Designing a Research Project: Brain Sciences BIOL5364

  • Academic Session: 2024-25
  • School: School of Psychology and Neuroscience
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 5 (SCQF level 11)
  • Typically Offered: Semester 2
  • Available to Visiting Students: No
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No

Short Description

This course introduces students to concepts and practices of scientific research methodology. During the course, students will utilise the theoretical knowledge gained so far in the programme to critically review one published article directly related to their research project.

Timetable

This course consists of lectures, tutorials and supervisor meetings.

Requirements of Entry

None

Excluded Courses

None

Co-requisites

None

Assessment

Students are assessed using two pieces of coursework

 

1. Annotated bibliography, written in an appropriate scientific style, 1,000 words max.

2. Critical review, written in an appropriate scientific style, 4,000 max (excl references, tables and figures)

Course Aims

The course aims to provide students with a critical understanding of research methodology as applied to modern research in brain sciences. The course will address both generic and specific methodological issues, with a focus on questionable research practices, open science, statistical inferences and the distinction between confirmatory and non-confirmatory research. Students will have the opportunity to appraise different types of scientific research, and to examine critically the different steps within a research project. Students will demonstrate their understanding and competence through the detailed critical assessment of one published article directly related to their research project, including the rationale for the study, the hypotheses, the analyses, the presentation and interpretation of the results and ethical considerations. A short literature review will put the work in context.

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Discuss scientific methods for brain sciences.

2. Critically analyse the literature in a research area.

3. Critically assess the hypotheses and research design of an experiment.

4. Critically evaluate methodologies for data collection and analyses.

5. Critically evaluate the presentation of scientific observations and results, and their interpretations.

6. Critically examine the transparency and openness of a research output.

7. Critically assess if research is in line with accepted research ethics and legislation involving humans and non-human animals.

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.