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Course specification
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SCI4405 Research Practice and Ethics

Semester 2, 2020 Online
Short Description: Research Practice and Ethics
Units : 1
Faculty or Section : Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences
School or Department : School of Sciences
Student contribution band : Band 2
ASCED code : 019999 - Natural and Physical Sciences
Grading basis : Pass/Not Pass

Staffing

Examiner:

Requisites

Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: BSCH or BHSH or BHEH

Rationale

In the contemporary world, science and technology are increasingly seen as fundamental for human progress and survival. As the power of technology has increased, ethical considerations in the practice of science have become a critical component in the interaction between science and society. Additionally, the limited support for scientific research has led to ever increasing competition for these resources and emphasised the need for skills in both scientific communication and information technology. This course is designed to enable students to critically review the role of philosophy and ethics in the practice of science and to be aware of, and develop, a range of communication skills required to successfully pursue a career in scientific research.

Synopsis

The modular structure of the course is designed to allow the student to develop skills in particular aspects of scientific communication. Topics include: computer based information retrieval, experimental design and analysis, verbal and written scientific communication skills, the interaction between science and society with an emphasis on the philosophy of science, and the role of ethics and academic integrity in research.

Objectives

On successful completion of this course students should be able to:

  1. Evaluate methods of data collection and analysis prior to conducting scientific research;
  2. Exhibit and apply skills in information management through database application and computing systems;
  3. Apply a range of communication skills effectively, including verbal, written and digital literacy;
  4. Analyse and interpret scientific research through peer review;
  5. Evaluate the varieties of scientific method and their historical evolution.
  6. Apply ethical approaches when conducting and communicating scientific research

Topics

Description Weighting(%)
1. Information Literacy 15.00
2. Research Writing Process and Communication 20.00
3. Critical Analysis in Research 20.00
4. Research Integrity and Ethics 20.00
5. Data Integrity and Approaches to Analysis 15.00
6. Advancement in Research Careers 10.00

Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from (unless otherwise stated). (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/textbooks/?year=2020&sem=02&subject1=SCI4405)

Please for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/info/contact/)

There are no texts or materials required for this course.

Reference materials

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.
Australian and New Zealand Council for the Care of Animals in Research and Teaching, Adelaide 2008, ANZCCART HUMANE SCIENCE,
<>.
Coley, SM & Scheinberg, CA 2013, Proposal writing, Effective Grantmanship, 4th edn, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks.
Day, RA 2016, How to write and publish a scientific paper, 8th edn, Cambridge 精东传媒app Press, Cambridge.
Kuhse, H. Schuklenk, U and Singer, P 2015, Bioethics, An Anthology, 3rd edn, John Wiley & Sons.
Lindsay, D 2011, Scientific writing, Thinking in words, CSIRO Publications, Melbourne, Australia.
Montgomery, DC 2017, Design and analysis of experiments, 9th edn, Wiley, New York.
Van Emden, J & Becker, L 2016, Presentation Skills for Students, Macmillan Education, London, UK.
Williams, B 2007, Animal welfare and ethics, Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Brisbane,
<>.

Student workload expectations

Activity Hours
Online Tutorials or Workshops 24.00
Private 精东传媒app 141.00

Assessment details

Description Marks out of Wtg (%) Due Date Objectives Assessed Notes
ASSIGNMENT 1 100 35 15 Jul 2020 1,5,6 (see note 1)
ASSIGNMENT 2 100 35 15 Jul 2020 2,3,4,5,6 (see note 2)
Presentation 100 30 15 Jul 2020 3,4,6 (see note 3)

Notes
  1. Further details about the due dates and assessments will be provided by the Examiner.
  2. Further details about the due dates and assessments will be provided by the Examiner.
  3. Further details about the due dates and assessments will be provided by the Examiner. On-campus students will undertake this assessment on-campus.

Important assessment information

  1. Attendance requirements:
    On-campus students: It is the students' responsibility to participate appropriately in all activities scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration. Students undertaking this course in an on-campus mode will attend 3 equivalent days of workshop as advised by the examiner and depending on their project may have regular on-campus supervisory contact. Online students: Students undertaking this course in online mode will require supervisor approval. There is no attendance requirements for this mode. However, it is the students' responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course related activities and administration.

  2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
    To complete each of the assessment items satisfactorily, students must obtain the 50% of the marks available for that assessment item.

  3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
    Students should refer to the Assessment Procedure (point 4.2.4)

  4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
    To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course. (i.e. Primary Hurdle) and have achieved 40% in the Presentation (ie. Secondary Hurdle).. Supplementary assessment may be offered where a student has undertaken all of the required summative assessment items but failed to achieve a passing Final Grade by 5% or less of the total weighted Marks. To be awarded a passing grade for a supplementary assessment item (if applicable), a student must achieve at least 50% of the available marks for the supplementary assessment item as per Section 4.4.2 of the Assessment Procedure.

  5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
    All students who satisfy the requirements of the course will be given a grade of P. Other students will be given either a Fail grade or an incomplete grade.

  6. Examination information:
    There is no examination in this course.

  7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
    There will be no Deferred or Supplementary examinations in this course.

  8. 精东传媒app Student Policies:
    Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene 精东传媒app policies and practices. These policies can be found at .

Assessment notes

  1. Harvard (AGPS) is the referencing system required in this course. Students should use Harvard (AGPS) style in their assignments to format details of the information sources they have cited in their work. The Harvard (AGPS) style to be used is defined by the USQ Library's referencing guide.

Date printed 6 November 2020