In this course, academics at the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science can offer supervision for an original research project to motivated third year students undertaking a SCOM Major. Students will devise their own science communication research project in collaboration with the supervisor, or can pursue a topic already offered by the supervisor.
The course can be taken as 6 or 12 units:
- A 6-unit project can take the form of a comprehensive literature review, a content analysis, the creation and evaluation of a science communication tool or artefact, or similar - research projects that do not involve human participants except in some cases a small pilot test.
- The 12-unit version of the course is reserved for projects that involve a prominent human participant component and therefore require the student to apply for, and receive, ethics approval. This includes all focus group, survey and interview-based projects. In rare cases students may be offered the 12 unit version if there are other methodological reasons that necessitate more time be devoted to the project. Each project must be completed within a single semester, with the rare exception of longitudinal human participant studies for which a longer time frame is genuinely required to complete the project.
If the work produced is of a sufficient standard, students may be offered the opportunity to co-publish it with their supervisor. All research projects must be undertaken with appropriate ethics approval to facilitate potential future publication of data.
Students must discuss their project ideas with the course convener prior to enrolling in the course to ensure they enrol in the appropriate version and that a supervisor is available.
This is an Honours Pathway Course.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
On satisfying the requirements of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
1. Plan and engage in a critical investigation and evaluation of a chosen research topic
2. Identify and engage with relevant theory and concepts, relate these to the agreed upon methodologies and evidence, and draw appropriate conclusions
3. Engage in systematic discovery and critical review of appropriate and relevant information sources
4. Appropriately apply statistical or other evaluation processes to original data
5. Understand and apply ethical standards of conduct in the collection and evaluation of data and other resources
6. Communicate research concepts and contexts clearly and effectively both in writing and orally
Other Information
Available to third year students undertaking the Bachelor of Science (Science Communication) or a Science Communication Major who are deemed by the course convenor or undergraduate convenor to have achieved a sufficient academic standard in science communication courses. A supervisor must also be available to take the project on: students are advised to speak to potential supervisors early to ensure this is possible.Indicative Assessment
- 5000-8000 word report on an original research project, in the style of a journal paper for the journal 'Public Understanding of Science' (80%, LO 1,2,3,4,5,6)
- 800 ±10% word academic blog post written as if for 'The Conversation', communicating about the research project to a wider audience (15%, LO 6)
- 5 short reflections spaced throughout the semester, answering set questions about the research process and experience (5 x 1%, LO 6)
In response to COVID-19: Please note that Semester 2 Class Summary information (available under the classes tab) is as up to date as possible. Changes to Class Summaries not captured by this publication will be available to enrolled students via Wattle.
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
Contact hours to be negotiated. Students are expected to work on the project for 10 hours per week (6 unit enrolment) or 20 hours per week (12 unit enrolment).Requisite and Incompatibility
You will need to contact the Centre for the Public Awareness of Science to request a permission code to enrol in this course.
Assumed Knowledge
Students are expected to have some experience in and knowledge of:
• social science research skills including content analysis, survey design, interview techniques and focus group management.
• history, theory and principles of science communication.
• the practice of science communication, both written and verbal, as well as experience supporting this communication through props, visual aids, multimedia products, and so on.
• the design of science communication research projects, including framing research questions and choosing appropriate methods.
Majors
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 to 12 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
| 7.00 | 0.14583 |
| 8.00 | 0.16667 |
| 9.00 | 0.18750 |
| 10.00 | 0.20833 |
| 11.00 | 0.22917 |
| 12.00 | 0.25000 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $675 per unit |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $960 per unit |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Summer Session
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1390 | 01 Jan 2020 | 24 Jan 2020 | 24 Jan 2020 | 31 Mar 2020 | In Person | View |
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3923 | 24 Feb 2020 | 02 Mar 2020 | 08 May 2020 | 05 Jun 2020 | In Person | View |
| 3924 | 24 Feb 2020 | 02 Mar 2020 | 08 May 2020 | 05 Jun 2020 | In Person | View |
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8947 | 27 Jul 2020 | 03 Aug 2020 | 31 Aug 2020 | 30 Oct 2020 | In Person | View |
| 8948 | 27 Jul 2020 | 03 Aug 2020 | 31 Aug 2020 | 30 Oct 2020 | In Person | View |