BIMRED1: Research Skills and Experimental Design

Module code: BIMRED1

Module provider: School of Biological Sciences

Credits: 20

Level: 7

When you’ll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Brian Pickles , email: b.j.pickles@reading.ac.uk

Module co-convenor: Dr Chris Foster, email: c.w.foster@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2025/6

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 4 June 2025

Overview

Module aims and purpose

To enable students to research the background, plan and design experiments and execute a research project successfully. This module aims to familiarise students with a range of key research techniques used in ecology, zoology, and entomology. It will enable students to decide on the most appropriate methods to use in conducting their own research. The practical experience gained in this module will enable students to perform their own field, lab, or computer-based experiments and conduct and present their own research.

This module will teach students how to conduct a successful research project at postgraduate level. It will enable students to be able to identify a research question and then design and execute an experimental plan to answer that question. Students will also gain experience of presenting their research to peers.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Identify relevant literature through advanced searches.
2. Critically analyse the literature and, following discussion with academics, plan and design a suitable research project.
3. Critically evaluate and select research methods to successfully answer a research question.
4. Understand the theoretical principles underlying a range of core research techniques. 
5. Analyse quantitative data collected for ecological / zoological / entomological studies.
6. Present their work to peers in the form of a short research talk.

Module content

• How to search the scientific literature and find relevant information.
• How to critically assess knowledge gaps and design research projects.
• Work with academics to examine how to address and answer research questions.
• Quantitative skills for addressing key questions in ecology, zoology and entomology.
• How to write a project proposal.
• How to present your work to your peers just like at a scientific conference.

EEB research staff will provide seminars/workshops on the techniques used in their research fields.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The module will be taught through a series of seminars, practical workshops, independent study, and student presentations to their peers. 

Study hours

At least 40 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Level 3 (i.e. foundation modules for Part 0) and Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: /cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Reassessment

Additional costs