While every effort has been made to make sure this electronic syllabus is error-free, it is not official.
The definitive source of course information remains the original (paper) syllabus distributed in class.

LYCOMING COLLEGE Chemistry Research Methods 449 FALL 2006 Dr. Mahler

Instructor: Dr. Charles H. Mahler, Phone 321-4351 or 322-8840 (h), mahler@lycoming.edu

Office Hours: Heim 202, MWF 10 - 11 AM, MW 1:30 – 2:30 PM, by appointment, or drop by.

CLASS: M from 3:15 to 4:05 PM in Heim 215. RESEARCH: 8 -10 hours / week, as arranged

Prerequisites: CHEM 221 and consent of instructor; Corequisite: CHEM 330.

Materials for Course: The ACS Style Guide: A Manual for Authors and Editors, 2^nd ed.; Dodd, J. S., Ed.; American Chemical Society: Washington, D.C., 1997. Bound Laboratory Notebook with quadrille pages (for lab use only); Safety Glasses or Goggles.

Course Description: This course focuses on the nature and practice of chemistry. Students will conduct research into a particular chemical problem with a faculty research advisor and will discuss their research at a weekly seminar. Each of the students will write a report, prepare a poster, and give a colloquium presentation on their research.

Grading Criteria:

Poster 10%

Colloquium 15%

Final Paper 25%

Resume, Cover Letter

and Research Summary 5%

Paper drafts and practice talks 5%

Effort in Lab and Library Research 25%

Notebook and Spectra 5%

Laboratory Technique 10%

100%

Attendance: The student will pursue a research project under the direction of a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry (or an internship off campus). The student is expected to commit an average of 12 hours per week to the research project. This time will be divided between laboratory work and time spent reading the literature and planning the laboratory work. Attendance at the weekly seminar is mandatory and each unexcused absence will result in a 5% reduction of the final grade. A maximum of one excused absence (must be documented by a note from physician, Dean, etc.) will be granted.

Literature Search and Literature Review: We will explore methods for searching the chemical literature. The student will search the primary chemical literature for articles pertinent to his or her research topic. These articles will form the basis of a literature review that will be written and ultimately included in the final research paper.

Research Presentations: The student will present an overview of the project at the first presentation of the semester. At subsequent meetings, the student will report on the progress made on the project since the previous meeting. Although these presentations will be somewhat informal, the student is expected to discuss the research in an appropriate manner (the student should be well-prepared, knowledgeable about the project, able to describe the work in a professional manner, able to answer student and faculty questions regarding the project, etc.).

Laboratory Technique: The student will be evaluated on the mastery of techniques relevant to the project. Included in this category are the skills necessary for the maintenance of laboratory equipment, laboratory hygiene, and safety.

Effort in laboratory and library research: This takes the form of the student's commitment to the research project with regard to both the time and thought dedicated to the research. This includes evaluation of the student's comprehension of the project and intellectual input as determined by discussions with the research advisor regarding the status of the project.

Laboratory Notebook: The student will maintain an accurate and detailed laboratory notebook (hard-bound, all entries made in ink) and an organized file of spectral data. The notebook and the spectral data will be turned in to the research advisor at the end of the semester.

Colloquium: The student will present her research in the form of a chemistry colloquium near the end of the semester. This will utilize Power Point. A practice talk will be given to the class at least 2 days before the colloquium.

Final Paper: The student will prepare a written report on the research project. The report will be written in standard ACS style (refer to papers published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society) and will include a brief abstract, an introduction, background material (literature review), results and discussion, conclusions, an experimental section, and references. We will address the particulars of each section in class. Drafts of the sections will be due throughout the semester to both myself and your research advisor.

Academic Dishonesty: Be aware that in accordance with the College's policy on academic honesty, any work you submit must be your own. Any instances of plagiarism will be reported to the Dean of the College and severely penalized.

Administrative procedures (withdrawals, etc.) will follow the published guidelines and rules of the college and department.

College Policies:

Because this course meets a distribution requirement, it includes a writing component. At least 10 pages of writing must be produced by each student during the semester and some of those assignments will be formally evaluated for writing. I will be reserving some class or office time to help each student with written work.

If you have a specific disability and choose to request academic accommodations to meet your needs, please consult with Mr. Dan Hartsock, Co-ordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities. His office is in the Academic Resource Center on the third floor of Snowden Library.

Lycoming College Chemistry Research Methods 449 Dr. Mahler

Course Schedule, Fall 2006

Date Week Topic Preparation for Class Student Presentation

Sept. 28 1 Course overview, literature search background

Sept. 4 2 Structure searching with STNWeb Discuss project with research advisor.

Literature Search: STNWeb topical searches Choose search terms. Chp 32, Organic

By appointment (after 5 pm). Using IsisDraw Lab Manual

Sept. 11 3 Literature Search: Substructure searches on STNWeb Choose substructures to be searched By appointment (after 5 pm) in consultation with research advisor

Sept. 18 4 Discussion: Writing an introduction / literature review Read Chapter 1 in text Background talks: editing references. Refer to Chapter 6 for info on Dan, Melissa, Andrew

citing references (also handout).

Sept. 25 5 Writing the Research Summary, Resume, Corey, Sara

and Cover Letter. Due: 1^st draft of introduction / literature review* (9/27)

Oct. 2 6 Discussion: Writing the experimental section Chp. 8, pp 265-268

* Bring notebook and spectra.

Due: Resume, cover letter, research

Summary (10/4)

Oct. 9 7 Workshop: Writing the experimental section Refer to Chapters 5, 7, and 8 for info. * Bring notebook and spectra on how to properly use/present numbers, Due: 2nd draft of introduction/literature review (10/11) chemical names, and symbols.

Oct. 16 8 Due: 1st draft of sample experimental (10/18)

*Paper copies of all drafts in this class to both me and your research advisor

Oct. 23 9 Writing the Results and Discussion Section* * Refer to Chapters 3 and 4 (grammar, Current results talks:

punctuation, etc.) Dan, Melissa, Andrew

Oct. 30 10 Preparing for a Poster Presentation, Read Chapter 2 pp 27-38 Corey, Sara

PowerPoint Refer to Chapter 9 for info Due: 2^nd draft of experimental (11/1) on how to properly include

illustrations and tables.

Washington State PP prep document

Nov. 6 11 Writing an Abstract, Organization of a colloquium Chp. 1 pp 18-20

talk

Due: poster images in Isis/Chem Draw (11/8)

Nov. 13 12 Troubleshooting Posters

Due: poster text/images in Power Point (11/15)

Nov. 20 13 Due: Finished poster presentation (11/20)

Nov. 27 14 Due: Draft of final paper (11/29) Colloquium Practice:*** Practice talks Dan, Melissa, Andrew

Dec. 4 15 Due: Practice talks for colloquia Corey, Sara

“Polished near final” draft of final paper (12/9)

Dec. 12 16 Due: final paper (12/15)

**I'll be happy to review a draft of your R and D section at your convenience (not required until draft of final paper on 11/29 though)

*** Colloquium Dates: December 6 (Wed) Dan DiRocco; December 8 (Fri) Melissa Pownall, Andrew Shurer; December 13 (Wed) Corey Mitchell;

December 15 (Fri.) Sara Bartlett. All talks begin at 3:15 pm and are in Heim G-09.