This course is specially tailored for students attracted to, or wondering about research. Students are immersed in a real research environment and in the practice of research. They are integrated in a research team and get direct experience in core components of research activities, from posing a question, defining hypotheses to address it, and the appropriate approaches to examine these hypotheses; data analysis and rigorous presentation, interpretation of results, and most importantly their critical assessment and discussion in the context of the current body of knowledge. Students are experiencing first-hand the joys and tribulations of probing the unknown, the drive, curiosity, discipline, and perseverance this requires.
This course is designed to be flexible and allows for a broad range of research areas and environments to be experienced by students. Interested students are encouraged to contact the convener and prospective supervisors in Biology. Many research areas are available, for example: http://www.biology.anu.edu.au/ , http://cos.anu.edu.au/Plants , http://genetics.anu.edu.au/ , http://jcsmr.anu.edu.au
It is also possible to be hosted at the Genetic Counselling Unit of The Canberra Hospital for a Genetic Counselling Internship. This option is aimed at those with a special interest in the field of human genetics, specifically in the area of genetic counselling. Students who wish to be considered for this internship should have completed BIOL3204 Human Genetics, or other relevant human genetics courses and the eligibility criterion of at least a 70% average across science courses during previous semesters. Please contact David.Rowell@anu.edu.au for more information about Genetic Counselling Internship option.
NOTE: This course is an Honours Pathway Course that involves research oriented material of a greater conceptual difficulty than a typical 3000 level science course.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Plan and engage in an independent and sustained critical investigation and evaluation of a chosen research topic supervised by an academic
- Systematically identify relevant theory and concepts, apply them appropriately, and draw appropriate conclusions
- Engage in critical review of appropriate and relevant information sources
- Understand and apply relevant research techniques and methods
- Record original data and apply statistical or other evaluation processes to original data when appropriate
- Communicate concepts and results clearly and effectively both in writing and orally
Other Information
Enrolment in this course is dependent upon the availability of a suitable supervisor and must be approved by the course convener.
An average of 70% or above in relevant BIOL courses will be required to enrol in this course. Please fill in the application form and submit via email to rsb.studentadmin@anu.edu.au.
Indicative Assessment
- Written report, in a scientific paper format (70) [LO 1,2,3,4,5,6]
- Seminar (15) [LO 1,2,3,4,5,6]
- Notebook/Lab book (10) [LO 1,2,3,4,5,6]
- Blog entry (5) [LO 1,2,3,4,5,6]
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
The expected workload will consist of approximately 130 hours throughout the semester including:
- The project is expected to involve 65 hours of laboratory or fieldwork throughout the semester.
- Approximately 85 hours of individual work which will include preparation individual work, including preparation of a report (up to 9000 words), presentations and other assessment tasks.
Students are expected to actively participate and contribute towards discussions.
Inherent Requirements
To be determined
Requisite and Incompatibility
You will need to contact the Biology Teaching and Learning Centre to request a permission code to enrol in this course.
Prescribed Texts
Nil.
Majors
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you 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). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found 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 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2021 | $4110 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2021 | $5880 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1285 | 01 Jan 2021 | 22 Jan 2021 | 22 Jan 2021 | 31 Mar 2021 | In Person | View |
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3343 | 22 Feb 2021 | 01 Mar 2021 | 31 Mar 2021 | 28 May 2021 | In Person | View |
| 4696 | 22 Feb 2021 | 01 Mar 2021 | 31 Mar 2021 | 28 May 2021 | In Person | N/A |
Autumn Session
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3282 | 01 Apr 2021 | 23 Apr 2021 | 23 Apr 2021 | 30 Jun 2021 | In Person | View |
Winter Session
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4296 | 01 Jul 2021 | 23 Jul 2021 | 23 Jul 2021 | 30 Sep 2021 | In Person | View |
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6334 | 26 Jul 2021 | 02 Aug 2021 | 14 Sep 2021 | 29 Oct 2021 | In Person | View |
Spring Session
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6252 | 01 Oct 2021 | 22 Oct 2021 | 22 Oct 2021 | 31 Dec 2021 | In Person | View |