BSc Biomedical Sciences with Entrepreneurship

This Research Skills Module is designed to develop your research, interpretative and analytic thinking skills. You will improve your academic writing skills, learning how to write up research in publication format. You will be introduced to key sources and methods used in research of the History of Science Technology and Medicine and have the opportunity to perform a mini research project on your area of interest.

• HSTM10721 Science and the Modern World (Recommended)

The programme unit aims to:

1. Provide the opportunity for students to perform a mini-research project on issues relating to science & society.
2. Introduce students to key sources and methods in HSTM research, including a critical analysis of the limitations of sources and methods.
3. Show students how to write up research results in publication format.

Students will be able to:

• Understand the sources and methods used in HSTM research including the use of printed, visual, statistical, material, oral and unpublished sources.
• Demonstrate familiarity with key methodologies for approaching HSTM source material.
• Improve academic writing skills including the writing up of research in publication format.
• Develop interpretative and analytic thinking skills.

The course will comprise two components. First, students will be required to attend weekly lectures/seminars. These sessions will cover the following topics:

• Reading and note-taking skills
• Writing strategies in Science & Society
• Using official and archival sources
• Using newspapers and magazines
• Using interviews, oral history and memoirs
• Using film and fictional media
• Using images
• Dealing with controversy

Students will also be required to work on individual projects. This involves individual meetings with a supervisor and intensive supervision on choosing, designing, and writing an HSTM project.

Topic Proposal (10%)

Primary Source Bibliography (10%)

Critical analysis of sources (30%)

Project (50%)

Students receive a face to face meeting with the Unit Coordinator to discuss their work; with the written feedback to their source analysis and projects.

Gina Wisker, The Undergraduate Research Handbook (Palgrave 2009)