SEMESTER PROJECT

 Each student or "team" (two students maximum) must complete
an applied research project.  This project will be completed during the last 4
weeks of class (but do not wait until week 12 to start).   A preliminary
proposal must be submitted for instructor approval by week 8.  The project
will be treated as equivalent to 4 weekly problem sets.
A format guide for writing the final report is shown below.

PROJECT FORMAT/GRADING SHEET

  POINTS  IN RED
 

  15 PROPOSAL:  A two page report having the following sections.
        (5)  1.    Research purpose and problem statement.
        (5)  2.    Objectives  (specific)
        (5)  3.    Procedures

  70  FINAL REPORT:   Include the following sections.

          Title Page:  Show team members and project title.

          Table of Contents:  Show index of report including all
                                          sections, tables, charts, graphs, drawings.

          Main Body:

       5   1.  Abstract - Provide summary statement of the project
                 including the purpose, project overview, results,
                 and conclusions.
       5   2.  Introduction - State the problem, the objectives,
                 background, definitions and delimitations.
      10  3.  Procedure -  Describe the steps taken and
                 statistical methods employed in carrying out the
                 project.
      10  4.  Results  -  The results section describes the
                 the presentation of data both in summary and tables.
                There should be at least one result for each stated
                objective.
      15  5.  Data analysis, conclusion, and recommendations.
                 Restate the  problem, and provide a thorough data
                 analysis. Draw logical conclusion(s)based on data
                 presented.  State recommendations for further research.
      15  6.  Appendix - The appendicies should include the
                 raw data, statistical procedure printouts,
                 charts,graphs, tables and other relevant supporting documentation.
      10  7.  Bibliography - Reference all sources used in the written report
                 following standard APA or MLA format.

  20  PRESENTATION

  100  TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS

                                         PROJECT STEPS and GUIDELINES

1. Initial Observation

• You observe something and wonder why it happens.
• You see something and wonder what causes it.
• You want to know how or why something works.
• You record what you have noticed and what you want to know.

• Ask questions about what you have observed.
• Decide what you want to know more about.
• Read journals, reports, and ask professionals in order to learn more about your area of study.
• Record your sources and the information gathered.

          • Choose a title that summarizes what your investigation deals with.

• Write a statement that describes what you want to do to find out the answers. Use your questions and observations to write the statement.
    Identify specific objectives of the experiment (what questions will be attempted to answered).

• Create a list of statements describing how or why you think the observations you have made worked they way they do.
• Remember: Hypothesis must be stated in a way that can be tested by doing an experiment. Use an “If….then…..” statement.

• Select only one thing to change in the experiment. The thing that is changed is called the dependent variable.
• Change something that will help you test your hypothesis.
• The procedure must detail how you will change the one thing.
• The procedure must explain how you will measure the amount of change.
• The experiment needs to have a control for comparison so that you can observe what the change actually did.

• Make a list of the things you will need to do the experiment.
• Keep an accurate record of when and where you obtained the items and their cost.

• Record the steps of the experiment in a log. Be sure to have at least 4 trials.
• Record the specific measurements using metrics.
• Data can be the amounts of chemicals used, how long something took, how long an item is after a change, etc.
• If you are not making measurements in your experiment, you are not doing an experimental project.

•  Use appropriate statistical tools to carry out the analysis

9.   Intrepret the results and present appropriate tables, charts, graphs

10.  Draw a conclusion and make recommendations