Research Project: Biotechnology
Introduction to Research ProjectBiotechnology is the application of biological techniques to solve problems that confront humans. In this unit, we discussed some modern techniques in biotechnology including cloning, gene therapy and genetic engineering. Biotechnology is an emerging field in science and it may be the solution to many modern day problems in the United States and around the world.
During this research project, it is your job to explore the various applications of biotechnology. Since you already know a bit about some of applications used here in the United States, you may want to focus on impacts of biotechnology around the world. Your job is to choose one application of biotechnology that benefits humans in the United States or abroad.
Your research paper will focus on answers to the following questions:
How does your chosen application of biotechnology work from a biological standpoint? What is the science behind it that makes it work?
How does it benefit humans?
- What are the downsides to your chosen application of biotechnology? What do those that oppose it argue?
What does the future hold for this usage?
What are your recommendations moving forward? How can biotechnology be used to solve other problems?
Begin the project.
Sources for Research Project Now that you know what you will be researching, your next step is to begin gathering sources that will help you find information related to this topic. At first, this may sound simple??search on the Internet, find some websites, and write your paper. The reality, however, is that in order for your research to be credible, you must be able to back up your claims with accurate and reliable information. So let's ask ourselves... ...what makes a good source? Is there an author listed? If the answer is no, it is probably not a good source. If the answer is yes, is the author someone who is an expert in his or her field? For example, if you were doing a research project on the composition of the Moon, a source from a scientist at NASA would be appropriate. On the other hand, a forum post by a high school student from Massachusetts who is in the school Science Club would not show expertise. Does the information come from a reputable organization? Some examples of reputable organizations include the government, colleges, universities, etc. When a source comes from organizations such as these, it is likely that they will be written by individuals who are credible and have high levels of expertise in an area. Does the author seem biased? When someone has a bias, he or she is giving a personal opinion about a topic. Think about "Letters to the Editor" in newspapers. When individuals write these letters, they are providing their own opinions and beliefs about a topic. There may be times when the author does not state his or her bias and may try to come across as having factual evidence. These sources should be avoided. On the other hand, if the author comes out and says that this is his or her beliefs on the matter, he or she is stating a bias. Sources such as these may be helpful when showing both sides of an issue. How old is the source? It is important to take note of the age of a source. In some cases, the age of a source does not matter. For example, you may use a primary source of a speech given by a historical figure. In this case, the age of this primary source does not influence what it is saying. Age can come into play, however, when new information or evidence proves a source to be invalid or incorrect. For example, for years physicists were unable to prove the existence of a basic particle called the Higgs boson. In 2012, the existence of the Higgs boson was proven. This means that there are many sources prior to 2012 that are no longer relevant or up-to-date based on this recent discovery. Does the author list references? Just like you want to show credibility by finding good sources, you should look for authors of sources who do the same. In most cases, good sources will have a list of references that the author used to create his or her article or paper.Considerations for Internet Resources: Note, when you are looking at internet resources, there are some additional things to consider: • Domain names can give you clues: ? Educational = .edu ? Organizations = .org ? Commercial = .com ? Government = .gov • Personal webpages, blogs and wikis should be avoided. • Encyclopedias that can be edited by anyone should not be used. • Question and answer sites should not be used. In order to complete this project, you will need to choose at least five credible sources. These sources can come from books, websites, journals, magazines, or newspapers. You must have at least one primary source included among your 5 sources. Remember, a primary source is a first-hand account from an individual who has experienced an event or situation. In the space below, list your sources and provide the following information: • Title • Author • Where the source came from (name of encyclopedia, website, newspaper, etc.) • Copyright/date published
Notes for Research Project
Attached Files:
ResearchProjectNotes.doc (29 KB)
Now that you have located all of your sources, the next step in your research project is to take notes based on each source. First, download the Research Project Notes Template below. Next, fill out the template with the notes you took for each source. After each note, indicate the page number from which the information came (if applicable). Finally, upload your completed Notes Template into the space provided.
Thesis Statement for Research Project Now that have finished your research, it is now time to think about what your thesis statement will be. Remember: a thesis statement is a statement in which you clearly state the specific goal for your paper. For example, if you were writing a research paper about whether or not school uniforms should be allowed in schools, your thesis statement might look like the following: Thesis Statement: School uniforms should not be instituted in schools throughout the United States. After a thesis statement has been developed, it is important that you are able to defend it, as in the following example: Defense: Research shows that school uniforms do not improve student achievement, behavior, or gang-related activities. With this in mind, we cannot continue to claim that they do good for our students when information has proven otherwise. In a Word document, write your thesis statement. In addition, write a defense that proves why you have developed this thesis statement. Upload this document to the assignment.
Questions
- List thesis statement here A. Key Points
- List key points here II. Body A. Key Point 1
- List supporting ideas here III. Summary paragraph A. Summarize each key point/main idea IV. Conclusion A. Provide your final thoughts on the topic V. Sources A. List of sources in alphabetical order As you can see, outlines help you to organize your ideas and research in a coherent and logical manner. In fact, they make writing your final draft even easier since you simply need to connect your ideas in narrative form. In a Word document, sketch out an outline of your research project. You may use a similar format to the example above. Upload this document to the assignment.
Final Draft for Research Project The final step in completing the written portion of your research project is to write your paper. For most of us, we may need to write a paper a few times in order to develop a flow that makes sense and is to our satisfaction. These multiple attempts are known as drafts. At this point, you may begin writing a draft of your paper.