成人大片

Course Coordinator: Dr Kathyrn Gatford
Phone: +61 8313 4158
Email: kathy.gatford@adelaide.edu.au
Location: Room 629b, Medical School North, Level 6

Additional Academic Staff (Tutors):

Professor Julie Owens
julie.owens@adelaide.edu.au

Professor Ray Rodgers
raymond.rodgers@adelaide.edu.au

Associate Professor Mark Nottle
mark.nottle@adelaide.edu.au

Dr Carmela Ricciardelli
carmela.ricciardelli@adelaide.edu.au

Associate Professor Michael Stark
michael.stark@adelaide.edu.au

Professor Claire Roberts
claire.roberts@adelaide.edu.au

Dr Nicolette Hodyl
nicolette.hodyl@adelaide.edu.au

Dr Rosalie Grivell
rosalie.grivell@adelaide.edu.au

Professor Michael Davies
michael.davies@adelaide.edu.au

Professor Sarah Robertson
sarah.robertson@adelaide.edu.au

Dr Michelle Lane
michelle.lane@adelaide.edu.au

Administrative contact details for the School of Paediatrics and Reproductive Health
Phone: +61 8313 0635
Email: sprh.l_and_t@adelaide.edu.au
Location: Level 3 Medical School South

1	Understand and use research skills, including generic skills and research techniques specific to the research topic/project.
2	Demonstrate skills in research planning, including specification and justification of an appropriate research hypothesis and appropriate experimental design.
3	Identify and critically evaluate scientific literature in reproductive health, including laboratory-based studies and clinical trials.
4	Understand and apply principles of good research practice, including laboratory safety, quality control, data management and research ethics.
5	Evaluate and apply appropriate research methodologies including data analysis.
6	Work collaboratively in small groups in a research context.
7	Discuss research findings in the appropriate context with peers and supervisors.
8	Present the results and conclusions of the research project in short manuscript format and in a short oral group presentation.

No single textbook covers the material to be considered during this course. All students are required to review the literature that is relevant to their project. This will primarily consist of peer-reviewed literature journal articles relevant to the area of the research project.

Course material including tutorial presentations, timetables, and submission of assessment, will be provided and managed via MyUni.

Communications about the course will be via the announcements section on MyUni at www.myuni.adelaide.edu.au and/or by email. Please read the Announcements section and your email regularly to keep up to date. Additional course related material, including lecture and tutorial material and links to required resources/reading, plus topics for assignments will be available through MyUni.

This course consists of a research project (averaging 5 hours/week) conducted within an active research laboratory as a placement in small groups (1-3 students), supported by a series of workshops and tutorials designed to teach key research competencies. The timing of research project activities is to be negotiated and agreed with the supervisor and any other group members in the first week of the course, dependent on their schedule and research-project requirements. Students will record research activities in a laboratory notebook and will meet regularly with their supervisor (weekly) to discuss the progress of their research and review activities and data management via the laboratory notebook. Research activities will initially be carried out with direct supervision of the supervisor and/or other research laboratory members but depending on student progress may also involve independent work under broad supervision.

A 3-hour introductory workshop will be presented in the first week to discuss preparation of a research proposal, including review of the scientific method, developing and testing hypotheses, and structure of a proposal. Also in the first week, students will conduct a research induction including a local OHS induction, training in core competencies/requirements for working in the proposed research area, and initial planning of core reading material relevant to their research proposal, to be signed off by the research supervisor.

A tutorial program will run concurrently with the research placement (2 x 1h per week) to teach and discuss core research competencies, including research planning and skills, data management and research ethics, oral and written presentation, and critical evaluation of literature.

Additional workshops will be used to 1/ (week 5) – conduct a critical literature review exercise, 2/ (week 9) discuss and practice oral scientific communication, and 3/ (week 12) present an oral report of the research findings to the students and supervisors of the course. (NB: week refers to teaching week).

As a 3 unit course, Research Project in Reproductive Health has a student workload of approximately 12 hours per week over the 13 weeks of Semester (total 156 hours; See section 24 of the Coursework Academic Policy. This equates to:

· 8 contact hours per week (tutorials, workshops and research placement)
· 0.5 hours per week on preparation for tutorials
· 4 hours per week on assessment tasks.

Students will identify their research project and supervisor prior to the start of semester 1, initially from project outlines available on-line (project booklet to be available in draft form by mid-semester 2 the preceding year with additional projects able to be added up until January of the course year), followed by direct contact with the supervisor. This might include Email and/or telephone interviews to facilitate participation by remote students, and/or face-to-face meetings. An on-line survey tool will also be used to assist in matching students with available research projects. Acceptance into this course is conditional on receipt of a project outline (acceptance form) signed by supervisor and student/s. Students enrolled in the Reproductive Health major will have first preference for enrolments.

For all projects that use animals or samples from animals confirmation of approval by the Animal Ethics Committee of the University must be provided before the project commences, such that students will only work on projects that have already been approved. Supervisors are responsible for gaining approval for projects before these are offered and for notification of student participation to ethics committees where required.

Workshops (each 3 h)
Week 1 – how to prepare the research proposal
Week 5 – critical literature review exercise
Week 9 – oral scientific communication
Week 12 – oral presentations
(NB: week refers to teaching week)

Tutorials (2 x 1 h/week)
Week 1 Laboratory safety
Principles of good research (Code of Practice) and scientific method

Week 2 Laboratory experimental design
Clinical experimental design

Week 3 Data management
Intellectual property and commercialisation
 
Week 4 Critical literature assessment – laboratory-based science
Structured journal club – review exercise 1

Week 5 Critical literature assessment – clinical trials
Structured journal club – review exercise 2

Week 6 Systematic reviews
Establishing data bases and cohorts

Week 7 Quantitation of biological molecules
Introduction to “omics”

Week 8 Analysing research results – evaluating the data
Analysing research results – testing for differences between groups

Week 9 Analysing research results – testing for relationships between variables
Presenting research results –figures, tables and text

Week 10 Scientific communication – writing reports and research papers
Putting research results in context – developing the discussion

Week 11 Career planning

Week 12 Optional tutorials to discuss research reports and assist in data analysis

Research project placement (average 5 h/week)
Students will prepare a research proposal, gain core competencies, and conduct a small research project over the semester.

There are no specific course requirements.

The course incorporates small group discovery experiences. Students will work in small groups supervised by research leaders to undertake research training and research projects.

Assessment Task	Assessment Type	Weighting	Learning Outcome(s) being addressed
Research Induction	Formative	0%	1, 4
Research Proposal	Summative/Formative	15%	1, 2, 3, 5
Critical Literature Review Exercise	Summative	15%	3
Supervisor Assessment	Summative	15%	1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7
Oral presentation (group assessment)	Summative	15%	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Written project report	Summative	40%	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8
TOTAL		100

Students must receive an overall grade of 50% in order to pass the course.

Research Induction (0%, formative, individual assessment, Week 1)
Students are required to complete a pro-forma confirming local induction by the research group hosting the research placement, agreement on times and location of research placement (3 h/week for 4 weeks in which workshops are scheduled, plus 6 h/week in remaining weeks), and listing at least five sources identified in discussions with the project supervisor as initial key background literature for reading. This task will be signed off by the research placement supervisor and submitted to the course coordinator by the end of Week one of the course. For OHS reasons, working in the laboratory environment is contingent on completion of the induction process and receipt of the signed induction form.

Research Proposal (15%, summative & formative, individual assessment, Week 3)
Following a workshop discussing preparation of the research proposal, tutorials on experimental design and initial meetings with the research placement host group, students will prepare a written research proposal as individuals. This will include a brief (1-page) summary of current knowledge and justification of the research approach, project hypotheses and aims, an explanation of the research approach including data analysis, and a timetable for the proposed study. The submission date for this task will be at the end of Week three of the course.

Critical literature review exercise (15%, summative, individual assessment, Week 5)
Following a series of tutorials discussing critical evaluation of manuscripts describing laboratory-based and clinical trial research, and structured journal club discussion of two manuscripts of each type, students will undertake a 3-hour critical literature review exercise in which they will read and answer questions to critically evaluate two manuscripts, one publication of a laboratory-based study and one publication of a clinical trial. This task will be scheduled for Week five of the course.

Supervisor assessment (15%, summative, individual assessment, Week 12)
Supervisors will submit an assessment of the student’s contribution to their small group research project, and demonstration of research skills in the research context, including data management and maintenance of laboratory records, appropriate conduct including safety and ethical considerations, and project-specific skills. This assessment will be submitted in Week 12 at the end of the research placement.

Oral presentation (15%, summative, group assessment, Week 12)
Students will present a 15 minute summary of their research projects including background, hypotheses, approach/methodology, results and conclusions. This task will be scheduled for the final week of the course, in a timetabled workshop slot (Week 12). All students are required to attend all presentations by students enrolled in the course.

Written project report (40%, summative, individual assessment, Week 13)
Students will submit a report on their research projects including background, hypotheses, approach/methodology, results and conclusions (2000 word limit). This task will be due for submission at the end of the non-teaching week prior to examinations, in order to allow feedback from oral presentations to be incorporated. It is suggested that students prepare a draft version of the report and submit this to their supervisor prior to the oral presentation for feedback.

Research proposals and written reports should be submitted by 5pm on the due date with a COVERSHEET. The coversheet is also available on MyUni as a .docx file.

Extensions to submission dates may be granted for medical/personal reasons at the discretion of the course coordinator. Assignments will not be able to be resubmitted.

You need to submit two electronic copies (as a .doc, .docx or PDF file) of your assignment:

1. One via MyUni
Submitted via the Course Materials/ Assignments section. When assignments are submitted they will automatically be checked for plagiarism through the TurnItIn database on MyUni, which also includes copies of previously submitted assignments.

2. One via email to sprh.l_and_t@adelaide.edu.au
When sending/submitting your assignment, please name your file with your name and the task: First name last name ResProject Proposal Eg Jodie Smith ResProject Proposal.

In the subject heading of your email please write: First name last name ResProject Proposal Eg Jodie Smith ResProject Proposal.

These instructions are also on the Coversheet.

This is a new course in 2014.