Midterm Written Assignment
Each student will choose a primary research paper to critically evaluate. The written assignment will include the following:
- Summarize the paper’s main questions and hypotheses [1-2 paragraphs],
- Critically discuss the key experimental data and interpretations [1-2 paragraphs],
- Carefully lay out future research questions and suggest experiments that will address these questions with the proper controls [1-2 paragraphs].
Highly recommended bonus part of the assignment is that what the student would do different to have a better/clearer conclusion for the same question addressed in the paper.
Format: 1-2 pages. 11 point Arial/Helvetica, single-spaced, margins at least 0.5 inches. References and diagrams are not included in the page limit.
Final Oral Assignment
At the last session, each student will present a short oral critical review of a recent primary research paper, including a figure-by-figure analysis of the experimental results and claims. This presentation should include 1 slide overview of the major claim, 2-3 slides on background, and 1-2 slides per figure and table, focusing on the design of each experiment, including the key controls and results. As a conclusion, 1-2 slides should be dedicated to reviewing the key claim of the paper and discussing which experimental result is most important for this claim. Be prepared to answer questions from the class regarding any points concerning the paper. A paper will be assigned to each student on week 10 unless students have chosen a paper on their own, and the oral presentation will be made during the last session of the course.
