BMS3007 : Research in Biomedical Sciences
- Offered for Year: 2025/26
- Module Leader(s): Dr Lee Borthwick
- Lecturer: Professor Simi Ali, Professor James Allan, Professor Janet Quinn, Dr Suzanne Madgwick, Dr Luke Gaughan
- Owning School: Biomedical, Nutritional and Sports Scien
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 10 |
| ECTS Credits: | 5.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
• To appreciate experimental investigations in biomedical sciences and how these advance our understanding of human disease.
• To analyse in depth and critically review one scientific paper and present the results and inferences contained therein for discussion to a audience of peers: Specifically;
o To consider study design, selection of appropriate methods, analysis of results and how these are presented in scientific papers.
o To consider the relationship between study aims, results and conclusions in scientific papers and how these test hypotheses and generate further studies.
• To produce a short critical report of the assigned scientific papers.
Outline Of Syllabus
This module provides students with an insight into the process, using real examples of published studies, of biomedical research and how this research contributes to advances in our understanding of human disease. In addition, the module will develop a student's ability to critically evaluate scientific experiments and interpret scientific data.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 1 | 1:00 | 1:00 | PIP – Critical Appraisal Introductory talk |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 1 | 1:00 | 1:00 | In-person Introductory Module talk |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 44:00 | 44:00 | Work on Critical Appraisal |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 2 | 3:00 | 6:00 | In-person presentation session - assessment based on a research paper |
| Structured Guided Learning | Structured research and reading activities | 1 | 39:00 | 39:00 | Group Learning - Work on Presentation |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 1 | 3:00 | 3:00 | Seminar - To be delivered in person |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 6 | 1:00 | 6:00 | In-person tutorial at the request of students. |
| Total | 100:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
There will be an introductory lecture to introduce the aims, structure and expectations of the module. After the introductory talk, the students will attend group tutorials where they will be introduced to their assigned scientific papers. There will be a maximum of 2 groups of students per tutorial at which the designated papers will be discussed and general guidance will be given from academic supervisors. Each group will subsequently present their designated paper (12 minutes presentation, 3 minutes discussion for pairs, 15 minutes presentation, 4 minutes discussion for trios) at the presentation session attended by other students. Students are expected to lead and get involved in the discussion following each presentation. Additional marks will be given to students that provide questions and get involved in discussion.
In addition to the presentations, students will write a 1000 word critical appraisal on their designated paper.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prof skill assessmnt | 1 | M | 30 | Group presentation of study papers - in person |
| Written exercise | 1 | M | 70 | 1000-word critical appreciation of designated paper |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The presentations provide students with an opportunity to collaborate in a group to collate their findings and share their knowledge to create a concise research summary. The presentation will therefore assess the students' teamwork skills as well as more specific writing and presentation skills in the oral presentation session.
The presentations are graded by 3 tutors and individual scores assigned to each student within the group ie: the mark is individual.
The critical appraisal of a designated paper will assess the students' ability to research a topic in greater depth showing their critical analysis skills as well as their general writing skills.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- BMS3007's Timetable