Third year Science unit: CBA342Techniques in Molecular Biology and Protein Biochemistry: Journal article

Developed by Adele Holloway, Derek Choi-lundberg, Stephen Richards, Renee Dwyer, Inn Chuah and Moira Cordiner

Criteria were developed for this task first. These were then used to revise the learning outcomes to make the alignment between outcomes and criteria explicit.

Synopsis of the task and its context

This unit is part of the Bachelor of Medical Research degree. This task requires students to ‘write up’ one of two 4 week practicals as a report in the form of a scientific paper suitable for inclusion in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. The format for the paper is an adaptation of the Journal’s specifications for authors. The word limit is 7500 and the task is weighted 35% The practicals are heavily scaffolded with detailed instructions in a lab manual and help from tutors. The manual also indicates which quantitative and qualitative data to collect and how to carry outany necessary calculations. Students are required to refer to relevant primary research literature to explain and justify the experimental designs they were using, interpret and analyse the data to determine its limitations, propose modifications to the practicals, suggest new experiments and adhere to the many conventions involved in scientific writing. Presentation of the data in forms that are readily interpretable by the reader is an essential part of this task, as is adhering to ethical scientific standards.

Match between learning outcomes and criteria

Revised learning outcomes / Task specific criteria
On completion of this unit you should be able to: / To complete this task, you should:
1. apply theoretical and practical knowledge of molecular biology, protein biochemistry and laboratory techniques / 1. apply theoretical and practical knowledge of protein biochemistry and laboratory techniques
2. interpret and analyse data / 2. interpret and analyse data
3. communicate in scientific writing / 3. communicate findings as a report in the form of a scientific paper

1

Student name / Student number
CBA342: scientific paper / weighting 35 %
criteria / HD / DN / CR / PP / NN
In your scientific paper, you: / In your scientific paper, you: / In your scientific paper, you: / In your scientific paper, you: / You:
apply theoretical and practical knowledge of protein biochemistry and laboratory techniques
Weighting 1/3 /
  • applied comprehensive theoretical and practical knowledge by:
/
  • applied well-developedtheoretical and practical knowledge by:
/
  • applied theoretical and practical knowledge by:
/
  • applied basictheoretical and practical knowledge by:
/
  • demonstrated rudimentary theoretical and/or practical knowledge by:

explaining and justifying the experimental design and purpose / explaining the experimental design and purpose / briefly describing the experimental design or purpose
supporting this with a considered selection of the most relevant primary literature sources / supporting this with reference to primary literature sources / supporting this with reference to some primary literature sources / supporting this with reference to some literature sources but relied on lectures and textbooks / referringto lectures and textbooks
accurately describing the essential details of materials and methods / describingmost of the essential details of materials and methods with some unnecessary information / describingsome of the essential details of materials and methods, but with some unnecessary information / restating or referring to lab manual instructions
interpret and analyse data
Weighting 1/3 /
  • thoroughly and correctly interpreted and analysed data by:
/
  • thoroughly and correctly interpreted and analysed data by:
/
  • for the most part, correctly interpreted and analysed data by:
/
  • interpreted and partially analysed data by:
/
  • restated the results rather than analyzing and interpreting them

comparing the data to relevant primary research literature,including somekey studies / comparing the data to relevantstudies in the primary research literature / comparing the data to some relevantresearch literature
explaining the important relationships amongst your data sets / explainingsomeimportant relationships amongst your data sets / describing some of the relationships amongst your data sets
identifying and explaining the major data limitationsand proposing modificationswith justification / identifying and explaining some of the majordata limitationsand proposing modificationswith justification / identifying and explaining some data limitations and proposing modifications / identifying some data limitations and/or proposing modifications
suggesting, with justification,further experiments to extend knowledge / suggesting, with justification,further experiments / suggesting further experiments
communicate findings as a report in the form of a scientific paper
Weighting 1/3 /
  • communicated by adhering to the conventions of scientific writing by:
/
  • communicated by adhering to the conventions of scientific writing by:
/
  • communicated by adhering to the conventions of scientific writing by:
/
  • communicated using scientific writing by:
/
  • communicated using some scientific writing by:

following the specified structure of scientific paper with all components in the prescribed order / mostly following the specified structure of scientific paper
using relevant and accurate terminology / using mostly relevant and accurate terminology / using some relevant and accurate terminology
using clear and concise English expression, with few errors / using clear English expression, with few errors / using mostly clear Englishexpression, with some errors / using Englishexpression that frequently impeded meaning for the reader
accuratelyciting and referencing sources using the J Biol Chem format with few errors / accurately citing and referencing sources using the J Biol Chem format with some errors / citing and referencing sources / citing and referencing some sources
  • presented data by putting it in a form that:
/
  • presented data by putting it in a form that:
/
  • presented data by putting it in a form that:
/
  • presented data by putting it in a form that:
/
  • included data

best illustrates your interpretation
is able to be interpreted because it:
is neat, clearly and accurately labelled
uses clear and concise figure legends / illustrates your interpretation
is able to be interpretedbecause, for the most part, it:
is neat, clearly and accurately labelled
uses clear and concise figure legends / illustrates your interpretation
is able to be interpretedbecause, for the most part, it:
is accurately labelled
uses clear figure legends / is partlyable to be interpreted because it:
is labelled
uses figure legends
consistently adhering to scientific ethical standards as in J Biol Chem (guidelines to authors)
CommentsGrade

1