FOR40180

The research project is a key element in the forestry degree curriculum.

The initial weeks introduce students to the requirements and conventions of undertaking and delivering a piece of research; this includes some lectures on scientific writing, experimental design, data collection & analysis.
After an initial exploratory phase, during which students investigate potential research topics, information and data sources, and operational practicalities, each student selects an approved topic and is assigned an academic supervisor. Under the guidance of the supervisor, students work independently on their research project.

Where appropriate (and approved by the supervisor), outside advice and assistance can be sought. During all phases of the Research Project, but especially during the experimental design, data analysis and dissertation writing phases, students are encouraged to work closely with their supervisor to ensure that the correct procedures are used and the format and quality of the dissertation are of adequate standard. Students must familiarise themselves with the rules of the laboratory and with health and safety practices.

Students are advised to seek constructive feedback from their supervisor as the work progresses, especially during the write-up phase. To encourage students to engage in this process at an early stage, the module has been designed to be delivered over two trimesters with 5 credits allocated to the Autumn trimester and 15 to the Spring trimester.

To support student learning, the assessment procedure has been designed to allocate marks to ongoing engagement and facilitate continuous feedback. The assessment is broken down into numerous components as detailed in the 'Assessment Procedure'.

Students are provided with additional information about the module throughout the trimester, including the deadline dates for completing each work component.