01. Research, analyse and evaluate published and acquired scientific information and communicate this to a scientific audience in written form.

Activities:

Students will participate in a variety of workshops and exercises on database searching, Endnote, critical analysis, synthesising and evaluating scientific information. In addition, workshops on scientific writing provide the necessary skills to prepare a literature review, and a final thesis. The feedback provided on the literature review is useful for improving the skill to write the final thesis. Students will also submit drafts of their work to their supervisor for feedback

02. Present and discuss research information to/with a scientific audience using effective oral communication skills.

Activities:

Students will receive a workshop on how to give an interesting and informative presentation before their introductory poster presentation is due. Students can practice presentations within their research group. Feedback on the introductory seminar in first semester can be used when preparing for the final research seminar. In second semester a media communication workshop will be given. A thesis defence will be held at the end of the semester. Several workshop time slots will also be allocated to discuss student progress and to answer any questions about assignments.

03. Critically analyse and interpret scientific information and data, assess their relevance and validity and justify the conclusions drawn.

Activities:

During the year students will regularly meet with their supervisor to discuss their findings and any issues that arise. Workshops will be given on critical analysis and synthesising and evaluating information.

04. Set up experiments independently and evaluate the techniques used and the data collected in order to make necessary modications.

Activities:

Students will learn new techniques during their Honours year and execute these independently after initial supervision. Lab inductions will be given to students at the beginning of their project to ensure everyone works safely in the lab, complying with certified laboratory environments. Depending on the research project, students might design their own experiments and experimental protocols using the literature and/or previous methodologies. Students will analyse their data, interpret them and make adjustments to protocols, experiments when needed. During the year students will regularly meet with their supervisor to discuss their findings.

05. Propose an experimental design for the investigation and analyse experimental data using statistical tests relevant for agricultural research.

Activities:

Several Statistics workshops will be given during the year. Students regularly meet with their supervisor for feedback and to discuss any issues that arise.

06. Apply knowledge in agricultural research when designing experiments, analysing results and drawing conclusions.

Activities:

Through the literature review, students will gain more insight into the area they are researching. This knowledge will be used when designing experiments, analysing and discussing results, evaluating information and drawing conclusions. Students will learn to analyse and critically evaluate scientific information during the year. Workshops will be given on critical analysis and synthesising and evaluating information.