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ESC-40029 - Module Specification
School of Geography, Geology and the Environment
Faculty of Natural Sciences

For academic year: 2023/24 Last Updated: 10 July 2023

ESC-40029 - Research Project
Coordinator: Sharon George Room: WSF13A Tel: +44 1782 7 33986
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 7
Credits: 60
Study Hours: 600
School Office: 01782 733615

Programme/Approved Electives for 2023/24

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites



Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2023/24

This module provides a platform for students to develop, test and practice new skills and develop knowledge necessary for a professional career related to sustainability in the public or the private sector or a research career in sustainability. Students can benefit from collaboration with external partners and specialising to build transferable skills in research and professional practices around a range of topics including: energy management; renewable energy; sustainable development; waste and recycling; climate change science.
The content of the module will be delivered via a combination of one-to-one meetings with the project supervisor(s), independent research and self-learning techniques.

Aims
To increase the students scientific skills base by improving their ability to formulate a research hypothesis and adopt a strategy to seek an answer. Students will develop the necessary expertise in, and understanding of, appropriate experimental designs and techniques required to seek the answer to their research hypothesis and to apply those designs, techniques and strategies to the research undertaken.

Intended Learning Outcomes

systematically use detailed, coherent knowledge and understanding of key research issues at the forefront of the field to plan research: 1
identify and develop a research question, and construct a range of strategies and methods for answering this question, including project (or experimental) design and data analysis: 1,2
apply advanced generic and subject-specific research skills, knowledge and experience in an aspect of research
to present a detailed and critically evaluated dissertation including a background (literature review) of the research
area, methods and techniques employed in the project, data collection and analysis, and a full interpretation, discussion and contextualisation of project results: 2
show originality, by the application of knowledge to the project results to form new hypotheses, or by providing a novel interpretation of data, by the discovery of new facts/phenomena: 2
make well-informed arguments and judgments on the issues studied, whilst appreciating the limits of current knowledge: 2
communicate the research project results effectively and persuasively in written form: 2

Study hours

Three half day support workshops 12 hours
Direct supervision 12 hours
Report preparation 80 hours
Independent Study 496 hours

School Rules

None additional to the programme requirements but students must have obtained at least 120 credits from their previous modules in this course.

Description of Module Assessment

1: Dissertation Plan weighted 10%
Outline dissertation plan
A 1,500-word outline dissertation plan including research aims, objectives, justification, proposed methodology. A completed preliminary ethics self-assessment form and a Gantt Chart will also be included outside of the word count.

2: Dissertation weighted 90%
Research dissertation based on final project
A research report of 15,000 to 20,000 words will be produced including background, context and justification for the research undertaken, the hypothesis to be tested and aims of the study, materials and methods, appropriate presentation and analysis of data, and a critical assessment of results obtained in relationship with current knowledge within the research subject area leading to clearly articulated and substantiated conclusions.

Please note that for the 2022/23 Academic Year programmes may be adapted to operate in accordance with a flexible, digital approach. This means that there may be some changes made to how modules are delivered and assessed. The latest information will be provided to you by your School in module handbooks. We endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes and details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/student-terms-and-conditions/

Last Updated: 10 July 2023