The chemistry honours school at Oxford University is large, with an annual intake of around 190 students. The final year of the degree consists entirely of a prolonged period of research, providing students with first hand experience in the development of scientific understanding, and experience in the scientific method. It is this year of research, and in particular the question of whether such extended undergraduate research is valuable or counterproductive, which is the subject of this paper. A number of comments from current students are included, and are set off from the text in contrasting colour.
1 The structure of the chemistry degree
2 The choice of supervisor
3 Open days
4 Allocations
5 What does a typical research project consist of?
6 Where does the money come from?
7 What is the format of a project?
8 The thesis
9 Examinations
10 Advantages for the student
11 Advantages for the department
12 Disadvantages for the student
13 Disadvantages for the department
14 Enthuse or defuse?
Term | Action |
Michaelmas, week 1 | Students issued with detailed information on how to select a supervisor for Part II, and given details of research web pages and Open Days. |
Michaelmas, weeks 1 - 8
Hilary, weeks 1-4 |
Open Days for students in the different sub-departments; students explore possible projects and supervisors |
Hilary, week 4 | Deadline for submission of choice of supervisor |
Hilary, week 5 | Most students informed of their Part II supervisor |
Note: Michaelmas term is the equivalent of the Fall term in most Universities, Hilary term is the equivalent of Spring term, and Trinity is the Summer term. |
Area | Title | Author | Supervisor |
Computational / Theoretical | |||
Genetic Algorithms | A.L.Tuson | H.M.Cartwright | |
Synthesis Optimization | A.M.S.Cookson | H.M.Cartwright | |
A theoretical study of hole dynamics in finite-dimensional insulators | D.M.Buller | D.E.Logan | |
Hole dynamics in insulators: A Theoretical Study | N.L.Dickens | D.E.Logan | |
Neural networks for interpretation of infrared data | A.Porter | H.M.Cartwright | |
Structure-biodegradabiltiy relationships using self-ordering maps | J.Saunders | H.M.Cartwright | |
Nucleation and Growth Processes in Irradiated NaCl | R.Thomson | P.J.Grout | |
Simulation of Impurities in alpha-iron | R.Storah | P.J.Grout | |
Heats of Transport in Metals | T.White | P.J.Grout | |
Homology Modelling of Interleukin-2d2 | R.Coventry | W.G.Richards | |
Advances in Electrochemical Simulations | B.Brookes | R.G.Compton | |
The Structure and Function of Hammerhead Ribozome | A.Sime | W.G.Richards | |
Organic | |||
Enantioselective Rearrangements of Epoxides | M.L.Jones | D.Hodgson | |
Applications of Vinyldisilane Chemistry | S.F.Barker | D.Hodgson | |
New inhibitors of thrombin | M.Ragett | C.J.Schofield | |
Studies on Anthocyanidin Synthase | J.Turnbull | C.J.Schofield | |
Synthesis of Metallo beta-Lactamase inhibitors | N.Thaker | C.J.Schofield | |
Radical Cascade Methods for Synthesis | S.Roseblade | J.Robertson | |
Silicon tethered type I ene cyclisations | C.Ringrose | J.Robertson | |
Studies on the Synthesis of Roseophilin | J.Peverley | J.Robertson | |
Radical Cyclisations in Synthesis | H.W.Lam | J.Robertson | |
Synthesis of O-glycan Oligosaccharides | P.Dodd | A.J.Fairbanks | |
New Inhibitors of thrombin | M.Ragett | C.Schofield | |
Studies on Anthocyanidin Synthase | J.Turnbull | C.Schofield | |
Synthesis of Metallo beta-lactamase Inhibitors | N.Thaker | C.Schofield | |
Synthesis of UV-labelled Disaccharides as Tools for the Investigation of Enzyme kinetics | I.Cumpstey | A.J.Fairbanks | |
Studies in Anomeric Activation | C.Goff | A.J.Fairbanks | |
Physical | |||
Development of a cell for the measurement of surfactant adsorption kinetics | J. A. Warner | C.D.Bain | |
Phase Transitions in Monolayers at the solid-liquid interface | C. McKenna | C.D.Bain | |
Sum-frequency spectroscopy at the solid-solid interface | G.Butterworth | C.D.Bain | |
Sum-frequency spectroscopy of surfactants and lipids at aqueous interfaces | D. Schofield | C.D.Bain | |
Spin polarised free radicals | A.M.Rothery | K.McLauchlan | |
Photo-CIDNP of Amino acids and Proteins | M. Cemazar | P.J.Hore | |
Electron spin echo spectroscopy in radical pairs | I.Sheldon | P.J.Hore | |
Chemical effects of oscillating magnetic fields | A.Curtis | P.J.Hore | |
Ultrasonic Enhancement of Electrode Processes | J.Hardcastle | R.G.Compton | |
Photoelectroanalysis | K.Woodhouse | R.G.Compton | |
Electroanalysis at the Liquid-Liquid Interface | A.Blythe | R.G.Compton | |
Theory of Electrode Reaction Mechanisms | P.Morland | R.G.Compton | |
Laboratory studies of the Night-time Chemistry of the Troposphere | K.C.Thompson | R.P.Wayne | |
Discharge-flow Studies of some Halogenated Species of Atmospheric Importance | M.Flugge | R.P.Wayne | |
Kinetic Studies of some Halogenated Atmospheric Species | A.J.B.Thomson | R.P.Wayne | |
Inorganic | |||
The Inorganic Chemistry of Carbon Nanotubes | S.Bailey | M.J.Green | |
Transition Metal Adducts with the Strong Lewis Acid B(C6F5)3 | B.Coapes | M.J.Green | |
Structure and Reactivity Relationships in Ansa-Metallocenes of Molybdenum and Tungsten | S.Turberville | M.J.Green | |
New microporous uranium-containing materials | J.S.Bee | D.O'Hare | |
New Selective Ion-exchange Intercallation Chemistry | V.Green | D.O'Hare | |
Organometallic-functionalised Mesoporous Silicates | M.Rowe | D.O'Hare | |
Studies of some Matrix Reactions of the Group 12 Metal Atoms | M.Long | Tony Downs | |
Structure and Dynamics of Molecular Crystals | P.C.Tan | S.J.Heyes | |
Studies of Inclusion Compounds using Solid State NMR Spectroscopy | S.Mahey | S.J.Heyes | |
Molecular Compounds Featuring a Bond Between a Group 13 and a Group 15 Element | C.Y.Tang | Tony Downs | |
Studies of compounds with an unsaturated hydrocarbon coordinated to a metal carbonyl fragment | J.Harvey | Tony Downs | |
Some methyl derivatives of early transition metals | N.S.Munkman | Tony Downs | |
Bandgap-engineered Phosphors for OLP-based OLED Displays | C.E.Foulkes | V.Christou | |
Organometallic Block Copolymers | H.L.Anderson | V.Christou | |
Photoelectron spectroscopy and Electronic Structure of Inorganic Molecules | J.M.Timberlake | V.Christou | |
Aspects of Luminescent Organolanthanide Materials | B.G.Hughes | V.Christou | |
Other areas | |||
The Corrosion Behaviour of Steel in High-alumina Cements | I.Mills | J.Sykes | |
Pitting Corrosion of Stainless Steel | C.Green | J.Sykes | |
Investigations into the Oxidative Folding of Human Lysozyme | R.Wain | C.M.Dobson | |
Mutational Studies of Protein Folding and Aggregation | P.White | C.M.Dobson | |
Peptide Models for Nascent Chain Protein Folding | I.Schofield | C.M.Dobson | |
The Role of William Odling in the Development of the Theory of Types | J.Bourne | A.Chapman | |
Research and Production in the French Artificial Dyestuffs Industry, 1856-80 | J.Corp | R.Fox | |
An Historical Account of the Development of the Benzodiazepines and Related Compounds, 1950-85 | H.Li | A.Chapman | |
The use of Pharmaceutical Chemistry with Particular Reference to Teaching and Practice in Oxford from 1790 to 1900 | A.Simmons | A.Chapman |
Copyright © February 2000 by Hugh Cartwright; all rights reserved.