Senior Thesis

 
 
 
Click the link above to view the handbook. This handbook should answer any questions you have as it relates to the entire thesis process (mentors, due dates, structure).
 
CALENDAR OF EVENT
 

Spring 2024:

 
February 24…...…Final Mentor Meeting completed; English Teacher/FOSA meetings completed; Writing
                                appointment completed    
 
March 8……......…Bound/Digital Copy of Thesis Due
(all non-engineering product-based theses must have completed product)  
 
WORK ON DEFENSE POSTERS!!!!!!!!!
 
March 14……....…STEM EXPO Thesis Defense at MTSU 4-8 p.m. 
 
March 20……....…Thesis Defenses (tentative date)  
         
April 1…….......….Mentor and FOSA thank you letters  sent    
 
* Dates subject to change due to academic calendar conflicts.  If a date must change, it will be communicated both in class and on the English Course Schedule.                               
 
Resources you will need all year:
MTSU JEWL Overview
MTSU Catalogue Overview
MTSU Walker Library Info
Purdue OWL Citation Chart (APA)
 

 

Annotated Bibliography Resources

APA English Formatting Guidelines

Example of APA Formatted Annotated Bibliography

Example of APA Formatted Annotated Bibliography

 

Thesis Examples

Senior Thesis 2022-2023 CH

Senior Thesis 2022-2023 MF

Senior Thesis 2022-2023 HP

Senior Thesis 2022-2023 LP

Senior Thesis 2022-2023 SK

Senior Thesis 2020-2021 RP

Senior Thesis 2020-2021 LC

Senior Thesis 2020-2021 LN

Senior Thesis 2017-2018 AG LG
Senior Thesis 2017-2018 HB
Senior Thesis 2017-2018 HG
Senior Thesis 2018-2019 MB
Senior Thesis 2018-2019 RG
Senior Thesis 2018-2019 ML
 
Website Examples and Resources
Website example
Website example
CMSbiomedSENIORweeblysite
 

APA Home

APA Style Resource- Purdue OWL
APA Guidelines-PDF
APA Legal Documents
 
Scientific Literature...
Reading and Analyzing this type
    How to read and understand a scientific paper
    How to read a scientific paper
    Summarizing/Critiquing Scientific Journal Articles
    Non-Scientists: How to read a scientific journal article
 
Open Access Journals
    Directory of Open Access Journals
    Biomed Open
    Springer Open
    Semantic Scholar
 
Narrative VS. Scientific Writing
Narrative 
    CDC: Flu vaccine 23% effective, but better than no vaccine
    Can Gut DNA Sequencing Actually Tell You Anything About Your Health?
Scientific
    Simulation study of the effect of influenza
     Antibiotics and the gut microbiota
     
Writing a Scientific Paper
    CSU-Writing a Scientific Paper
    Yale Journal of Biology & Medicine
    UNC-Scientific Reports
    Credible Sources Information
 
Writing a Lab Report
    ISU-Lab Reports and Papers
    Formatting Science Reports
 
 

Senior Thesis Website

 

Create a personal portfolio  (EVERYONE WILL HAVE THEIR VERY OWN WEBSITE) or similar collection of work, that illustrates mastery of skills and knowledge outlined in the previous courses and applied in the practicum. The portfolio should reflect thoughtful assessment and evaluation of the progression of work involving the application of steps of the scientific inquiry. 

 

Free Website Sites

www.weebly.com USE THIS FORMAT!!!

Class Example: https://cmsbiomedsenior.weebly.com/

 

These are the tabs of your website ! Everyone will have the same "menu" or "tool bar" titles. Make sure that you adhere to these below...yes in this order!

  1. HOME - FIRST IMPRESSION...make a good one! This tab gets you back to the beginning no matter where you go on your webpage!
  2. ABOUT ME-  career and personal goals-next steps-"your plan", include your resume! 
  3. RESEARCH- (2 drop downs-- PAPER RESEARCH and PROJECT)-describe and list those sources that have helped with the development of your paper, review of literature!-your project...by chapter as each is completed!
  4. PROJECT MEDIA- examples of visual materials developed and used during the course (such as graphics, drawings, models, presentation slides, videos, and demonstrations)
  5. MENTOR INFORMATION - all about your mentor
  6. QUARTERLY REFLECTIONS - journal entries reflecting on tasks and activities-see specific dates and questions below:
Quarter 1: 9/30/23 (50 pts)
1. What did you find the most challenging when selecting a topic?
2. What steps did you take to secure a mentor?
3. What action steps will you take to work on your project during the 2nd quarter?
 
Quarter 2: 12/06/23 (50 pts)
1. As you researched for your paper, what connections did you make between your paper topic and your project? Articulate that connection as best as possible.
2. In what way have you been communicating with your mentor? How are you staying on track with your mentor as you move towards completing the project?
3. What action steps do you need to take during 3rd quarter to finalize your project (knowing that all projects must be completed by April of 2024)? 
 
Quarter 3: 02/28/24 (50 pts)
 
1. Over the course of the year, did your project change and grow into something unexpected? Describe.                                                                                                                     2. How will you incorporate the final project/product into your presentation? What will be your visual representation(s) of the work you did throughout this year?

3. What are some of the roadblocks you've encountered in completing your project and how did you overcome those roadblocks?   

Quarter 4: 04/06/24 (50 pts)                                                                                                              1. Final personal reflection on the senior thesis project, from the beginning of selecting your topic to the final oral defense. This is a personal reflection!

Thesis Structure
 
Introductions/Literature Review
    Purdue OWL
    10 Simple Rules for Literature Review-NCBI
    Tips on Writing a Thesis Statement
    UNC-Introductions
 
Hypothesis Statement
    Research questions, hypotheses, and objectives-NCBI
 
Methodology
    APA Methodology-sway
    Organizing your paper-The Methodology
    Tips on Methodology
    Method Section of a Medical Study
 
Data Analysis
    Data Analysis-Spreadsheet HHMI
    Qualitative Data Analysis
    Tips for Quantitative Analysis
    Statistical Tests...guide by Dr. Prince
 
Results
    Methods, Results, and Discussion
    Discussion and Conclusion
 

PEER REVIEW...you must complete 5 total peer reviews of an entire thesis project

Research Question and Methodology Peer Review

 

Presentation Advice
Giving an Effective Poster Presentation
2018-2019 Trifold Example MB
 
Website Information
Website details...see Thesis Website PDF below
Website grading rubric
 
 
STEM IV Practicum

This assignment is an individual assignment in Teams! 

Part 1

1. Research and select a company or organization for a work-based learning project in a healthcare or biotechnology area of choice (USE below for a list). Cite specific textual evidence from the organization’s literature, as well as independent news articles to summarize:

2. The mission/history of the organization-the "about us" of the company; anything that relates history
3. Headquarters and organizational structure-where are they located-how organized?
4. Products or services provided-what do they do? what do they "sell" or "provide"
5. Employment and how they are obtained and maintained-what do I need to work at the company (pick a job if you needed)
   

List of Healthcare and Biomedical Companies:

  • Amegen- world biotech leader
  • BioMarin - Develops and commercializes bio pharmaceuticals for serious diseases and medical conditions. 
  • CIGNA - An employee benefits company providing health, life, accident, disability, and other employee benefits. 
  • DentiMax - Offers easy-to-use, full-featured dental office software that completely integrates dental practice management. 
  • First Databank, Inc. - Offers software for pharmacies, hospitals, medical and nutrition marketplaces. 
  • HCA Inc. - HealthTrust Purchasing Group and Hospital Coporation of America is a healthcare group purchasing company. 
  • HCPro - Offers strategic information for administrative managers and leaders in hospitals. 
  • HOSA- empower HOSA-Future Health Professionals to become leaders in the global health community through education, collaboration, and experience.
  • IMS Health - A provider of business strategic consulting services for the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. 
  • LifePoint - Provides health care services to non-urban communities. 
  • Medtronic - Offers a line of surgical products and instrumentation that surgeons utilize for laparoscopic, endoscopic and more. 
  • MIDAS - Helps increase patient safety, enhance patient care, and improve profitability for hospitals. 
  • Quest Diagnostics - 5 million+ people and their healthcare providers choose Quest Diagnostics. Learn how to get the insights you need to make informed medical decisions.
  • Sentara - Offers care giving sites, including acute care hospitals, outpatient care facilities, nursing centers and assisted living centers. 
  • Sound Physicians - A hospitalist company, dedicated to improving the quality and continuity of inpatient care management. 
  • Truven Health Analytics - A provider of decision support solutions that help organizations across the healthcare industry. 
  • United Healthcare - Offers health programs and access to physicians and hospitals. 
  • UnitedHealth Group - Offers specialty care programs such as vision and dental care, as well as HSAs (health savings accounts) and HRAs. 
  • MERCK - committed to being the premier, research-intensive bio-pharmaceutical company
  •  
IRB Certification (Institutional Review Board)
 
Institutional Review Board (IRB)...Click on this link above to discover more about what this committee oversees.
 
CITI Training...click here to complete your training.
 
 
 
Informative Videos...click this link (scroll down) to watch some informative videos from the Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP).  These videos are meant for further education on the use of human subjects...THESE DO NOT REPLACE CITI TRAINING!