BPS1041 Scientific inquiry
Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
BPS1041 Scientific inquiry is a level 1, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, offered in 2026 in Semester 1 at Malaysia and Parkville. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 1
- Malaysia, Parkville
- Assessment
- No exam
- 4 tasks
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Overview
You will acquire basic skills in applying and interpreting the scientific method of inquiry, and interpreting scientific data. You will: i) evaluate scientific literature; and, ii) plan, conduct and interpret a simple scientific experiment. A knowledge of hypothesis testing, ethical principles of scientific practice, examples of poor and elite pharmaceutical science, and the skills to perform inferential statistics will be developed.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Malaysia | On campus |
| First semester | Parkville | On campus |
Assessment
- Written Assignment: Analysing the Process of Scientific DiscoveryWritten25%
- Major Project: Planning, Conducting and Evaluating a Scientific ExperimentProject55%
- Skills coachingProject10%
- Workshop exercisesExercise10%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Explain the principles of scientific inquiry
- 2
Identify safe and ethical practices in scientific research
- 3
Develop a conceptual model for scientific inquiry and evaluate two real-world examples using this model
- 4
Plan and conduct a simple scientific experiment using a learner defined conceptual model of hypothesis testing
- 5
Identify and employ an appropriate statistical test for the empirically obtained data
- 6
Re-evaluate a tested hypothesis on the basis of the research findings
- 7
Reflect critically on skill development by analysing feedback and evidence, identifying strengths and gaps in key skills, and setting targeted SMART goals to guide future growth.
Workload and teaching
- Applied sessions23 hours
- Workshops24 hours
- Assessments2 hours
- Twelve 1-hour online preparation modules (discovery)
- Twenty four 1-hour online modules
- Twelve 1-hour Q&A sessions
- Seven hours of skills workshops (applied_skills)
- Four 1-hour skills coaching meetings (applied_coaching)
- Two hours of scheduled assessment
Contacts
- Unit Coordinators
- Ruth Sim
- Associate Professor John Quinn
- Chief Examiners
- Associate Professor John Quinn
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for BPS1041?
BPS1041 has no prerequisites.
When is BPS1041 offered?
In 2026, BPS1041 runs in Semester 1 at Malaysia and Parkville.
Does BPS1041 have an exam?
No. BPS1041 has 4 assessment tasks and no exam.