BIO 351 - Research Methods in the Natural Sciences (3)

Prerequisites: Must have a C- or better in BIO 110 , BIO 111 , BIO 212 , and BIO 295 (or ECO 215 , MTH 225 , or SSI 217 ) or permission. Statistics may be taken concurrently.

This course provides an introduction to research methods in natural sciences. Topics include a survey of sampling methods, experimental design, data and statistical analysis, and ethical considerations in research, service projects, and analytical work. By the end of the course, students will identify a capstone project in the area of laboratory or field research, a service-based project, or an analytical paper to be completed during the senior capstone sequence. Students completing this course will be able to efficiently perform a literature search for relevant resources, evaluate primary literature, develop a project hypothesis or objective, design an experiment or plan, identify statistical and analytical strategies for evaluating results, and communicate their work orally and in writing.