Research Project Guidelines, ESPM 115B
One of the goals of this class is to help you understand the process of scientific research. The research project is intended to demonstrate:
1. How biologists formulate a hypothesis
2. How to test the hypothesis
3. How the results of the research are presented to the scientific community in both written and verbal form.
The topic of the research project is flexible, but must be related to aquatic entomology. This project is an excellent opportunity to do pilot studies or preliminary investigations for larger projects. You may work with one other person on the research, but each person is required to write a complete report in the form of a scientific paper.
Research ProposalDue Sept 15th, before class
In no more than 2-3 pages, describe you research question and your proposed approach. Try to think about what methods you will use and explain why this project is of interest to you. The proposal you submit will allow us to discuss the feasibility of your project. Even if you work in pairs, each student must prepare their own proposal. Please come to office hours if you have questions about topics, methods, or project locations.
Elements to include in your proposal
Proposed title
Investigator(s)
Research Question (include a brief description of other research related to your topic)
Methods (include a description of the study site, sampling techniques, unit of analysis, and how you will analyze your data)
Tentative Schedule
References (preliminary primary literature that is related to your project)
If you work as a team of two, describe how the responsibility of the project will be divided.
Research PaperDue 5 pm on December 6, 2003
In no more than eight pages, describe and interpret the results of your experiment in the format of a scientific paper:
Title. Brief description of your topic.
Abstract.One paragraph that summarizes your study, including the main results of the experiment. (So anyone reading your abstract may decide if they are interested in reading your paper.)
Introduction.Present the general background of your paper—why your research is important in the larger scheme of things. Lay out the specific issue of your research project.
Methods.Explain how you carried out your study. Identify the variables measured. Describe your study site, sampling techniques, and statistical tests used.
Results.Includes your data and the results of statistical analyses. Present the main result in tables and/or figures.
Discussion.Interpret your data and explain its biological significance. Identify inadequacies or weaknesses in your study, and include remarks on future experiments suggested by your results.
References.Cite references in your paper and include the list of references in
You may also refer to biological journals such as Ecology and the Journal of the North American Benthological Society (JNABS) for examples of scientific papers and styles of citations. These journals are also good places to read and get ideas for projects.
Oral PresentationsThe Week of Dec 1st
Oral presentations provide an opportunity to share your work with your colleagues. In a twelve-minute talk with three minutes for questions and answers (15 minutes total), cover the most significant and most interesting aspects of your study. Emphasize the two or three points you would like the audience to remember and present only information needed to develop those points. Slide projectors (and computer projectors), overheads, and blackboards will be available for visual aids. Each talk will be followed by three minutes for discussion.