Planning your report:
- please submit a brief outline (less than one page) of your presentation by Monday 7/17/00.
- be selective; presentations are restricted to 20-25 minutes

Oral presentation:
- introduce the research area - what is being studied, what claims do the authors have?
- present the data and how it has been measured; distinguish raw data from data analysis; how do we read a graphical representation of data, spectrum, table etc...?
- rationalize the author's conclusions - what is the relevance of the findings, what is new, why is the use of this technique important, are there alternatives to the authors approach/technique, is there work unique?
- use referenced work if necessary; methodical papers, review articles
- if you need special presentation equipment (slides; computer; video) this needs to be ordered a week ahead of the presentation date. Include this in your outline.

Written report:
- write a 4 -6 page report about your presentation; this is only a suggested length and can be shorter or longer depending on text only or how many figures you choose to include;
- turn in your report at the time of your scheduled presentation; include a copy of the abstract of the selected paper (this may differ from the paper initially selected);
- reports will be posted on the class web page

General concepts and ideas:
The scientific papers selected for presentations reflect current research topics using biophysical techniques. Scientific papers present results in the form of figures and tables and a textual description and are to be understood as experimental evidence, rather than 'scientific fact'. The interpretation of the results is normally presented in a 'discussion' or 'conclusion' section and, together with the results, are summarized in an abstract that leads the paper. To complete the paper, a methodology section is included and, for the general reader, an introduction on the current research in the field puts the results into the appropriate perspective. Keep in mind that research papers are subject to verification, change, and improvement and that papers are peer-reviewed prior to publication.

Essays are graded based on:
A. Scientific clarity and accuracy and should include
 - summary
 - introduction
 - results and methodology
 - discussion
 - referenced work

B. General ability to write effectively
1. Your essay should be written in your own words.
2.  The essay clearly presents a central idea and/or point of view of the selected research paper(s) and maintains focus on that topic.
3.  Ideas or points of discussion are logically arranged, and their meaning is clearly communicated.
4.  Choice of words is precise; usage is careful and accurate.
5.  The essay contains sentences of syntactic complexity and variety and constructs coherent paragraphs such that the writing is free of errors in syntax, paragraph structure, sentence structure, and mechanics (e.g., spelling, punctuation, and capitalization)