Chemistry 551: Research – Fall 2008
Course Objectives:
This course
is intended to provide you with experience in conducting a research project and
presenting your results. Specifically,
you will:
·
Plan
and conduct an investigation of a topic in one of the main disciplines of
chemistry
·
Complete
a search of the chemical literature relevant to your topic
·
Collect
and analyze data
·
Write
a report on your research in the form of a scholarly article
·
Present
your work orally to the faculty
Time Commitment:
You are
expected to devote at least 9 hours to laboratory work each week, in addition
to time spent preparing course assignments.
Additional requirements will be outlined by your research mentor.
Research
You should
already have identified a research mentor.
He or she will outline the project on which you’ll be working and will
guide your research throughout the semester, providing instruction in
techniques and instrumentation as required, and making you aware of potential
hazards and proper safety protocols.
Your mentor will also be the first reviewer of your written and oral
assignments (in advance of “final” deadlines).
You are expected to meet with your mentor at least once each week.
Research Committee:
Each
student will be assigned a research committee, consisting of his/her mentor and
two other faculty members. Committees
will keep track of student progress and participate in evaluation of student
work. Students will be responsible for
getting assignments to committee members and arranging committee meetings as
required.
Research Coordinator:
Dr. Robin
Lammi
Office:
Sims 212A
Office
Hours: MW 9:30-10:30, TR 11:00-12:00, and by appointment
Phone:
323-4946
E-mail: lammir@winthrop.edu
Weekly Meeting:
Students
will meet as a group with Dr. Lammi on Fridays
from 12:00-12:50 in Sims 108. We
will use this time to hone skills in written and oral scientific communication,
and to learn about ongoing research in the department. Students are required to attend and
participate in all meetings; attendance will be considered in determination of
course grades.
Required Text:
The ACS Style Guide, 3rd ed., Coghill and Garson, 2006 (or 2nd ed., 1997)
Supplemental Text:
A Short Guide to Writing about
Chemistry, 2nd
ed., Beall and Trimbur
Assignment Policies:
Written assignments
1. Your signed Course Contract and your
Project Summary, described below, must be submitted to Dr. Lammi, in addition
to your mentor and committee members.
2. Drafts of other written assignments
(e.g., Literature Search, Proposal . . .), must be submitted to mentors by the
scheduled due dates.
3. Mentors will review assignment
drafts and provide feedback for you to incorporate. You will then submit these revised
assignments to your mentor and committee members. The sections of your research paper (e.g.,
Title/Intro, . . .) will undergo a second round of
revision based on committee comments (see schedule).
a. You are responsible for submitting
assignments directly to committee members, either electronically or in paper
form (depending on committee preference).
b. Your mentor/committee may elect to
deduct points for late assignments.
4. Your mentor and at least one
committee member will grade each of your written assignments, according to
guidelines set out for all CHEM 551 students.
Grades will be recorded by your Committee Chair, and feedback will be
shared with you.
a. Your “final” CHEM 551 paper
(Title/Intro/Methods/Results sections) will additionally be graded by Dr.
Lammi.
Oral assignments.
1. You are required to discuss all oral
assignments with your mentor prior to presenting them, either in class or in
front of your committee.
2. All committee members will participate
in grading your presentations to them.
3. Your final oral presentation will be
given to the Chemistry faculty during exams week. (Since there is not a final-exams slot for
the Friday 12:00 meeting time, Dr. Lammi will arrange a time that is feasible
for everyone involved.) All Chemistry faculty will participate in grading this presentation.
Assignments/Grading:
These
assignments apply to all students registered for CHEM 551. Additional requirements may be outlined by
your mentor/committee, and should be noted on your Course Contract.
1. Course Contract (20 pts)
An individual, signed agreement between student, mentor, and committee
members that specifies the expectations for the semester.
At a minimum, this must include:
·
Names
and signatures for all parties, with one committee member designated the
Committee Chair
·
The
number of hours the student will work each week (the student should keep a log
of hours worked)
·
The
approximate days and times the student will be in the lab
·
A
schedule for regular (weekly) student-mentor meetings
·
Any
additional course requirements not listed on this general syllabus
Copies of
the completed contract must be shared with all participants; additionally, a
copy must be submitted to Dr. Lammi.
2. Project Summary to Safety Committee and Safety Training (20 pts)
A
description of materials and methods, hazards, and safety precautions to be
encountered in the course of the semester, as outlined in the Chemical Hygiene
Plan (Section C7, handed out in class), to be completed in consultation with
your mentor. Copies of the completed
Project Summary should be submitted to mentor, committee members and Dr.
Lammi. You are also required to attend a
safety training session, to be given by Dr. Snyder.
3. Literature Search (80 pts)
A directed investigation of the scientific literature relevant to the
specific project and broader field of research.
Searches will employ the SciFinder service and
the Dacus Library online catalog (and other available
databases, as appropriate). At this
stage, the primary focus should be on introductory material for the upcoming
proposal and Introduction section – defining the problem and its significance,
reviewing previous work in that specific sub-field, and describing the
rationale and methods to be employed in the current studies. The following items must be turned in:
4. Proposal
(100 pts)
An in-depth description of the goals, methods and impact of the
two-semester research project. The written proposal should conform to the
format provided in class, including Introduction, Specific Aims, Background and
Significance, Methods, Project Timeline, and Literature Cited sections. The proposal will also be presented to the
committee in the form of a 15- to
20-minute PowerPoint presentation.
5. Draft of Title and Introduction (50 pts)
An initial draft of the title and introduction section of the final
paper. Drafts must include at least 7 references, with in-text citations and endnotes in the
format detailed in class and should incorporate committee feedback from written
and oral proposals.
6. Written and Oral Progress Report (100 pts)
A detailed
description of completed work related to each of the Specific Aims set out in
the Proposal, including experimental parameters and results (tables, graphs,
etc.), and discussion of specific goals and plans for work to be completed by
semester’s end. Should also include any
updated safety information (hazards encountered, etc.). In addition to the written document, a
description of research progress will also be presented orally to the committee
in the form of a 15-20-minute PowerPoint presentation.
7. Paper (150
pts)
A draft of the final (two-semester) paper, to include revised title and
Introduction (incorporating committee feedback) and initial drafts of Methods
and Results sections. The draft must be fully
referenced (minimum 10 sources), with in-text citations and endnotes in
the required format.
8. Presentation
(150 pts)
A brief oral (PowerPoint) presentation of the semester’s work given to
students and faculty during finals week (date, time and presentation length to
be determined). The successful presenter will: (1) provide a
complete introduction to the goals and significance of the project and the
techniques employed, (2) describe experimental methods utilized and results
obtained thus far and (3) address specific plans for the following semester.
9. Laboratory Notebook (110 pts)
Mentors
will grade notebooks on format, neatness, and completeness.
10. Laboratory
Technique (220 pts)
Mentors
will assign grades based on the quality of students’ laboratory work.
11. Participation
in Weekly Meetings (100 pts)
Each student
will be required to give two brief presentations in class over the course of
the semester (in addition to the initial project description on 9/5).
·
A
presentation of project goals and rationale (9/26 or 10/3)
·
A
description of a particular experimental result (11/7 or 11/21)
Each of
these presentations will be worth 25 points.
The remaining points will be awarded based on students’ participation in
class discussion/activities.
Course
grades will be determined based on the total points earned, according to the
following grading scale:
A 93-100%
A- 90-92%
B+ 87-89%
B 83-86%
B- 80-82%
C+ 77-79%
C 70-76%
D 60-69%
F <60%
Attendance:
Students
are required to attend each weekly meeting; please notify Dr. Lammi in advance of any absences. Unexcused absences may negatively affect your
course grade.
Academic Integrity:
Any
instances of academic misconduct will be dealt with as outlined in the Student
Conduct Code (Sect. V), found in the Student Handbook.