BIOL 4850S - Problems in Forensic Biology
Fall 2026 Syllabus, Section 01, CRN 43630,
Credit hours: 3
Course Meeting Times
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Instructor
Reza Alaeddini
Email: ralaeddini@ysu.edu
Course Description
This course provides a structured framework for undergraduate students to conduct independent research under faculty mentorship. Students engage in the full research lifecycle: formulating a testable research question, conducting a comprehensive literature review, designing a robust methodology (quantitative, qualitative, or experimental), collecting and analyzing data, and presenting their findings. The curriculum emphasizes the development of transfer able research skills, ethical scientific conduct, and professional academic writing, accommodating diverse disciplinary approaches from the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. The final output could be a research paper, a professional research poster or a hardware artifact suitable for presentation at academic conferences.
Course Readings
| Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optional | Scientific Writing and Communication: Papers, Proposals, and Presentations | Angelika Hofmann | 978-0190278540 |
Optional Textbook:
Scientific Writing and Communication: Papers, Proposals, and Presentations, Third Edition, covers all the areas of scientific communication that a scientist needs to know and master in order to successfully promote his or her research and career. This unique "all-in-one" handbook begins with a discussion of the basic principles of scientific writing style and composition and then applies these principles to writing research papers, review articles, grant proposals, research statements, and résumés, as well as to preparing academic presentations and posters.
The course readings are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, research developments, current events, and/or to ensure better learning.
Assignments/Assessments
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Schedule of Topics and Assignments
| Week of | Reading(s) | Proposed Topic | Due/To Prepare for Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/24 | Syllabus | Course Introduction | Review Syllabus |
| 8/31 | Project Initiation | Project Initiation | Topic selection; formulating the research question; initial literature scoping; identifying key methods Set up and share Zotero and OneNote |
| 9/7 | IRB application | IRB application | Submit Research Permission Application to university Research Office |
| 9/14 | Proposal & Materials | Proposal & Materials | Finalizing research design; creating detailed timeline; finalizing required resources. |
| 9/21 | Biweekly Update (every two weeks) | Biweekly Update | Biweekly Update, due in OneNote |
| 10/5 | Biweekly Update | Systematic data generation, collection, or observation | Biweekly Update, due in OneNote |
| 10/19 | Biweekly Update | Analysis and Synthesis | Biweekly Update, due in OneNote |
| 11/2 | Biweekly Update | Translating research into poster format; designing visual elements; drafting text; creating figures/tables | Biweekly Update, due in OneNote |
| 11/16 | Biweekly Update | Final revisions; formatting the poster; preparing for print | Biweekly Update, due in OneNote |
| 11/30 | Biweekly Update | What is your suggestion to further this research in future? | Biweekly Update, due in OneNote |
The course schedule, policies, procedures, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, by mutual agreement, and/or to ensure better learning.