Ten Steps to Understanding Your

Research Project

Dr. Gail P. TaylorAsst. Prog. Dir. MBRS-RISEUTSA

01/28/2009

Introduction

• Designing experiments <> Performing

• Difficulties– Foundation– Implications

10 Steps to Understanding Your Research Project

• Laboratory emphasis• Human health issues• Context of

experiment• Foundation of

technique• Foundations of

concepts

• What is measured?• Treatment

significance• Novel conclusions• Impacts on field• Future directions

1. Laboratory Emphasis

• Field = Neurobiology, Immunology, Cell• Area of Research = learning and

memory• Focus = molecular correlates to

learning

• Look at what your laboratory tends to publish about….

2. Human Impact

• Relate to known “human” issue– Health benefits– Understand disease– Better for environment

• Possible for even for basic research• Helps with future funding• Helps others relate to your work• May help you to understand lab focus

3. Context of Experiment

• Where did your experiment come from?• Does your experiment…

– Follow another student’s?• Complete prior work?• Extend prior work?

– Represent a new area of research for the lab?• Follows promising new breakthrough

(literature)

4. Foundations of Technique/Model

• Labs often have favorite techniques– Water maze– Electrophysiology– Frog ganglia– NMR

• Find out history of use• Find out what it shows• Obtain “foundation” papers• Vital for Methods section

5. Foundations of Concepts

• All science builds on other studies• KNOW YOUR BACKGROUND INFO!• Sources

– Mentor’s recent paper on subject– Review paper on subject– Pubmed (later)

• Must read slowly and critically• Absolutely required for success

6. What are You Measuring?

• Know what your numbers demonstrate– Electrophysiology – slope of voltage trace -

LTP– Quantitative PCR – Fluorescence intensity -

# transcripts– Color change– Precipitate amount, purity, etc

• Know how it is measured– Generally numerical for significance tests

7. Significance of Treatment Groups

• Controls• Experimentals• Literature allows you to choose or

understand• Make reasoned hypotheses on

results of each experiment

8. Novel Conclusions

• What is new or not known before?• What do combined results reveal?• Can you make a new model

(visible representation of new hypothesis)

9. Impact on Field

• Why was your work important???– Small stair-step in understanding

• Predictable• Necessary

– Huge changes in direction• Surprises• Opens new exploration

– Impact on Health

10. Future Directions

• Where do you go with a positive result!?

• Think of new questions!• How do you answer them?

– Further clarify results?– Extend results to next logical step– Follow ground-breaking work