• Home
• Study
• Study Information
• Modules
• Module Information

Medical Sciences Research Project

Module description

The final year research project module builds on the skills you have learnt in the previous years. It will stimulate your interest and knowledge in biomedical/clinical science or applied health research with the main component of the module being an independent research project. Students completing this module will be conducting one of the types of research projects illustrated below:

The module will consolidate your developing skills in question and problem formulation, data/source collection, data/literature analysis, interpretation, and presentation of evidence; and enhance your organisational, communication and personal reflective behaviours skills. As such, success in this module provides an important opportunity to showcase your knowledge and ability, thereby preparing for future employment or further study.

You may collect data first-hand in a laboratory, work with an existing dataset, or draw your information exclusively from published literature to summarise and synthesise knowledge. In every case, success depends upon your critical appraisal and ability to communicate your insights to a range of audiences.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module seeks to develop your ability to conduct and report scientific research within the Medical Science discipline and report the results in writing and orally. It also aims to consolidate student reflective behaviours and employment skills.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Demonstrate competence in key biomedical, clinical science or applied health research techniques.
• 2. Apply skills of critical thinking, problem-formulation, problem-solving, and rigorous scientific data /information analysis to biomedical, clinical science or applied health practice.
• 3. Demonstrate a detailed knowledge of essential facts, relevant methods and theory in a research discipline related to biomedical/clinical science or applied health research.
• 4. Describe and critically evaluate aspects of current research in biomedical/clinical science or applied health research with reference to research articles.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. Demonstrate professional competence in communicating effectively with academic staff and/or healthcare professionals
• 6. Understand the expected performance standards in relation to scientific probity, multidisciplinary team-based practice and recognise personal levels of professional scientific competence.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 7. Manage time, workload, ambiguity, change and stress effectively and demonstrate effective personal development planning, based on self-awareness and reflection
• 8. Understand and apply key skills of effective project management
• 9. Extend and use relevant employability skills such as effective report-writing and delivering engaging oral presentations

Syllabus plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, an example of the typical structure is as follows:
This module is focused on self-directed independent research supervised and supported by an academic member of staff or experienced member of research staff.

Induction:
Although the module runs across terms 1-3 of your final year, once your project and named supervisor has been allocated (usually by the end of the second year) you are strongly encouraged to discuss preparatory reading and other induction procedures with them.

In the final year, project work will normally be undertaken in the Autumn and Spring terms. By running across two terms, you and your supervisor have the flexibility to establish working patterns that best accommodate the project, your other module choices, and the circumstances of their research group.
During the module you will have additional Q&A sessions and lectures to help you prepare for the two main assessments.

Methods skills and training:
For certain recurrent or core research skills that are needed for projects we provide introductory training workshops in Term 1. Some are online and some are face-to-face. The topics/skills covered typically include (but may change in response to student needs/feedback):
Laboratory maths
Stata for data analysis
Literature searching
Literature review methods (systematic reviews and critical reviews)

Supervisory meetings:
Supervisory meetings are held by arrangement between the supervisor and student, with different research groups/academics following different conventions. However, you are entitled to on average 30 minutes of supervisory time per week, comprised of either time with day-to-day supervisors (i.e., PhD students and postdoctoral research associates) or your primary supervisor. You are expected to be proactive in working with your supervisor to organise the meetings and their content. In addition to the regular meetings, there are four formal documented meetings with your project supervisor. If relevant, you are encouraged to attend your host supervisors’ lab meetings and journal clubs, or institutional research seminars if your timetable allows.

The dissertation (research report) is typically submitted at the beginning of term 3. At the end of term 2 you will give an oral presentation of your project and its findings.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

In the event of you failing the Research project student performance judgement component and failing the module overall, you will be required to meet with your Academic Tutor as soon as possible to remediate this failure as a referred assessment. This will involve undertaking any actions required by the Academic Tutor to remediate for any unprofessional behaviour. In the event of you failing the Research project student performance judgement but passing the module overall, you will be required to meet with your academic tutor for an individual meeting to remediate this outcome before the end of the academic year. 

Please also refer to the TQA section on Referral/Deferral: http://as.exeter.ac.uk/academic-policy-standards/tqa-manual/aph/consequenceoffailure/

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

This will vary according to your specific project, and will be guided by your supervisor during the project development phase.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=9209

This will vary according to your specific project, and will be guided by your supervisor during the project development phase.

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

As directed by the supervisor

Key words search

Research, data, analysis, literature, clinical science, biomedical science, independent, evidence, critical appraisal, communication