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MSc Pollution & Environmental Control
Year of entry: 2022
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Course unit details:
Research Project
| Unit code | EART60372 |
|---|---|
| Credit rating | 60 |
| Unit level | FHEQ level 7 – master's degree or fourth year of an integrated master's degree |
| Teaching period(s) | Summer semester |
| Offered by | Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences |
| Available as a free choice unit? | No |
Overview
The unit will involve largely independent research activities undertaken by the student under the supervision an allocated academic member of staff, who may or may not be assisted in this task by further personnel, including other members of academic staff, and where compatible with contractual constraints and University of Manchester policies, postdoctoral research fellows or associates.
In addition to such supervision, depending upon the nature of the research undertaken the student might expect to also interact and receive advice from a range of other personnel including postgraduate research students and professional support staff. The summative assessment of the unit will be solely through the submission of research project report.
Tutors will normally be the same small group tutor allocated to a student for EART62062 (Research Project Preparation (MPEC)) and the EART60372 Research Project will normally be the research project for which each student has prepared as part of EART62062.
Tutors will have research experience in a range of areas related to pollution and environmental control – for example in relation to water, air, soil, ecosystems and more broadly environmental hazards and research areas related to global climate change. Environmental research and the impact of environmental research carried out by the School has been part of a collectively highly rated REF2014 research quality submission and this represents an important opportunity for students to be guided by researchers with international and/or national reputations.
This course unit detail provides the framework for delivery in 20/21 and may be subject to change due to any additional Covid-19 impact. Please see Blackboard / course unit related emails for any further updates.
Pre/co-requisites
| Unit title | Unit code | Requirement type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental MSc Tutorial | EART62062 | Co-Requisite | Compulsory |
Aims
The aim of this course unit is to provide the opportunity for students to execute a substantial independent environmental science research project.
Learning outcomes
| On the successful completion of the course, students will be able to: | Developed | Assessed | |
| ILO 1 | from the reviewed literature or otherwise, describe the key theories and concepts relevant to a specified research area and, in particular, compare and contrast data outputs that would be consistent with different theoretical models or hypotheses | Yes | Yes |
| ILO 2 | identify a research question and clearly summarise the relevant and key points of context as well as the aims and objectives arising | Yes | Yes |
| ILO 3 | devise and justify a project, field or laboratory design demonstrably appropriate to meet the research project requirements | Yes | Yes |
| ILO 4 | apply relevant literature review, computer modelling, field and/or laboratory protocols relevant to obtaining data for the purposes of preparing an environmental research thesis | Yes | Yes |
| ILO 5 | present data and other outputs in a clear manner with determination and reporting of quality parameters and application of appropriate and justified statistical tests | Yes | Yes |
| ILO 6 | appraise data sets, assessing their quality
| Yes | Yes |
| ILO 7 | interpret the implications and significance of data sets and develop arguments to justify the interpretation | Yes | Yes |
| ILO 8 | apply key skills and attributes of those seeking employment in the environment sector by planning, executing and submitting in good time a research thesis meeting the required standards of the University of Manchester | Yes | Yes |
Syllabus
Bespoke research activities and feedback.
Consolidation of general principles outlined in EART62062.
The split of study hours between practicals/fieldwork and reading may vary substantially from student to student depending upon the nature of the research project slected.
Teaching and learning methods
Learning in this course unit will be based upon (i) one-to-one supervisions with the research project supervisor and, as agreed small group tutorials and (ii) independent study and research.
This will be supported by reading lists and further e-learning materials made available on Blackboard, however, much of the material recommended for further project-specific learning will be as recommended by the project supervisor and through self-learning. Thus students will be expected to carry out both directed and independent reading, including of the University of Manchester MyLearningEssentials resources; as well as directed and independent exercises helpful to the completion of their research thesis. The balance between practical work and reading for each student will dep-end upon the nature of the research project selected. Practical work will generally be done in laboratories with technical staff and/or demonstrators present unless appropriate provision has been requested and approved for lone working or approved risk assessments indicate a low controlled level of risk.
Formative assessments for a draft research thesis will provide the foundations for an improved research thesis and hence for summative assessment of the research thesis.
The feedback strategy is designed to help develop a student’s ability to self-assess their own progress. Feedback will be delivered throughout the duration of each tutorial via both group and one-to-one staff-student interactions as agreed in which students will be guided through the various exercises and offered comments on their technique.
Assessment methods
| Assessment type | % Weighting within unit | Hand out and hand in dates | Length
| How, when and what feedback is provided | ILO tested |
| Report (individual)
| 0 | Set Week 1 Due Mid-August | Maximum 10,000 words | Detailed individual bespoke feedback within 10 working days | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 |
| Dissertation | 100 | Set Week 1 Due Early September | Maximum 10,000 words | Classification of mark Via Oracle after MPEC Examiners’ Meeting in late September | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 |
Recommended reading
(UoM) Research governance, integrity and ethics https://www.manchester.ac.uk/research/environment/governance/
(UoM) Code of Good Research Practice https://www.manchester.ac.uk/research/environment/governance/conduct/
(UK Medical Research Council) Good Research Practice https://mrc.ukri.org/research/policies-and-guidance-for-researchers/good-research-practice/
(ESRC) What Makes Good Research ? https://esrc.ukri.org/public-engagement/social-science.../what-makes-good-research/
Goldacre, B. (2009 ) Bad Science. Harper-Collins.
Medewar, P.B. (1981) Advice to a Young Scientist. Sloan Foundation Science Series.
(European Union) Logical framework
https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/online-services/index.cfm?
http://eeas.europa.eu/archives/delegations/fiji/press_corner/all_news/news/2015/20150420_01_en.pdf
(DFID) Logframe for Research Projects https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/209569/Logframe_guidance_for_research_programmes_Final_PDF_version.pdf
(UQ) Annotated example of a UQ Research Proposal https://uq.edu.au/student-services/pdf/learning/research-proposal-sample-v2.pdf
IUPAC (2007) Quantities, Units and Symbols in Physical Chemistry; Edition 3.Available from: https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/ebook/978-0-85404-433-7
And published papers, reports and texts as recommended during the course including:
Cochrane Databaze of Systematic Reviews [https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/about-cdsr ]
Lim et al (2005) The case of the disappearing teaspoons: longitudinal cohort study of the displacement of teaspoons in an Australian research institute British Medical Journal, 331, 1498.
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1322240/]
Polya, D.A., Richards, L.A., Al Bualy, A.A.N., Sovann, C., Magnone, D. and Lythgoe, P.R. (2017) Groundwater sampling, arsenic analysis and risk communication: Cambodia Case Study. In Bhattacharya, P., Polya, D.A. and Jovanovic. D. (Eds.) Best Practice Guide for the Control of Arsenic in Drinking Water, IWA Publishing, Chapter A14, ISBN13: 9781843393856. [Open Access via https://www.iwapublishing.com/books/9781843393856/best-practice-guide-control-arsenic-drinking-water ]
Polya, D.A. and Watts, M. (2017) Sampling and analysis for monitoring arsenic in drinking water. In Bhattacharya, P., Polya, D.A. and Jovanovic. D. (Eds.) Best Practice Guide for the Control of Arsenic in Drinking Water, IWA Publishing, Chapter 5, ISBN13: 9781843393856 [Open Access via https://www.iwapublishing.com/books/9781843393856/best-practice-guide-control-arsenic-drinking-water
Study hours
| Scheduled activity hours | |
|---|---|
| Tutorials | 10 |
| Independent study hours | |
|---|---|
| Independent study | 590 |
Teaching staff
| Staff member | Role |
|---|---|
| David Polya | Unit coordinator |
Additional notes
Additional activities: Further supervision as agreed, depending upon specific requirements of the research project