Chemical Research Project

Overview

Module Co-ordinator: Dr Peter Knipe (p.knipe@qub.ac.uk)
Staff: All chemistry academic staff
Contribution: Directing research project

Course Content:

Mid-term Interview 15%:
Students will be asked to prepare a literature review which will eventually become the introduction to their theses. A 1-2 page outline of the review should be submitted in November for guidance and feedback from the supervisor. A draft of the literature review should be handed in by early December. The student must also submit a 2-page summary report in December on their research including background to the project and the results obtained to date. The student will then be questioned based on their report during the interview later in December (unless otherwise agreed with the supervisor and module coordinator).
The 2-page summary report and literature review should be submitted digitally via Canvas (in .pdf or .doc(x) format), where Turnitin® will be used to check for plagiarism.
A mark for the performance in the interview (66%) will be given by the supervisor and second assessor. The final literature review (33%) will be given a mark by the supervisor. The supervisor will also provide feedback on the interview and literature review.
The student will be asked to bring their lab-books and associated data (such as spectra) to the December interview. The interviewers will assess the level of record keeping and thoroughness of research and give feedback and recommendations to improve or alter the student record keeping.
Lab-Book, Data & Record Keeping 10%:
The lab book and data will be marked by both the supervisor and the second assessor and an average of the marks used for the final total. The students will submit alongside their thesis their lab notebook and an electronic copy of their supplementary data (such as calculations or spectra) on a CD or USB.
Thesis 60%:
The thesis will be marked by both the supervisor and the second assessor and an average of the marks used for the final total (except the Independence of Work section, which is marked by the supervisor alone). Further guidance on the thesis is in the module handbook, but the marking will be split into four sections:
Introduction (25% of thesis mark)
Results and Discussion (40% of thesis mark)
Experimental/Methods (30% of thesis mark)
Independence of Work (10% of thesis mark) [marked by supervisor only]
The student should submit a draft of their thesis to their supervisor to receive feedback prior to their final submission. Please discuss with your supervisor and arrange a suitable date that will allow timely feedback. Submitting a draft earlier and receiving feedback earlier may be beneficial to both the student and the supervisor. Please note that supervisors should NOT be reviewing multiple drafts of the thesis. Students submitting high quality work that requires minimal feedback at this stage are likely to gain a higher Independence of Work mark.
The thesis should be submitted digitally via Canvas (in .pdf or .doc(x) format), where Turnitin® will be used to check for plagiarism.
Presentation 15%:
The presentation will take the form of a 15 minute PowerPoint presentation plus 10 minutes of questioning on the presentation. This will take place near the end of the project and there will be parallel session based on research areas. These presentations will be attended by the academic staff in the area who will mark the presentations. It is advised that the students prepare well in advance and deliver a practice talk so that feedback/guidance may be given.
Notes:
Detailed marking schemes are in the module handbook on Canvas.
Exact dates/timetable will be posted on Canvas in the module handbook.
The mid-term report, literature review and thesis MUST be handed in to the front office for date stamping as well as submission via Canvas. For late submissions, marks will be deducted in accordance with QUB regulations.

Learning Objectives

During the course of the year you will be embedded in one of the department's research groups, and will undertake a piece of original research. Through this experience you should achieve the following learning outcomes:
• Ability to conduct independent research
• Discipline-specific expertise (e.g. advanced laboratory techniques if undertaking a synthetic project)
• Literature searching
• Preparation and delivery of a research presentation
• Formal report writing
• Interview practice
• Laboratory record-keeping

Skills

Skills associated with module:
Both practical and literature research will be involved and the student will have to conduct a viva voce style interview, write a thesis and present their research to their peers. The skills developed through both conducting the research and the associated assessment method should allow the student to conduct research at a higher level (e.g. PhD or in industry). The December interview and the research presentation will give the student invaluable experience for future interviews, both for industrial jobs or postgraduate degree courses

Assessment

Assessment:
Mid-Term Interview 15 %
Lab book, data and record keeping 10 %
Thesis 60 %
Presentation 15 %

Course Requirements:
Laboratory Attendance at 100 %,
Literature Review Submission 100 %
Thesis Submission 100 %
Research Presentation 100 %

All assessed elements must be passed at 40%