Research Project – 50%

You and your group are to come up with a research question and test it using BioBlitz data and/or additional data that you download or collect during the semester. There will be several opportunities to work on parts of this process during class, but you will also need to work with your group outside of class on designing and executing your analysis and preparing your presentation. A breakdown of the different steps of the research project that will be submitted during the semester is as follows:

 

Research Question – 5%

Groups for the research project will be determined by areas of interest. To help assess your areas of interest, students will review the BioBlitz data from 2015 (Freshkills) and 2016 (Brooklyn Bridge Park), as well as their own data collection experience at BioBlitz 2017 (Alley Pond) and draft three potential research questions based on the data set, focusing on their species/topics of interest. Please submit your possible questions to me via eportfolios site on Thursday September 14th. Please title the assignment “Research Question Ideas”. You will then be assigned a group and work with your group to think about the available data and devise your research question. Your group will have the opportunity to meet and plan during class, and you should also find a time to meet outside of class to continue your discussion and finalize your research question. Each group member should find one scientific article that is relevant to the research topic. Your group will send your research question and citations for your articles via eportfolios site – one email per group listing all group member names is sufficient. Please submit your group question to me via eportfolios site on Sunday September 24th. One submission per group is sufficient. Please title the assignment “Proposed Research Question”

 

Annotated Bibliography – 10%

An annotated bibliography lists citations and provides a summary of the content of those citations. Your annotated bibliography should include at least 8 references, of which at least 6 must be from the primary literature (peer-reviewed journals). Please submit your annotated bibliography to me via eportfolios site on Thursday October 5th. One submission per group listing all group member names is sufficient. Please title the assignment “Annotated Bibliography”.

 

Project Proposal – 10%

For your project proposal, you will flesh out your research question by providing background information and describing to your hypothesis and planned methods in a research proposal. Please submit your proposal to me via eportfolios site on Thursday October 19th. One submission per group listing all group member names is sufficient. Please title the assignment “Project Proposal”

Video Project – 10%

Your project group will produce a video presenting some of the BioBlitz results, which will serve as a way to think about and communicate the information you are working with for your Research Project. The goal is to produce a 5-7 minute video that discusses some part of the science of the BioBlitz for a public audience (what data were collected, how they were collected, what they show, why it matters). Please submit an outline of your video to me via eportfolios site on Thursday November 9th. One submission per group listing all group member names is sufficient. Please title the assignment “Video Outline”. Final videos will be due on Thursday November 30th.  Please upload to Dropbox folder

 

Poster Presentation – 15%

The final output of your research project is a research poster to be presented at the end of semester Poster Conference. You will submit a draft via the Dropbox on Monday, November 20th. One submission per group listing all group member names is sufficient. Your final poster presentation will be on either Saturday December 2nd or Sunday December 3rd during the Seminar 3 Poster Conference. You will need to sign up for the poster conference.

Project Components Due Date Summary

  • Saturday September 9 – Sunday September 10: BioBlitz.
  • Thursday September 14: Research Question Ideas due
  • Sunday September 24: Proposed Research Question due
  • Thursday October 5: Annotated Bibliography due
  • Thursday October 19: Project Proposal due
  • Thursday November 9: Video Project Outline due
  • Monday, November 20: Poster Draft due
  • Thursday, November 30: Video Project due

Saturday and Sunday, December 2 and 3: Poster Conference

Project proposal resource: