Allan Jones, Chancellor's Award Fellow in Ecology, Environmental Science and Zoology at the University of Dundee, UK.

Rob Reed, Emeritus Professor (Education and Science) at Central Queensland University, Australia.

Jonathan Weyers, Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Dundee, U

Preface

List of abbreviations

Study strategies

• Developing your skills
• Self-management
• Learning effectively
• Making the most of learning resources
• Locating and citing published information
• Evaluating information
• Working with others
• Mapping your personal development

Assessment skills

• Succeeding in assessments
• Scientific writing
• Writing essays
• Reporting practical and project work
• Tackling literature surveys and reviews
• Presenting written assignments
• Preparing a poster
• Giving a spoken presentation
• Revision strategies
• Improving your performance in exams

Fundamental laboratory techniques

• Preparing for practical work
• Working safely in the lab and field
• Basic laboratory skills
• Measuring and dispensing liquids
• Preparing solutions principles and practice
• Measuring and maintaining pH

The investigative approach

• Making measurements
• Understanding SI units and their use
• Observational skills
• Recording data in the laboratory and field
• Drawing diagrams
• Taking samples
• Designing experiments
• Understanding bioethics
• Tackling project work and placements

Obtaining and identifying specimens

• Collecting animals and plants
• Collecting and isolating microbes
• Fixing and preserving specimens
• Naming and classifying organisms
• Identifying plants and animals
• Identifying microbes

Examining specimens and samples

• Understanding microscopy
• Preparing specimens for light microscopy
• Setting up and using a light microscope
• Interpreting microscope images
• Recording and processing photographic images
• Measuring growth and responses
• Dissection techniques

Working with microbes, cells and tissues

• Learning sterile technique
• Culturing cells
• Working with bacteria
• Working with eukaryotic microbes: fungi and protists
• Working with viruses
• Working with animal and plant tissues and cells

Environmental investigations

• Developing fieldwork skills
• Describing ecosystems
• Analysing aquatic environments
• Analysing soils and sediments
• Measuring atmospheric variables
• Measuring light

Analytical techniques

• Understanding chemical analysis
• Understanding calibration and quantitative analysis
• Assaying biomolecules
• Centrifugation techniques
• Using spectroscopic methods
• Using chromatographic systems
• Methods of electrophoresis
• Studying Mendelian and population genetics
• Investigating molecular genetics
• Using immunological methods
• Studying enzymes
• Measuring oxygen content
• Quantifying photosynthesis and respiration
• Using radioisotopes
• Analysing stable isotopes

Analysing and presenting data

• Manipulating and transforming raw data
• Analysing data with spreadsheets
• Summarising data in tables
• Illustrating data in graphs
• Solving numerical problems
• Using descriptive statistics
• Selecting and interpreting statistical tests

Appendix 1

Index