Skills for Wildlife Scientists

Module Identifier: BR15700
Module Title: Skills for Wildlife Scientists
Academic Year: 2026/2027
Semester: Semester 1 Taught over 2 semesters
Co-ordinator: Dr Matthew Hegarty
Reading List: View on Aspire
Other Staff: Professor Karl Hoffmann; Dr Matthew Hegarty; Dr Sarah Dalesman; Dr Ruth Wonfor; Dr David Wilcockson; Dr Daniel Mills; Dr Guilherme A. Bortolotto; Dr Helen Marshall; Dr Ifat Shah; Dr Niall Mckeown; Professor Joanne Hamilton; Dr Peter Korsten; Dr Roger Santer; Professor Gareth Griffith

Assessment

Assessment Type	Assessment details	Proportion
Semester Assessment	Notebook-assisted data analysis exercise: 1.5 Hours Students will use data from the Semester 1 laboratory practicals and understanding of data analysis and plotting in R gained in the workshop sessions to perform simple interpretation of data accumulated in their electronic lab notebooks.	40%
Semester Assessment	Laboratory write-up: A scientific style lab report based on the results of the DNA barcoding practicals undertaken in semester 2. 1500 Words	60%
Supplementary Assessment	Notebook-assisted data analysis exercise: 1.5 Hours Students will use data from the Semester 1 laboratory practicals and understanding of data analysis and plotting in R gained in the workshop sessions to perform simple interpretation of data accumulated in their electronic lab notebooks.	40%
Supplementary Assessment	Laboratory write-up: A scientific style lab report based on the results of the DNA barcoding practicals undertaken in semester 2. 1500 Words	60%

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

Communicate information and ideas in the form of written reports and oral group presentations.
Develop a reasoned argument and challenge assumptions.
Formulate hypotheses and research questions, undertake data collection, and make academic arguments.
Identify appropriate data sources and information resources.
Instill appropriate academic conduct (e.g. avoiding unacceptable practice).
Interpret and use data.
Demonstrate basic computer literacy.
Apply the scientific method to address practical, real-world problems.

Brief description

This module aims to develop your ability to research information and communicate effectively as written and oral presentations whilst adhering to correct citation style and good academic practice. You will also gain practical skills, and confidence, in scientific data collection and analysis. You will develop these skills through practical investigation of several forensic scientific problems, and detailed analysis of your data.

Content

Semester 1 will begin with an intensive first week of laboratory exercises during which students will keep a detailed laboratory notebook of their findings. Laboratory exercises will be drawn from areas such as forensic entomology and ecotoxicology. In the remainder of semester 1, students will undertake 10, weekly-scheduled computer room sessions during which they will learn to plot, analyse, and critically appraise data from the laboratory week with staff on-hand to help and provide formative feedback. Data collection, analysis, and notes, will be collated in a laboratory notebook that is designed both as an element of assessment, and to provide a ‘how to’ guide to Good Laboratory Practice for later stages of study.

Semester 2 will similarly begin with an intensive first week of laboratory sessions during which students will extract and sequence DNA for the purposes of DNA barcoding. In the remainder of semester 2, students will meet with their designated tutor bi-weekly to conduct exercises helping them to understand the forensic context and the data collection process, as well as receive lectures on the principles and uses of DNA barcoding for wildlife forensics and conservation. They will also undertake a computer workshop to familiarise them with analysis of the DNA barcode sequence generated in the lab sessions.

Module skills

Skills type	Skills details
Application of Number	Data handling is a key theme of this module.
Communication	Clear written communication of scientific data, ideas, and techniques will be an element of coursework.
Improving own Learning and Performance	The notebook assignment will allow opportunity for reflection, development of ideas, and technical notes that will be useful in future learning.
Information Technology	Students will build competence and confidence with standard data handling and graphing tools including R.
Personal Development and Career planning	Not assessed as part of this module, though students will gain an understanding of how scientific skills can be more widely applied to practical problems.
Problem solving	Students will collect and analyse scientific data in order to address scientific problems.
Research skills	Students will be required to conduct literature research to understand the context of their practical work.
Subject Specific Skills	Students will gain familiarity with a variety of practical laboratory techniques.
Team work	Students will work together with tutor guidance to analyse group data as part of the lab report

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 4