F.H.S.

MOLECULAR AND
CELLULAR BIOCHEMISTRY
PART II PROJECT
WRITE-UP AND ASSESSMENT

Part II overview

4th Year Part II

Options papers (two)
Content:
Assessment:
Marks:

10-12 hours of lectures/master classes/etc

written exam + submitted work
100 per option

Project
Content:
Assessment:
Marks:

18 weeks lab based research

8000 word dissertation + presentation/viva
250

Part I 600 marks

Part II 450 marks
Part II overview

Final degree

1050 marks

Part II year - timetable

Michaelmas term
Weeks -2-9:

practical work (12 weeks)

Hilary term
Weeks 1-6:
Weeks 7-8:

practical work (6 weeks)

option paper lectures/seminars/etc

Trinity term
Week 1:
Weeks 1-2:
Week 3 or 4:
Week 7:
Week 10:

submission of dissertation
option paper lectures/seminars/etc
presentation + viva
option paper exams + submission deadline
viva voce exams

Part II overview

Part II project - assessment

Written dissertation
Oral presentation (10 mins)
There is a very strict time-limit. This should cover the major
points, it is not be a prcis of everything in the dissertation.

Viva following the oral presentation (10 mins)

Questions can be on the presentation, any aspect of the
dissertation, or any aspect of the undergraduate course that is of
direct relevance to the dissertation.

Supervisors report
This is really limited to matters of fact, e.g. specific difficulties
encountered, equipment not working, problems with suppliers,
etc.
Part II overview

Part II project - assessment

What the examiners will assess is how well the you have
understood and presented;
The background to your project and the reasons for doing your
specific experiments;
The methods you have used and the results you have obtained;
How your results are interpreted;
How your results fit in with the wider research in the field.

What the examiners will not assess:

How important your results are;
Whether the project has worked.
[Note: the supervisors OxCort report is a bad guide to your potential project mark
because it is based on performance in the lab and not the quality of the
dissertation.]
Part II overview

Part II - dissertation
The dissertation should be written for a biochemist who is not an expert in the
specific field.
Main text (introduction to conclusions, excl. tables and figure legends) can be a
maximum of 8000 words.
Abstract (300 words)
Introduction (up to 3000 words but usually quite a bit less)
Sets the scene; discusses all relevant prior work; gives the rationale for the
experiments described.

Materials and methods

Gives all experimental details necessary to (i) interpret the results and (ii) repeat the
experiments.

Results
Describes each experiment, its results, and the analysis of those results.

Discussion
Interprets the results in the light of (i) other experiments in the dissertation and (ii)
other results in the wider literature.

Conclusion and further work

[Appendices]

See guidelines on weblearn for full details

Part II overview

Part II dissertation schedule

Michaelmas term
Start writing Introduction and Materials and Methods.
Christmas vacation
Complete first draft of Introduction and Materials and Methods.
Write-up Michaelmas terms results.
Hilary term
Week 0: first draft of Introduction and Materials and Methods given to
supervisor for comments.
Write-up Hilary terms results and write Discussion.
Presentation to research group.
Week 8: first draft of Results and Discussion given to supervisor for
comments.
Easter vacation
Complete dissertation in light of supervisors comments.
Part II overview

Part II dissertation hints

Read papers and reviews, and think about how these are structured and
presented, and how language is used.
Plan the structure carefully it should follow a scientifically logical order, not a
chronological one (it is not a diary or commentary). It does not need to include
every last little thing that you have done.
Think about writing in the 3rd person (this experiment was done rather than I
did this experiment).
Write short sentences with a single, unambiguous meaning. Distinguish very
clearly between proves that, indicates that, suggests that and is
consistent with.
Put in appendices any information that examiners dont need to read but might
expect to find.
Use reference management software (such as EndNote, etc).
Part II overview