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GO4002: LABORATORY DATA ACQUISITION AND ANALYSIS (2020-2021)

Last modified: 05 Aug 2021 13:04


Course Overview

The aim of this course is to develop critical thinking, presentation and project design skills for research together with an enhancement of the necessary skills in numeracy, data manipulation and data interpretation. The course involves substantial workshop-based and student-led practical work designed to provide direct experience of these key components. Students will be introduced to the practical and theoretical aspects of various analytical techniques that are available in the School of Geosciences.

Course Details

Study Type Undergraduate Level 4
Session First Sub Session Credit Points 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Campus Aberdeen Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr Dmitri Mauquoy

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Geoscience (GX)
  • Programme Level 4
  • Any Undergraduate Programme

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

Geoscience research involves a continuum of timescales, spanning the recent centuries and millennia to million/billion year timescales. In order to understand the deep time record it is necessary to understand contemporary processes in the fields of fluvial and glacial geomorphology and biogeography/palaeoecology. Staff across the School of Geosciences employ a wide range of laboratory analytical techniques in order to make sense of their samples. These range from low and high power optical microscopy, scanning and electron microscopy, grain size analyses and quantitative mineral analyses. A wide range of multivariate statistical analyses, age/depth modelling and Remote Sensing/GIS techniques are also employed by Geoscience staff.

The course will involve ‘hands-on’ experience of these techniques. These will be introduced during the first hour of the lecture, then you will utilise these techniques during the second hour of the ‘lecture’ slot in follow-on laboratory sessions.

You will acquire a number of specific practical skills associated with different field and laboratory research contexts. Building on these, in combination with your understanding of the research process, you should be able to:

  • Use research techniques to acquire data of various types
  • Provide a critical assessment of the characteristics and limitations of different types of data
  • Process data so that you can address your research questions in appropriate and effective ways

Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 31 August 2023 for 1st half-session courses and 22 December 2023 for 2nd half-session courses.

Summative Assessments

There are no assessments for this course.

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
FactualUnderstandUnderstand how Geoscience data can generated and analysed in order to understand Earth Science processes.
ReflectionEvaluateGenerate hypotheses and statistical analyses to match the acquired data to the problem in question. Asses the validity of the statistical techniques.
FactualApplyApply analytical techniques by undertaking laboratory analysis and implementing data acquired to Geoscience problems.
ConceptualAnalyseCritically analyse data and select and organise those which are relevant to the problem as defined.
ReflectionCreateCreate a scientific report which outlines the extent to which the analytical/statistical techniques have resolved the problem in question.

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