Independent Study / Research

Guidlines for Independent Study / Research
Independent Study vs. Independent Research
Funds for Research
Completion of Independent Projects
Procedures
Honors for Independent Research
A Final Note about Independent Study / Research

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INDEPENDENT STUDY / RESEARCH AND DEPARTMENTAL HONORS: GUIDELINES

Independent Study vs. Independent Research

The department adheres to the College's distinction between Independent Study and Independent Research. Independent Studies may be excursions and exploration into a field of interest to the student via library research, off-campus courses or field trips, work experience, internships, etc. which culminate in a presentation in written or oral form. Independent Study does not fulfill the Senior Independent Research /Internship requirement. The student must have a cumulative average of 2.00 for all courses or the permission of the Committee on Academic Standards. Independent Research may be all of these and more with the final product an original contribution to geology or a related science. Usually an Independent Research project will include the definition of a problem, collection and analysis of geologic samples, and interpretation and synthesis of data. The student must have a cumulative average of 3.00 for major courses or the permission of the Committee on Academic Standards. Only Independent Research projects will be considered for departmental honors.

The Geology department faculty encourages students who demonstrate maturity, motivation, and academic preparedness to undertake independent research projects. The faculty wish to support students pursuing independent projects through seminars, advice, and opportunities for research in order to make the experience exciting and productive for the student and the geologic community. Students may ask any faculty member in the department to supervise a project. To help students choose an interesting research problem and select an advisor, a Friday afternoon seminar in the fall semester is held by the department faculty. In that seminar, faculty discuss projects that might be of local interest, are related to the professor's own research, or might beinteresting to explore. Students are always encouraged to develop their own ideas for projects. Students who are considering graduate school are strongly encouraged to do Independent Research.

Planning is an important part of any research project: the best time to start developing an independent research project is the early spring of the junior year. This allows time to plan equipment, software, travel, and other needs. and to prepare proposals to obtain funds to cover those needs. In order to make the most of the semester or academic year, some students choose to start the initial development and data/sample collection of their project over the summer, especially if travel to field sites or other institutions is necessary. To facilitate summer and academic year research, there are a number of sources of funding which students are encouraged to explore.

FUNDS FOR RESEARCH

Departmental - Henry Hanson Research Prize In Geology: Endowed by friends, family and former students of Professor Henry Hanson. Awarded to the rising sophomore, junior or senior who, by determination of the Geology Department faculty through a written application process, has demonstrated initiative, curiosity, creativity and promise in the field of geology. Prize moneys will be used to fund a research project in geology. This prize is awarded in the Spring with moneys being available for use either in the Summer or during the course of the following academic year. The selected student will be listed in the Convocation Program at the beginning of the following Fall Semester.

ARCO Fund - The Atlantic Richfield Company Geology Fund was established to fund outstanding geologic research by majors. The fund is designed to cover modest research expenses accrued during independent research. To apply for funds, submit a written request to the department chair explaining what you need, how much it will cost, and why you need it. This proposal should be developed with the advice and help of the research advisor.

College - various funds through Research & Development Committee: Funds are available through the college R&D Committee to support summer and academic year research; over the summer, a typical grant includes research expenses, room and board, and a stipend for up to 8 weeks of research in partnership with a faculty member. Applications are due to the Committee by specific dates, so students should start writing a proposal with their research advisor in the Fall of their junior year.

OUTSIDE - Funds may be available, see your advisor.

Completion of Independent Projects

It is the belief of the Geology faculty that all students should be able to communicate their ideas to their peers and to have their written work exposed to critical review. Good written and oral communication skills are essential to the communal nature of all sciences, and are skills which improve only with practice and peer review. To that end, students doing independent research complete their project with a paper. The first draft of the paper is due to the project advisor no later than one month before the end of the semester, in order to allow time for review and revision of the paper. The final project is due the last day of classes. All students who do Independent Research are encouraged to also present their work orally, either at a department seminar or a professional meeting.

Procedures

College-wide requirements for pursuit of an Independent Study or Research project are described in the Dickinson College Catalogue. Particularly pertinent regulations include a minimum GPA required, the number of allowable credits, policies on interdepartmental projects, and restrictions on Independent Studies for Freshmen and Sophomores.

Independent Studies may be taken for a semester or for a full year with a maximum of 1 credit per semester. Because of the nature of geologic research, however, it is suggested that Independent Research be taken for a full year with 1-2 credits earned per semester. This enables the student to prepare a comprehensive "plan of attack" for a problem and allows time for the project to be brought to satisfactory conclusion. The duration of the project should be determined with guidance from your research advisor.

Honors for Independent Research

An Independent Research project may be considered for honors if it demonstrates superior quality of work.  If you are interested in having your senior thesis considered for honors, the following steps must be followed.

1. Submit a maximum 2000 word proposal for why your senior thesis should be considered for honors.  This proposal should focus on the significance of the research question and its place in the broader disciplinary context.  The proposal is due to each faculty member by the last day of classes in the fall semester.  Follow the directions below on how to write a proposal.  

2. Before classes begin in the spring, the geology department faculty will determine if the proposal is worthy of consideration for honors.

3. As early as possible in the spring semester, your project advisor will meet with you to discuss the faculty’s decision.  If the project is accepted for consideration for honors, this feedback will facilitate planning the second semester in order to assure the quality of the project.  This conversation should also solidify in your mind the need for progress and the ultimate goal of the project.

4. As early as possible in the spring semester, your project advisor chooses an external reader for your thesis.  This person is chosen for their knowledge of that specific field and must be from another department at Dickinson or another institution.

5. The final draft before the oral defense is due to each faculty member and the external reader by the second Monday after spring break.  Previous drafts should be turned in to your project advisor early enough to allow revisions before this deadline.

6. The oral defense of the thesis must be completed two weeks before the end of classes in the spring semester.  Defenses are open to the public.

7. Immediately after the defense in private, the thesis committee (i.e., the faculty and outside reader) will discuss the quality of the paper and defense and of the academic maturity of the student during the project year.  Then the committee (excluding the project advisor) will formally vote on the honors.

8. The final revised copy of the thesis, that incorporates the thesis committee’s comments, is due by the end of classes.  Three clean copies are required: one for your project advisor, one for the department archives, and one for the college library

9. Students who successfully complete honors will be named in the Commencement Program as having achieved honors.

 

 

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING THE HONORS THESIS PROPOSAL

 

1.         Research proposals should begin with a clear concise summary.  This brief (< 150 word) section should describe the study area, state the hypothesis to be tested, and a means of determining the validity of that hypothesis.

 

2.         A research proposal is a clearly written, succinct, and well referenced description of work that you would like to complete.  As such the most successful research proposals address the tackle the following sorts of questions up front (within the first few paragraphs):

 

• What problem are you proposing to study? 

• What is the significance of the problem?  Why should we care about the problem? 

• Remember that not all research projects address an honors-worthy question.  You must place your project into the broader disciplinary context.   

• How are you going to go about tackling this question?  What specific strategies will be employed?

• What results might you expect?  What techniques will be used to help interpret the results?

• How would interpret these results?  How would you interpret other results?

 

3.         In a proposal, it is of utmost importance that you clearly define the limits of the project.  If this is a field based project, where is your field area?  If this is a lab or computer based project be certain to clearly define the problem to be solved.  Remember that figures help reviewers have a clearer idea of your project goals and importance.

 

4.         The body of the proposal should provide in depth background about the problem that will be investigated.  It is your duty to educate the reviewers about the significance of the problem.  Be certain to cite references from the literature.

 

5.         Once the significance and regional geology have been described, it is important to outline the methodologies that will be employed.  Try and pose your hypothesis in the form of an “either or” question and explain which results would support the hypothesis and which refute the hypothesis.  This is critical, if written carefully you can propose an experiment that sheds new insights into the specified problem even if your hypothesis isn’t confirmed.

 

6.         Describe what part of this project is being done independently by you as opposed to your project advisor’s ongoing research program.  What measurements will you make and what data analysis will you do?

 

7.         Summarize and reiterate the significance of the proposed research.

 

8.         Include a complete list of the references that were references in the body of the proposal.

 

9.         If you have any figures or tables place them after your references.  Make certain to include references to each figure and/or table in the text.

A Final Note About Independent Study / Research

These guidelines are meant to be just that; they are not hard and fast rules. Geologic research is as diverse and complex as the students who undertake it. The faculty recognizes the need for flexibility. It is suggested that the student discuss his or her project with his or her chosen advisor(s) as early as possible in order to avoid any problems that may result from major deviations from these guidelines.