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Pharmacy research project guidance: Home

Resources and links to guide you through your research project.

Welcome to this guide which includes resources and help for doing your research project. It supplements information provided in the PM4A Pharmaceutical Research and Enquiry handbook available via Blackboard. Use the tabs above to explore guidance on specific topics.

You are encouraged to develop your own project in discussion with your supervisor. Projects can take the following forms:

  • Desk-based projects - these involve other forms of data acquisition, such as data analysis (using provided or self-generated data, such as survey results), and/or a critical analysis of published literature (such as a systematic review).
  • Data driven projects typically involve statistically analysing a data set as the main part of the project and as such you may not have been involved in the data collection process.
  • Laboratory-based projects involving experimentation and collection of data in a laboratory setting.

Ethical clearance will be required for any studies involving surveys or data from human participants. Please ensure that you speak to your supervisor about ethical clearance as soon as you can to ensure that your research project can be started in a timely manner.

Consult the PM4A Pharmaceutical Research and Enquiry handbook on Blackboard for specific guidance on doing your project, especially requirements for writing the report, such as structure and word counts.

About your project

Aims 

The primary aim of the project is to promote the academic and intellectual development of the student through an extended period of primarily self-motivated work, which will build on the more formal taught parts of that student’s programme.

The importance of this work will be reflected in the contribution of the assessment mark to the final degree classification.

A suitable research topic should test a scientific hypothesis or be hypothesis generating by reviewing existing data/literature or conducting a pilot study.

As a result of doing a project you will...

  • develop practical skills and competencies necessary to carry out independent research
  • read and evaluate scientific publications
  • formulate and critically evaluate a scientific argument
  • design and carry out a scientific project in consultation with others, responding to any changing circumstances that may arise
  • understand basic statistics and their application on the evaluation of experimental data
  • draw on knowledge and data to set the research in context and to evaluate its contribution to food or biotechnology
  • report development of the project and its outcomes in the form of a report.

Support for doing your project

Your supervisor

Working with your supervisor is a partnership and you need to negotiate a way to work that suits both of you. See the Project management section of this guide for more information.

Your librarian

Jackie Skinner can help with doing your literature search, doing a systematic review, citing references, and using EndNote or Mendeley for reference management. She can offer one-to-one support via email or online, or come to the weekly Library drop-in (see the box below). See her contact page for email and booking details.

Study Advice 

The Study Advice service is based in the Library. In particular the Study Advisers can help with skills such as writing your literature review, using references in your work and time management. 

Support for using Microsoft Office

If you need guidance on using Microsoft Office products such as Word and Excel try these online tutorials:

Library drop-in

Question marks

Got a question about the Library, finding information, referencing, literature searching or using EndNote/Mendeley? 

Then come along to the Library drop-in.

When? Tuesdays 13:00-14:00 in term-time

Where? Harry Nursten Building Room 2-64 (the PC Lab at the back of the 2nd Floor)

If you would like to meet online please make an appointment at another time using the button in my contact box.

Useful books on doing your project