S309 Earth Processes

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You must submit this EMA by the cut-off date via the online TMA/EMA service on StudentHome.

There are notes on advisory and mandatory word limits at the end of this document.

Plagiarism: It is important that you read, understand and comply with the University’s plagiarism policy in all of your assignments.  What constitutes plagiarism is outlined in the Open University document: Plagiarism Policy. You should write in your own words and avoid in all instances directly copying phrases. Except in a few instances where short quotes may be appropriate, they should also be avoided, as they will not constitute your own work. All work submitted for S309 assessment will be carefully checked for plagiarism and if you are found to have plagiarised you could lose marks and the case will go on your record. The OU Library Referencing and plagiarism page provides guidance on how to correctly cite references in your assignments and how to avoid the plagiarism pitfalls. For further help with your academic writing and avoiding plagiarism, please consult the Developing Good Academic Practices website and/or discuss this matter with your tutor. 

Key points on submitting the EMA

There is specific information on submitting an EMA available from the following link (Submitting an EMA). This can also be accessed via StudentHome. The key points for the S309 EMA are summarised below:

The maximum file size that the TMA/EMA system will accept for the EMA is 10 MB.

The submission system accepts the following file types: .doc, .docx, rtf.

You can submit multiple times up to the submission date, although we advise you to put 'draft' or 'final' in the file name

Ensure that all of your S309 EMA is in one file (i.e. your answer to Questions 1 and 2).

Please include your personal identifier (PI) in the file name so that the markers and award board can more easily find your file.

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If there are any special circumstances that have affected your study and that you wish the award board to take into account (e.g. illness during the year or in the EMA preparation period) you must complete the relevant form and provide the documentary evidence in advance (the forms are E39 and PT39; see StudentHome for more information). The award board are not allowed to consider cases where there is no documentary evidence.

No extensions are permitted on the EMA. If something serious happens close to the deadline and you think you will be unable to submit, you can apply to the University for a discretionary postponement up to midnight on the day following the cut-off date. You will also need to provide documentary evidence of the event (e.g. admission to hospital) within the University's set timescales. See StudentHome or contact your tutor for more information. 

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Overview

The EMA contains two parts:

Question 1: A project report (80 marks)

Question 2: Skills portfolio (20 marks)

The specific period for working on your project for Question 1 is from Week 26 to Week 28. Question 2 can be completed anytime from Week 5 onwards.

Achieving the best grade: You are strongly advised to attempt all parts of the EMA in order to obtain the best grade. You are also advised to take careful note of all the instructions in this EMA. You are advised not to confuse instructions or guidance given in other modules (e.g. SXG390) with that given in this module.

There is important guidance on project choice for Question 1 at the start of 5.6 Project introduction: consolidation and advice on conducting the project in Weeks 26 to 28 Project work. There are also several tutorials covering project work, the skills portfolio and the EMA. You will also be able to draw on the work you completed for the project questions in the TMAs and the feedback from your tutor on your answers to these.

You can start the skills portfolio (Question 2) any time after Week 5 and we strongly advise you to start on this early so that you can spend the later weeks of the module concentrating on your project. This will also give you a better chance of doing something interesting for Question 2 that better fits your skills because you will have more time to plan it. The study calendar has a short period at the end of the module to complete your EMA though we strongly suggest that, if possible, you should have a full first draft of Questions 1 and 2 before then so that you can use this period to edit and polish your work. 

Questions and clarification: If you need clarification it is best to post a question in the discussion forum topic area 'EMA and project work'; this way you will get access to a range of staff and therefore the best advice.

Mandatory word limit: The EMA has mandatory word limits; these are 2400 words for Question 1 (excluding the reference list) and 600 words for Question 2. Please note that any work over these limits will not be marked.

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Question 1: Project report (80 marks)

Write a scientific report on the project you have undertaken. You should follow the 'Structure and guidelines' outlined below, take into account the 'Key points for Question 1: Project report' and ensure that you address the learning outcomes (see table below for details).

Structure and guidelines

Divide your report into nine sections using the following subtitles:

Title (2 marks): Provide a concise and descriptive title for your project. The title should be relevant, accurate and informative. (Advisory limit: 12 words)

Abstract (8 marks): Summarise your entire report. Your abstract should introduce the background to your project, contain a brief description of your methodology, a summary of your results, and an outline of your conclusions. (Mandatory word limit: 250 words) 

Introduction (8 marks): Outline the background to your project to set your project in context. This should include reference to previously published work in the area and, if appropriate, the geological setting. Any previously published work should be referenced appropriately using the style outlined in the 'OU Harvard guide to citing references'. References can include module materials. 

Hypothesis (4 marks): Clearly state the hypothesis that you tested in your project. 

Methodology (12 marks): Clearly describe the methods that you used to collect and analyse your data in order to test your hypothesis. This section should include details of the type of observations and measurements you made, and mention the equipment you used in order to make them. It should be sufficiently detailed that someone else could repeat it and obtain similar data.

Results (16 marks): Succinctly summarise your results. This summary should include a description of all the relevant raw data that you collated and processed in order to test your hypothesis. Your results section should include the following items (see note on the number of tables and figures and constructing your own figures below):

Text that summarises the raw data and specifically refers to your figure(s) and/or table(s).

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A main table and/or figure that summarises the data you have collected and/or processed.

Subsidiary figures and/or tables.

Critical discussion (16 marks): Present a discussion and interpretation of the data you outlined in the results section. You must explain how your results support or refute your hypothesis including any limitations or whether, in hindsight, the hypothesis could be better formulated or further studies are required. You should also consider any uncertainties in the data you have collected. Your discussion should include an explanation of how the results of your project connect with the Earth science concepts of the project area that your work relates to. In your discussion you should form your own opinions and back them up with evidence from the published scientific literature and your own results, making sure to correctly reference any published literature. Your critical discussion can either refer back to figures and tables presented in the results section or include new figures and/or tables as appropriate.

Conclusions (8 marks): Concisely summarise all the main findings of your project. This summary should include an indication of whether your results supported or refuted your hypothesis. You can present your conclusions either as a bulleted list or as a succinct scientific summary.

References (6 marks):  Present a list of the literature and module items that you have referred to in your report. Your reference list should be in alphabetical order and formatted using the styles outlined in the OU Harvard guide to citing references. Include any acknowledgements at the end of your reference list. The reference list is not included in the word count.

Key points for Question 1: Project report

Feedback: Ensure that you take into account feedback that you had on your project idea in the S309 Project blog, on your project proforma, in correspondence with your tutor and on the last question in TMAs 01 to 05.

Raw data:  Your project must be based on raw geological data. For field-based or urban projects, these data can be the geological observations that you make while in the field or urban area. Data collected on exposures that were the subject of organised field trips that you attended are unlikely to demonstrate sufficient independent work. For desk-based projects, raw geological data are the geological data that you have extracted from a database or publication in its original state. It is your job as the person undertaking the project to perform a scientific analysis using these raw data. For example, graphs that have been plotted by the person who originally collected the data are not, in themselves, raw data. With this in mind, Page 5 of 17 22 August 2019

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literature reviews (i.e. a comparison or synthesis of the literature alone) or those projects that mostly comprise literature reviews are not acceptable projects because the views and conclusions of others do not, in themselves, represent raw data.

S309 knowledge and skills: The project should preferably build on or utilise one of the knowledge areas covered in S309. In your report, you should aim to use and demonstrate level 3 skills that you have learned in S309. These skills include knowledge and understanding, critically analysing and synthesising the work of others, constructing tables, presenting figures appropriately, critical analysis and interpretation of raw data, referencing and communicating scientific information clearly.  

Structure and integrity of the report: The report should take a form and be presented in language similar to that of a scientific paper. The report should present a coherent package where the introduction is directly relevant to the project undertaken, the discussion is substantiated by your results and the method directly relates to the results presented. The abstract should provide a summary of all the key points in the report. The conclusions should synthesise the results and interpretation. Neither the abstract nor the conclusions should introduce new material.

What to present: You do not have to present everything you did for your project work in the report; the aim of the exercise is to produce a piece of work that is logical, consistent and exemplifies the work you have done for your project. The best reports are often the simplest. Your report should include anything that was core to your hypothesis but inconclusive, and you should briefly comment on why this was so (e.g. exposure insufficient, conflicting evidence, data set incomplete) in the discussion and outline any further work you suggest that would address it. Ensure that you keep the bigger picture in mind and that you regularly refer back to the hypothesis that you are testing.

Word limit, figure and tables limits

The mandatory length for your report is no more than 2400 words. You do not have to write 2400 words but if you are significantly under the limit our experience is that you are likely to have missed something or have insufficient detail.

You must include a word count.

The word count includes all in-text references, titles, text boxes, figure captions and table captions. The word count does not include the reference list, the contents of tables or labels on figures. To gain good marks for communication tables should

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be succinct summaries and each of the labels on figures should not exceed a few words.

The size of the text should be at least 11 point (12 point is preferred), and you should use a font that is clearly legible, such as Arial or Cambria. The page layout should be arranged as portrait.

Your report must contain no more than five figures in total (the term figure includes photographs). A composite figure made using multiple parts will be considered as multiple figures. In other words if you make up a figure with five different photographs you will have used up all of your allocation. Insets count as part of the main figure provided they are details that are directly relevant to part of the main figure.

You will gain more marks for figures that you have designed and constructed yourself than for figures directly copied or modified from published literature. Hand drawn graphic logs usually achieve a much better result and mark than those that use specialised free graphic packages such as SedLog.

All figures must be produced at a size that is clearly legible at 100%.

Your report must not contain more than four tables in total. Ensure that the information in the table cells is succinct and well organized. Tabulated information is usually in note form. Tables often contain 50 -100 words and rarely exceed 500 hundred words.

Any work over the limits of 2400 words or five figures and four tables will not be marked. Do not include any appendices or supplementary information in your report.

Reference list and other formatting: The reference list for Question 1 should be separate from the reference lists for Question 2. There is no need to include a title page.

Learning outcomes for Question 1: Project report

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The learning outcomes covered in the project report, the marks allocated to each learning outcome, and the section in the project report to which they apply are summarised below.

Learning outcome (LO)

Total marks for the LO

Section of the report

Knowledge (Kn1) 12 Introduction (2), Results (2), Critical discussion (2), Conclusions (4), References (2)

Methods (Kn2) 4 Methodology (2), Results (2)

Consilience (Kn3) 2 Critical discussion (2)

Relevance (Kn4) 2 Critical discussion (2)

Applications (C1) 4 Methodology (2), Critical discussion (2)

Challenges (C2) 8 Introduction (2), Hypothesis (2), Methodology (2), Results (2)

Solutions (C3) 4 Results (2), Critical discussion (2)

Scales (C4) 2 Critical discussion (2)

Information (Ky1) 4 Introduction (2), References (2)

Communication (Ky2)

24 Title (2), Abstract (8), Introduction (2), Methods (2), Results (2), Critical discussion (2), Conclusions (4), References (2)

Graphics (Ky3) 2 Results (2)

Investigate (P1) 8 Hypothesis (2), Methodology (2), Results (4)

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Techniques (P3) 2 Methodology (2)

Uncertainties (P4) 2 Critical discussion (2)

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Question 2: Skills portfolio (20 marks)

This part of the EMA has a broad scope and is designed to give you the opportunity to demonstrate your Earth science skills and to gain credit for Earth science activities that particularly take your interest or that you may have completed outside of the curriculum.

Succinctly summarise two independent pieces of Earth science work. Each piece of work must demonstrate the associated S309 learning outcome(s) provided in two of the options outlined below.  You are advised to read the brief and associated learning outcome(s) very carefully and check that you have demonstrated the points. It is up to you to choose which two of the five possible options to do. You must choose two different options and you must clearly indicate which options you have chosen.

Notes

Each piece of work (option) is worth 10 marks (10%).

The mandatory word limit for Question 2 is 600 words in total. We advise that you use 300 words for each option that you choose. However if one of the options is better with more words and the other with fewer words that is acceptable provided the total for Question 2 does not exceed 600 words.

Figure and table captions are included within the word limit. Any reference lists you provide are not included in the word count.

The OU Harvard style should be used for references.

You may complete this work at any time during the module (or in the case of field trips or museum activity within the previous two years).

You must clearly indicate which of the following options you have selected in your submitted work. 

You can use the same field trip or museum activity to complete both options 4 and 5 provided that you clearly demonstrate the two different learning outcomes.

You should not submit activities, discussion posts, glossary items or completed questions from the S309 module materials or work you have done for one of the TMAs. We will be unable to award you marks if you submit one of these items. You may,

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however, use any of the references that we have provided in the reference lists as well as any you locate yourself.

You should not use any activities or assessment completed for any other OU modules, for instance work completed on the field schools for S276 or S209. You will gain no marks for any such work that you submit.

You can submit work for you started for a project idea that you did not then use for your project work (e.g. if you changed from desk-based to field-based, or igneous to sedimentary). However, your work for Question 2 should be distinctly different from that submitted for Question 1 so that you can demonstrate a breadth of understanding.

Each piece of work should be Earth science based.

Complete any two of the following options to construct your two pieces of work:

Option 1

Synthesise information about a geological subject matter from two or more different types of information. The information may be any combination of two or more of the following types:

text graphics (e.g. hand-drawn graphic log, photos, phase diagram, Google

Earth analysis) 

data (e.g. from the Palaeobiology Database, digitised specimens from the NHM collection, Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program, USGS earthquake map, Virtual Microscope).

Use the information sources you choose to make an informed synthesis. Present your synthesis in up to 300 words and up to one new figure. If one of the other ideas that you started to explore for your project but did not follow up was desk-based, it might be suitable material for this piece of work. Ensure that you provide links and references to the two sources of information, so the markers can understand what you have done. Remember to use the PROMPT criteria to enable you to choose appropriate sources of information.

Solutions (C3): Use a variety of sources including text, graphics and numerical data, to describe, critically assess and synthesise Earth science data and information. Use this

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information to make informed interpretations. [In this option the variety of sources is two of the following: text, graphics and data.]

Option 2

Locate at least two references (from scientific papers, websites that satisfy the PROMPT criteria, chapter of a book etc.) on an Earth science topic that interests you. Critically analyse the scientific content in these two references and write a 300 word integrated scientific synthesis providing in text-citations as appropriate and a reference list (as indicated above, the reference list is not part of the word count).

To gain good marks you must demonstrate critical analysis skills as well as the ability to synthesise. In other words it is not sufficient to provide a summary of the two references. For instance, your synthesis could summarise two or more opposing views on a subject matter or bring together different lines of evidence for a geological process or environment. One (but not both) of these references can be from any of the reference lists in the module materials, or both can be from sources you have found. Remember to use the PROMPT criteria when you choose your reference(s). (You do not need to provide any evidence for how your references obey the PROMPT criteria.)

Information (Ky1): Locate scientific information and identify up-to-date materials from a variety of sources (e.g. textual, visual, numerical, graphical and computer-based) including reviews and primary sources and cite and reference these in an appropriate manner.

Solutions (C3): Use a variety of sources including text, graphics and numerical data, to describe, critically assess and synthesise Earth science data and information. Use this information to make informed interpretations. [In this option the variety of sources is the two or more references.]

Option 3

Take any Earth science data, including material from the module (but not the TMAs) and either present the data as a newly designed figure or complete a new mathematical analysis. Provide a reference list for your source(s) of information. Ensure you include one figure and use up to 300 words. If you present a new mathematical analysis you may use a table rather than a figure. Note: you are required to provide a figure and/or table if you choose this option.

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For this option you could, for example, convert a written description of a rock succession into a graphical log, plot geochemical data in a different way or design a figure to summarise different aspects of a subject matter.

Graphics (Ky3): Use ICT/graphical/numerical techniques to enhance learning, gather, analyse and present quantitative and qualitative data.

Option 4

Take active part in a team project involving some aspect of Earth sciences where you can demonstrate leadership and collaboration. This might be through schools (see Other resources below), colleges, public outreach, museums or Earthwatch, as a volunteer for a RIGS site or organising or helping to organise an event at an Earth science society such as the Geologists' Association or the Open University Geological Society. Summarise your contribution in 300 words with up to one diagram or photo. You will gain marks for including brief feedback on your contribution from others.

Collaboration (Ky5): Work and co-operate with others to explore aspects of Earth sciences.

Option 5

Collect and present a small amount of primary Earth science data (e.g. a graphic log of a few metres of interesting strata, a description and interpretation of two geologically related thin sections (e.g. two granites of different origin), a geological map and interpretation of about five geological units, a detailed sketch and photo of a large exposure with an interpretation of the processes that formed it or its geological history).

This option can be approached in any of the following ways:

By attending an organised geological field trip where there is an opportunity to collect your own data or make geological observations.

By conducting your own fieldwork involving the collection of a small amount of Earth science data. Lots of geological field guides and websites are available with suggestions of good places to visit worldwide.

By using data that you have collected at work if you are already working in an Earth science related job and your employer is willing to give permission.

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By making use of any of the thin sections available in the Virtual Microscope collection, including the sections from Charles Darwin's Rocks (see study session 3.1 Introduction to   mineral magic), or the Geolab, or University of Leeds or even one of the  lunar/meteorite collections . You cannot however use thin sections used in the S309 module materials.  You will gain more marks for the more complex thin sections. As there is a labelled thin section for each of the rocks in the Charles Darwin Collection, you will not gain marks for repeating the mineral identifications, you need to demonstrate new understanding, for instance by comparing several thin sections or using the thin sections to make an interpretation. If you choose this option, you must give the link to the thin section web page in your answer.

Summarise the data in up to 300 words and up to two figures or one table (e.g. a graphic log, map, sketch(es) or set of field measurements). A photo and the associated sketch counts as one figure. The critical contribution with this option is that you demonstrate your competence by collecting new data. You must provide the evidence that you are competent in collecting the data, e.g. by using labelled sketches or images of thin sections. Reproducing information from the module such as a table of relevant mineral properties does not demonstrate competence in collecting and recording data.

Techniques (P3): Show competence in the collecting, recording and use of Earth science data using a wide range of techniques, and be able to assess the significance of these data.

Please ensure that you have clearly indicated in your submission exactly which of the options you have chosen.

Now submit your EMA using the online TMA/EMA service. The button below will take you to StudentHome, where you can find a link to the 'online TMA/EMA service'

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References

Earthwatch Institute (2016) Earthwatch Institute [Online]. Available at http://eu.earthwatch.org/ (Accessed 19 September 2016).

Geologists' Association (2010) Geologists' Association [Online]. Available at http://www.geologistsassociation.org.uk/ (Accessed 19 September 2016).

Scott, B. and Smith, V. (2014) Dataset: collection specimens [Online]. Available at http://data.nhm.ac.uk/dataset/collection-specimens (Accessed 28 April 2016). [Natural History Museum, London collections]

Open University Geological Society (2007–present) OUGS – The Open University Geological Society [Online]. Available at http://ougs.org/ (Accessed 19 September 2016).

Paleobiology Database (n.d.) The Paleobiology Database [Online]. Available at https://paleobiodb.org/ (Accessed 28 April 2016). 

RIGs (2016) GeoConservationUK: The association of UK Rigs groups [Online]. Available at http://wiki.geoconservationuk.org.uk/ (Accessed 19th September 2016).

Smithsonian Institution (2013) Smithsonian Institution – Global Volcanism Program [Online]. Available at http://volcano.si.edu/ (Accessed 28 April 2016).

The Open University (n.d.), Charles Darwin's rocks [Online]. Available at https://www.virtualmicroscope.org/content/charles-darwins-rocks (Accessed 1 September 2017).

The Open University (n.d.) Developing Good Academic Practice [Online]. Available at https://learn1.open.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=100043 (Accessed 19 September 2016).

The Open University (n.d.) OU Harvard guide to citing references [Online]. Available at https://learn1.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=2620 (Accessed 19 September 2016).

The Open University (2013) Plagiarism Policy [Online]. available at  https://help.open.ac.uk/documents/policies/plagiarism/files/35/plagiarism.pdf (Accessed 23 August 2018).

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The Open University (n.d.) Referencing and plagiarism [Online]. Available at http://www.open.ac.uk/library/help-and-support/referencing-and-plagiarism (Accessed 19 September 2016).

The Open University (n.d.) Virtual Microscope [Online]. Available at https://www.virtualmicroscope.org/ (Accessed 1 September 2017).

USGS (n.d.) Earthquake Map [Online]. Available at http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/ (Accessed 19 September 2016).

Other resources

List of schools in the UK teaching geology to 14-18 year olds who might be amendable to a visit as a possibility for option 4 of Q2 (alternatively contact a local primary school)

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Notes advisory and mandatory word limits

One of the key skills in science is communicating clearly and succinctly. As a scientist almost everything one writes has a word limit whether it is an academic paper, an abstract for a talk, a course text or a piece for the general press. If a paper or abstract is submitted to a journal that is over the word limit it will incur a penalty because it will not be accepted.

In order to help you develop this key graduate skill and to give you practice in writing succinctly ready for the EMA, all of the S309 TMAs have advisory word limits (i.e. suggested maximum number of words you can use for your answer). We strongly suggest you edit your answers so that they are within these advisory limits. There are many guides and websites with tips on how to write succinctly and how to edit your work, try searching for ‘write succinctly’ or similar.

Some TMA questions and the EMA have a mandatory word limit (i.e. an absolute maximum number of words you can use for your answer without incurring a penalty). If your answer in a TMA exceeds the mandatory maximum a penalty will be incurred and 10% or less of the marks will be deducted. If your EMA exceeds the mandatory word limit any work over the limit will not be marked.

Please remember that you do not have to reach the limit to get full marks. We have set the limits so that they are reasonable.

Your answers should take the form of full sentences except when it asks for another form of answer (e.g. bulleted list, figure, table).

Please make sure that you do not write unnecessary sentences and that you edit your answers to make them succinct.

Your point will be more clearly made if you are succinct and you are more likely to gain higher marks.

Usually you should be able to present more than one point in each sentence.

You are also required to provide an accurate word count for all questions that state a mandatory word limit. Please ensure that your word counts are clearly marked on the same page as the answer.

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