This course teaches you principles by which research projects within the areas of Archaeological and Evolutionary Science are devised and executed. You will learn how to write a thesis and develop a research proposal. In addition you will undertake quantitative analyses (including statistics) and assess the implications of results. Finally, the course will provide you with useful techniques for presenting and promoting your results to an academic audience.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
1. Critically analyse and evaluate research material within Archaeological and Evolutionary Science.
2. Undertake quantitative analysis including statistical analysis to answer discipline relevant questions.
3. Present and interpret data in oral and written academic forums.
4. Develop a research proposal in a relevant area of Archaeological and Evolutionary Science

Research-Led Teaching

Research is the centrepiece of this course. The first half of the course (Module 1: Analysis) focuses on the role of statistical analyses in interpreting research data in biological anthropology and how rigour and transparency in analysis decisions should be part of the research design process . The second half of the course (Module 2: Design) is about designing an independent research project in biological anthropology that could be done as an honours or masters (or in some cases, PhD) thesis project.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• question-specific feedback on the analysis homework in the form of keys released after they are marked
• individual written feedback in the form of comments on the problem statement and proposal
• whole-class feedback on each assessment item

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	What is Research?	Readings: Chapters from "Handbook of Biological Statistics"
2	Statistics Basics	Readings: Chapters from "Handbook of Biological Statistics"
3	Contingency Tables	Readings: Chapters from "Handbook of Biological Statistics" Assessment: Statistics Homework 1
4	Comparisons	Readings: Chapters from "Handbook of Biological Statistics"
5	Correlation/Regression	Readings: Chapters from "Handbook of Biological Statistics"
6	Advanced Topics / Linking Analysis with Research Design	Readings: Parker et al (2016); Smith (2019) Assessment: Statistics Homework 1
7	Research Problems	Readings: Ellis & Levy (2008); independent proposal readings
8	Theories, Models, and Hypotheses	Readings: Independent proposal readings Assessment: Problem Statement due
9	Literature Reviews	Readings: Pautasso (2013); independent proposal readings
10	Data Collection / Methods	Readings: Blaxter et al (2006); independent proposal readings
11	Ethics in Research	Readings: AAPA Ethics Statement (2003); AAA Ethics Statement (2012); independent proposal readings
12	Finalizing a Proposal	Readings: Independent proposal readings Assessment: Proposal due early the next week

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Learning Outcomes
Participation	10 %	*	1,2,3,4
Statistics Homework 1	20 %	13/08/2021	1,2
Statistics Homework 2	20 %	03/09/2021	1,2
Problem Statement	10 %	01/10/2021	3
Proposal	40 %	03/11/2021	3,4

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using 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. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Integrity . In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Assessment Task 1

Participation

Some tutorials will include an activity. With each, there will be an activity sheet that you will be asked to complete. When the activity is based solely on written (prose) answers, you will be able to type your answers and submit as a word processing file (more information about this will be found on the course Wattle site). When the activity requires calculations, you will need to write your work and answers legibly on a separate piece of paper and submit as a scan. Illegible or poorly scanned submissions will receive no credit. Tutorial activity sheets are due on Thursday 4pm on the week they are assigned. Tutorial Participation is worth 10% of your total grade in the course.

Assessment Task 2

Statistics Homework 1

Analysis Homework will require you to engage with and understand the material from lectures, tutorials, and readings. They will include short answer and calculation-based questions. There may be questions related to your understanding of the statistical software, but when asked to hand calculate an answer, you should not use the software and you should show all steps of your work. Your answers should be written clearly and legibly using up to 4 pages (single sides). You will submit as a scan using the online submission portal on Wattle. Please combine all pages as a single PDF file. Illegible or poorly scanned submissions will receive no credit. You are urged to complete the homework with enough time to ensure that you have a quality scan for submission. The work and answers submitted for this assessment must be based on your independent work. That is, you should not copy the homework of a friend or classmate. They will be marked out of 100. Late Analysis Homework assignments will incur a penalty of 5% for each working day late. Submissions received after 4pm will be considered late.

Assessment Task 3

Statistics Homework 2

Analysis Homework will require you to engage with and understand the material from lectures, tutorials, and readings. They will include short answer and calculation-based questions. There may be questions related to your understanding of the statistical software, but when asked to hand calculate an answer, you should not use the software and you should show all steps of your work. Your answers should be written clearly and legibly using up to 4 pages (single sides). You will submit as a scan using the online submission portal on Wattle. Please combine all pages as a single PDF file. Illegible or poorly scanned submissions will receive no credit. You are urged to complete the homework with enough time to ensure that you have a quality scan for submission. The work and answers submitted for this assessment must be based on your independent work. That is, you should not copy the homework of a friend or classmate. They will be marked out of 100. Late Analysis Homework assignments will incur a penalty of 5% for each working day late. Submissions received after 4pm will be considered late.

Assessment Task 4

Problem Statement

Length: One side of one A4 page

Details: This is a brief account of the research problem that you intend to tackle in your research proposal. It provides you a chance to get formative feedback on your proposal and the sorts of literature you have consulted to support it. This assessment should be submitted using the Turnitin portal on Wattle and is worth 10% of your grade in the course. You will find additional important details about this assessment in the ‘Problem Statement and Proposal Guide’.

Marking Criteria:

• Quality of Research Problem
• Quality of References
• Quality of Writing
• Adherence to Instructions

Assessment Task 5

Proposal

Length: 4000 words, excluding title, literature cited, and the text of tables/figures and their captions, and the budget.

Details: This is a brief account of the research problem that you intend to tackle in your research proposal. It provides you a chance to get formative feedback on your proposal and the sorts of literature you have consulted to support it. This assessment should be submitted using the Turnitin portal on Wattle and is worth 10% of your grade in the course. You will find additional important details about this assessment in the ‘Problem Statement and Proposal Guide’.

Marking Criteria:

• Quality of Proposal
• Quality of References
• Quality of Writing
• Adherence to Instructions

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically, committing to honest and responsible scholarly practice and upholding these values with respect and fairness.

The ANU commits to assisting all members of our community to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle and Academic Misconduct Rule, uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with.

The Academic Misconduct Rule is in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Very minor breaches of the academic integrity principle may result in a reduction of marks of up to 10% of the total marks available for the assessment. The ANU offers a number of online and in person services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. Visit the Academic Skills website for more information about academic integrity, your responsibilities and for assistance with your assignments, writing skills and study.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded.
• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students