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The module will include an overview of the research process including hypothesis and research question design and the role of the research literature as evidence to assist in the development of research ideas relevant to practice. You will also learn about analysis and interpretation of data and how to ensure data generated is robust and scientifically valid and will explore aspects related to the importance of research governance and ethics in research design. You will gain practice in scientific writing and have the opportunity to develop a research proposal designed to tackle a specific scientific problem in your field of study. You will learn about some of the tools used in research in the fields of biology and chemistry, and how the research process links across multiple disciplines to solve specific scientific challenges, by gaining an appreciation of how this works in the real world using examples from current research. You will also have an opportunity to develop your skills in the laboratory through hands on practical experience.

Upon completion of this module you will be able to:
LO1: Critically understand the research process and how this can be applied in the context of your studies but also in the wider world of scientific research.
LO2: Appraise and critically review research literature to support the design and analysis of specific hypotheses, research questions and concepts related to specific problems in your field of study to enable the production of a scientific report and a lay summary of the information.
LO3: Using your knowledge of the research process, plan a scientific investigation and develop a proposal which sets out a plan for how to investigate a scientific problem, including selection of appropriate methods (including statistics) for data analysis of complex data.
LO4: Understand and be able to critique the tools used in modern scientific research, and the requirement for integrated approaches to solving scientific problems.