AP0530 - Chemical Information Science

You will learn through lectures, computer-based hands-on exercises, guided study exercises, and your own independent learning. The lectures will cover the theories and concepts you need to tackle a series of problems and tasks. You will work on these during workshops and hands-on sessions in Northumbria’s computer labs, which have a variety of specialist chemistry software packages as well as access to industry-standard subscription chemical databases.

You will be supported by feedback from tutors during computer labs and tutorials. In addition, tutors will be available for consultations and feedback throughout the module, by email, telephone and/or face to face discussions as appropriate. General support that would benefit the whole class will be provided by eLP announcements and emails. You will also receive instant feedback from online exercises by receiving including you provisional mark at the end of the test.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
1.You will learn how to use a range of industry-standard databases that use text and/or chemical information as search criteria.
2.You will learn how to use molecular modelling and statistics to obtain quantitative information about molecules.
Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
3.You will develop your communication skills, particularly in the context of chemical science.
4.You will learn how to use and cite the scientific literature to a professional standard.
Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
5.You will develop your abilities to analyse complex problems and achieve original and innovative solutions.

You will receive informal formative assessment from staff during the seminars, practical classes and workshops. Staff will also provide formative feedback on a draft for an assessed piece of work.
You will be assessed by two summative components. Both of these target all five of the MLO’s.
•Component 1 (65%); this will take the form of continuous assessment using a range of task-based exercises and short reports. Some of these will be computer-based and provide instant feedback; others will involve electronic submission of coursework. Feedback on the latter will be provided by the return of an annotated copy of your work within the normal timescale.
•Component 2 (35%); this will take the form of a final written report, also submitted electronically. Feedback will be provided by the return of an annotated copy of your work within the normal timescale.

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For hundreds of years, research chemists from around the world have been adding to the sum total of human knowledge. We now have information on well over a million different molecules, as well as a huge number of facts, theories and ideas. All this information means that the skill of finding information, quickly and easily, is very important for the professional scientist. Chemists have therefore developed a range of specialist tools and databases whose capabilities go well beyond simple web searching tools like Google. ‘Chemical Information Science’ will teach you how to use a wide range of these tools to get the information you need. You will also learn how to ask the right questions in order to develop your own ideas and concepts, and how to present your results to a professional standard. This will help you develop into a creative and original, but also critical and professional thinker.