BIOL7710 Honours Critical Readings

2020

4.5

6 x 2-hour intensive workshops per semester

1 108 Units of topics
2 Admission into BSCHAB-Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Animal Behaviour)
2a Admission into BSCHAQ-Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Aquaculture)
2b Admission into BSCHBD-Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Biodiversity and Conservation)
2c Admission into BSCHMN-Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Marine Biology)
2d Admission into BSCHMNAQ-Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Marine Biology and Aquaculture)
2e Admission into BSCH-Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Enhanced Program for High Achievers)
2f Admission into BSCHFS-Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Forensic and Analytical Science)
2g Admission into BSCHBT-Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Biotechnology)
2h Admission into BSCHPL-Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Palaeontology)
2i Admission into BSCHPSC-Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Plant Science)
2j Admission into BSCHEN-Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Environmental Science)
2k Admission into BSCHLS-Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Life Sciences)
3 Admission into HBSC-Bachelor of Science (Honours)
3a Admission into HBA-Bachelor of Arts (Honours)
3b Admission into HBBSC-Bachelor of Behavioural Science (Honours)
3c Admission into HBSCAB-Bachelor of Science (Animal Behaviour) (Honours)
3d Admission into HBSCMN-Bachelor of Science (Marine Biology) (Honours)
3e Admission into HBAGIS-Bachelor of Applied Geographical Information Systems (Honours)
3f Admission into MSCES-Master of Science (Environmental Science)
3g Admission into MSCB-Master of Science (Biology)
3h Admission into HBEM-Bachelor of Environmental Management (Honours)
3i Admission into HBGIS-Bachelor of Geospatial Information Systems (Honours)
Must Satisfy: ((1 and (2 or 2a or 2b or 2c or 2d or 2e or 2f or 2g or 2h or 2i or 2j or 2k)) or ((3 or 3a or 3b or 3c or 3d or 3e or 3f or 3g or 3h or 3i)))

BIOL4710 has been successfully completed

Completion of the first three years of a Biological Sciences degree and sufficient GPA, or supervisor's consent, to enrol in Honours.

This topic develops skills that will aid you in reading the scientific literature in a critical manner, effective discussion of this literature with peers, and presentation of literature in a seminar format. Students will be allocated to small tutorial groups in which a number of challenging research papers, based around an overall theme, will be reviewed. You will be asked to examine the experimental design, the interpretation and analysis of data, and the paper's conclusions. You should also consider the broader implications of the results and develop research plans to resolve issues that were raised by your critique of the paper. The processes of publishing a scientific paper will also be scrutinised.

This topic is aimed to:

1. Teach students how to approach and critically read scientific literature, paying attention to thematic context, experimental design, constraints placed by journals, and impacts for current understanding and future research
2. Skill students in how to participate in discussions of the scientific literature with peers
3. Train students in how to give seminar presentations that summarise scientific studies in a way that is succinct, sets out the context of the study, elucidates the key results, discusses potential flaws, and points out implications of results and consequences for future research

At the completion of the topic, students are expected to be able to:

1. Critically review scientific publications, placing them within a broader context of research themes, with awareness of potential problems in the study along with the study's future implications
2. Present research findings in a seminar setting, using computer projection tools and effective speaking skills
3. Discuss research findings with peers in a way that draws on the critical insights of both the student and their peers