Students

BIOL8600 – Biology Research Experience

2020 – Session 1, Weekday attendance, North Ryde

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, any references to assessment tasks and on-campus delivery may no longer be up-to-date on this page.

Students should consult iLearn for revised unit information.

Find out more about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and potential impacts on staff and students

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Anthony Chariton
Kate Barry
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
(20cp from (BIOL8610 or BIOL861) or BIOL873 or (BIOL8740 or BIOL874) or (BIOL8750 or BIOL875) or (BIOL8770 or BIOL877) or (BIOL8870 or BIOL887)) and permission by special approval
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit enables the student to acquire biological research experience by undertaking a small independent research project under academic supervision. The research topic may be flexible, but in most cases it will be aligned with the objectives of an academic staff member involved in research. This unit can be combined with BIOL8710 Conservation in Practice for a more extended experience. Students are strongly encouraged to organise their project and supervisor well before commencing this unit.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Develop a testable biological hypothesis by reviewing and synthesizing previous research in the scientific literature.
  • ULO2: Plan and implement a research project to address this hypothesis using principles of experimental design and appropriate data collection methods for measuring and assessing biological processes.
  • ULO3: Demonstrate effective time and project management skills by working independently to collect scientific data and by documenting these efforts using a project notebook.
  • ULO4: Communicate research findings to a scientific audience in written form by constructing a coherent, well structured document.

Assessment Tasks

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

Assessment details are no longer provided here as a result of changes due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Students should consult iLearn for revised unit information.

Find out more about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and potential impacts on staff and students

General Assessment Information

All assessable items must be handed in on time. A 10% deduction per 24 hrs will commence immediately after the submission time. For example, 10% of the total score will be deducted for any assignment handed within the first 24 hrs after the submission time. 20% deduction for an assignment which is between 24 and 48 hrs late etc. 

All written work must be in the student’s own words. Assessments submitted via Turnitin will be subjected to plagiarism detection. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Penalties for plagiarism range from loss of marks to awarding of a zero, depending upon the level of plagiarism, and reporting to the Faculty Disciplinary Committee. Also, if late submissions are accepted, please specify the policy for them. 

Delivery and Resources

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

Any references to on-campus delivery below may no longer be relevant due to COVID-19.

Please check here for updated delivery information: https://ask.mq.edu.au/account/pub/display/unit_status

There are no lectures or tutorials for this unit. Students can work on a project with a university academic or PhD student or externally. However, it is the student's responsibility to find a project. Some potential projects will be advertised on iLearn. Projects need to be discrete pieces of research which can be written up as a paper.

Policies and Procedures

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:

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).

Student Code of Conduct

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

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) 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 or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to help you improve your marks and take control of your study.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

IT Help

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.

Changes since First Published

Date Description
11/02/2020 Clarification on late submission penalties and plagiarism.