This course is designed to provide the student with an introduction to the principles and methods by which research projects in biological anthropology are devised and executed. It will deal with the issues of finding a topic to research, defining its scope and limitations, developing a research bibliography, elaborating a research design, defining and collecting relevant data, methods of data analysis, data presentation and hypothesis testing. The main aim of this course is to prepare students considering Honours in Biological Anthropology for the thesis component of the Honours year, though it does not require a commitment to Honours and is open to other students who fulfil the prerequisites.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Understand basic concepts and techniques in quantitative analysis, including statistical analyses;
2. Familiarize yourself with a statistical software package;
3. Identify and convey an appropriate research problem; and
4. Develop a research proposal.

Research-Led Teaching

You will learn about the design of research and the analysis of research data in biological anthropology. The final assessment item in the class, which is developed over the second half of the semester, but the seeds planted in the first half, is a research proposal suitable for research at the honours level.

Field Trips

None

Additional Course Costs

None

Examination Material or equipment

You will need access to a computer with internet connection to submit the take-home tests. You will also need scanning facilities -- either a proper scanner (which can be found on campus) or a scanning app on your phone -- to submit the tests.

Required Resources

You will need access to a computer with internet connection for the online-live lectures, and access to scanning (available on campus or through a free app on your phone).

Recommended Resources

Whether you are on campus or studying remotely, there are a variety of online platforms you will use to participate in your study program. These could include videos for lectures and other instruction, two-way video conferencing for interactive learning, email and other messaging tools for communication, interactive web apps for formative and collaborative activities, print and/or photo/scan for handwritten work and drawings, and home-based assessment.

ANU outlines recommended student system requirements to ensure you are able to participate fully in your learning. Other information is also available about the various Learning Platforms you may use.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• individualized written feedback on the tests, problem statement, and proposal.
• class-wide, general written and verbal feedback on the tests, problem statement, and proposal.
• other verbal feedback (not mandatory) offered in office consultation hours.

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Introduction
2	Statistics Basics
3	Contingency Tables	Statistics Take-Home Test 1
4	Comparisons
5	Correlation/Regression
6	Advanced Topics	Statistics Take-Home Test 2 due
7	Research Problems
8	Theories, Models, Hypotheses	Problem Statement due
9	Literature Reviews
10	Data Collection / Methods
11	Ethics
12	Conclusion
13	No class meetings	Proposal due

Tutorial Registration

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.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Learning Outcomes
Tutorial Participation	10 %	*	1,2,3,4
Statistics Take-Home Test 1	20 %	11/08/2022	1,2
Statistics Take-Home Test 2	20 %	01/09/2022	1,2
Problem Statement	10 %	30/09/2022	3
Research Proposal	40 %	03/11/2022	3,4

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines , which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Guideline and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using 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. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

See above in Assessment Task 1.

Examination(s)

There are two take-home tests.

Assessment Task 1

Tutorial Participation

You will be provided with a Schedule of Tutorial Activities on the course Wattle site. On the days indicated in the schedule, you will have an activity that will be done during the tutorial hour. The activity must be submitted via the submission portal on the Wattle site by the Monday following the tutorial at 5pm. No late submission of tutorials is allowed, except where you have an approved extension. Tutorials are marked in the following way out of 2 pts. Tutorials that show evidence of proper engagement with the material will get 2 pts. Tutorials that show insufficient evidence of proper engagement will get 1 pt. Unsubmitted tutorial activities will get 0 pts.

Assessment Task 2

Statistics Take-Home Test 1

The Take-Home Test will assess your knowledge and ability in the statistical concepts and techniques we are learning in class. You are expected to work independently on the tests. You may consult your own notes and course materials, but you may not consult with classmates or classmates' notes, nor with anyone else to help you with the exam. You may email the course convenor if you have questions. You must write neatly and show all your work. Illegible or sloppy submissions will receive marks of 0. The exam will be made available on the course Wattle site on the Monday of the exam and will be due on the Thursday by 5pm. Your answers should be submitted as a single PDF file of 5 or fewer pages in length. To do this, you will scan your answers using a proper scanner (available on campus) or a scanning app on your phone. Late submissions will not be accepted, and extensions will not be granted on the take-home test. The test will be marked out of 100.

Assessment Task 3

Statistics Take-Home Test 2

The Take-Home Test will assess your knowledge and ability in the statistical concepts and techniques we are learning in class. You are expected to work independently on the tests. You may consult your own notes and course materials, but you may not consult with classmates or classmates' notes, nor with anyone else to help you with the exam. You may email the course convenor if you have questions. You must write neatly and show all your work. Illegible or sloppy submissions will receive marks of 0. The exam will be made available on the course Wattle site on the Monday of the exam and will be due on the Thursday by 5pm. Your answers should be submitted as a single PDF file of 5 or fewer pages in length. To do this, you will scan your answers using a proper scanner (available on campus) or a scanning app on your phone. Late submissions will not be accepted, and extensions will not be granted on the take-home test. The test will be marked out of 100.

Assessment Task 4

Problem Statement

The Problem Statement is a one-page (1 side of an A4 page) account of the research problem that you intend to tackle in your Research Proposal. It provides you a chance to get formative feedback on your proposal and the sorts of literature you have consulted to support it. The specific requirements of the Problem Statement are outlined in a separate document, that will be posted on the Wattle site called Problem Statement and Proposal Guide. The Problem Statement will be marked out of 100 based on the following marking criteria: (a) quality of research problem, (b) quality of references, (c) clarity of expression, and (d) adherence to instructions. Late submissions are allowed, but will be penalized 5 marks per working day if you have not had an extension request approved on our before the deadline.

Assessment Task 5

Research Proposal

The Research Proposal is a 3000-word (excluding budget, literature cited section, the text of any tables/figures and their captions, and the explanatory appendix) formal proposal for a research project that you might conduct as an honours student. The specific requirements of the Research Proposal are outlined in a separate document, that will be posted on the Wattle site called Problem Statement and Proposal Guide. The Research Proposal will be marked out of 100 based on the following marking criteria: (a) quality of proposal, including strength of the research problem, quality of the literature review, and the appropriateness of the methodology and other aspects of the planned project); (b) quality of references; (c) clarity of expression; and (d) adherence to instructions. Late submissions are allowed, but will be penalized 5 marks per working day if you have not had an extension request approved on or before the deadline.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin. Tutorial participation and take-home tests will use a Wattle submission portal that is not Turnitin. You will need to scan your take-home tests -- using a proper scanner (available on campus) or a scanning app on your phone -- to submit the tests.

Hardcopy Submission

Hardcopy submissions are not accepted in this course.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded.
• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material.

Returning Assignments

Assessments will be returned within 10 working days of submission, though the convenor will endeavour to return them more quickly where possible (at convenor's discretion).

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Not permitted.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Access and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students