Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Co-convenor
Dr Danè Turner
Consultation by appointment
Marina Junqueira Santiago
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Credit points |
Credit points
4
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MRes
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
In this unit students will acquire an advanced conceptual knowledge of breakthrough discoveries relevant to a range of topics within the field of medical research. Through mentoring by senior research-active staff and post doctoral researchers within the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, students will gain discipline specific knowledge that will be relevant to their future research careers.
Students will:
1. Attend seminars and lectures focused on ongoing research projects from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and from invited speakers from leading national and international research institutes.
2. Participate in self-directed and group tasks in which they will learn to conduct research, read and critically review seminal research findings that have shaped contemporary thinking, and to disseminate their findings in written and oral form.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Grade descriptors and other information concerning grading are contained in the Macquarie University Grading Policy, which is available at: http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html
To pass this unit, students must demonstrate sufficient evidence of achievement of the learning outcomes.
Further details for each assessment task will be available on iLearn including marking rubrics.
All final grades are determined by a grading committee and are not the sole responsibility of the Unit Convenors.
Complete both the RACE (Research Animal Care and Ethics) Training Module (Module 1 only) and the Biosafety Training Workshop.
Students will be required to complete both the RACE and Biosafety online training, prior to Week 3 in preparation for the Ethic lecture. The courses cover the legislative and institutional requirements governing the use of animals and genetically modified organisms for research and teaching at the Macquarie University, and the principles and practice of animal care and welfare.
Applications for assessment task extensions must be submitted via: www.ask.mq.edu.au.
For further details please refer to the Disruption to Studies Policy available at: http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html
All assignments which are officially received after the due date, and where no extension has been granted, will incur a deduction of 10% for the first day, and 10% for each subsequent day including the actual day on which the work is received. Weekends and public holidays are included. For example:
Due date | Received | Days late | Deduction | Raw mark | Final mark |
Friday 14th | Monday 17th | 3 | 30% | 75% | 45% |
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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Journal Club Presentation | 20% | No | Week 4 |
Scientific News Article | 20% | No | Week 7 |
Critical Review Essay | 30% | No | Week 10 |
Ethics Debate/ Discussion | 15% | No | Week 13 |
Seminar Attendance/Reflection | 15% | No | Week 13 |
Due: Week 4
Weighting: 20%
Students will choose an individual article within their area of interest and present it to the class in Week 4. The student will be expected to guide and encourage active discussion about the paper rather than simply giving a talk to the group and waiting for questions.
The article must be a 'Seminal research paper', i.e. an established publication which has made a significant impact in the field of medical research, as evidenced by very high levels of citation, either by providing a novel methodological advance or a significant conceptual breakthrough.
Due: Week 7
Weighting: 20%
Students will submit a 500 word article summarising a recent publication (published in the last 3 months) in the field of medical/health research that would be of interest to a wider scientific readership. The article must be written in the style that would be seen in popular media scientific publications such as New Scientist or Cosmos.
The article is worth 20% of your total grade and will be marked against its ability to capture the attention of the reader, be understood by a general scientific audience, accurately communicate the key points of the published journal article and be within the required length.
Due: Week 10
Weighting: 30%
Critical discussion based around a topic of study covered during the semester.
Students will submit an essay that critically reviews a key paper discussed within the context of one of the teaching topics studied during the semester. The essay will be of 2,500 words, and it will be worth 30% of your final grade.
The essay will address the question “Discuss the major breakthrough that your chosen article presents, and review the seminal research findings that led to the development of knowledge in this field of research”
The essay will therefore present a clear summary of previous literature that supported the current studies (i.e. background and historical papers) and then a critical review of the primary paper and why it is considered a major breakthrough in the field. The primary paper must be an original research article and not a review paper.
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 15%
Students will participate in a debate on a motion related to either animal or human research ethics. Groups of students will work together to prepare an argument in support of or against the motion: individual students will be responsible for preparation and delivery of their component of the argument. Grading will be dependent on the cogency of the argument as a whole and also the student’s contribution to it.
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 15%
The Faculty runs a number of formal presentation series throughout each semester, including Friday afternoon Research Seminars in the Department of Biomedical Sciences (weekly in the Seminar Room, Level 1, 75 Talavera Rd), Grand Rounds (last Wednesday of each month from 1pm to 2pm in the Clinic Building, Ground Floor Interactive zone) and other occasional special presentations.
MRes students are expected to attend a minimum of 15 seminars (health/medical related and at least 30 minutes each) over the Semester. These can include Research Seminars hosted by Biomedical Sciences, AIHI, the Department of Health Professions or other Faculties. In some cases webinars may be accepted. In addition to the log book attendance record, you must prepare a detailed critique for five of the attended seminars. If the log book is incomplete or insufficient seminars have been attended, a zero grade for this component will be recorded.
Throughout the semester students will be provided with references to various journal papers which they will be expected to read and reflect on. Students are also encouraged to expand their knowledge and understanding of topics presented by further reading of the current literature (using databases such as Scopus and PubMed).
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct
Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html
Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html
Grading Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html
Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html
Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.
In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/
Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
Our postgraduates will demonstrate a high standard of discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgment. They will have the ability to make informed choices and decisions that reflect both the nature of their professional work and their personal perspectives.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our postgraduates will be able to demonstrate a significantly enhanced depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content knowledge in their chosen fields.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our postgraduates will be capable of utilising and reflecting on prior knowledge and experience, of applying higher level critical thinking skills, and of integrating and synthesising learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments. A characteristic of this form of thinking is the generation of new, professionally oriented knowledge through personal or group-based critique of practice and theory.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our postgraduates will be capable of systematic enquiry; able to use research skills to create new knowledge that can be applied to real world issues, or contribute to a field of study or practice to enhance society. They will be capable of creative questioning, problem finding and problem solving.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our postgraduates will be able to communicate effectively and convey their views to different social, cultural, and professional audiences. They will be able to use a variety of technologically supported media to communicate with empathy using a range of written, spoken or visual formats.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our postgraduates will be ethically aware and capable of confident transformative action in relation to their professional responsibilities and the wider community. They will have a sense of connectedness with others and country and have a sense of mutual obligation. They will be able to appreciate the impact of their professional roles for social justice and inclusion related to national and global issues
This graduate capability is supported by: