Bio 226:
How to do research in biology
Course
description:
This discussion-based course is designed to prepare students
to pursue independent research in biology. Students receive an overview of the
multiple levels and subdisciplines of biology,
develop skills in critically evaluating literature and presenting and writing
on scientific research and become exposed to diverse experimental methods,
research strategies and ethical issues.
Learning objectives/goals:
1. understanding
of biology as an integrative, multi-leveled science with diverse perspectives,
strategies and methods.
2. skills
for carrying out library research, discussing and writing about primary
literature, and avoiding plagiarism.
3. skills
for designing and writing up research papers and research grant proposals.
4. writing
and communication skills by having students write an abstract and research
proposal and prepare and give an oral presentation on a specific research
paper.
Content:
1. the
research perspectives, strategies and experimental methods used in at least
three different subdisciplines of biology.
2. breakthrough
discoveries, cutting edge events, and major controversies in biology.
3. research
ethics in biology and biotechnology.
4. research
activities in upper division courses and research labs in the biology
department.
5. specific
research topics as selected from the primary literature.
Course Information:
2 credit hours, 3 sections, all sections meet at same time
for 2 hours once a week
Prerequisites: BIO 114.
Course time and place: Tuesday 2-3:50 Biosciences
1007; sections 2 and 3 will meet in 1009 and 3029 for some weeks.
Required texts and materials: none
Adding/dropping class: Policy and deadlines can be
found at http://www.jmu.edu/syllabus/
Disabilities: Policy and deadlines can be found
at http://www.jmu.edu/syllabus/
Course
schedule:
|
Week |
Topic |
Format |
Activity |
|
1: Jan. 8 |
Overview of biology as a diverse, integrative, multi-level
science with a wide range of career opportunities |
class |
lecture/discussion/interactive
exercise (instructorsÕ choice) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2: Jan. 15 |
Research perspectives, strategies, and experimental designs by subdiscipline (instructorsÕ choice of one of ecology,
micro, neuro, behavior, molecular, genomic,
organismal, etc.) |
rotating section |
lecture/discussion/interactive
exercise (instructorsÕ choice) + homework
assignment TBA |
|
|
|
|
|
|
3: Jan. 22 |
Research perspectives, strategies, and experimental designs by subdiscipline (instructorsÕ choice) |
rotating section |
lecture/discussion/interactive
exercise (instructorsÕ choice) + homework
assignment TBA |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4: Jan. 29 |
Research perspectives, strategies, and experimental designs by subdiscipline (instructorsÕ choice) |
rotating section |
lecture/discussion/interactive
exercise (instructorsÕ choice) + homework
assignment TBA |
|
|
|
|
|
|
5: Feb. 5 |
Overview of research areas in dept and
upper division courses |
class |
presentations by live faculty (or provided by faculty using powerpoint plus voice) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
6: Feb. 12 |
Workshop on library research, discuss avoiding
plagiarism, advice and strategies for how to read a scientific paper and
how to write a summary of it for a general audience. |
class |
Students review example summaries of scientific papers. Homework assignment: select a topic
of interest, find 3-5 scientific articles on that topic, write
a 400-word summary of one article and 2-sentence summaries of the others. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
7: Feb. 19 |
Workshop on peer editing: answer questions about writing
summaries, discuss difficulties and challenges, and make recommendations. |
individual section |
Students review each otherÕs summaries in pairs, revise
articles, read revised versions aloud and have class submit comments. Homework assignment: revise summaries
using class feedback. Bring all 3-5 scientific articles to class next week. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
8: Feb. 26 |
Workshop, advice and strategies on preparing oral presentations |
individual section |
Students use summaries to design 5 minute talks on the paper
summarized that include the most important figures from that paper and
reference to at least two other papers collected on the topic; talks should
be aimed at an undergraduate –level research audience. Homework assignment: complete and
rehearse talks. Final summaries due
along with copies of original article, original summary and feedback from
students. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
March 5 |
Spring break |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9: Mar. 12 |
Student presentations |
individual section |
Half of class presents their talks, each 5 minutes plus 5
minutes of discussion and peer review |
|
|
|
|
|
|
10: Mar. 19 |
Student presentations |
individual section |
Half of class presents their talks, each 5 minutes plus 5
minutes of discussion and peer review |
|
|
|
|
|
|
11: Mar. 26 |
Workshop on research proposal writing, funding opportunities,
grant review process |
class |
Students start to develop a 3 page research proposal based on
their paper |
|
|
|
|
|
|
12: Apr. 2 |
Research ethics - Interface with Society |
rotating section |
lecture/case
study/interactive exercise (instructorsÕ choice); final research proposals due* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
13: Apr. 9 |
Research ethics - Fraud in Science |
rotating section |
lecture/case
study/interactive exercise (instructorsÕ choice) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
14: Apr. 16 |
Research skills: what you need to know when starting to work in
the lab or field |
rotating section |
in class exercises |
|
|
|
|
|
|
15: Apr. 23 |
Biology in the News |
class |
lecture/discussion
of recent breakthroughs, discoveries, controversies |
|
|
|
|
|
|
16 : Apr.30 |
Proposal review session** |
individual section |
discussion |
|
|
|
|
|
* professors grade all
15 proposals from their individual sections, return anonymous copies of the
proposals from another section to their students to read, and assign two to each
student to produce a one page written critique.
** students discuss
their 15 critiques in turn with the goal of identifying and ranking the top
five proposals most worthy of being funded. Final rankings are made available
online and students hand in their critiques for grading.
exam week if only 15 weeks per term.
Grading
based on:
|
|
Attendance and participation in section discussions and
interactive exercises: |
15% |
|
|
Homework assignments: |
25% |
|
|
Abstract based on scientific paper: |
10% |
|
|
Research talk: |
20% |
|
|
Research proposal grade from professor: |
20% |
|
|
Proposal critiques and participation in proposal evaluation
process: |
10% |
All sections will follow the same rubric.
Final letter grades will be assigned
using the standard numerical scale (e.g., > 90 = A, 80-89 = B, etc.). Grades
of WP and WF will not be given out in this class.
Attendance and missed performance and deadline policies: Attendance will contribute to 15% of the final grade. Failure to meet deadlines will be subject to a grade penalty. If you have a valid excuse (school-recognized religious observation; official school business; job, court or graduate school interview; sickness with doctorÕs note; death or serious illness in family) for failing to meet deadlines, contact your professor by email at least three days before the date in question to arrange an extension for a deadline.
Inclement weather policies: Missed meetings will be made up at times to be announced at the next meeting.
Religious observation
accommodations: Policy and
deadlines can be found at http://www.jmu.edu/syllabus/.
Honor Code: All students are expected to be
familiar with and abide by the JMU Honor Code. (http://www.jmu.edu/honor/code.shtml).
Forms of academic dishonesty include cheating on tests or homework,
lending your work to another person to submit it as his or her own, reporting
false data, selling or uploading unauthorized documents from a class,
deliberately creating false information on a works cited or reference page; and
plagiarism, presenting another personÕs writing, ideas or results as
your own, whether intentional or not. Work submitted for this course must be your own and written for this course. To avoid plagiarism in
writing, paraphrased and quoted materials must be properly cited in the text
and referenced in the bibliography; unnecessary or excessive use of direct
quotations will be penalized; uncited use of direct
quotations will be treated as plagiarism.