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Independent Study in Biology
Independent Study in Biology
Credit for Independent Study
Getting Started and Registered
Independent Study Project Guidelines
Independent Study with Faculty outside of Biology
Rules and Procedures for Independent study outside
of Biology
Independent Study Project Guidelines
Guidelines for Biology Faculty Sponsors
INDEPENDENT STUDY FORM for Research Outside of Biology (PDF,
Word version)
Completing an Independent Study Abroad
Writing Intensive Independent Study (carries W code for Curriculum
2000)
Explanation and Procedures for Writing Intensive
Independent Study
Form for Requesting a Writing Code (W) for a Research Independent
Study Course (Word
document)
Resources for Finding Mentors
Special forms for students registering for Summer Independent
Study
For students working in the Biology Dept:
Word version, PDF
version
For students working outside the Biology Dept (including the Medical
Center): Word
Version, PDF
version
INDEPENDENT STUDY IN THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
CREDIT
FOR INDEPENDENT STUDY
GETTING
STARTED AND REGISTERED
1. Identify a faculty member who will serve as your advisor.
The faculty member may be in any Duke department, including Medical
Center departments. In general, it is up to the student to contact
and speak to faculty members until they find someone appropriate
that agrees to take them on. You should startyour search for
an independent study one semester before you plan to begin.
You will want to time to speak with several faculty members and
meet other people in their labs. Also, space in labs is limited
and you must often reserve in advance.
The Undergraduate Studies office/Bio
Resource Room (Rm. 135 BioSci) cannot assign you to a lab nor
make specific recommendations. However, it will provide some useful
information including abstracts and research supervisor contact
information for previously completed projects and contact information
for faculty in various Medical Center departments.
2. Obtain a Permission Number to Register through ACES
You receive a permission number directly from your research supervisor.
Remember that you must register for the specific section number
of BIOLOGY 191 or 297 listed in ACES for your supervisor. Registration
through ACES can be done any time until the end of Drop/Add. Note
that freshmen must also get a signature from the Director of Undergraduate
Studies to register for Independent Study.
3. For a Writing Intensive Independent Study
Fill out the Request for Writing Code for Research Independent Study
Course form, available outside Room 135 BioSci or as a Word
doc. Discuss the specific writing expectations with your Research
Supervisor. The form, signed by the student and the Research Supervisor,
must be submitted to the DUS before the end of drop/add. More
info on Writing Intensive Independent Study.
4. Attend the Orientation for Independent Studies.
Dates will be announced at the start of each term.
INDEPENDENT
STUDIES WITH FACULTY OUTSIDE OF THE BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT
If your research supervisor is not listed in ACES for BIO 191or 297,
you have two options. Both options require completion of an INDEPENDENT
STUDY FORM available from 135 BioSci or download as a PDF
or Word document.
1. Registration directly through some departments in the
Medical Center.
These only include the departments of Biochemistry (BCH 209/210),
Cell Biology (CBI 210), Genetics (UPG 191/192), Immunology (IMM
191/192/209/210), Molecular Genetics and Microbiology(MGM 203),
Neurobiology (NBI 212), Pathology (PTH 209/210) and Pharmacology
(PHR 191/192/297/298). A student can receive a permission number
directly from these Medical Center departments and does not need
to have a faculty sponsor in Biology.
Registration for Independent
Study in these departments may be considered equivalent to BIO 191, with respect to the requirements of the major. Registration in these departments may also be considered to the equivalent of BIO 297 (capstone course) if there are two or more registrations with the same mentor, as documented on the Independent Study form. Students
should submit an INDEPENDENT STUDY FORM (download as a PDF or Word document) , complete with Research
Supervisor signature, to the Biology Office by the end of drop/add
of the semester for which they are registering.
2. Registration for BIO 191 or BIO 297 using a faculty sponsor
in Biology for research elsewhere.
Students must have a Biology faculty sponsor for research in departments other
than those listed above. The Biology sponsor will approve registration under BIO 191 or 297 and is responsible for reporting
a grade at the end of the semester. The sponsor for all outside independent studies is Dean Mary Nijhout (mary.nijhout@duke.edu).
Students working outside of the Biology department must submit
an INDEPENDENT STUDY FORM
(download as a PDF or Word
document) which includes the name and contact information of
the research supervisor and a brief description of the project.
One copy of the form, signed by the research supervisor, should
be submitted to Dean Nijhout (Rm. 011 Allen Building) or to the Undergraduate Studies Office (Rm. 135 BioSci).
Upon approval, the sponsor will provide a permission number for registration and a schedule for meetings, reports and grade recommendations during the semester. Note that the sponsor will be available for help with any problems in the conduct of the course, but the mentor is responsible for scientific supervision of the project and the final assessment of performance.
3. For a Writing Intensive Independent Study
Fill out the Request for Writing Code for Research Independent Study
Course form, available outside Room 135 BioSci or click for a Word
doc. Determine whether your research supervisor or faculty sponsor
will take responsibility for the supervision of the writing component,
and discuss the specific writing expectations with him/her. The
form, signed by the student, research supervisor, and faculty sponsor
must be submitted to the DUS before the end of drop/add. More
info on Writing Intensive Independent Study.
4. Attend the Orientation for Independent Studies.
Dates will be announced at the start of each term.
INDEPENDENT
STUDY: PROJECT GUIDELINES
The specific goals and expectations for each independent
study project are determined by the student and faculty supervisor,
and may vary to reflect the particulars of the research area. The
following are some suggested guidelines:
1. The project should be appropriate work
in the biological sciences.
The student should consult with the Biology sponsor or the Director
of Undergraduate Studies in Biology to determine the appropriateness
of a project. Projects which are primarily clinical in nature are
typically not appropriate for credit in Biology. Similarly for projects
which have a primary focus in chemistry, psychology, environmental
or health policy, or related areas.
2. The project should be an independent research
project.
Although most projects are conducted under the close supervision
of a mentor, the student should take substantial responsibility
for the formulation of a hypothesis, experimental design, data collection,
analysis and interpretation. In the case of a collaborative effort,
the student should have a distinct and identifiable role in the
project. A student's responsibility should extend beyond simply
providing low-level technical support for other projects or observing
the work of others,
3. The student should spend at least ~120
hours per semester on the project.
The expectation is that the student will invest time equivalent
to a laboratory course, i.e. ~8-10 hours per week for 14 weeks.
This may include planning, data collection (including field work),
analysis and writing. Note that the time spent writing should be
a relatively small portion of the total time investment, except
in the case of ‘W’-coded registrations where it will
be a more significant part of the experience and final grade. Conversely,
a research supervisor should not expect a student to invest an excessive
amount of time, to the detriment of their other course work.
4. The student should produce a report of
their work.
The University specifies that all independent studies must result
in an ‘academic product’. Most commonly, this is a final
written report describing the work. A student may also make an oral
presentation of their work, in addition to the written report. Commonly,
a student should also submit brief proposal at the beginning of
the semester and/or a mid-term progress report. The details of reports,
both written and oral, are to be specified by the research supervisor
or sponsor. However, in all cases that should document the background
and rationale for the project, the methods and results, and some
discussion of significance and future directions.
5. The research supervisor must submit a grade
during the exam period for each semester.
A student's grade in Independent Study is primarily assigned by
the research supervisor. As in any course, the grade should reflect
a reasonable assessment of the student's effort and the merit of
the work. The basis for that assessment is at the discretion of
the supervisor, but it should be clearly communicated with the student
at the beginning of the semester.
If the student has registered for Independent Study through a Biology
sponsor who is not the project supervisor, the research
supervisor must convey a grade to the Biology sponsor well before
the end of the exam period. In addition, the student must
submit a copy of the final report to the sponsor. It is the responsibility
of the Biology sponsor to submit a final grade, based on the report
and supervisor's recommendation.
INDEPENDENT STUDY ABROAD
The Biology program will also grant credit for independent research
projects conducted as part of an approved study abroad program. Credit
will be assigned as BIO 190, 191, or 297. Students should make an
effort to adhere to the general guidelines for Independent Study (above).
In order to receive final approval for credit, the student should
submit the following to the Director of Undergraduate Studies: a
copy of the final paper, signed by the project supervisor; the academic
credentials of the project supervisor; a copy of the lab/field notebook,
or; a note from the project supervisor attesting to the student's
effort and independence. The note should also attest to the student's
merit, if there is no course grade or other indicator of merit.
Learn more about Independent
Study Abroad.
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