BIOL 3998: SEMINAR II
Little, Fall 2007
A successful research paper begins with planning—a little "pre-research." Randomly browsing through the library is not a good use of your time. Before you start your library research, you should choose a manageable topic – this means browsing to determine the amount of information available before finalizing your topic.
The key to using your time effectively and producing a good research paper or presentation is to decide on a topic that is neither too broad nor too narrow. If you choose a topic that is too broad, you will be overwhelmed by the volume of information available. If your topic is too narrow, you will struggle to find anything at all. You are aiming for using 10 primary literature sources.
For example, you may be interested in a subject like "Climate change." This is a fine subject of interest, but there are too many categories within it to manageably explore. Subsumed within this broad topic are many other topics that are themselves quite broad. For example:
Methods of climate modeling
Changes in the distribution of plants and/or animals in response to climate change
Physiological response of plants and/or animals to climate change
Climate change and ecological interactions
Adaptation to climate change
Extinction in response to climate change. . . to name just a few.
What aspect of this topic interests you?
Likewise, a topic that is too narrow will also be difficult. For example if you are really interested in “The physiological affects of climate change on the herbaceous forest species, Campanula americana,” there will not likely be enough information available.
Suggestions for help:
1) Use the secondary literature first to hone your question, and then search the primary literature for specific research articles related to your topic. You may want to start with an internet search, but most of what you find on the net will not be useable. In most cases you should NOT use information that appears ONLY on a web site for your presentation. Online scientific journals are an exception to this rule. You may find informal summaries of research, but these should only be used as starting points for detailed library research.
2) Talk to the professor instructing your course or a professor or TA whose expertise is in your field of interest.
3) Find out the names of the relevant scientific journals, especially journals that feature review articles such as the “Trends in …” and “Annual Review of …” For example,
Trends in Molecular Medicine
Trends in Immunology Highlight
Trends in Food Science & Technology
Trends in Pharmacological Sciences
Trends in Cognitive Sciences
Trends in Cell Biology
Trends in Parasitology
Trends in Biotechnology
Trends in Ecology & Evolution
Trends in Genetics Highlight
Trends in Biochemical Sciences
Trends in Microbiology
Trends in Neurosciences
Trends in Plant Science
Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism
4) Find a recent book in the library that reviews your topic of interest such as “Biotic interactions and Global Change.” Read through the chapter titles. Focus in on a chapter or two that interests you. Read the chapter(s). Look at the literature cited for direction to the primary literature and key words for data base searches.
Writing a thesis statement
After you have sufficiently narrowed down your topic, you must turn it into a thesis. A thesis is a statement of position on a topic, not necessarily a value judgment on a controversial issue. It does require you to take a point of view. Think about the most fundamental message that you are trying to convey. Using the example above, a few thesis statements might be:
“Animal distributions are shifting north in response to climate change.”
“Disease in animals is increasing due to climate change.”
“Climate change does not lead to increased extinction of plant species.”
Each of these are supportable/refutable statements – the essence of science. Having a position on a subject makes your seminar different than most of the lectures that you get in class. You will use the articles that you find to provide evidence for your thesis. Then, you will convince your audience in your presentation.
Having trouble?
You can think of your thesis statement as a potential answer to a question. For example,
What causes autism in children?
Thesis: “Mercury exposure leads to autism”
What is an effective treatment for malignant melanoma?
Thesis: “Gene therapy is effective in treating malignant melanoma”