What’s in store in STRAW? The Course combines writing-to-learn techniques with peer learning to help you build on what you already know in order to further your knowledge. You stay on target by drafting sections that will become your final Research Report. You work with your mentor and, when you like with the Teacher Tutor, on STRAW assignments that help you understand your research by regularly communicating your part of the big picture with your peers. Due to time constraints, STRAW teaches basic IMRAD style for your Research Plan, Research Report, and Poster. HOWEVER, by working with your mentor, you may use a format traditional to your lab’s field of research. Even the Model Paper varies from IMRAD.

IMRAD forms the core of your Research Report (Day & Gastel, p. 10):
Introduction - What question was studied?
(Materials &) Methods - How was the problem studied?
Results - What were the findings?
And Discussion - What do these findings mean?

While you are planning experiments and gathering data, you can and should be drafting sections of your Research Report. It is understandable to begin by concentrating on learning techniques and protocols and lose sight of why you are doing what you are doing and why it is important. Just how does your data relate to the "big picture" anyway?

Rewritten using the IMRAD mindset, the paragraph becomes: While you are planning experiments (Methods) and gathering data (Results), you can and should be drafting your Research Report. It is understandable to begin by concentrating on learning techniques (Methods) and protocols (Methods) and lose sight of why you are doing what you are doing (Introduction) and why it is important (Introduction). Just how does your data (Results) relate to the "big picture" anyway (Discussion)?

Just when you are feeling most comfortable in your lab and finally getting some really great data, the summer comes to an abrupt end. Return all library books & materials borrowed from your mentor. And, if you are not staying on into the school year, hand in your Research Report & Rockefeller University ID. Best wishes for a wonderful summer.

In addition to a spiral notebook, you will need to purchase the 6^th Edition of the Day & Gastel paperback book used in STRAW

R. A. Day & B. Gastel. How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper. 6^th ed. Greenwood Press, Westport. (2006). One copy is on reserve in the Markus Library. This book may be purchased (~$30) from Barnes & Noble, Amazon Books, or Greenwood Press.