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 Mentor:

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:

  • A list of specific questions and/or topics for searching, due prior to the SciFinder instruction session.
  • Citations (using the correct, ACS-approved format described in class) for at least ten sources (books, articles, etc.) relevant to the project.  All sources listed must be available for circulation to the committee.
  • Brief written summaries for all sources, indicating main points of relevance to the project.

 

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.

 

Total Points Possible:  1100

 

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.