Course Overview
Being successful as a scientist requires more than acquiring knowledge and developing experimental skills. It also requires: (1) asking a good scientific question, (2) establishing a clear plan of action, and (3) seeking advice along the way. These three topics are the focus of this course “Planning Your Scientific Journey,” which is aimed primarily at life science graduate and undergraduate students, but also useful for postdocs, staff scientists, and others who could benefit from learning or reviewing these topics.
By the end of the course, you will have:
- Criteria to evaluate a research question.
- A plan for how to approach your scientific question and other research goals.
- An agenda for a meeting with your mentor to get feedback on your plan.
Planning Your Scientific Journey is an innovative online course.
Engaging videos, along with reflective exercises, offer concrete tools and practical advice to help you navigate the most challenging aspects of developing and planning a research project. Instruction is led by a diverse group of leading scientists, such as Nobel Laureates, accomplished faculty, and junior scientists, who think about different aspects scientific training in deep and meaningful ways.
Whether you have yet to decide on a research question or are well-immersed in a project, this course will help to crystallize your research ideas and goals. So, take charge of your training and enroll in this course now!
If you have any problem starting and using this course, or just want to comment on your experience or offer a suggestion, please email us. And if you’re interested, you can read more about the creation of Planning Your Scientific Journey in this blog post on iBiology.
Requirements
There are no requirements necessary to take this class.
How To Do Good Science
Planning Your Scientific Journey is the first course in the “How to Do Good Science” series from iBiology Courses. Make sure to check out the two other courses in the series to complete your research training!
- Planning Your Scientific Journey teaches you how to ask scientific questions and build a research plan.
- Let’s Experiment: A Guide for Scientists Working at the Bench teaches you about experimental design in biological research.
- Share Your Research guides you through the steps of creating and delivering a good research talk.
Course Format & Certification
Planning Your Scientific Journey is an on-demand, self-paced course. This means that, as soon as you enroll, all course content is available to you and may be consumed at your own pace. For your reference, it took students 6 weeks to complete the whole course in a hosted, synchronized format. They spent on average 2-3.5 hours on the course per week. This includes time spent watching videos, reading text, and doing assessments.
At the end of the course, you can apply to receive a a digital badge and Certificate of Completion to share and keep for your records. Passing requires that you complete all of the required activities for the course, which equals 50% of the total activities.
Take the Course
Canvas Free-for-Teacher, the Learning Management System (LMS) that hosted this course, has been discontinued by Instructure. We are hopeful that we may be able to make the courses available through Canvas again in the future if a new platform becomes available. In the meantime, individual learners can continue to access the course through the eBook and YouTube playlist.
Educators are encouraged to explore the Educator Resources section for access to free supporting materials, including a Canvas course cartridge that can be uploaded to their institution’s Canvas LMS. Login or sign up for a free account to access the resources.
