This course will be taken over two consecutive semesters. Students will learn basic research preparation skills, including compilation of background research, thesis writing and oral presentation skills. They will pursue a research project under the supervision of an academic supervisor. The research will be original, and will be chosen from among the appropriate projects offered in Physics or a suitable cognate area.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Plan and engage in an independent and sustained critical investigation of a chosen research topic.
2. Demonstrate capacity for physical understanding through experimental or theoretical investigation of an area of Physics.
3. Engage in systematic discovery and critical review of relevant background material.
4. Communicate research concepts clearly and effectively in writing and orally.

Research-Led Teaching

Honours in Physics offers qualified students a first taste of research. While publishable results are not expected, every Honours student will independently investigate advanced material and engage in the process of open-ended inquiry.

Recommended Resources

The CHM/COS College Honours Handbook and timelines can be downloaded from the College forms-policies-guidlines website.

Recommended student system requirements 

ANU courses commonly use a number of online resources and activities including:

• video material, similar to YouTube, for lectures and other instruction
• two-way video conferencing for interactive learning
• email and other messaging tools for communication
• interactive web apps for formative and collaborative activities
• print and photo/scan for handwritten work
• home-based assessment.

To fully participate in ANU learning, students need:

• A computer or laptop. Mobile devices may work well but in some situations a computer/laptop may be more appropriate.
• Webcam
• Speakers and a microphone (e.g. headset)
• Reliable, stable internet connection. Broadband recommended. If using a mobile network or wi-fi then check performance is adequate.
• Suitable location with minimal interruptions and adequate privacy for classes and assessments.

Printing, and photo/scanning equipment

For more information please see https://www.anu.edu.au/students/systems/recommended-student-system-requirements

Staff Feedback

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

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

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). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Other Information

Extensions to thesis (and assignment) deadlines will only be granted for health reasons or for unforeseen circumstances (i.e. that arose due to factors beyond the student’s control). Extensions will not be granted for work reasons or due to circumstances that should have been anticipated by you, the student. Extensions to thesis deadlines require careful and complete documentation of the causes and demonstration that the circumstances were beyond the control of the student. Such applications should be discussed with the supervisor, and, following this, with the Honours Convener. The Convener must approve any extension of up to two weeks. Extension of time to submit beyond two weeks after the completion date will be subject to the approval of the Deputy Dean on the recommendation of the Honours convener. Note: No application for an extension will be considered unless the Milestone Completion Form is submitted by the required due date. The Milestone Completion Form has to be submitted by the Monday prior to the thesis submission date.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Overview:The Physics Honours Research Project course goes over two consecutive semesters. The standard pattern for full-time students commencing in the second semester of the academic year is to enrol in PHYS4110 (24 units) in their first semester of enrolment and PHYS4110 (6 units) in their second Semester of enrolment. For every 6 units of enrolment, the expectation is that the student would work a minimum of 8-10 hours/week over the course of the semester. A student enrolling in full-time Honours for the first time in Semester 2 is expected to submit their thesis in Semester 1 of the following academic year. Students who are enrolled part-time or taking a reduced study load should consult the Honours convener for information about the due dates and unit distribution. The Semester 2 intake Honours year commences on Monday 24 July. Students are expected to begin discussions with their supervisor(s) and meet with the Honours Convener in advance of classes beginning on 24July.	This summary provides a general information for a student enrolling in this course for the first time as a full-time student. It is expected that full-time Honours students will enrol in this course twice over consecutive semesters (total 30 units) along with other coursework courses that form part of the honours year to a total of 48 units in the full-year.
2	In the first semester of candidature, Honours students are required to present a research proposal, which outlines the project including theoretical underpinnings of the problem to be tackled, the proposed method and a literature review. At the end of semester, a mid-year talk will be presented, giving a summary of the project.	Please see 2024 Honours Timeline and Handbook for full details as well as PHYS4110 Wattle page.Seminar/Oral Presentation - October, 2024Thesis Submission - 24 October 2024 for semester 1 commencersSemester 2 commencers-Thesis submission: 22 May 2025

Tutorial Registration

None

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Research proposal	15 %	*	*	1,2,3,5
Research journal and writing assignments	7 %	*	*	1,2,3,4,5
Oral presentations	7 %	*	*	5
Thesis	71 %	24/10/2024	28/11/2024	1,2,3,4,5

* 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 Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Guideline and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

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 Skills website. 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

Research proposal

Students are expected to write a research proposal, with a maximum length of 5 pages, outlining the problem they are trying to solve, the relevant background research and the methods proposed to undertake the research.

Assessment Task 2

Research journal and writing assignments

Students will keep a research journal, consisting of background reading that they have done for the project with a brief summary of the relevant papers. In addition, small reading and writing assignments will be allocated throughout the semester.

Assessment Task 3

Oral presentations

Students will give two talks, the first outlining their research topic and the research plan, and the second giving a summary of the results of their Honours research as well as the conclusions drawn from the project.

Assessment Task 4

Thesis

Students will be required to submit a final research thesis, describing in detail the background and motivation of their research project, the methodology used to pursue their research topic and a detailed analysis of the results in the context of the research problem. This task will be the major assessment for the Honours year.

Thesis length and format

We provide templates for your thesis, with the standard settings of 12pt font (Computer Modern or similar font), 1.5 line spacing and 2.5 cm margins. 

Honours thesis length should not exceed 80 pages from the first page of Introduction to the last page of Conclusion section, and should not exceed 100 pages in total.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

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 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

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material.

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 Access 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