Difference between revisions of "20.109(F12): Written research pre-proposal"
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Your final proposal, whether delivered orally or in written form, will include the following elements. | Your final proposal, whether delivered orally or in written form, will include the following elements. | ||
− | * A '''summary''' - | + | * A '''summary''' - though presented first, this is best written last! |
* An '''introduction'''- giving a brief statement of why the area of study is important and some description of what's been done already | * An '''introduction'''- giving a brief statement of why the area of study is important and some description of what's been done already | ||
* A '''structural hole, gap in understanding or a need''' - this is the point of departure for your research idea | * A '''structural hole, gap in understanding or a need''' - this is the point of departure for your research idea | ||
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===How to get there=== | ===How to get there=== | ||
− | To begin you must identify your research question. This may be the hardest part as well as the most fun. You can start by finding a handful of topics to share with your lab partner. Together you should discuss and evaluate the topics | + | To begin you must identify your research question. This may be the hardest part as well as the most fun. You can start by finding a handful of topics to share with your lab partner. Together you should discuss and evaluate the topics you ve gathered. Consider them based on: |
* your interest in the topic | * your interest in the topic | ||
* the availability of good background information | * the availability of good background information | ||
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* if your proposal could be carried out in a reasonable amount of time and with non-infinite resources | * if your proposal could be carried out in a reasonable amount of time and with non-infinite resources | ||
− | It might be that not one of the topics | + | It might be that not one of the topics you ve identified is really suitable, in which case you should find some new ideas. It s also possible that through discussion with your lab partner, you ve found something new to consider. Both of these outcomes are fine but relatively quickly you and your partner should settle on a general topic or two so you can begin the next step in your pre-proposal writing, namely background reading and critical thinking about the topic. |
− | Start this next stage by searching the literature, talking with people, generating some ideas and critically evaluating them. '''Keep track of your efforts.''' Get organized with a wiki catalog (for good examples see [ | + | Start this next stage by searching the literature, talking with people, generating some ideas and critically evaluating them. '''Keep track of your efforts.''' Get organized with a wiki catalog (for good examples see [http://openwetware.org/wiki/Yeast_rebuild | |