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The physiology of whole body motion, consists of complex interactions involving several major physiological systems. In order to truly understand the physiology of movement, you must first study each of these systems and how they are regulated during sustained body motion. This course considers each major system involved in supporting movement/exercise and the adaptations which occur. This includes:
1) The skeletal muscles and the way in which they respond and adapt during exercise to maintain strength and endurance.
2)The skeleton and bone integrity enables muscle movement and is an essential component of exercise capability.
3)It is important to understand how muscle activity is maintained by blood flow and regulation of the cardiovascular system.
4)Nervous system control of skeletal muscle also directly controls skeletal muscle activity.
Additionally, ageing and disease greatly affect the ability of the body to undergo exercise. The effects of different pathological conditions will be discussed for each physiological system examined.
The course consists of 3 lectures per week and all day sessions on Thursdays which are either for a laboratory practical or problem solving sessions (see timetable for details). The course is examined by continuous assessment and a 2-hour written exam.
Course co-ordinator: Prof Graeme Nixon (tel: (43)7405).
To provide advanced coverage of the physiology of the major body systems involved in maintaining body movement. In addition, you will gain an understanding of the physiological challenges involved in exercise during adaptations including disease states.
To gain experience of using complex research information to solve problems
Lecture Outline
Free radical physiology 1 & 2 (Dr. Alison Jenkinson) –
Skeletal muscle damage, the repeated bout effect and free radical activity. Oxidative stress, redox state, adaptations and interventions.
Molecular imaging in muscle movement (Prof. Graeme Nixon) –
In the past ten years, new and highly accurate techniques to measure muscle movement at the single molecule level have been developed and now provide new insights at a level of detail which was previously not possible. This lecture will discuss these modern physiological techniques such as optical tweezers and atomic force microscopy. The novel physiological information gained using these techniques will also be examined.
Neural regulation of muscle and muscle response to injury (Prof. Mary Cotter) –
These lectures examine the relationship between nerve and muscle and how muscle responds to changes in its activation, exploring the amazing plasticity of this complex post-mitotic tissue. An example of this plasticity is the way in which muscles in adults are able to regenerate following injury, understanding of which requires knowledge of how muscles develop.
Statistical analysis of data (Dr. Derek Scott) –
How to approach statistical analyses of scientific data to prove hypotheses will be covered.
Satellite cells 1 & 2 (Dr. Michael Scholz) –
Importance of satellite cells for the skeletal muscle in relation to characteristic properties of skeletal muscle cells, embryonic myogenesis and formation of satellite cells. Control of satellite cells: lineage determination by myogenic transcription factors and the underlying mechanisms, Growth factors and external control of satellite cells. Importance of satellite cells for repair and maintenance, regenerative capacity. Hypertrophy and satellite cells, Satellite cells and ageing
Angiogenesis (Prof. Graeme Nixon) –
Angiogenesis is the growth of new blood vessels from existing vessels. The physiological and pathological conditions which lead to angiogenesis will be examined, particularly with respect to muscle growth. The mechanisms which lead to endothelial cell proliferation and migration to form tubules (early stage blood vessels) will also be discussed.
Physiology of bone and the skeleton 1 & 2 (Dr. Julie Crockett) –
The skeleton supports and facilitates movement, protects vital organs and acts as a reservoir for mineral homeostasis. Bone remodelling is a process that occurs throughout life to repair and renew bones. The balanced activities of bone-resorbing osteoclasts and bone-forming osteoblasts are critical for this process and both cell types respond to classic and newly-discovered hormones that regulate the levels of calcium and phosphate in the body. Deficiency or overproduction of these hormones results in life-threatening conditions that further highlight the critical role that the skeleton plays in maintaining mineral homeostasis. In addition, the study of diseases that affect different aspects of the bone remodelling cycle has highlighted proteins that are critical for the formation, function and activity of bone cells.
In vivo imaging in physiology (Dr. Alan Denison) –
This lecture will explore how different types of diagnostic imaging in humans can identify physiology and pathophysiology in the context of health and disease, using a case-based approach.
In vivo regulation of blood flow 1 & 2 (Prof. Graeme Nixon) –
Blood flow and blood pressure must constantly adapt to the changing demands of body function, either at rest or during exercise. This requires several physiological mechanisms to detect and produce these changes. These mechanisms will be examined and discussed in the context of different physiological situations.
Coronary circulation and diabetes, the ultimate cardiovascular disaster (Prof. Mary Cotter) –
The coronary circulation is a highly specialised vascular bed which faces huge challenge and is vulnerable to disease. Lectures look at evidence for the benefits of exercise training on coronary circulation as well as the effects of diabetes, which is the ultimate cardiovascular disaster.
Problem solving solved (Prof. Mary Cotter) –
As part of your final Honours year examinations, you will be required to sit an exam paper based on assessing scientific data. This paper will test you ability to closely interpret scientific information, it analyses and conclusions. This lecture (and the following practical sessions) will provide important information on how to approach this exam paper using previous examples form past papers.
Laboratory Work
The practical work for BM4005 will take the form of an Objective Structured Practical Examination (OSPE for short!), which some of you will have experienced before in subjects such as anatomy or medicine. However, this style of assessment at multiple stations during a strict time limit is also similar to the job interviewing methods used by many employers.
The practical runs over 3 weeks (see timetable). In week 1, ALL students will attend and have an opportunity to practice the skills which will be assessed. During this day, staff will be on hand to demonstrate and answer questions, and students will be directed towards what they should revise for the assessment. Given that students will have little other coursework at this time, their preparation for the assessment should not be too onerous. Many of you will be already familiar with some of the practical skills assessed. Please note – IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU ATTEND THIS LABORATORY PRACTICAL SESSION.
In either week 2 OR 3, students will be scheduled to attend the practical laboratory for a one hour long slot, during which time they will undertake their assessment. Students cannot pick and choose when they attend, appointments will be issued by staff. Allocated groups will be available on the MyAberdeen course website. Attending at the correct time is one of the professional skills that will be assessed! During your one hour slot, you will be assessed at several stations on how well you complete the practical skills. In addition, the students’ professionalism as scientists and potential employees will be graded and students will also have to submit a short written assignment.
A major benefit of this practical is that, in addition to brushing up your practical skills, it can also provide practice for future interviews for jobs or academic positions. It will also prepare you in the generic skills needed for the Honours projects you will all be undertaking in the second half-session after Christmas.
The practical coordinator for BM4005 is Dr Derek Scott (d.scott@abdn.ac.uk). The OSPE will contribute 10% towards your final course mark.
For these classes a laboratory coat should be worn at all times in the laboratory. The University and Department safety rules must be adhered to at all times. Students may find it useful to bring a calculator to the laboratories in order that the required calculations can be made.
Problem Solving Sessions
There will be two Problem Solving sessions (see timetable), in which you will be given an abstract of a published paper and a set of questions based on the information provided. You are required to attend both sessions. You will be provided with the questions on the Thursday morning and then your task will be to prepare the answers. In the afternoon, the class will assemble in ZB06, you will hand in your written answers and then the class will go through the problem. Everyone will be expected to participate in this exercise, which is practice for the Problem paper in the Finals exams. The problem solving sessions carry 15% of your final mark to the course.
There is a regular programme of seminars given throughout the academic year by invited specialists from within the broad field of biomedical research.
These are usually held on Thursdays from 12noon -1pm in the IMS Building at Foresterhill (check the School or IMS websites for specific locations of seminars).
As you are studying within research-driven disciplines, we strongly feel that you should attend these whenever possible, with a view to broadening your appreciation of medical sciences. You will also be directed to attend any other relevant seminars when they arise.
A number of general textbooks are useful. More specific references will be given to you at the time of the lectures.
Astrand P.O. & Rodahl, K, Dahl H, Stromme S - Textbook of Work Physiology-4th Edition: Physiological Bases of Exercise, 2003, ISBN: 0736001409, Publishers: Human Kinetics
Levick J.R. – An introduction to Cardiovascular Physiology (4th Edition), 2003, ISBN 0340809213, Publishers: Hodder Arnold
The University has strict regulations on plagiarism. If you are unsure about what constitutes plagiarism read the University guide on plagiarism at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/writing
Copying or plagiarising another persons work, either from other students or published material in books or papers and submitted as your own for assessment is considered a form of cheating. This is considered by the University to be a serious offence and will be penalised according to the extent involved and whether it is decided there was an attempt at deliberate deception, or whether bad practice was involved. If you do use information or ideas obtained from textbooks or other published material you must give a precise reference to the source both at the appropriate point in your narrative and in a list of references at the end of your work. Direct quotations from published material should be indicated by quotation marks and referenced in the text as above.
Students are expected to attend all lectures, laboratory classes, and tutorials, and to complete all class exercises by stated deadlines. The minimum performance acceptable is attendance at the practical classes, and presentation of all set course work, written and oral.
a. Continuous assessment - will comprise 30% of the total. Students will be asked to write a short essay based on previous general paper questions. This will be good experience for the final exams. The mark for this essay will count towards 5% of the course. The practical exam which is part of the OSPE will also contribute 10% towards final course mark. Two problems from the Problem Solving exercise will be marked and contribute 15%.
b. Examination - this will take place in the summer diet, May/June. It will take the form of an essay-based examination, which will comprise 70% of the assessment for BM4005 Human Physiology. It will be a 2-hour exam in which 2 essays are attempted from a choice of 4.
All assessments (continuous and examined) will be made using the University Common Assessment Scale (copy attached). The common assessment scale (CAS) is the overall performance of the student is expressed as a grade awarded on the common spine marking scale.
Prof Mary Cotter
Dr Alison Jenkinson
Prof Graeme Nixon
Dr Michael Scholz
Dr Derek Scott (DS), Biomedical Sciences, d.scott@abdn.ac.uk Dr. Julie Crockett (JC), Medicine, j.c.crockett@abdn.ac.uk Dr. Alan Denision (AD), Medicine, alan.denison@abdn.ac.uk
If students have difficulties with any part of the course that they cannot cope with alone they should notify someone immediately. If the problem relates to the subject matter you may be best advised to contact the member of staff who is teaching that part of the course. Students with registered disabilities should contact either the IMS based School Office (Miss Lyndsay McEwan l.mcewan@abdn.ac.uk) or the Old Aberdeen office associated with the teaching laboratories (Mrs Sheila Jones s.jones@abdn.ac.uk) to ensure that the appropriate facilities have been made available. Otherwise, you are strongly encouraged to contact any of the following as you see appropriate:
Course student representatives.
Course Co-ordinator – Professor Graeme Nixon.
Convenor of the relevant Staff/Student Liaison Committee - Dr Gordon McEwan.
Adviser of studies.
Disabilities Co-ordinator - Dr Derryck Shewan.
Staff are based at Foresterhill (IMS & Health Sciences Building) and we strongly encourage the use of email or telephone the SMS office. You may be wasting your time to travel to Foresterhill only to find staff unavailable.
Support Available to Students
The University is keen to help you successfully complete your studies. If at any time you feel you need assistance, there is a range of support services available to help you. These include support to assist with unexpected and/or exceptional financial difficulty, support for disabled students and academic learning support through the Student Learning Service. Further details about all these services area available at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/studenthelpguide/.
We value students’ opinions in regard to enhancing the quality of teaching and its delivery; therefore in conjunction with the Students’ Association we support the operation of a Class Representative system.
The students within each course, year, or programme elect representatives by the end of the fourth week of teaching within each half-session. In this school we operate a system of course representatives. Any student registered within a course that wishes to represent a given group of students can stand for election as a class representative. You will be informed when the elections for class representative will take place.
What will it involve?
It will involve speaking to your fellow students about the course you represent. This can include any comments that they may have. You will attend a Staff-Student Liaison Committee and you should represent the views and concerns of the students within this meeting. As a representative you will also be able to contribute to the agenda. You will then feedback to the students after this meeting with any actions that are being taken.
Training
Training for class representatives will be run by the Students Association. Training will take place in the fourth or fifth week of teaching each half-session. For more information about the Class representative system visit www.ausa.org.uk or email the VP Education & Employability vped@abdn.ac.uk. Class representatives are also eligible to undertake the STAR (Students Taking Active Roles) Award, further information about the co-curricular award is available at: www.abdn.ac.uk/careers.
The University operates a system for monitoring students' progress to identify students who may be experiencing difficulties in a particular course and who may be at risk of losing their class certificate. If the Course Co-ordinator has concerns about your attendance and/or performance, the Registry will be informed. The Registry will then write to you (by e-mail in term-time) to ask you to contact their office in the first instance. Depending on your reason for absence the Registry will either deal directly with your case or will refer you to your Adviser of Studies or a relevant support service. This system is operated to provide support for students who may be experiencing difficulties with their studies. Students are required to attend such meetings with their Adviser of Studies in accordance with General Regulation 8.
Set criteria are used to determine when a student should be reported in the monitoring system. You will be asked to meet your Adviser if any of the following criteria apply for this course:-
either (i) if you are absent for a continuous period of two weeks or 25% of the course (whichever is less) without good cause being reported;
or (ii) if you are absent from two small group teaching sessions e.g. (laboratory/tutorial classes) without good cause;
or (iii) if you fail to submit a piece of summative or a substantial piece of formative in-course assessment by the stated deadline
If you fail to respond within the prescribed timescale (as set out in the e-mail or letter) you will be deemed to have withdrawn from the course concerned and will accordingly be ineligible to take the end of course assessment or to enter for the resit. The Registry will write to you (by e-mail in term-time) to inform you of this decision. If you wish consideration to be given to reinstating you in the course you will be required to meet the Convener of the Students' Progress Committee.
Students who attend and complete the work required for a course are considered to have been awarded a ‘Class Certificate’. Being in possession of a valid Class Certificate for a course entitles a student to sit degree examinations for that course. From 2010/11 class certificates will be valid for two years and permit a total of three attempts at the required assessment within that two year period i.e. the first attempt plus up to two resits.
You will receive a University e-mail account when you register with the University Computing Centre. The University will normally use e-mail to communicate with you during term-time. These e-mails will be sent to your University e-mail account, which you can access using Eudora or SquirrelMail.
It is your responsibility to check your e-mail on a regular (at least weekly) basis and to tidy the contents of your e-mail inbox to ensure that it does not go over quota (see http://www.abdn.ac.uk/diss/email/mailquota.hti for guidance on managing your e-mail quota). It is recommended that you use your University e-mail account to read and respond to University communications. If you already have a non-University e-mail account that you use for personal correspondence, it is possible to set up automatic forwarding of messages from your University e-mail account to your personal e-mail address (see http://www.abdn.ac.uk/local/mail.forward/) but, should you do so, it is your responsibility to ensure that this is done correctly. The University takes no responsibility for delivery of e-mails to non-University accounts.
You should note that failure to check your e-mail or failure to receive e-mail due to being over quota or due to non-delivery of an e-mail forwarded to a non-University e-mail account would not be accepted as a ground for appeal (for further information on appeals procedures, please refer to http://www.abdn.ac.uk/registry/quality/appendix5x17.hti).
TurnitinUK
TurnitinUK is an online service which compares student assignments with online sources including web pages, databases of reference material, and content previously submitted by other users across the UK. The software makes no decision as to whether plagiarism has occurred; it is simply a tool which highlights sections of text that have been found in other sources thereby helping academic staff decide whether plagiarism has occurred.
As of Academic Year 2011/12, TurnitinUK will be accessed directly through MyAberdeen. Advice about avoiding plagiarism, the University’s Definition of Plagiarism, a Checklist for Students, Referencing and Citing guidance, and instructions for TurnitinUK, can be found in the following area of the Student Learning Service website www.abdn.ac.uk/sls/plagiarism/.
Requirements for the Award of an Honours Degree
All students who are admitted to an Honours programme, in or after 2004/05, will be required to achieve 480 credit points, including at least 180 at levels 3 and 4, of which at least 90 must be at level 4. This change to the requirements for the award of an Honours Degree was made by the Senate to ensure that Honours degrees are awarded in compliance with the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF). This is a common national Framework for all awards in Scotland. Further information is available at www.scqf.org.uk.
Accordingly, students failing to meet this credit requirement at the first attempt will require to make up this credit shortfall before graduating. General Regulation 21, as outlined below, sets out the procedures available to enable students to make up this credit shortfall.
In the case of a candidate who has failed to complete satisfactorily an element of Honours degree assessment at the time prescribed by Regulation 9.3, then the appropriate procedure from (a) to (e) below shall apply:
a) If, but only if, the failure is on account of illness or other good causes, the candidate shall be required to submit themselves for assessment at the next available opportunity, and shall be permitted to count the result of that assessment towards Honours classification.
b) If the failure is the result of absence or non-submission of any other cause, the candidate shall be awarded zero for the assessment concerned and shall be required to submit themselves for assessment at the next available opportunity, but shall not be permitted to count the result of that assessment towards Honours classification.
c) For courses at level 4 and above only, if the candidate has completed the assessment but been awarded a mark on the Common Assessment Scale between 6 and 8 inclusive, they shall be awarded the same amount of unnamed specific credit, not exceeding 30 credit points in total, at level 1.
d) If the candidate has completed the assessment, but the course is at level 3, or the course is at level 4 or above and the mark awarded on the Common Assessment Scale is less than 6, the candidate shall be required to submit themselves for assessment at the next available opportunity, but shall not be permitted to count the result of that assessment towards Honours classification. Alternatively, for courses at level 4 and above only, such candidates may elect to attend and submit themselves for assessment in another course of equivalent credit value, which may be at any level.
e) If any options (a), (b) or (d) above would normally apply, but medical advice indicates that it would be unreasonable to require a candidate to appear for assessment on a subsequent occasion, and if the candidate’s past record provides sufficient evidence that they would have obtained Honours, the examiners may recommend the award of an Aegrotat degree, but only after obtaining the consent of the candidate. The award of an Aegrotat degree will debar candidates from counting towards Honours degree assessment any result achieved thereafter.
Notes (i) For courses at level 4 and above, the timing and format of the assessment required under any of sub-sections (a), (b) or (d) above shall be determined by the Academic Standards Committee (Undergraduate) on the recommendation of the Head of the relevant School.
(ii) The options to achieve or be awarded credit under (b), (c) and (d) above shall be available to candidates who have accumulated less than 90 credit points at level 4 or who have failed to complete satisfactorily the assessment for a course which, on the recommendation of the Head of the relevant School, has been prescribed by the Academic Standards Committee (Undergraduate) as compulsory for the award of a degree with Honours. Such candidates will be able to qualify for a non-Honours degree only.
Further guidance is also available in the Guidance Note for Students who either Fail, or who Fail to Attend or Complete, and Element of Prescribed Degree Assessment which can be accessed at:
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/registry/quality/appendix7x6.pdf
Honours Degree Classification (Grade Spectrum)
All Honours Degrees are classified using the University’s Grade Spectrum which is available at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/registry/quality/appendix7x4.pdf. The Grade Spectrum, an extract of which is outlined below, is used to determine degree classification on the basis of the CAS mark awarded for each element of Honours Degree Assessment.
First: Marks at 18 or better in elements constituting half the total elements
and
Marks at 15 or better in elements constituting three quarters of the total elements
and
Normally marks at 12 or better in all elements
2i: Marks at 15 or better in elements constituting half the total elements
and
Marks at 12 or better in elements constituting three quarters of the total elements
and
Normally marks at 9 or better in all elements
2ii: Marks at 12 or better in elements constituting half the total elements
and
Marks at 9 or better in elements constituting three quarters of the total elements
Third:Marks at 9 or better in elements constituting three quarters of the total elements.
The Grade Spectrum defines the threshold standards against which the different classes of honours degree are awarded. The Examiners, however, have discretion (in the circumstances defined in Note 4 of the Grade Spectrum) to depart from this and may choose to award a higher degree than that indicated by the Grade Spectrum.
Transition into level 4 and beyond
As students progress through their degree programme, they will notice a change in the style and approach of teaching and the expectations upon them as learners. Expectations again change as students progress into Honours year, where they are expected to become more independent and self-directed in their learning. To help with this transition, a variety of activities will be planned to address any new challenges faced by students at level 4. The level 4 retention co-ordinator - Dr Steve Tucker (s.j.tucker@abdn.ac.uk; 01224 437491) will organise such events and is a point of contact for any level 4 SMS students facing any kind of difficulty. Regular activities and workshops will be designed around key issues faced by Honours students much in the same way as it was at level 3. In addition, Dr Tucker will hold regular, advertised drop-in surgeries for students to raise any issues face to face and all level 4 SMS students will have access to a MyAberdeen site that will offer information, feedback, guidance and discussion forums designed to ease students through to the completion of their degree.
Absence from Classes on Medical Grounds
Candidates who wish to establish that their academic performance has been adversely affected by their health are required to secure medical certificates relating to the relevant periods of ill health (see General Regulation 17.3).
The University’s policy on requiring certification for absence on medical grounds or other good cause can be accessed at:
www.abdn.ac.uk/registry/quality/appendix7x5.pdf
You are strongly advised to make yourself fully aware of your responsibilities if you are absent due to illness or other good cause. In particular, you are asked to note that self-certification of absence for periods of absence up to and including eleven weekdays is permissible. However, where absence has prevented attendance at an examination or where it may have affected your performance in an element of assessment or where you have been unable to attend a specified teaching session, you are strongly advised to provide medical certification (see section 3 of the Policy on Certification of Absence for Medical Reasons or Other Good Cause).
Feedback Framework
Feedback on assessment:
The University recognises that the provision of timely and appropriate feedback on assessment plays a key part in students learning and teaching. The guiding principles for the provision of feedback within the University are detailed in the Institutional Framework for the Provision of Feedback on Assessment available at:
www.abdn.ac.uk/registry/quality/appendix7x8.
Enhancing Feedback:
The University recognises both the importance of providing timely and appropriate feedback on assessments to students, and of enabling students to voice views on their learning experience through channels such as Student Course Evaluation Forms and Class Representatives. FAQs, guidance and resources about feedback can be found on the University’s ‘Enhancing Feedback’ website at: www.abdn.ac.uk/clt/feedback
Appeals and Complaints
The University’s appeals and complaints procedures provide students with a framework through which to formalise their concerns about aspects of their academic experience or to complain when they feel that standards of non-academic service have fallen short of that which they expected.
The process has been designed to make the appeals and complaints process as accessible and simple as possible and to provide a robust, fair mechanism through which to ensure that all appeals and complaints are considered in the appropriate way at the appropriate level.
A major feature of the process is the emphasis it places on early or informal resolution. All students should note that there is an expectation that they will take responsibility for seeking resolution of their academic or non-academic concerns by raising and discussing them at the earliest possible stage with the relevant individuals in an academic School or administrative Service.
Further details of the processes for making an appeal or complaint, including where to find further help and support in the process, is given at:
www.abdn.ac.uk/registry/appeals
Transcripts at Graduation
It is anticipated that students who commenced their studies in, or after, 2009/10, will receive a more detailed transcript of their studies on graduation. The increased details will include a record of all examination results attained. For students graduating in 2012/13 transcripts will show details of all CAS marks awarded, including marks which are fails. Where a resit has been required as a result of medical circumstances or other good cause (MC/GC) this will not be shown, but all other circumstances (i.e. No Paper ‘NP’) will be included.
MyAberdeen (the University of Aberdeen’s Virtual Learning Environment)
MyAberdeen replaces WebCT as students’ virtual learning environment. This is where you will find learning materials and resources associated with the courses you are studying.
MyAberdeen also provides direct access to TurnitinUK, the online originality checking service, through which you may be asked to submit completed assignments.
You can log in to MyAberdeen by going to www.abdn.ac.uk/myaberdeen and entering your University username and password (which you use to access the University network).
Further information on MyAberdeen including Quick Guides and video tutorials, along with information about TurnitinUK, can be found at: www.abdn.ac.uk/students/myaberdeen.php.
Information about academic writing and how to avoid plagiarism can be found at www.abdn.ac.uk/sls/plagiarism.
Aberdeen Graduate Attributes
Graduate Attributes are a wide-ranging set of qualities which students will develop during their time at Aberdeen in preparation for employment, further study and citizenship.
There are four main areas of the Graduate Attributes:
• Academic excellence
• Critical thinking and communication
• Learning and personal development
• Active citizenship
Students have many opportunities to develop and achieve these attributes. These include learning experiences on credit-bearing courses and co-curricular activities such as work placements, study abroad and volunteering. In accordance with the University’s commitment to Equality and Diversity, students can request support with any aspect of the Graduate Attributes framework.
The ACHIEVE website offers resources that enable students to assess and reflect upon their present skills and development needs. The website also contains resources to help students to improve their skills and links to a range of university services such as the Careers Service and the Student Learning Service. Students can access ACHIEVE from their MyAberdeen site in the ‘My Organisations’ section. More information about Aberdeen Graduate Attributes and ACHIEVE can be found at www.abdn.ac.uk/graduateattributes.
The Co-curriculum
The co-curriculum enhances a student’s employability and provides opportunities to develop and achieve Aberdeen Graduate Attributes. Co-curricular activities complement a student’s degree programme and include: work placements, study abroad, enterprise and entrepreneurship activities, the BP Student Tutoring Scheme, career mentoring and the STAR (Students Taking Active Roles) Award initiative. Below are examples of credit-bearing co-curricular activities. It is anticipated that these types of activity will be included on an enhanced transcript for students graduating in, or after, 2012/13
ERASMUS is an exchange programme funded by the European Commission which enables students to study or work in another European country as part of their degree programme. Eligible students will receive a grant to help with extra costs while abroad and a number of our partner institutions teach through English. For more information, visit www.abdn.ac.uk/erasmus/. The University also has opportunities for students to study in a non-European country as part of their degree through the International Exchange Programme. International partners include universities and colleges in North America, Hong Kong and Japan (www.abdn.ac.uk/undergraduate/international-exchange.php). The University aims to ensure full academic recognition for study periods abroad, therefore the credits gained from study abroad will count towards the Aberdeen degree programme for students participating in both ERASMUS and the International Exchange Programme.
Work placements can also form an integral part of a degree programme and attract academic credit. Placements are available locally, nationally and internationally, lasting from a few weeks to a full year and are generally paid. Visit the Careers Service website for further placement information and to find available work placements.
Further information about the co-curriculum is available at: www.abdn.ac.uk/careers
School of Medical Sciences - Guide to Citing and Referencing
This guide should be used to assist you when completing any work for disciplines in the School of Medical Sciences. All work should include citations at appropriate places in the text, with a complete reference list at the end of the assignment. If diagrams/ graphs/ tables are copied or adapted from other publications/ websites, the sources must also be cited in the legend for that item, and included in your reference list.
Good citing and referencing not only improves the quality of your work, but it gives credit to the authors of original work, and makes it less likely that you can be accused of plagiarism. Further guidance on writing and plagiarism may be found at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/writing/ . When you submit work for marking, you are declaring that YOU are the author, that you have not copied it or plagiarised any material from other sources, AND that all sources of information have been acknowledged in your text. Students may be penalised by the University if found guilty of plagiarism.
Students are warned to be careful if using websites as sources of information. These may be inaccurate and are often not peer-reviewed. You are strongly encouraged to use advanced textbooks, peer-reviewed papers or reviews as the sources of your information in your work. Students are also advised to avoid quoting chunks of text in their work. Just because you put quotation marks around some text does not mean that you have not plagiarised it. Try and explain ideas and concepts in your own words.
The referencing style used here is Harvard, similar to that recommended by the University Library (see their factsheet for further information on referencing). Students must use this style of citing and referencing for all work. Other styles are not acceptable. Marks may be deducted if students do not cite or reference properly (see specific marking schemes for details).
Citing references within the text
You must provide citations in the text at the appropriate places by putting the author’s surname and year of publication in round brackets immediately after the relevant text (author, date method).
Author, date method
Jones et al. (1999) has argued that….
Studies have produced conflicting results…..(Bloggs, 2000; MacDuff et al., 1993)
Smith stated (1990)…..and then later work confirmed this (2003)…..
Bloggs (2001) investigated…..
One author (Bloggs, 2000)
Two authors (Smith & Jones, 1982)
Three or more authors (Chesterfield et al., 1995)
If the same author(s) wrote two or more papers in the same year Thwaites et al. stated (1990a)…..and then provided further evidence (1990b)…..
N.B. “et al.” should be in italics, as should all other Latin words/phrases in your text (e.g. in vitro). There is also a full stop after “et al.”, since it is an abbreviation of “et alia” (“and others”).
Listing your references at the end of your work
Your list of references must place the surnames of the first authors in alphabetical order. List all authors of a piece of work unless there are a large number.
Format of references at the end of your work
Book - whole Rang, H.P., Dale, M.M., Ritter, J.M. & Flower, R.J. (2007) Pharmacology. 6th Ed. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.
Book – article or chapter within Johnson, D. & Smart, J.S. (1983) Advanced techniques in measuring athletic performance. In: S. Roberts, ed., Sports Science in the Laboratory. London: Macmillan, pp. 3-28.
Journal – article within Furchgott, R.F., Zawadzki, J.V. (1980) The obligatory role of endothelial cells in the relaxation of arterial smooth muscle by acetylcholine. Nature. 288(5789), 373-6.
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