DIRECTIONS: The following is an outline of tasks to accomplish while working on a research project. Your progress will generate your grade. Upon completing each step, turn it in for approval. After approval, go on to the next step. Keep track of each step in a laboratory notebook.
September 22, 2000 - Begin library research, then turn in a list of five (5) areas to consider for further research. This is a biology research project.
September 28, 2000 - Submit a Research Proposal Form. You may modify this later if you come up with a better idea, but you must check with me first. Upon completion of this step, your grade on the project for the 1st Quarter will be a C.
October 20, 2000- Prepare bibliography cards and note cards. For this step to be accepted, you must have six or more bibliography cards and at least one note card from each.
Upon completion of this step, your grade on the project for the 1st Quarter will be a B.
November 1, 2000- Submit a paper with alphabetized bibliography to show your background research. This paper should be a summary of the research pertaining to your topic. When writing the review, give credit whenever you use someone else's information. You must cite each bibliography item at least once in this literature review.
Upon completion of this step, your grade on the project for the 1st Quarter will be an A.
November 21, 2000- Complete your methods and materials section. This section should be a step by step breakdown of the procedures you plan to follow, listing tests you will run, the methods you will use, your control, and your equipment. Write this section in the past tense, as if the project were already complete, so it will require fewer revisions in the final report. Include a projection of the dates you plan to spend collecting data-- plan on spending 30 days collecting data. Some experiments require many repeats to verify data. Speak to me if your project does not lend itself to daily data collection.
December 7, 2000- Prove that you have begun your project either by setting up in the laboratory or by showing me a note from home. You must also show me your first entry in your bound laboratory notebook. Use your bound notebook as a detailed record of everything you do. Be absolutely honest in every entry. Any fabrication of data will result in an automatic zero for the entire project.
Upon completion of this step, your grade on the project for the 2nd Quarter will be a C.
January 9, 2001- Turn in your bound laboratory notebook, with at least the first week of data for your project arranged by date. You must record all data directly into your bound laboratory notebook at the time you observe it.
Upon completion of this step, your grade on the project for the 2nd Quarter will be a B.
January 12, 2001- Rewrite the problem in its final form and incorporate it into a thesis. This paper should include a statement of the problem, a thesis that accounts for the problem, and an explanation of the significance of your project- that is, an explanation of why anyone would want to know the answer to your question.
Upon completion of this step, your grade on the project for the 2nd Quarter will be an A.
February 1, 2001- Turn in your bound laboratory notebook, with its detailed results arranged by date. The experiment does not need to be complete at this time, but you need approximately 30 days of data. Organize results in concise table form on standard white paper.
February 16, 2001- Graph results. Graph related results on the same set of axes. The point is to be able to compare results. Write a description of your results in paragraph form, including statistical tests for significance. Save your actual work from the statistical problems; you will turn this work in later in an appendix to your final report.
Upon completion of this step, your grade on the project for the 3rd Quarter will be a C.
February 26, 2001- Write an analysis of your results. Explain what the results mean, relate them to the problem and hypothesis. Write a conclusion for your project. In the conclusion, you should give a brief synopsis of the results and then evaluate your data, your reasoning, and your judgment.
Upon completion of this step, your grade on the project for the 3rd Quarter will be a B.
March 2, 2001- Turn in the complete research paper presented in a professional manner. It should include all previously accepted steps. Type or write the paper neatly in ink. Include neat, labeled graphs and tables . Each table and graph should be on a separate sheet of paper and must have a title. Each title should be preceded by the word "Table" or "Figure" and a number: for example, "Figure 1. Effects of Temperature on the survival of bean seedlings." The paper must include a table of contents that appears after the cover page and before the introduction. Next, the methods and materials followed by the results section. Tables and graphs of data should be followed by the analysis of these data. Then you conclusions. Add your literature cited and add an appendix if needed.
Upon completion of this step, your grade on the project for the 3rd Quarter will be an A.