Biol401: Junior Independent Study Metacourse

Overview of Junior Independent Study: Junior Independent Study is designed to help Biology and Neurobiology majors develop skills that are fundamental in planning and carrying out an independent project, as well as in communicating findings to others. At the end of your junior year you will have: (1) been matched with a Senior I.S. advisor, (2) developed and written planning documents for your Senior I.S. project, and (3) regularly attended the Life Sciences seminar series which features scientists talking about their current projects. The Junior I.S. documents will accomplish two goals; it will place your project in the context of the larger body of scientific literature, and it will provide a framework for the way in which you will conduct your Independent Study work. To achieve these goals, Biology 401 requires two major written documents: (i) an annotated bibliography that will thoroughly review the relevant literature on your topic and (ii) a detailed description of the Research Design and Methods for the independent study project to be conducted in the senior year.