Bio 152 | Fall 2024
Independent Project: General information and getting started!
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General Information
Project Types
As part of our course, all students must complete a semester-long research project called the Independent Project (IP). The IP allows you to investigate a novel research question and communicate your findings in a variety of ways. It also helps fulfill the UW-Madison Communication B requirement for graduation.
There are two types of IP you may choose from this semester – data-first research or mentored research.
- Data-first projects use published scientific data to conduct a new quantitative analysis. You will work in groups of two or three within your lab section and each contribute significant individual content to address a larger research question.
- Mentored research projects work with active labs on campus to contribute to an ongoing project. You will work as an individual and receive guidance from a mentor in that campus lab. Your work in the research lab generating results takes place outside of our class and requires an extra 6-8 hours per week (which may be compensated with research credits or pay through the research lab). You are responsible for finding a mentor and verifying that you are allowed to write about your results if you would like to conduct this type of IP research.
Learning Objectives
After completing the IP, you will:
- Strengthen your scientific research skills and be able to:
- Identify high quality primary scientific literature directly relevant to a research topic.
- Analyze, interpret, and evaluate key information and data from primary literature and novel research data.
- Develop and carry out novel biological research.
- Identify a testable biological research question and hypothesis.
- Propose reasonable approaches to address or explore a biological question.
- Conduct methodology designed to answer a research question.
- Test a hypothesis using analyses appropriate for the collected data.
- Use logic and scientific evidence to support an argument.
- Propose future research directions to address unresolved questions and potential issues.
- Draw connections to societal challenges and propose practical applications for the knowledge gained through biological research.
- Strengthen your written and oral communication skills and be able to:
- Appropriately apply feedback to revised written work.
- Clearly communicate findings to diverse audiences through written and oral modes.
- Use the appropriate format and style for scientific writing in primary literature.
- Engage an audience through:
- Relevance, tone, and appropriate language choices.
- A concise and logical organization of information and ideas.
- Graphically represent information by constructing figures and images.
Independent Project Deliverables
You will work on many aspects of the Independent Project throughout the whole semester. Here is a partial list of the items you will complete in that process.
- Two drafts of a scientific research paper
- Peer review of a classmate’s paper draft
- Full final scientific research paper
- Poster detailing your research findings
- Recorded presentation of your research project
- Public Poster Symposium
Getting Started
Deciding what kind of research project you want to do is the first step toward a successful Independent Project experience. Regardless of your choice, you will receive support from a dedicated IP reviewer and guidance throughout the course.
Finding a Data-First Partner and Project
If you plan to complete a data-first project for your IP, you will work with someone in your lab section or someone in a lab section that meets at the same time as yours. We will help you form partnerships during the first weeks of lab, but it is important that you think about a biology topic you’d enjoy investigating to help facilitate that process.
Finding a Mentor
UW-Madison is home to many incredible scholars but finding a mentor can be challenging. Here are some tips to guide you through the process!
Searching for a mentor
- Use the Discovery Portal here: Discovery Portal homepage: Research at a Glance
- You can search by topic in the upper right corner and receive a list of current UW-Madison scholars who have done work in that area.
- Click on the name of a scholar in the list to learn more about them and their related work.
- Additionally, you can use their department affiliation, collaborations, list of similar scholars, and key terms all found on each scholar’s profile page of the Discovery Portal to further your search.
- Browse the academic Departments and Programs for inspiration: List of departments and programs at UW-Madison
- Choosing a department or program from the list that sounds interesting and is related to biology will take you to their departmental website where you can find details about their faculty.
- The list of faculty and their research interests will probably be located under a heading labeled “People,” “Personnel,” or “Faculty.” Read more about the research areas and the labs in the department to find a potential mentor.
- Create a list of 5-6 mentors with whom you would like to work and reach out to them directly. If none of those mentors have space in their labs, keep trying with another set of researchers!
Contacting a potential mentor
We’ve created a sample email for contacting potential mentors that contains the types of information you should include. Remember that this is just a template, and you should edit it to fit your own situation and personality!
SUBJECT: Mentorship inquiry – Introductory Biology 152 student
Dear Dr. __________
Introduce yourself and your interests:
I am currently a freshman and am majoring in genetics. I am considering pursuing genetics research in graduate school, and I am interested in getting some experience in your area of research. I read about your lab on your website and was particularly interested in your work with cancer and age-related disease.
Explain why you’re contacting them and what you want:
I am enrolled in Introductory Biology 152 this upcoming semester. I would like to talk with you about the possibility of a mentorship within your lab for the development of an experimental research project to begin this semester.
Include details about what you can provide to the lab:
As part of this experience, I can volunteer up to 90 hours of my time during the coming semester in exchange for two credits of directed study (699) with you.
I have included my résumé and an informal transcript with my previous related coursework for your reference. (Find résumé tips from the Writing Center here!)
Clearly state your primary request again with contact details:
I would very much appreciate an opportunity to meet with you and discuss this possibility. Please reply to this email if you have any openings in your lab and are available to meet. I am free at any of the following times next week:
Tuesday 2-4pm
Wednesday 9-10:30am
Friday 10am-3pm
Thank you,
Your Name
Meeting with a potential mentor
- What should you bring?
- A copy of your résumé
- Your unofficial college transcripts
- It would be a good idea to have and review a copy of the original email you sent and the web information you could find for the lab.
- What should you wear?
- Wear long pants and closed shoes. This is a safety protocol for many labs on campus to protect your skin from any accidental spills.
- Select an outfit that is a little dressier than you might normally wear. There is no need to wear formal attire, though we do suggest wearing avoiding anything too casual. Most importantly, choose an outfit you feel confident in. You’ll get a better sense of the typical dress code for that research group after you’re in the lab.
- What will they ask me? Should I ask them questions?
- You will likely have addressed most of their questions in your original email, but you should be prepared to answer some basic questions about your background with the subject and why you’re interested in working their lab.
- You are strongly encouraged to ask questions! In fact, most mentors will expect you to ask questions. Remember, mentors are looking for inquisitive students who wanted to develop their skills and learn more while in the lab. Here are a few examples:
- What work is currently underway in the lab and what types of work might I be able to do?
- What is the estimated time commitment? Are evenings and weekends expected?
- Is there any background literature I should read about the project or the lab’s current research?
If this will be a good fit, set up a tentative date to start working in the lab.
Be sure to provide your mentor with the “Letter to Mentors” which will be available on the Canvas site for our course that contains details about their role as mentors.
Compensation for mentored research outside of 152
- We expect students conducting mentored research to work approximately 90 hours outside of class in their mentor’s lab. For that work, we recommend you enroll for 2 research credits of directed study (299, 399, or 699) within your mentor’s department OR receive payment as a student hourly, whichever option is best for you and your mentor.
- If given the choice, the decision between these options is entirely up to you as the student, though you may receive recommendations from your mentor and your academic advisor.
- Note: If your mentor is not officially part of UW-Madison and cannot sponsor research credits, please contact the course coordinators to discuss options (152lec1@zoology.wisc.edu).
- If you are planning to register for credits, discuss the appropriate number of credits and course number for your mentor’s department. Then speak to the person in their departmental office who can grant “permission to enroll in directed study credits.” Your mentor will likely know the correct individual within their department to contact.
- After receiving permission, you may enroll through your Student Center.
- You should enroll for these directed study credits before the add deadline (Friday, February 2). After that point, you will need departmental permission (from your mentor’s department) to add research credits.
Tips for success on your IP!
- Choose a topic that interests you!
- Start EARLY
- Work consistently. Set aside a little time every week for the IP.
- Include as much information in each draft as possible. You’ll get the most helpful feedback that way!
- Most importantly – communicate, communicate, communicate!
Additional campus resources from the Writing Center