Program Overview

Literature Project for Natural Sciences BSc/MSci Programme (NSCI0004)

Key Information

The Literature Project for Natural Sciences BSc/MSci Programme is offered by the Faculty of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, with the Natural Sciences department being the teaching department. This module has a credit value of 15 and is restricted to Natural Sciences students only, as it is a supervised project module.

Alternative Credit Options

There are no alternative credit options available for this module.

Description

A literature review is an essential part of research, used to identify and communicate the state of the art in a topic, reveal gaps and contra-indications in understanding, and place the investigator's own contributions in the context of existing literature. This module aims to equip students with the experience and skills necessary to undertake and present their own critical review in a scientific field of study. After completing the module, students should be able to:

• Identify and develop a review topic in consultation with UCL academics
• Interrogate appropriate research databases using search terms to find relevant literature
• Critically assess the literature and make judgements about research quality
• Plan and time-manage their review independently
• Develop a professional researcher-researcher relationship with a supervisor
• Write a fully referenced review describing a research topic

Module Deliveries for 2026/27 Academic Year

The intended teaching term for this module is Terms 1 and 2, and it is classified as an Undergraduate module at FHEQ Level 6.

Teaching and Assessment

The mode of study for this module is in person. The methods of assessment are:

• 98% Coursework (2 assessments)
• 3% In-class activity The mark scheme used is numeric marks.

Other Information

In the previous year, 119 students were enrolled in this module. The module leader is Dr. Peter Bratby.

Sustainability

This module contributes to the broader context of sustainability at UCL, which includes climate change, social, and environmental sustainability. For more information on modules related to these topics, students can search the module catalogue using keywords like 'climate' or 'sustainability'. UCL also offers extra-curricular activities focused on sustainability through Sustainable UCL.