Thesis/Project in Bioinformatics (Class Number 18691)

INFO I692 Fall 2014

Time & Location:    Wed 11:00a - 11:55a (Credits: 1-6); Simon Hall (SI) 030
Instructor:    Volker Brendel (205C Simon Hall; Tel.: 855-7074)
Email:     VB, vbrendel@indiana.edu
WWW:     https://brendelgroup.org/
Office Hours:     By appointment.
Grades:    will be determined as described below.
Schedule:     https://brendelgroup.org/teaching/2014/InfoI692F14schedule.php

HTML version of this syllabus

Synopsis

The course is designed to help students with timely progress and satisfactory completion of their "capstone projects" that are meant to demonstrate the students' proficiency in conducting bioinformatics research work. In addition to feedback on the individual projects, we will discuss general themes like project management, documentation, presentation skills, and scientific publishing.

Prerequisites

Participants will be students enrolled in the "M.S. in Bioinformatics" degree program. Students are expected to have passed their first year classes. For some class periods, it will be helpful if students bring laptops. Some class messages and materials may be shared through our Oncourse site in addition to these web pages and our course Wiki pages, and students are required to regularly check these relevant communication channels. IU is committed to Creating a Positive Environment for teaching and learning. If you have any concerns or suggestions, please let the instructor know.

Assignments

Students will need to identify IU faculty members and a suitable project in an area of bioinformatics for completion as part of the "M.S. in Bioinformatics" requirements. The product has to be substantial, typically a multi-chapter paper or carefully designed and evaluated application, based on a well-planned research proposal. Details are worked out between a student and her/his sponsoring faculty member. Students will document their project progress on dedicated course Wiki pages. You will need to arrange meetings with the faculty member guiding your project, and you are welcome to set up additional meetings with the instructor of this class. We may use IU Connect on some occasions.

Grading

This course is offered over a two-term span, and thus the first term is graded on Deferred Grade of R basis. Assessment will be based on class participation. Students are expected to give short presentations on their projects during specified class periods. Successful completion of the project will in passing grades "A" (demonstration of competence in all aspects of the project and its presentation) or "B" (demonstration of basic competence, but submitted work lacking in some aspects). Unsatisfactory performance will result in an "I" grade until completion of the project. Students are expected to adhere to the Indiana University Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct. There will zero tolerance for plagiarism. Please review the IU Tutorial on How to Recognize Plagiarism if you have any questions about what constitutes plagiarism.

Selected journals

Students will be expected to read current research literature in the field. The following list provides a selection of relevant journals that are electronically accessible.