for spoken presentations and written reports
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Manage and research current debates and summarise them clearly and succinctly in written form
- Produce high-quality spoken presentations
Syllabus
This module comprises of weekly 2-hour sessions. Some sessions will include a lecture component, others will include a workshop component. For most sessions, students will be asked to read a set of articles and papers which will be discussed during the sessions. Students will also have the opportunity to practice key academic skills such presenting own research ideas and critically evaluating other research.
The module will likely cover topics such as:
-Working in academia, government, and industry in a research-focused role
-CV building, time management, and work-life balance
-Technical skills and software relevant to conducting and presenting research
-PhD and grant funding
-Publications and peer review
-Presentations and teaching
-Assessing the quality of scientific research
-Critical thinking and evaluating evidence
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
The teaching methods are varied, but all emphasise active learning and encourage students to apply their acquired skills to their own experience and research interests. The weekly sessions typically consist of small group lectures and/or staff-led seminars in which students develop their evaluation and presentation skills. Students are also expected to contribute to the formative evaluation and feedback of other students in the group.
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Teaching | 24 |
| Independent Study | 176 |
| Total study time | 200 |
Resources & Reading list
General Resources
All resources will be via published research or online documents/guides/information. There will be no set textbook for this course..
Assessment
Assessment strategy
Presentation: Students will be asked to present a ‘Job Talk’ for a job that they might apply for. This will be in line with job talks given for research-related jobs, such as PhD or Postdoc positions, and lectureships. Students will submit a recording of their job talk presentation for assessment. Review: A selection of empirical papers will be provided across a range of subject matters. Students will choose one of these papers and write a review of the article (treating it as if it were an unpublished manuscript that has been sent to them by a journal editor for peer review as part of the publication process).Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Empirical Article Review | 60% |
| Individual Presentation | 40% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Empirical Article Review | 60% |
| Individual Presentation | 40% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal