This course is specially tailored for students attracted to, or wondering about research. Students are immersed in a real research environment and in the practice of research. They are integrated in a research team and get direct experience in core components of research activities, from posing a question, defining hypotheses to address it, and the appropriate approaches to examine these hypotheses; data analysis and rigorous presentation, interpretation of results, and most importantly their critical assessment and discussion in the context of the current body of knowledge. Students are experiencing first-hand the joys and tribulations of probing the unknown, the drive, curiosity, discipline, and perseverance this requires.
This course is designed to be flexible and allows for a broad range of research areas and environments to be experienced by students. Interested students are encouraged to contact the convener and prospective supervisors in Biology. Many research areas are available, for example: http://www.biology.anu.edu.au/ , http://cos.anu.edu.au/Plants , http://genetics.anu.edu.au/ , http://jcsmr.anu.edu.au
Note: This is an Honours Pathway Course that involves research oriented material of a greater conceptual difficulty than a typical 3000 level science course. Entry to this course requires at least 96 units towards a degree with an average of 70% or above in second and third year science courses and approved by the convener.
A Botanical Internship (summer) is available in the Australian National Herbarium and Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research in Canberra, Australia. It is aimed at those intending to undertake a technical or professional career in botany or a closely related discipline (including ecology, resource management and botanical horticulture). Students are admitted by written application and a selection process that occurs in November. The program is aimed at students who have just completed their second or third year of study, but applications from students at other levels will be considered. Contact rsb.studentadmin@anu.edu.au for application form.
A Genetic Counselling Internship is available with the Genetic Counselling Unit of The Canberra Hospital. It is aimed at those with a special interest in the field of human genetics, specifically in the area of genetic counselling. Students who wish to be considered for this internship should have completed BIOL3204 Human Genetics, or other relevant human genetics courses and satisfy the eligibility criterion of at least a 70% average across science courses during previous semesters. Contact David.Rowell@anu.edu.au for more information.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Specific learning outcomes will depend on the nature of the research project . In general, on satisfactory completion of the course students will have the knowledge and skills to:
1. plan and engage in an independent and sustained critical investigation and evaluation of a chosen research topic supervised by an academic
2. systematically identify relevant theory and concepts, relate these to appropriate methodologies and evidence, and draw appropriate conclusions
3. engage in critical review of appropriate and relevant information sources
4. understand and apply relevant research techniques and methods
5. record original data and apply statistical or other evaluation processes to original data when appropriate
6 communicate concepts and results clearly and effectively both in writing and orally
Other Information
Eligibility
Enrolment in this course is dependent upon the availability of a suitable supervisor and must be approved by the course convener.
Completion of at least 96 units towards a degree with an average of 70% or above in science second and third year courses.
For permission to enrol in this course, please email rsb.studentadmin@anu.edu.au.
Indicative Assessment
Written report (70%; LO 1-6)
Seminar (15%; LO 1-6)
Notebook/Lab book (10%; LO 1-6)
Blog entry (5%; LO 1-6)
Assessment of the research project will involve independent examiners. It may involve expert input from staff of another institution. This provides the opportunity for cross-institutional benchmarking and exposes the student to expertise from a wider range of researchers.
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
Project is expected to involve 65 hours of laboratory or fieldwork plus 150 hours of individual work, including preparation of a report (up to 9000 word)s
Requisite and Incompatibility
You will need to contact the Biology Teaching and Learning Centre to request a permission code to enrol in this course.
Majors
Minors
Specialisations
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $3096 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $4146 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Summer Session
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1538 | 01 Jan 2015 | 23 Jan 2015 | 23 Jan 2015 | 31 Mar 2015 | In Person | N/A |
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2505 | 16 Feb 2015 | 06 Mar 2015 | 31 Mar 2015 | 29 May 2015 | In Person | N/A |
Autumn Session
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1480 | 01 Apr 2015 | 24 Apr 2015 | 24 Apr 2015 | 30 Jun 2015 | In Person | N/A |
Winter Session
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1511 | 01 Jul 2015 | 24 Jul 2015 | 24 Jul 2015 | 30 Sep 2015 | In Person | N/A |
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2486 | 20 Jul 2015 | 07 Aug 2015 | 31 Aug 2015 | 30 Oct 2015 | In Person | N/A |
Spring Session
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1469 | 01 Oct 2015 | 23 Oct 2015 | 23 Oct 2015 | 31 Dec 2015 | In Person | N/A |
