CRITICAL REVIEW OF BIOSCIENCE LITERATURE - 2026/7

Module Overview

The ability to appraise scientific literature and to communicate ideas is an academic and professional skill  required across many areas of the biosciences. Journal clubs are convened in research and clinical environments and are used by professionals to continue to update knowledge of their disciplines and to maintain competencies as scientists; educators, and clinicians. The ability to distil and critique literature into a short review is also an important skill for the ongoing development of professionals in this area.

By Level 7, students will already have a sound understanding of the importance of valid scientific information, and the role of the peer-review process in assuring rigour and integrity. This module develops skills in critical appraisal of scientific literature through a journal club whereby recent publications across a representative range of biomedical science disciplines are discussed in regular sessions facilitated by research students; post-doctoral, and academic staff.

A literature review of an appropriate biomedical topic will further develop approaches to using online databases and selecting appropriate publications, together with writing skills. The progress of this piece of work is supported by one-to-one tutorials.

Module provider

School of Biosciences

Module Leader

ELLIOTT Gill (Biosciences)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:Seminars (10h):Uses and abuses of scientific information: the importance of peer-reviewScientific journals: scope and impactScience reporting in the mediaHow to prepare an outstanding journal club presentation and pithy critiquePreparing a critical and analytical literature review Journal clubs (8h): Each student will attend four journal club meetings, where students will be required to present and discuss a journal article of their choice. They will also provide a critique of the paper for those attending They will be guided by their tutor and academic staff or PGRs/postdocs present at the club.Tutorials (3h): Students will be assigned a tutor for their literature reviews who will hold three one-to-one tutorials to support students as they progress with their independent work

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate:Appreciation of the importance of accurate and high-quality communication of science.Ability to appraise scientific literature for a range of bioscience disciplines and topics.Ability to discuss recent advances and developments in the biosciences.Ability to accurately summarise research literature.Ability to communicate research findings in salient topics, through the production of a literature review.Evaluate the quality of information and the validity of conclusions presented in scientific papers.Development of communication skills in group discussions.Knowledge of the scope of different citation of references using a standard format.  Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• One journal club presentation,  (addresses learning outcomes 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
• One literature review,  (addresses learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 6)

Formative assessment and Feedback.Students will get instant feedback during journal club meetings where they can assess and reflect on the development on their critical analysis skills and their overall engagement and participation in the Journal Club. Students can also obtain individual feedback from the module organiser. Students will have timetabled opportunities to meet with the module organiser or other academic staff on a one-to-one basis  to discuss progress with their literature review and will receive feedback on their work to date.

Module aims

• Develop the ability to analyse the quality, impact, and validity of research journal articles
• Develop confidence and aptitude in appraising primary literature
• Develop competence in summarising primary literature
• Appraise the quality of science reporting in the press and other forms of media
• Guide students through the process of writing review of the literature
• Develop digital capabilities by identifying databases through which peer-reviewed scientific literature can be found
• Develop competence in using standard citation methods

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:Develop a critical understanding of the scientific literature through facilitated self-directed learning. The skills gained on this module are directly transferable to all other modules on the programme, and to the wider science profession.The learning and teaching methods include:Seminars, workshops, and class discussion where different sources of scientific information will be explored, informing students of the range of resources available and how to assess them  One-to-one sessions with the module organiser  where students will discuss their chosen topics for their literature reviews and their progress on their  literature searches.  This will aid them in deciding the content and structure of their final literature reviews Journal clubs will be interactive group sessions where a student will lead by presenting and providing a critique of a journal article. All other students will be expected to have read the article in advance and be able to discuss and question. Students will gain skills around presenting, explaining, and discussing scientific articles. These are important for future careers and employability.   

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: BMSM029

Other information

None

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2026/7 academic year.