Undergraduate Course: Research Design for Physical Geography (GEGR10131)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course introduces students to diverse skills required for writing a research proposal. Particular emphasis is given to providing materials and information that will prepare students for the Dissertation. A variety of skills are introduced including:
1. Research question formulation.
2. Choice of appropriate theoretical and methodological frameworks.
3. Critical reviewing of literature.
4. Planning, analysis and write-up of work.
5. Development of Presentation skills and general IT literacy in the creation of proposals. |
| Course description |
Research Design for Physical Geography is focussed on producing research proposals and preparing students to undertake the research and writing of their dissertation. The course will introduce students to typical projects undertaken in the Physical sciences; it will build on the methods training and illustrate the multiple approaches to designing a research project, including advice on developing and integrating, literature, theory and methods, as well as general information on health and safety and ethics. The course will be delivered through a combination of case studies, lectures and small group workshops.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | This course is only available to 3rd year students on the Geography (BSc Hons) and Geology and Physical Geography (BSc Hons) Degree Programmes. |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
196 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Summary and Critique (20%):
The objective is to draw students into the research culture of the School so they can experience first-hand the value of research and how it is communicated. Students will present at Hutton Club, EPS, Global Change or EEO / GIS seminar series.
Presentation (20%):
Students will present their ideas as a 10 minute oral presentation. They will outline key research design components, state aims and objectives, form research questions and developea theoretical framework. Audience participation will develop skills in critique and support of peers and the activity will provide feedback for the third assignment.
Research Proposal (60%):
A full 2,000 word proposal of their dissertation research project consisting of an introduction, literature review, research questions, aims and objectives, methodological framework Gantt chart showing milestones, and accompanying safety declaration and ethics forms.
Students must attain an overall mark of 40% (or above) in order to pass the course. |
| Feedback |
Formative feedback will be provided throughout the course via the workshop style sessions which constitute the majority of contact time. This will be provided by a combination of academic staff and postgraduate tutors. Summative feedback will be provided via written comments from the coursework assessments. The first assessment will be a 'first go' at a research proposal providing students with written feedback designed to help them develop their research ideas and give an indication where they can improve for the final assessment, the full research proposal. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Develop, design and finalise research proposals.
- Identify research project topics and formulate research questions appropriate for long term (12 month) undergraduate research projects.
- Locate proposed research projects in wider academic literature and critically review relevant literature.
- Identify and describe theories and methods appropriate for a given research question.
- Understand ethical debates in applied research and apply this understanding to ensure research meets ethical standards.
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Reading List
Davis J.C. (1990) Statistics and Data Analysis in Geology Wiley.
Ebdon, D. (1985) Statistics in Geography: A Practical Approach, Second Edition (Wiley, London).
Haines-Young, R. and Petch, J. (1986) Physical Geography: Its nature and methods (Harper Row, London).
Hay, I. (2006) Ethical practice in geographical research. In: Clifford, N. and Valentine,G. (2004) (eds) Key Methods in Geography (Sage, London).
Heywood, I., Cornelius, S., and Carver, S. (2011) An Introduction to Geographical Information Systems, Fourth Edition (Prentice Hall/Pearson, Harlow).
Hubbard, B. and Glasser, N. (2005) Field Techniques in Glaciology and Glacial Geomorphology.
Kneale, P (2011) Study Skills for Geography, Earth and Environmental Science Students. Hodder Education.
McKellup, S and Dyar, M.D (2010) Geostatistics explained: an introductory guide for earth scientists. Cambridge.
Rogerson, P.A. (2001) Statistical Methods for Geographers, 2nd edition (Sage, London).
Smith, D.M. (2010) The Politics and Ethics of Research, in: Jones, J.P. and Gomez, B. (Eds) Research Methods in Geography: A Critical Introduction (Wiley-Blackwell, New York).
Jones, J.P. and Gomez, B. (2010) Research Methods in Geography: A Critical Introduction (Wiley-Blackwell, New York).
Clifford, N. and Valentine, G. (2003) Key Methods in Geography (Sage, London).
Walliman, N (2004) Your undergraduate dissertation. London: Sage.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
1. Develop, design and finalise research proposals.
2. Identify research project topics and formulate research questions appropriate for an undergraduate research project.
3. Be able to locate proposed research projects in wider academic literature and critically review relevant literature.
4. Identify and describe theories and methods appropriate for a given research question.
5. Understand ethical debates in applied research and apply this understanding to ensure research meets ethical standards.
6. Planning strategies associated with long term projects. |
| Special Arrangements |
This course is only available to 3rd year students on the Geography (BSc Hons) and Geology and Physical Geography (BSc Hons) Degree Programmes. |
| Keywords | Research Design,Research Proposal,Literature Reviews,Research Questions,Research Ethics |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Andrew Hein
Tel: (0131 6)50 9140
Email: Andy.Hein@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Leigh Corstorphine
Tel: (0131 6)50 9847
Email: lcorstor@ed.ac.uk |
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