MAR8085 : Research Skills
- Offered for Year: 2021/22
- Module Leader(s): Professor Richard Birmingham
- Lecturer: Mr David McGeeney
- Owning School: Engineering
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 10 |
| ECTS Credits: | 5.0 |
Aims
To introduce the underlying ideas and concepts associated with research methodologies, the ethics and philosophy of science. How research projects are to be managed. In parallel to provide basic information literary skills related to finding, assessing and presenting information, processing data and making judgements about data using basic statistical concepts and tools. Also using library and information services. In addition the module aims to equip students with a basic capability in understanding and using common statistical concepts and techniques.
Outline Of Syllabus
Research Skills:
Research objectives; the role of the funding bodies and research organisations; research ethics; the research proposal and planning; research monitoring; report and thesis preparation and writing.
Information literacy; library and information services; information search; retrieval, analysis and presentation; electronic communication systems & information technology tools.
Statistics; data summary and data presentation. Basic concepts of probability. The rationale behind sampling, randomisation and sampling strategies. Discrete distributions; binomial and Poisson.
Continuous distributions; normal and exponential. Estimation. The central limit theorem. Confidence intervals for means using the t-distribution. Approximate confidence intervals for proportions using a normal approximation. Hypothesis testing; basic ideas and concepts.
Interrelationships between testing and confidence intervals. Tests on means and proportions. X2 goodness of fit tests. Analysis of contingency tables. Correlation and regression. Practical classes will be based on the statistical package MINITAB. Multiple regression analysis (MRA) & principle component analysis (PCA) using PRIMER software. Modelling and simulation software; brief introduction to Labview.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 12 | 1:00 | 12:00 | Present-in-person lectures |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 2:00 | 2:00 | Examination |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 11:00 | 11:00 | Coursework |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 12 | 1:00 | 12:00 | Tutorial sessions, Present-in-person |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 12 | 1:00 | 12:00 | Online lectures |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 11:00 | 11:00 | Examination revision |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 40:00 | 40:00 | General revision, reviewing lecture notes, background reading |
| Total | 100:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
The lectures are designed to assist students in the acquisition of a knowledge base that will facilitate understanding of concepts, methods tools and techniques.
Independent study involves:
1. study following lectures and practicals
2. study in preparation for the assessed coursework and exams, which provides an opportunity to bring together relevant knowledge and understanding and cognitive, research-related, and assessed key skills.
Should the public health situation require it, the present-in-person teaching activities will be replaced by synchronous online sessions.
Students should consult their individual timetable for up-to-date delivery information.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Exams
| Description | Length | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written Examination | 120 | 2 | M | 50 | Take home exam to be completed within 24 hrs of date set |
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | 2 | M | 50 | Report on statistics, taking approximately 11 hours. |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The report on statistics (semester 2) provides students with an opportunity to demonstrate knowledge, understanding and the possession of subject-specific, cognitive and key skills.
The research skills material covered in the module is assessed via the end of semester computer based MCQ examination.
Should the public health situation require it, the planned examination scheduled to be completed present-in-person will be replaced by an open book, online examination to be completed within a defined 24 hour period.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- MAR8085's Timetable