BIOB3900 Research and Development in Biomedical Laboratory Science - Bachelor`s Thesis Course description

The course is an introduction to research and development work (R&D) in biomedical laboratory science. The students will develop an understanding of the importance of updating and developing biomedical laboratory science practice and become familiar with the ethical aspects of such projects. The goal of the bachelor's assignment is to give the students the opportunity to immerse themselves in a topic that is relevant to the biomedical laboratory sciences field.

The students are offered assignments related to various types of R&D work. The assignments are carried out in external laboratories at Norwegian institutions, in internal laboratories at the university or at foreign institutions by agreement.

• Passed first and second year or equivalent of the Bachelor’s Programme in Biomedical Laboratory Sciences, or
• Admitted to the Complementary Education in Biomedical Laboratory Science

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student

• is familiar with scientific methods for research and development activity in the biomedical laboratory sciences field
• has knowledge of research and development work in an area of biomedical laboratory sciences
• is familiar with general research ethics issues of relevance to R&D projects in the biomedical laboratory sciences field
• is familiar with the laws and regulations that regulate the establishment, approval and use of biobanks in the field of medicine and health
• is familiar with risk assessments relating to the storage of personal data in R&D projects and methods for following this up in a systematic manner

Skills

The student

• can make plans for and carry out an R&D project relating to biomedical laboratory sciences under supervision and in accordance with ethical requirements and guidelines
• can obtain, critically assess and integrate relevant subject matter in his/her own project work
• can understand and apply statistical methods that are relevant in biomedical laboratory sciences literature in his/her own project work
• can use relevant scientific methods and assess the strengths and weaknesses of the methods applied in his/her own project
• can document and disseminate knowledge of biomedical laboratory sciences through oral and written presentations in Norwegian
• can demonstrate accuracy in referencing and use of sources

General competence

The student

• can participate in the planning and completion of an R&D project related to biomedical laboratory sciences in binding cooperation with others
• can demonstrate independent academic and ethical reflection in areas of biomedical laboratory sciences, particularly in relation to interpreting and evaluating the results achieved during work on the bachelor’s thesis

Work and teaching methods include lectures, seminars, peer assessment and bachelor's thesis in groups.

Projects are normally carried out in groups of 3-4 students. The groups will have an academic supervisor when working on the thesis. In addition, the groups will be offered writing supervision at the university of up to eight hours. The writing supervision is to help students to structure their thesis. The students will also assess each other’s texts in the work with the bachelor’s thesis.

Students meet for seminars during the period they are working on the bachelor's thesis. There will be a start-up seminar and differently themed seminars relevant for the completion of the bachelor’s thesis. At the end of the period, the students will meet to present their theses to each other.

Detailed guidelines for the bachelor’s thesis will be published in the learning platform.

In order to be permitted to take the exam, the following must have been approved:

• oral presentation of a bachelor’s project in groups, up to 25 minutes per group

Written bachelor’s thesis in groups normally comprising 3-4 students, up to 9,000 words.

Resit exam: If the bachelor’s thesis is awarded a fail grade, the students have the right to submit a reworked version of the thesis once.

All aids are permitted, as long as the rules for source referencing are complied with.

Grade scale A-F

All answers are assessed by two examiners. An external examiner is used regularly, at a minimum of every third completion of the course. When selecting answers for external evaluation, a minimum of 10 percent of the answers shall be included, with no fewer than 5 answers. The external examiner’s assessment of the selected answers shall benefit all students.

15 credits overlap with the course BIO3900 Bachelor’s Thesis.