Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
by your college or university. Several factors will go into your decision, including your goals
for your project and the future, family responsibilities, finances, and so on. However, it has
been our observation that those students who do not set a timeline or goal for completion
either never finish or finish several years beyond when they should have (paying several
thousand dollars more of tuition along the way).
Create a research outline and then continue to elaborate on that outline until you have
a detailed schedule. Set up a timeline for how long it will take you to complete each task.
Be realistic about your own productivity. How long does it take you to measure a femur
or read an article? Keep in mind that some tasks will require more time investment and
concentration than others. Become familiar with your own productivity; some days and
timeslots are more fruitful than others depending on your mood, your stress level, other
commitments, and so on. Make sure you build in “off” days and timeslots to give your brain
a break. With this timeline established, stick to it. Each time you complete reading a large
amount of references, a major aspect of data collection, analysis, writing a chapter, or even
a paragraph that was particularly challenging, put a checkmark on your timeline and treat
yourself in some way. Take a break and do something to relax before diving back in. Breaking
down your timeline in this manner will help divide the massive endeavor into manageable
parcels.
Last but not least, know when to say enough. There will always be another paper to read
and cite or a few more skeletons to analyze. However, your advisor and committee will have
the ultimate say in whether you have collected enough data or included enough citations.
You and your advisor should maintain open lines of communication as you progress
through the program. Make sure you run your ideas by your committee regularly so there
will be no unpleasant surprises from them at the end and do not be afraid to ask for help
when you need it. At least one of your committee members should give you some sort of
feedback along the way to let you know if you are going in the right (or wrong) direction.
If your committee is not very communicative, develop a group of peers as an alternative
sounding board.
You will come to the realization that your thesis or dissertation does not have to be the
most brilliant one ever completed, but it does have to demonstrate your mastery of research
skills and the subject matter. You will have plenty of time to do brilliant work after you've
hung your diploma on the wall. Accept this when you are ready. As a graduate student,
having that M.A., M.S., or PhD diploma should be your ultimate goal
d
because it will
lead you onwards to your career in skeletal biology.
Ethical Considerations
Do not just ask if you can do the project, but ask if you should do the project. There are
always
ethical considerations when studying living humans
8
and animals, and many of these
considerations spill over to studying the remains of human beings.
8
While unusual for skeletal biology projects, you may have a project that involves living human subjects. In
that case, you will have to complete an institutional review board (IRB) proposal through your college or
university to receive permission for your study. The IRB process will improve the quality of your proposal
and help simplify your methods while preventing potential ethical problems.
