Research Project
Research Project
BIOL 2402 – Anatomy & Physiology II
This research project allows you the opportunity to explore a disease that affects a body system we have covered or will cover this semester (see “Topics” section in the syllabus).
Before you pick your disease, read the entirety of these instructions and do some preliminary research on your disease to ensure there is enough information on the disease choice to enable you to complete all components of this project. Don’t choose your topic THEN do research, because you may find that there is not enough information available to thoroughly write all components of the project. The diseases are first come, first serve. Use the link sent to your email to sign up for your disease choice. MAKE SURE NO ONE ELSE HAS ALREADY SIGNED UP FOR IT.
Your paper should include, in this order, with labeled headings and subheadings:
Abstract (10 points)
The abstract summarizes the main points in the paper. The reader should be able to determine the major concepts in the paper without reading the entire paper. It is best to compose the abstract after the paper is completed.
Discussion
The discussion is the body of the paper. It must include the following information:
The Disease (10 points)
A brief description of the disease. Include a history of the disease and the discovery of it. Include important dates, scientists, and cite research articles that were published on the subject matter. Include data/charts/graphs to represent relative disease statistics (incidence, prevalence, morbidity, mortality, etc).
Symptoms and Disease Characteristics (10 points)
Describe other relevant information regarding the disease, such as: the typical age of onset for the disease, how it advances (acute, chronic, episodic, gradually worsens over time, etc), if it is an inheritable disease, what type of inheritance pattern it follows. Also include in this section a description of the symptoms caused by the disease including the location on the body these symptoms typically occur.
Physiology of the Disease (30 points)
THIS IS THE HIGHEST POINT SECTION AND WHERE MOST POINTS ARE LOST! Describe exactly which organs/tissues/cells are affected and how they are affected. First, describe the normal structure and function of the organs/tissues/cells. Second, contrast that with the structure and function of them when affected by the disease process. Make sure to go into great detail and describe structure and functions at the cellular level. Include diagrams, charts, and/or photos of microscope slides to support your descriptions. If there is no information on the disease process-pick a different disease.
Treatment Options (10 points)
Describe the treatment options for the disease process and whether it can cure the disease completely or just serves to manage the symptoms. If there are multiple treatment options, describe the pros and
cons of them. Include a description of any side effects of the treatments. If there are no current treatment options, reference potential treatment options that are being researched now.
Conclusion (10 points)
In the conclusion you should discuss the effectiveness of the treatments and describe the long-term prognosis for a patient. Discuss survival rate and life expectancy. If it is a chronic or progressive disease, describe any symptoms that may arise later.
Works Cited (10 points)
This section should list all references cited in your paper (it should not include any references that you have not cited within the paper). Please use APA for both the in-text citation and the references list.
Correct Mechanics (grammar, spelling, in-text citations, labeled headings and subheadings) (10 pts)
The Details:
Write in grammatically correct English, write clearly, and in logical order.
Use a minimum of 3 cited references. Be sure that your references are appropriate for a college research paper (i.e. a personal online blog would be appropriate to include in the symptoms section, it is not appropriate for the description of the chemical composition of the venom/toxin.) To search for resources go to: http://www.lonestar.edu/library/15183.htmchoose a database (such as Academic Search Complete) type in key words in the search bar of the database to find articles
Proper in-text citations and a Works Cited page are required. Here are instructions on how to properly use in-text citations and how to organize your Works Cited Page: (https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/)
Sample APA Paper: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/apa_sample_paper.html
The Write Place has tutors (http://www.lonestar.edu/write-place.htm), and your English composition books also has this information, For on-line references be absolutely sure you have the correct URL; I must be able to use the URL to view the cited reference.
The work must be your own. Plagiarism is a serious academic offence. If you have any doubts about what is considered plagiarism, please review the information on the following site: http://www.lonestar.edu/library/plagiarism.htm. Plagiarized papers will receive a 0 grade. Please note that you will not be allowed to rewrite the paper.
Additionally, direct quotes from a source can be used ONLY when the author has made a statement in such an eloquent manner that the words would lose meaning if summarized – however be sure to keep quotes to a minimum and be sure they have quote marks and are properly cited.
Papers turned in late will incur a 10% penalty per day that it is late. Your paper must be submitted to the drop box on D2L by the due date. The drop box link will be closed at that time so make sure you don’t wait to submit until 11:59pm that day in case you run into technical problems.
