BCSC 207: Syllabus
Spring 2022
Time & Location
Mon/Wed 9-10:15am
Location: Meliora 301 / Zoom in January
Instructors
Ralf Haefner
Meliora Hall 313
T. Florian Jaeger
Meliora Hall 312
Chigusa Kurumada
Meliora Hall 304
Course Description
This is a two-semester intensive practicum in research methods in psychology & neuroscience. The goal of the 1st semester is to gain hands-on experience in methods and scientific research by performing a straightforward project that might involve replicating an existing study. The goal of the 2nd semester is to perform more substantial original research extending the 1st semester project to address a novel question.
Research
The core activity of this course will be carrying out a scientific study, typically involving the replication of a classic experiment in psychology or neuroscience. You will choose an experiment from a list of options, be assigned to groups based on your choices, and will be mentored by a faculty member in the department to implement the experiment. You are expected to organize weekly meetings with your assigned faculty mentor on your own.
- Class times (Mon/Wed) 9-10:15am
- Weekly group meeting with your mentor(s) (~1h/week)
- Weekly group work time (1-2h/week)
During the class time, we will ask you to present updates of specific aspects of your progress in your group project (See the shaded dates in the calendar below). On other days, we will discuss general aspects of research including experimental design, methods, analysis, interpretation, and presentation and dissemination of results.
Readings
There is no assigned textbook for this class. Instead, a schedule and online links are given below for assigned readings. You are expected to have read the assigned readings.
Grading
Participation (25%): Each student is expected to contribute to class discussion whether we are discussing research articles, current issues in the field, or student projects.
Weekly Presentations + Final Presentation (25%): Each group member is expected to present equally during the weekly in-class group presentations -- students will be graded on their individual contributions to the weekly presentations.Each group will also be evaluated on the quality of their project including background, methods, results, and overall presentation.
Contribution to research activities (25%): The instructors and project mentors will assess each student’s contribution to research activities including those that occur during weekly mentor meetings as well as in group work meetings. Group members are expected to share their workload and responsibilities required to complete a project (e.g., providing a meeting agenda and leading a group meeting, conducting background research, programming, subject testing/data collection, data analysis and presentation). This does not mean that every student must carry the same responsibility for all aspects of research; Members can divide up their work according to their skills and interests. However, all members are expected to contribute an equivalent amount of work, and the division of labor needs to be established through clear communications throughout the semester.
Writing assignments (25%): The final exam will be a take-home essay wherein each group writes a 15-page scientific report of their own project. (A submission guideline will be given at the beginning of April.) Prior to the final submission, each student individually produces a draft of 3 sections of the paper (Background, Methods, Data Analysis): this work is graded and receives written instructor feedback. Revision based on this feedback is encouraged before the final paper is submitted (See Ground Rules below).
Classes and Meetings
- Attendance and participation are extremely important in completing successful research projects in this class. Please come to class well-prepared, having done the assigned readings and any assigned homework. You are not allowed to miss more than 3 classes unless it is because of university-sanctioned reasons. If you miss a class, you are responsible for any and all material discussed during that class - so be sure to get notes from friends, or to arrange a time to meet with us.
- Each group has a least two weekly meetings 1) with External Mentor, 2) without External Mentor (group work time).
- Actively seek for help from Instructors, librarians, CETL, and Writing Center.
- It’s recommended to use a data sharing system such as Box, Dropbox, Google Drive. Log everything and make everything annotated. Note though that many experimental protocols prohibit researchers from storing subject information on the web. Consult your mentor and follow their guidelines.
Blackboard
All the lectures and other materials will be posted on BB.
Ground rules
- Be on time.
- Be prepared to speak up at least once in each class. It’s an important part of your research experiences.
- No make up assignments or extra credits.
- Written assignments: Each assignment will be graded and receive feedback from us. You are encouraged to incorporate that feedback to revise your assignment since each writing assignment will lay the foundation for a section in your final paper. Late submission (within 1 week) will be penalized 1 letter grade. Afterwards you will receive no grade (= 0 point for the assignment) and no feedback.
- Collaboration is encouraged at all stages of your research project except for the writing assignments. While you are expected to collaborate on content (e.g., brainstorming, sharing references and other resources) the actual writing needs to be done individually.
Goals beyond completion of BCSC 206/207
- Each group will be submitting an abstract to Undergraduate Research Fair at the University of Rochester (April)
- Each group is encouraged to submit an abstract to an actual conference at the end of Spring Semester (or earlier)
- Each group is encouraged to submit a manuscript to an undergraduate research journal for publication at the end of Spring or Summer 2022. Possible venues will be discussed in class and your mentor will also suggest appropriate journals.
Academic Honesty
Bottom line: don’t cheat, don’t plagiarize. Cases of suspected misconduct will not be evaluated directly by us, but will be referred to the College Board on Academic Honesty. We take this policy very seriously. If you are unsure of something, please ask us - We are always happy to help you! You must complete the homework assignments and final essay writing independently.