| Unit name | Physics Research Project for Joint Honours |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PHYSM0052 |
| Credit points | 40 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Carrington |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
N/A |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
N/A |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
N/A |
| School/department | School of Physics |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
The project is an opportunity for students to undertake research in physics, either experimental or theoretical, and carry out an investigation, usually associated with one of the research areas in the department. Projects are usually done in pairs. The project is student-led and leads to a substantial report detailing the project, how it was approached, and the results obtained. A substantial research project requires initiative and independence and a diversity of knowledge and skills. This is an opportunity to gain insight into tackling real problems and acquire the skills necessary to work in a particular research area, presenting work in a variety of different ways.
Aims:
By the end of this unit, you will be able to:
1. Plan and carry out a substantial research project
2. Critically evaluate current research in the area of their project
3. Demonstrate originality in tackling problems
4. Keep detailed notes documenting their progress in the project
5. Produce a clear and coherent report
Throughout the project students will be directed by their academic supervisor and will also receive advice and feedback from a named assessor. The quantity and nature of contact with the supervisor will vary depending on the nature of the project. However, students would be expected to meet with their supervisor at least weekly.
The final assessment mark for the unit is broken down as shown below. Except where explicitly mentioned, the documents submitted for assessment should be entirely your own work
Presentation (10%). This will be given after the initial literature review stage of the project is completed. You will give a brief presentation about the background and aims of the project and also your plans. The presentation will be given to a small group of your peers, and an academic moderator. It will be assessed jointly by your peers and the staff moderator (50/50 split). In some cases, the assessment may be made by a small panel of academic staff only.
Interim Report (mandatory formative assessment - 2,500 words). In this report you will outline the background to the project and your work completed to date. This will be marked similarly to the final report and so it is an excellent opportunity for you to get practice at report writing and receive valuable feedback.
Poster Presentation (10%). After the completion of the practical work, you will produce a poster explaining the work done, results obtained and relevant background. The poster will be printed by the School and you will present the poster, along with other students, at the Poster Fair session. The poster will be assessed by academic staff, with the mark depending both on the poster itself and your presentation of it. Students working in pairs will submit one poster. Normally, each student in the pair will present their poster to a different academic assessor. The mark returned will be the same for both students, being the average of that given by each academic assessor.
Research Output (50%). This will assess the quality and quantity of the research outputs produced during your project. It will take into account your approach to the project, decisions taken during the project, analysis of results and understanding of the science. It will be assessed by drawing evidence from your final report (see below), laboratory notebook and a viva-voce examination (30 mins). Assessment will be made jointly by your supervisor and an independent assessor.
Final Report (30%). Your final report (6,000 words) will outline the aims of the project and its context in terms of the scientific background, the methods used to conduct the investigation, the result and their analysis and final discussion of the conclusions which can be drawn from your research. The assessment of the final report will not take into account the quality of the research outputs obtained in the project but rather your ability to report and explain the results, put them into context, and draw conclusions from them. Assessment will be made jointly by your supervisor and an independent assessor.
More detail about the assessment criteria for each of the above can be found in the ‘Project Handbook’ applicable to this unit.
When assessment does not go to plan
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period). The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. PHYSM0052).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
