Independent Track - Second Trimester Assessment Changes

IndTrack:

For the second trimester we will be utilizing the forms found in the Independent Research Assessment Forms to add structure to the assessment process while you trouble shoot your experiment and collect data. Note that assessment meetings will occur every two to three weeks (minimum of 4 meetings during the second trimester). Missed meetings will result in letter grade drop (for example B+ to B).

See Mr. Marx for clarification if needed.

Independent Track - IRB Forms

The proposal for the WT Internal Review Board is due before Winter Break. If you turn it in sooner, you will find out if your proposal is accepted or rejected sooner. This will allow enough time for adaptation and trouble-shooting.

Questionnaire --> Forms Link

Important Upcoming Deadlines

Guided Track - Your rough draft of your Methods is due by Friday October 7th. That is this Friday. Please include a general procedure and materials list (with amounts when possible - i.e. 500 grams of NaOH, or 3 - 125 mL beakers)

Independent Track - Your rough draft of your Methods is due by Friday October 21st. Please also include a general procedure and materials list as mentioned above.

For both tracks, your revised Introduction is due by Monday October 24th. Note, this will be the only collected revision.

Please remember to keep up to date on email or posting your abstracts and reflections. We have moved to posting 2 abstracts/week and 1 reflection/week. This will continue throughout the First Trimester.

Finally, your weekly meeting with me is essential to your success in this class...

Abstracts for next week

As you move towards focusing on your Methods, you can limit abstracts to two per week. They should be more detailed and significant towards your research. You may read 8 articles that do not help you....do not write abstracts for them. Only report the research that will be helpful.

METHODS -

As you finish your rough draft of the introduction you should begin to focus on the METHODS. A rough draft of the METHODS section is NOT DUE on the 23rd. Your experimental design (methods) should be finished around the end of the 1st trimester. Your Literature Review covers these two topics: Introduction & Methods.

DUE SEPTEMBER 23rd. Rough draft of Introduction and attempt to contact two mentors.

New TAB on this Blog

Above you will find a new tab labeled Writing the Research Paper. It will contain links to other websites and documents that are about the scientific method we are using for this research class to both conduct the experiment and communicate our findings. Enjoy.

To all researchers -

For your weekly reflection you may want to consider mentioning the following points:

Goals Established
Goals Obtained
Steps taken to achieve unattained goals (if necessary)
Unanswered Questions/Issues
What got you excited or went well?

Welcome Researchers

This will be our main tool for communicating during our research work this year.  Regardless what "track" you are doing your research in, you will all have your own page that will be linked through this website.  I will be going on your blog site to review the work you are doing.  Also, you can use your site to communicate with other students, professors, researchers and professionals. 

We will discuss in detail the format your research blog should follow, but it will act as an interactive and evolving lab report as you progress through your work.

Please familiarize yourself with this research blog.  It contains several tools and documents that will be very helpful as your continue your work throughout the year.