YOU MUST SATISFY THESE ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
Progress to level 6 of a Forensic award
and have studied - SHS82213-5 Research and Professional Skills

AND REFER TO THESE TEXTS, TITLE, AUTHOR, PAGES:
No specific texts are recommended.

YOU WILL NEED ACCESS TO THESE RESOURCES: An appropriate well equipped laboratory and/or field facilities. Library and information facilities. A module handbook, and supervisory support and guidance.
Blackboard VLE

THESE LEARNING STRATEGIES WILL OCCUPY YOUR TIME: A series of preparative workshops and supervisory meetings (15 hours) will form the framework for learning within this module. The remaining time (285 hours) will allow you to arrange regular meetings with your supervisor and pursue your own independent research and learning, culminating in the production of the project report. Your meetings with your supervisor will include sessions on writing a CV.

A portfolio of work consisting 4 elements.

The following elements allow the student to demonstrate their development throughout the module.
Project proposal (1000 words) outlining initial ideas on the project which should contain a summary of the background to the topic, an initial plan of work with appropriate risk assessment and ethics considerations (10%), addressing outcomes 1,2.

A log book showing weekly progress throughout the project and how ideas have evolved on the basis of results obtained (10%), addressing outcomes 1,6

A viva-voce examination (10%) including a question and answer session on the project showing an appreciation of its findings and significance in a wider context, addressing outcome 5

A written report (8000 - 10000 words) detailing the background, methodology, experimental programme, results and discussion and conclusions and recommendations for further work, (70%) addressing outcomes 1-4 and 6.

Students will be provided with formative assessment and feedback via regular meetings with their supervisor

You will devise, plan, execute and report on a substantial piece of independent research work in forensic science. This will include drafting ethics and risk assessments. The topic will be selected from a list or you can offer your own topic which would need to be agreed with an academic supervisor. It will normally include experimental work or fieldwork, but could be a quantitative critical evaluation of secondary data which you have assembled from literature or other sources. In all cases the project should reflect the scientific base of the award. The topic will not normally overlap significantly with other independent work at level 3. The module will allow you to develop skills in defending your work through a viva-voce examination. You will need to select, deploy and adapt techniques, critically interpret and evaluate data, and present your findings both in writing and orally. As part of the viva voce examination you will be expected to give a concise verbal summary of your project, its finding and their significance.

Explore new areas of Forensic Science in your own research project. Develop new ideas in partnership with experts and present your results to the world.