Oceanography 444 - Goals and Grading

Overview

Your principal objective in this course is to carry out a complete short-term scientific study. The key phases are:

1) Executing your field/observational program according to a basic plan (your Ocn 443 Research Proposal);

2) Analysis of data, samples, and observations;

3) Interpretation and presentation of your results in both written and oral formats and posting to your web site.

Remember that because Ocn 444 is a W-course, grading emphasis will be placed on your final written paper. By adhering to a course time line (see schedule), we will assist you in developing and polishing the product through several intermediate stages. Your faculty advisers will be grading your written submissions on both format and writing style (in addition to scientific content) and will present general advice about how to produce a professional scientific manuscript. Your Ocn 444 grade will be determined as follows:

444 Grading Criteria:

Draft of Introduction, Methods, and Results - 10%
Oral Presentation of Introduction, Methods, and Results - 5%
Draft of complete paper - 10%
Peer Review Exercise - 5%
Symposium presentation - 20%

Final Report – Scientific Content - 30%
(scientific organization, scientific reasoning, facility
with literature, use of figures and tables)

Final Report – Writing Style - 10%
(following style sheet, grammar, references, etc.)

Web Posting of complete Final Paper (with all figures and tables) - 10%

Schedule

Instead of regularly scheduled meetings, we will meet as a class only on selected dates (schedule below) at 1330 in 205 OTB. Most of the time designated for Ocn 444 (1330-1620, Tues and Thurs) will be available to you for lab/computer work, report preparation, and consultation with your faculty adviser. Faculty option advisers may schedule formal or informal instructional periods at any of the other class times. Many of you who are dependent on others for expertise, instrumentation, co-processing of samples, etc., will need to adjust your schedules accordingly. Experience has shown that you will need the equivalent of all six scheduled class hours per week (at a minimum) to achieve your objectives. Stay organized, flexible, and realistic. Time management is a skill you will (must) employ continually in Ocn 444.

There will be no final exam in Ocn 444. However, a course requirement is that you post your entire paper, including all figures and tables, on your web site. Your posting should include a viewable (html) version of your complete paper as well as a downloadable PDF version. There are several rationales for this. First, your research will be of interest to other scientists, agencies, and consultants outside the University (particularly if you are working with one of our external sponsors). Second, an archive of Ocn 444 reports for future student use depends to a large degree on the existence of an electronic information base. Third, basic web-building skills are becoming more and more of a requirement among employers – so learn it while you have the resources at your disposal. The University's Catalyst and Uwired programs are good places to start. Your personal web sites and pages are linked to the class web site under students.

Drafts of your Introduction, Methods, and Results sections are due on Monday, 30 April. A draft of the complete report is due on Monday, 14 May. This compressed schedule should tell you that about 6 weeks in the lab is an absolute maximum if you are to have adequate time to digest your data and make sense out of them. The final manuscript is due on Friday, 25 May. The web posting is due on, Wednesday, 30 May. Thursday, 31 May is reserved for the annual Class Research Symposium in Rm 14 OTB. This Symposium will be open to the public and will be advertised in Ocean Currents and University Week.

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[an error occurred while processing this directive] Introduction Goals and Grading Instructors Students Student Research Page Course Schedule Paper and Presentation Requirements Manuscript Guidelines Related Links Symposium Schedule E-Submit	Oceanography 444, Spring 2007 Advanced Field Oceanography Goals and Grading Overview Your principal objective in this course is to carry out a complete short-term scientific study. The key phases are: 1) Executing your field/observational program according to a basic plan (your Ocn 443 Research Proposal); 2) Analysis of data, samples, and observations; 3) Interpretation and presentation of your results in both written and oral formats and posting to your web site. Remember that because Ocn 444 is a W-course, grading emphasis will be placed on your final written paper. By adhering to a course time line (see schedule), we will assist you in developing and polishing the product through several intermediate stages. Your faculty advisers will be grading your written submissions on both format and writing style (in addition to scientific content) and will present general advice about how to produce a professional scientific manuscript. Your Ocn 444 grade will be determined as follows: 444 Grading Criteria: Draft of Introduction, Methods, and Results - 10% Oral Presentation of Introduction, Methods, and Results - 5% Draft of complete paper - 10% Peer Review Exercise - 5% Symposium presentation - 20% Final Report – Scientific Content - 30% (scientific organization, scientific reasoning, facility with literature, use of figures and tables) Final Report – Writing Style - 10% (following style sheet, grammar, references, etc.) Web Posting of complete Final Paper (with all figures and tables) - 10% Schedule Instead of regularly scheduled meetings, we will meet as a class only on selected dates (schedule below) at 1330 in 205 OTB. Most of the time designated for Ocn 444 (1330-1620, Tues and Thurs) will be available to you for lab/computer work, report preparation, and consultation with your faculty adviser. Faculty option advisers may schedule formal or informal instructional periods at any of the other class times. Many of you who are dependent on others for expertise, instrumentation, co-processing of samples, etc., will need to adjust your schedules accordingly. Experience has shown that you will need the equivalent of all six scheduled class hours per week (at a minimum) to achieve your objectives. Stay organized, flexible, and realistic. Time management is a skill you will (must) employ continually in Ocn 444. There will be no final exam in Ocn 444. However, a course requirement is that you post your entire paper, including all figures and tables, on your web site. Your posting should include a viewable (html) version of your complete paper as well as a downloadable PDF version. There are several rationales for this. First, your research will be of interest to other scientists, agencies, and consultants outside the University (particularly if you are working with one of our external sponsors). Second, an archive of Ocn 444 reports for future student use depends to a large degree on the existence of an electronic information base. Third, basic web-building skills are becoming more and more of a requirement among employers – so learn it while you have the resources at your disposal. The University's Catalyst and Uwired programs are good places to start. Your personal web sites and pages are linked to the class web site under students. Drafts of your Introduction, Methods, and Results sections are due on Monday, 30 April. A draft of the complete report is due on Monday, 14 May. This compressed schedule should tell you that about 6 weeks in the lab is an absolute maximum if you are to have adequate time to digest your data and make sense out of them. The final manuscript is due on Friday, 25 May. The web posting is due on, Wednesday, 30 May. Thursday, 31 May is reserved for the annual Class Research Symposium in Rm 14 OTB. This Symposium will be open to the public and will be advertised in Ocean Currents and University Week.
Last modified: 5/22/2007 12:53 PM