BIOL 691/692: Senior Honors Thesis
Spring 2008
Wed, 4:00-5:30 pm
Stone Center 209
Dr. Charles Mitchell, 411 Coker Hall (919) 843-7745, mitchell@bio.unc.edu
Class information
The classroom portion of Biol 691/692 has three main goals:
Meetings. This class will meet during the first half of the semester. You are responsible for coming to class prepared as described on the schedule below.
Web site. Course materials will be posted on UNC Blackboard under Biol 692 (even if you enrolled in 691).
Schedule by week
Week 1 (Wed, Jan 16): Describe the significance of your research.
Assignment (in class): spend a few minutes preparing three descriptions of your research that explain its significance to three different audiences (i) someone in your lab, (ii) a biologist far outside of your field, (iii) a person on the street. Then in groups of three, identify for other students (i) both the "big question" and the specific questions you are addressing in your research, (ii) the approaches you are using to answer these questions, and (iii) the broader significance (i.e., why should someone care about the answers?). Use what you learn to introduce your subgroup members to the rest of the class, and keep a record of everyone's research topics. Today we will start a tradition of asking questions about each other's research. Students should challenge one another to make explanations of their research clear and well-motivated.
Class time: Introduction, Small group work, Class introductions
Materials to print: syllabus, topics exercise
Logistics: students notified of deadlines
Week 2 (Wed, Jan 23): Prepare a concise written description of your research.
Assignments (on your own time):
(1) Corner someone with little formal understanding of biology. Spend 5-10 minutes describing the details of your research and its significance, making sure they know to interrupt you and ask for clarification for any terminology or procedure they don't understand. Based on this experience, prepare a title and concise description that you would provide to an agency funding your work that explains your research and its broader significance. (Such descriptions are required for grant proposals, and must be understandable to the general public.) Include the names of all that apply: your research advisor, Biology department sponsor, and research mentor (a grad student or postdoc you would like to recognize). These short statements will be posted on the honors bulletin board.
(2) Have your photo taken for the honors bulletin board. Go to the department photo lab (Brian Nalley, 211 Wilson Hall), which is open Mon-Fri, 8-11:30AM & 1-3:30PM.
Assignment (in class): Working in groups of three, read and suggest revisions for each other’s research descriptions. Email the revised version to me (lsearles@email.unc.edu) by Thursday afternoon. If your description is too technical or longer than 150 words, I will return it to you for further revision.
Week 3 (Wed, Jan 30): How are results in your field presented? Graphical skills. Figures and figure legends.
Assignment (prepare before class): Using your own data, design a simple data graphic that might be included as part of your written thesis. If your data are not complete, create a data set that is likely to resemble the one you are collecting. Pay attention to details, so that a naive viewer can understand the data. Be sure to include error bars where appropriate, and include a figure legend. Print 2 copies of your figure and figure legend, and bring them to class. In class you will critique each others’ figures.
Class time: Introduce graphing issues; Small group discussion of student data graphics
Optional materials to print: sample data set
Week 4 (Wed, Feb 6): What are the elements of a thesis?
Assignment (prepare before class): (1) Read the information at the Bates College website on scientific writing. Then examine a research article in your field, paying attention to what information is included in each section. (2) Read the information on plagiarism at the UNC Writing Center’s website. We will discuss issues of collaboration, proper citation, and the avoidance of plagiarism in your work. Come prepared with questions. (3) Bring any questions about the general structure of different sections of your thesis. For example, what is the goal of the introduction and how should you structure it to best achieve this goal? What kinds of related literature should be referred to as background in the introduction vs. used for comparison in the discussion? How much should the interpretation of results be included in the results section vs. left to the discussion section?
Class time: Discussion of thesis sections
Websites:
http://abacus.bates.edu/~ganderso/biology/resources/writing/HTWsections.html#sections
http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/plagiarism.html#6
Logistics: send symposium invitations (to family, administrators, etc.)
Week 5 (Wed, Feb 13): What are characteristics of good scientific writing? Introductory paragraphs.
Assignment (prepare for class): Bring two double-spaced copies of your thesis introduction (always provide double-spaced text when asking people for suggestions). Working in small groups, (i) suggest technical improvements to each other's writing, and (ii) examine critically whether the introduction guides the reader at an appropriate pace from general context to specific goals of the research.
Class time: discussion, small group editing of introductory paragraphs.
Readings: http://abacus.bates.edu/~ganderso/biology/resources/writing/HTWgeneral.html
Logistics: schedule symposium with
students
Week 6 (Wed Feb 20): What are the elements of good scientific writing? The methods and results sections. Bring two double-spaced copies of one part each of your methods and results section. Working in small groups, suggest technical improvements to each other's writing.
Websites: http://abacus.bates.edu/~ganderso/biology/resources/writing/HTWsections.html#results
http://abacus.bates.edu/~ganderso/biology/resources/writing/HTWsections.html#methods
Week 7 (Wed, Feb 27): What are the elements of a good oral presentation? Design of visual aids and talk structure.
Assignment (prepare before class): (1) Design one (or more) powerpoint talk slides that would best illustrate one or more sets of methods used in your thesis research. Think creatively - you may get ideas from other seminars or presentations you have heard, or from the sample past symposium presentations linked below. Email your Powerpoint file to me by noon on Wednesday, and bring one printed copy to class. If possible, also bring your laptop, a CD or jump drive to class.
Class time: In small groups, critique and improve each other's slide designs. (2) We will discuss the overall structure of an oral presentation using a sample talk presented in class. What should be put into, and left out of, a 10-min talk? What are important differences between visual aids presented in papers and in talks?
Discussion of what should be included in a 10 minute talk; Small group discussion of methods slides.
Readings: Article on Scientific Speaking
Reference materials: example honors symposium presentations
Assignment (out of class): Attend the Biology Department seminar on Tues Feb 26 or Mar 4 at 3:45 in Wilson 107 (cookies at 3:30). Print out the talk evaluation worksheet. During the seminar, use the worksheet to analyze and critique the talk. How would you change the presentation to make it clearer, better structured, or more enjoyable? Pay attention to both the design and the delivery of information.
Materials to print: talk evaluation form
Week 8 (Wed, Mar 5): What are characteristics of good scientific writing? The talk abstract.
Assignment (prepare for class): bring three double-spaced copies of your talk abstract. Please pay attention to the required format (see Guidelines for Theses and Presentations at http://www.bio.unc.edu/Courses/Biol691/students/honorsguide.htm). Discuss the role and structure of the abstract, and differences between a thesis abstract and talk abstract. In small groups, edit each other's abstracts. This will be our last meeting before your talk abstract and thesis are due, so come prepared with questions or lingering problems with your writing or preparation of figures.
Class time: introduction, small group editing of student talk abstracts.
Reference materials: talk/poster abstract example.
(Wed, Mar 12): No class--Fall Break
Week 9: Mon, Mar 17, 4 pm: TALK abstract due today. You must submit a hard copy and email an MS Word file to Denise Burgner (burgner@bio.unc.edu) in Coker 212 by 4:00. Please pay attention to the required format described at "Guidelines for Theses and Presentations" http://www.bio.unc.edu/Courses/Biol691/students/honorsguide.htm. Abstracts not conforming to the required format will be returned to you for revision.
Wed, Mar 19: No class
Thur, March 20, 4 pm. Thesis due today. Four copies of your correctly-formatted thesis must be signed by your research advisor and sponsor (if relevant). See "Guidelines for Theses and Presentations" for more information. Make sure you allow time to obtain these signatures before today. The four completed copies are due to Denise in Coker 212 by 4 PM.
Week 10 (Wed, Mar 26): Rough draft of symposium presentation.
Assignment (prepare for class): Prepare a rough draft of your symposium presentation. Bring a copy of your powerpoint slides printed 3-4 per page so that you can talk through your presentation.
Class time: Small group discussion of talk outlines. In small groups, go through each outline, paying special attention to the general context created at the beginning and returned to at the end of the talk. Your peers and instructors will give you feedback. This version should be well-structured with rough figures. Schedule practice sessions.
Week 11 (Wed-Thur, Apr 2-3): Practice symposium talks.
Each student will give a practice talk to instructors and interested peers, and will attend practice talks by other students. Advisors and mentors are also welcome. Be prepared to give a "complete version," although suggestions for changes are likely. All of your graphics should be in a near-final form, and you should be prepared to run through your talk from start to finish. Make sure of the exact words you'll use to start and finish your talk. You'll have the next week to finalize graphics, practice your delivery, and get feedback from people in your lab group.
Fri, April 4: HONORS SYMPOSIUM. Final oral presentation and thesis defense to be attended by upcoming honors students, honors advisors and mentors, thesis graders, family members, friends, and other members of the university community.
Wed, Apr 9: Honors grades are turned in to the UNC Honors Program and are posted on the Biology Honors bulletin board.
Wed, Apr 9: Deadline for registering your honors thesis on the university honors web site (http://www.honors.unc.edu/thesis_registration.html).