Nervous system, meningitis

MED 110: Anatomy & Physiology

Research Project Guidelines

The research project for this course aims to give you a more in depth look into the systems within the human body and the diseases or disorders that affect them. Throughout the duration of the course, you will develop a written research paper on a disease of your choice and prepare and deliver an in-class presentation. Your project should give an in depth, factually supported explanation of a disease or disorder that affects one of the major organs or organ systems covered in the course.

Research Topics:

It is important to choose a topic that you are interested in. Is there a common disease that runs in your family? Do want to learn more about an illness you have had? Find a topic that you would like to learn more about and that could potentially be useful knowledge for your future career path. It is important to note that your research topic must be approved by your instructor prior to beginning your assignment. You may choose a disease or illness affecting one or more of the following organ systems:

· Integumentary System

· Skeletal System

· Muscular System

· Nervous System

· Endocrine System

Examples could include:

· Eczema

· Shingles

· Arthritis

· Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

· Diabetes

Paper Guidelines:

Your research paper should detail the epidemiology and history of the topic you have chosen as well as describing the effects it has on the human body in relation to one of the main organ systems listed above.

The research paper must include:

· 5-7 typed pages - double spaced, size 12 Arial font, 1” borders

· At least 3 primary sources (books, scholarly journals, newspaper articles, etc.)

· Current data trends and research

· History, epidemiology, and evolution of the disease

· Systems of the body affected and how they are affected

· Populations the disease targets

· Genetic or environmental factors and trends

· Treatment for the disease

***Note Regarding Primary Sources: You are required to research your topic thoroughly for this paper. This includes, but is not limited to, a minimum of three primary sources. Most likely, your sources will either be primary research articles and/or scholarly articles that have been peer reviewed. It is recommended that you find articles published within the past decade. Google Scholar and PubMed are two of many websites that have an abundance of primary research articles and/or scholarly articles available. Most review articles, books, and Internet sources do NOT count as primary literature. You may, however, use these in addition to your three primary sources.

You will need to include a works cited list to credit the sources you utilized in your research. For information about plagiarism and school policies, see the campus catalog.

Presentation Guidelines:

· 8-10 minute oral presentation

· PowerPoint

· Provide background and introduction to the disease

· Mention facts and data that you found interesting

Important Dates:

· Week 1, Lesson 2: Topic due to instructor. This typed assignment will be submitted to the instructor at the beginning of class. It should identify the disease and organ or organ system you choose to study.

· Week 3, Lesson 2: Primary resources and works cited draft due. This typed draft will be submitted to your instructor at the beginning of class and should include:

1 At least two of the required three primary sources. Please provide a works cited, identifying two primary sources.

2 For each of the two primary sources identified, provide a brief (approx. 50 words) description of how you plan to use your source in your research paper.

Example: I plan to use data from “Article X” to support my claim that there is a higher than normal prevalence of asthma in poor, inner city communities.

· Week 6, Lesson 2 Final draft due to instructor. Presentations will be given during lecture and lab time.

Grading:

Your research project will be worth a total of 100 points based on your performance on the following assignments:

· Research Paper Topic - 5 points

· Works Cited Draft - 15 points

· Final Research Paper - 50 points

· Presentation - 30 points