Biology 392 Syllabus
Introduction to Biological Research
Tue 5:00 – 6:50, TH 383
Instructor: Andreas Madlung
Office: TH 223F
Campus phone: 253-879-2712
E-mail: amadlung@pugetsound.edu
Office hours: by appointment (email or talk to me to set a time)
Course Objectives
The primary objective of Introduction to Biological Research is to give you the
opportunity to learn how to develop and write a research proposal. In this course you
will select a research area, narrow the topic to identify a specific question, read the
literature pertinent to your question, and develop a complete proposal for experiments to
answer your question. The culmination of your work will be (1) a complete research
proposal for a general scientifically literate audience submitted to the University’s
Summer Research Program, (2) a complete research submitted to the university’s
University Enrichment Committee for research funding and (3) a poster outline about
your research project that will serve as the skeleton for your final summer research
project to be presented during the Fall Research Symposium on the second Thursday
during the fall semester. For many of you, your research proposals will serve as the basis
of your senior thesis project and can serve as the foundation of the introduction and
methods sections of your thesis.
We will accomplish these goals through both in-class and out-of-class assignments. If
you haven’t already done so, during the first week of the course, you will "interview" two
or three faculty members about projects that are of interest to you. After completing
these interviews you will submit two (or three), one-page (maximum) summaries of your
interviews and rank order your choices. The Biology faculty will meet in week 2 of the
Spring Semester to match students with faculty research advisors. We will make every
effort to match each of you with your top choice project/advisor but sometimes this may
not be possible if space in a particular research lab is limiting or too many students want
to work on the same projects. While all of this is going on outside of class, we will use
class time to discuss the essential features of a good proposal.
After you have been matched with an advisor, you will delve into the primary literature to
learn as much as you can about the historical background of your project, about similar
work being done by other scientists, and about the techniques that must be used in your
area of work. During this time, together with your advisor, you will refine your project to
ensure that it is feasible for the time available and that the necessary supplies and
required equipment are available in the department. Simultaneously, we will focus class
time on techniques of effective writing. You will write and rewrite a research proposal
for a general audience and assist others by acting as a critical peer reviewer for their
proposals, while others in the class will assist you in reviewing your own proposal. Your
first proposal is due the Tuesday before Spring Break. It will be entered into the
University’s Summer Research Program for summer funding. There, it will be judged by
two faculty members: one from within the Biology Department and one from a different
science or math department. Their scores are part of your class grade. Results for summer
funding are announced in early April.
This course is VERY time intensive during the first half of the semester (until Spring
Break) but MUCH less intensive during the second half. Of course the reason for this lobsided approach is the deadline for the summer research grant competition just before
Spring Break. After Spring Break you will submit a slightly modified version of your
first proposal to the University Enrichment Committee to apply for research funds to pay
for the planned activities and experiments, prepare a poster outlining your research
project along with expected results, and attend several research seminars (see below).
Other Required Course Activities
• You are required to attend and critique five (5) seminars or major presentations
during the semester. These critiques are very important for the course, because they
will form the basis for discussions about what constitutes an effective oral
presentation, which many of you will give in the year after your summer research. I
recommend the Thursday afternoon science seminars (especially the Biology talks)
every Thursday at 4:00 pm in TH 175 – plus, refreshments are served! The website
link for the Thompson Hall Seminars is http://www.pugetsound.edu/news-andevents/arts-at-puget-sound/thsms/
There are many other possibilities available on and off campus as well.
•
Finally, you will be required to attend a substantial portion of the Undergraduate
Science Symposium held toward the end of the spring semester, specific dates are in
the schedule. Your observations at this event will be invaluable for you to see how
students from last year’s group have fared in their research endeavors, and what is
possible to achieve (and what is not in the time you have).
Course Mechanics
Course meetings will vary in format from lectures, to group discussions, group work, or
individual meetings with peers or your Instructor. Participation by everyone is essential
and is an important part of your grade. Readings are from Pechenik: A short guide to
writing about Biology and/or Knisely: Writing in Biology (books you likely have
already as one or the other is required for Bio 111, and 112 and available in the Puget
Sound Bookstore). Other readings will be provided.
Useful references that are available from me or from the library include:
A Short Guide to Writing About Biology by Jan A. Pechenik
A Student Handbook for Writing in Biology, by Karin Knisely.
Writing Papers in the Biological Sciences by Victoria E. McMillan
The Scientific Attitude by Frederick Grinnell
Elements of the Scientific Paper by Michael J. Katz
Communicating in Science: Writing and Speaking by Vernon Booth
Presentation of Data in Science by Linda Reynolds and Doug Simmonds
A Handbook of Biological Investigation by Harrison Ambrose and Katherine Ambrose
Writing to Learn Biology by Randy Moore
Writing to Learn by William Zinsser
The Craft of Research by Wayne Booth, Gregory Colomb and Joseph Williams
The Sense of Structure: Writing From a Reader’s Perspective by George D.Gopen
Final class grades will be earned mostly based on the quality and timeliness (!!) of your
assignments and to some degree on your classroom participation. Most weight will be on
the proposals. Approximately equal weight will be given the other components.
Assignments that make up your grade are:
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Completed interviews: 5 points
Ethics quiz: 5 points
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In class assignments: 5 points
First 10 annotated references/Zotero: 10 points
First grant submission: 40 points
Peer reviews: 10 points
Second grant submission (official reviewer score): 40 points
UEC grant: 5 points
Seminar attendance and write-ups: 10 points
Phi Sigma presentation attendance and write-ups: 10 points
Poster: 10 points
Class participation: 10 points
TOTAL: 160 points
Moodle
Some course materials will be available on the course Moodle site. Please use this site to
access any updates, reading materials, course articles and assignments.
University webpage for student research awards
The university maintains a very helpful and comprehensive webpage that provides all of
the necessary details for student research proposals. Following are the URL pages for the
Summer Research Program and the UEC program.
http://www.pugetsound.edu/academics/academic-resources/student-research-travel-award/summer-research-grants-in-scie/
http://www.pugetsound.edu/academics/academic-resources/student-research-travel-award/student-research-awards/
Biology Department website with links to individuals professor’s research pages
http://www.pugetsound.edu/academics/departments-andprograms/undergraduate/biology/research/
Thompson Hall Seminar website:
http://www.pugetsound.edu/news-and-events/arts-at-puget-sound/thsms/
Biology 392, Introduction to Research, Spring 2016: COURSE SCHEDULE
WK
1
2
26 (1) What is research really like? Last
year’s students’ views
(2) Writing research proposals
(1) Ethics quiz (based on NIH tutorial)
Feb. 2 (2) Faculty research advisors/students
matched by now.
(3) Literature: search, use, citation, using
Zotero for Referencing
(4) Proposal dissection
9 (1) Writing an effective proposal
(2) Individual conferences with Andreas
16 (1) Editing and revising
23 Reviewing proposals
3
4
5
6
7
Mar. 1
8
10
11
12
13
DAY TOPIC
Jan. 19 (1) Introduction
(2) What is research really like?
(3) Conducting interviews and mentor
selection
8
9
(1) Conferences with peer editors
(2) Conferences with Andreas
No class meeting
15 SPRING BREAK
22 No class meeting
29 (1) Constructing a budget for UEC grants
(2) Preparing a poster
Apr. 5 No class meeting
12
4/15 –
4/16
14
19
15
26
16 May 3
FINALS
No class meeting
Phi Sigma Undergraduate Research
Symposium attendence
No class meeting
No class meeting
Course wrap-up
No final given
ASSIGNMENTS
http://www.pugetsound.edu/academics/academic-resources/studentresearch-travel-award/summer-research-grants-in-scie/
http://www.pugetsound.edu/gateways/faculty-staff/institutionalanimal-care-use/protocol-review-criteria-form/
DUE: Final faculty mentor request forms.
Reading: Pechenik Ch.10, “The importance of stupidity in scientific
research”.
Reading: Pechenik Ch. 2, 3, 5
Complete online: http://researchethics.od.nih.gov/
http://ori.hhs.gov/thelab
https://ori.hhs.gov/education/products/montana_round1/research_ethi
cs.html
DUE: 1st 10 annotated references. List MUST be in Zotero format.
DUE: First submission of completed research proposal to two peer
editors and Andreas
DUE: Peer reviews of two proposals to authors and to Andreas due
on 2/26 5:00 pm (via Moodle)
Revised proposal due to Andreas by Thurs. March 6th. at 5pm
via Moodle
DUE: Research proposal due Tue. Mar 8th. by 4pm:
(1) 3 complete copies of packet to Carol Curtin (for official outside
review), (2) one copy of proposal only to research advisor. (3)
electronic version of proposal to Andreas by email.
Absolutely no late proposals can be accepted!
DUE: UEC grant proposal on Mon. 9th April
(1) Official copy to Dean Sarah Moore and (2) one complete copy to
Andreas.
Absolutely no late proposals can be accepted
(see syllabus for attendance requirements)
DUE: Posters as Powerpoint slides
Please see attendance policy for Thompson Hall Seminars and Phi Sigma Symposium in your class syllabus.