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Undergraduate Medical EducationOffice of Academic Resources & Support (OARS)

Medical Student Scholarly Project

Handbook

2015 – 2016

The Mentored Scholarly Project

The School of Medicine has a graduation requirement for all students to pursue and complete a mentored scholarly project (MSP). Students will do an in-depth scholarly project in an academic area of interest related to medicine and health care with mentorship of a faculty member. Students will present their results to a wider audience prior to graduation.

Mentored Scholarly Project Advisory Committee

Pamela DeVoe, PhD ([email protected] )Mentored Scholarly Project Director, Learning Specialist; Office of Academic Resources and Support, Undergraduate Medical Education

Peter Couse ([email protected] )Program Support, Learning Specialist; Office of Academic Resources and Support, Undergraduate Medical Education

Michael Hess, PhD ([email protected] )Program Support, Statistical Support, Learning Specialist; Office of Academic Resources and Support, Undergraduate Medical Education

Dan Tandberg, MD ([email protected] )Statistical Support; Office of Academic Resources and Support, Undergraduate Medical Education

TBDProgram Coordinator; Office of Academic Resources and Support, Undergraduate Medical Education

Paul McGuire, PhD ([email protected] )Associate Dean Undergraduate Medical Education

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Table of Contents

Objectives of the Mentored Scholarly Project

Scholarly Project Topic Areas

Research Intensive Program

Mentored Scholarly Project Process and Timeline

General Resources

Funding for Projects

Projects Involving Human Subjects – Guide to the Human Research Protections Office

International Projects

Appendix I: Scholarly Project Interest Form

Appendix II: Mentorship Agreement Form

Appendix III: Mentored Scholarly Project Plan

Appendix IV: Presenting Your Research and Poster Tips

Appendix V: Final Scholarly Paper Format

Appendix VI: Mentored Scholarly Project Final Evaluation Form

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Objectives of the Mentored Scholarly Project

At the completion of this requirement students will be able to demonstrate an ability to: Formulate a specific problem statement, question, hypothesis or aim. Critically review and analyze literature on an important scholarly topic. Design a scholarly project including appropriate methods and outline a plan to complete the project. Synthesize and present results of a scholarly project. Work effectively with a mentor.

Exceptions to the MSP Requirement1) Students who are enrolled in the MD/PhD joint degree program are not required to complete a Mentored Scholarly Project.

2) Students entering medical school with one or more graduate degrees may petition the MSP Advisory Committee for exemption from the requirement. Students must possess a PhD or research/thesis-based Master’s Degree in a bio-medical related field, obtained within the last five years of matriculation to the SOM. The MSP Advisory Committee will rule on the exemption and, if granted, will notify the Office of Medical Student Affairs of the satisfactory fulfillment of the scholarly project requirement for graduation purposes.

Scholarly Project Topic Areas

To encourage exploration in areas of interest to students, we have defined several broad areas of scholarship. These topic areas are meant as a starting point and students should not rule out other areas of interest. For interests outside of these suggested topic areas a consultation with the director or co-director is strongly encouraged.

Basic Science Projects that typically test hypotheses using laboratory-based methods utilizing cells or animal models.

Clinical Research Projects that are conducted with human subjects (or on material of human origin). Clinical research

includes: Patient-oriented research that involves  (1) mechanisms of human disease, (2) therapeutic interventions, (3) clinical trials, or (4) development of new technologies; behavioral studies that examine the various factors that affect health, and how people make health-related decisions; and Outcomes and health services research that seek to identify the most effective and most efficient interventions, treatments, and services.

Population and Community Health and Epidemiology

Projects that focus on the determinants of health outcomes in groups rather than individuals. Epidemiological studies may examine the distribution of disease, impact of social, biological, behavioral, economic, political, and health system factors on health and wellness. Population studies may include focus on cultural, ethnic, identity, gender, language and other factors affecting health and wellness.

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Quality Improvement and Patient Safety

Projects that focus on identifying problems with health care delivery and the health status of targeted patients and populations. The outcomes of these studies will propose systematic and continuous solutions to these problems that lead to better patient outcomes and better system performance.

Bioethics, Social Sciences, Humanities and Education

Projects that focus on the human experience related to medicine and an examination of the meaning and values associated with wellness, illness and healing. Studies may take the form of interviews with key informants and focus groups, observations of behaviors with validated tools and survey questionnaires about personal or social attitudes and behaviors. Studies in the humanities of medicine may involve the critical reading and interpretation of texts and the construction of arguments to support claims. Scholarship in education can include the development and evaluation of curricula or investigating the relationship between teaching behaviors and student learning.

Research Intensive Program – By Application

Expanded research experience usually in the Basic Science or Clinical Research Topic Areas leading to a designation of Honors in Research. An application is required and additional time commitments and requirements are involved. Please contact Dr. Sarah Lathrop, [email protected] for more information.

Mentored Scholarly Project Process and Timeline

1. Scholarly Project Interest Form The first part of the process begins with the student submitting a Scholarly Project Interest form (Appendix I) on or before December 20, 2015. This is an opportunity for students to think about a scholarly question or topic that is of interest to them. Students should feel free to take the opportunity to discuss their ideas with a member of the MSP Advisory Committee prior to submitting their form. The MSP Advisory Committee will review the interest forms and refer the student to the list of faculty who have agreed to mentor students in particular topic areas or directly to a specific SOM departmental contact person. Students should contact appropriate faculty from the list to discuss their ideas and the potential for mentorship. The form may be completed and submitted from your eDossier page on One45.

** It is acceptable for groups of students to work on Scholarly Projects together. A maximum of 3 students may work together on a joint project. However, the proposed work, and contributions of each student must be defined and approved by the mentor. Each member of the team must submit each required form and make his/her own scholarly contribution to the work.

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MSP Interest Form Identify a Mentor and Mentor Agreement Form

MSP Plan

Phase I-1 Fall Phase I-1 Spring

Phase I-2 Fall Phase I-2 Spring

Oral or Poster Presentation at Local or National Meeting ORFinal Paper for Internal Distribution ORSubmitted manuscript

Progress Reports

Phase II or Phase III

2. Identification of a Mentor and Mentorship Agreement FormOnce you’ve settled on your scholarly project idea and have identified a mentor, send an email with your mentor’s name to the MSP advisory committee at [email protected] on or before March 4, 2016. The MSP Advisory Committee will then send your mentor an agreement form to complete (Appendix II).

** While it is acceptable to conduct your scholarly project with a mentor from outside of UNM, a co-mentor from the UNM faculty is required.

3. Project PlanStudents complete the Mentored Scholarly Project Plan (Appendix III) in consultation with their mentor. The final version must be approved and signed off by the mentor prior to submission to the MSP Advisory Committee. The form can be obtained from the MSP course site on One45. A place for the mentor to sign and date is present at the end of the form. Once completed the project plan may be submitted to the MSP Advisory Committee via email to [email protected] on or before July 10, 2016.

4. Progress ReportsAnnual progress reports are due at the beginning of Phase II (on or before May 1, 2017) and at the beginning of Phase III (on or before May 1, 2018). The form (Appendix IV) may be completed and submitted from your eDossier page on One45.

5. Final Scholarly Project The final requirement to complete the scholarly project involves the sharing of your results with a broader audience. This can be accomplished by (1) a presentation at a local or national meeting in oral or poster format (Appendix V) or (2) submission of a Final Scholarly Paper for internal distribution (Appendix VI) or (3) co-author of a manuscript submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. The final scholarly project is due on or before April 15, 2019.

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General Resources

What You Can Expect From Your Mentor1. Your project mentor will provide guidance in developing and carrying out the scholarly project, including

meeting with you regularly to review project progress and be available for problem solving.

2. Read, comment on and approve your project plan.  

3. Read, comment on and approve your final product.

4. If necessary, provide space, supplies and equipment for your project. 

5. Ensure that you are trained in all appropriate safety precautions necessary, such as handling biological materials and radioactive materials. 

6. If your research involves the use of animals or human subjects, it is the responsibility of the mentor to work with you to obtain any necessary animal or human subject institutional approval prior to commencing the research. To learn more about the use of animal or human subjects, refer to:http://hsc.unm.edu/som/research/acc/ http://hsc.unm.edu/som/research/hrrc/

Funding for Scholarly Projects

Each medical student is eligible for funds of up to $1250.00 to complete his or her scholarly project. These funds may be used for materials and supplies to support the project and/or for travel to present results. Funds are paid by reimbursement, receipts needed. Contact the OARS office for details.

Additional funding may be available upon written request by submitting an email to [email protected]

Projects Involving Human Subjects – Guide to the Human Research Protections Office

Before you can begin a project involving human subjects, you must have approval from HRPO or an exemption in writing. It is NOT necessary to have this approved before submitting your project plan to the MSP Advisory Committee. Some projects that you are joining may already be approved, and that fact should be noted in the application.

If your project involves human subjects you will need to submit an application to the HRPO for approval. One of the HRPO Human Research Review Committees (HRRC) must review your proposed study to determine its approval status. Research involving surveys, interviews, focus groups, clinical interventions, observations, chart reviews, and database extraction to name a few, must be reviewed by an HRRC.

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Step 1: Complete online CITI training (Human Research Protections training). This must be done prior to submitting your HRPO application. Upon completion and submission, an HRRC application number will be generated—you use this number on your application.

http://hsc.unm.edu/research/hrpo/investigators/getting-started/training.html

Step 2: Create Study Documents. Use guidelines and templates to create study documents (Protocol, Consent, Conflict of Interest forms, etc.

Step 3: Submit Documents and wait for the HRRC review decision. You’ll receive a letter by email.HRRC members review your application and determine the type of review needed: Exempt studies=less than minimal risk=committee member review.Expedited=minimal risk=IRB committee member or chairperson review.Full Committee=more than minimal risk=full board review.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You cannot begin your research (cannot collect or review data) until you’ve received HRPO approval.

ANY QUESTIONS: Contact the Human Research Protections Office directly. BMSB B71, 272-1129, [email protected] and http://hsc.unm.edu/research/hrpo/ Or check in with the OARS office, BMSB B80, 295-4441

International Projects

For those students doing projects outside of the United States, a letter of commitment from the on-site mentor is required along with an International Research Form signed by the medical student.

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Appendix I.

Scholarly Project Interest Form

Student Name:

Student Email Address:

Medical School Graduation Year:

What Topic Area are you interested in for your MSP project?

Describe your general ideas or areas of interest for your MSP project:

Are you currently or have you previously been involved with a research/scholarly project? If yes, please describe the research/scholarly project:

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Appendix II.

Mentorship Agreement Form

Mentor Name:

Mentor Department:

Mentor Email address:

Student Name:

I have consulted with the student in discussing his/her scholarly project ideas and agree to serve as their mentor for this project.

Mentor Name, Signature and Date

_________________________________________________________________________________

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Appendix III.

Mentored Scholarly Project Plan

Student Name:

Student Email:

Graduation Year:

MSP Topic Area:

Faculty Mentor(s) Name:

Faculty Mentor’s Department:

Faculty Mentor’s Email:

1. Project Title:

2. Scholarly Question or Hypothesis:

There are different types of scholarly questions based on the type of study that is being proposed. Some questions are best answered using qualitative methods. These studies do not specifically test hypotheses. Studies about the presence or absence of a variable are examples of this type of question. For example:

What is the meaning of the relationship between a patient and his or her health care provider and the patient’s perception of the overall impact on his or her health?

Other questions use quantitative methods and point toward testable hypotheses. Questions may ask if there’s a correlation between two or more variables. For example:

What is the relationship between the body mass index and rates of cancer among adults over 50? What is the effect on rates of smoking among people who had a parent die of smoking-related lung cancer

as compared to people who did not? What is the effect on sleep patterns of taking melatonin for insomnia as compared to doing nothing?

Hypotheses are specific statements predicting an outcome of the effects of one or more independent variables on a dependent variable that will be supported or rejected through testing. A hypothesis is therefore a statement of what is expected from the research. For example:

There are significant differences between the level of perceived arthritic pain and functionality based on age.

The ingestion of greater amounts of caffeinated dark sodas increases the rates of stomach ulcers in patients between 30 and 60 years of age.

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3. Specific Aims (1-2 specific aims max):

What will you do to specifically answer your scholarly question or to test your hypothesis? Explain why you want to do the work, what you want to do, and how you want to do it.

Example:

The signals that lymphoid cells provide to induce stromal growth, differentiation, and/or survival are completely unknown. This project is expected to provide novel insights into anunexplored area of biology that will not only fuel a better understanding of this process, but will facilitate the development of more mechanistic studies to characterize the unique, two-way interactions that occur between lymphoid progenitors and stromal cells in the thymus. In this study, we propose to address this process in a comprehensive fashion, as described in the following Aims: AIM 1. Define Dynamic Changes In Gene Expression In Stromal Cells In An Inducible Model Of Thymic Organ Growth. We will use an inducible model of thymus growth and our recently published approach for analyzing stromal gene expression in situ to characterize stromal responses to lymphoid progenitor cells at the gene expression level. Stromal gene expression will be analyzed at key time points in the growth response. AIM 2. Identify Stromal Receptor: Lymphoid Ligand Pairs Among Genes Expressed During Induced Thymic Growth. In the second phase of the project, we will identify stromally expressed genes that encode receptors, and thus may be responsible for integrating responses to lymphoid-derived signals. We will further assess the validity of this stromal receptor gene list by verifying the presence of the corresponding ligand in lymphoid cells at corresponding phases of the growth response

4. Background and Rationale (1-3 pages max):

Explain the state of existing knowledge related to your question or hypothesis and include literature citations and highlights of relevant data (e.g. What is already known about this topic and the potential contribution of this study to the topic area?). Why is the question or hypothesis important (e.g. What are the gaps that the results of the project are intended to fill? How will the results of this project lead to improved patient care or the delivery of health care? How will this contribute to advancing scientific knowledge or improving public health? etc..)

5. Methods/Resources (1-2 pages max):

Succinctly define the research methods you will follow to address your aims. Be clear about what will be measured in your study and provide a description of any techniques to be used and how the data or information will be collected, analyzed and interpreted. Where appropriate, the methods should include justification of sample sizes (e.g., power calculation) and any analytic approaches to be used for the data analysis. Consulting a statistician, or a person versed in statistical methods is highly recommended. Dr. Tandberg and Dr. Hess in OARS can assist you. If the study utilizes human or animal subjects and is subject to HRRC or IACUC approval please state if approval has been obtained.Make sure to work out any perceived difficulties with your mentor and how you plan to overcome them.

6. Project Role (1-2 paragraphs max):

Describe your role on this project. If more than one student is involved (limit 3) then each of your roles should be explained.

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7. Timeline:

Provide a brief timeline of the steps involved in completing the project

8. References:

Any listed references must be clearly cited within the text of the proposal. Format your citations consistently. We recommend using the “Vancouver form” (http://library.vcc.ca/downloads/VCC_VancouverStyleGuide.pdf)

I have consulted with the student in constructing this plan and approve of this final version.

Mentor Name and Date

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Appendix IV.

Progress Report

Student Name

Student Class:

Project Title:

Mentor Name:

Please provide a brief statement of your progress to date:

What are you plans for the coming year?

If you plan to complete the project this year, which of the 3 formats will you employ to meet the final MSP requirement (Presentation at a local or national meeting, Submission of a scholarly paper or submission of a manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal)?

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Appendix V.

Presenting Your Research and Poster Tips

Presenting your research in a scientific meeting, medical or healthcare conference is one way to meet the final requirement of the scholarly project. Listed below are a few suggestions of presenting opportunities. Please also be aware that the MSP Program Coordinator will be sending out notices of presenting opportunities as they become available. You can also seek the guidance of your mentor for recommendations on presenting opportunities.

Students are required to present individually, even if part of a project team. Teams can attend a conference and present individually as part of the overall presentation time.

Event NameLocation Website

Western Medical Research Forum Carmel CA http://www.wsmrf.net/New Mexico Academy of Family Physicians

Albuquerque NM http://www.familydoctornm.org/

Southern Regional Medical Research Forum

New Orleans LA http://www.afmr.org/Southern/

Eastern Atlantic Student Research Forum Miami FL http://uresearch.miami.edu/?s=39

American Medical Student Association

New Orleans LA

http://www.amsa.org/AMSA/Homepage/Events/Convention.aspx

New Mexico Public Health Association Annual Conference

Albuquerque NM http://www.nmpha.org/

UNM School of Medicine Medical Student Research Day

Albuquerque NM North Campus

http://som.unm.edu/ume/oars/index.html

UNM Shared Knowledge Conference

Albuquerque NM (Main Campus)

http://unmgrc.unm.edu/conference/2014-conference/index.html

Stem Cell Research & Regenerative Medicine Conference

Cambridge MA http://www.gtcbio.com/index.php?option=com_conference

National Student Research Forum- Galveston TX http://www.utmb.edu/nsrf/American Medical Association Medical Student Section Annual Meeting Varies http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/home.page?American National Association Interim Meeting Dallas TX http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/home.page?

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Poster Presentation Guidelines

For those posters produced by the SOM Copy Center, the maximum poster size is limited to 36” height and 48” width. See “How to make a Poster using Microsoft Power Point” for instructions on developing producing a poster.

Most poster boards are white, so it is a good idea to use a contrasting border in your poster. In designing the poster, keep in mind that the poster is a guide for your verbal “talking points”. Therefore, the best use of space is usually for abstract, minimal bulleted highlights of your project (e.g., Purpose, Methods, Results, and Conclusions) and multiple graphics. It is a good idea to include the abstract at the beginning. Remember, small fonts are not “viewer friendly” while graphics are “viewer friendly”. Make sure your information can be easily read from a distance of 3-4 feet away.

The banner of your poster should include Title, Your Name (credential), Mentor’s Name (credential). If the project was funded, cite the funding agency and grant number at the end of the poster.

Six Elements of an Outstanding Poster

1. Clear title. This will indicate either the question being asked, or the answer to the question that was asked.

2. Why do it? Why is it important? Why is it interesting? Why should anyone (other than you and your mentor) care?

3. How did you do it? What are the methods?

4. What were the results?

5. Where do we go from here? Having answered an interesting and important question, how will the information be applied, or what will be the next steps toward refining the answer? (Note, if the answer to this question is, to “do a larger study: then you probably have not thought through element #2 above).

6. The entire poster should be readable in less than 5 minutes. This usually means that (a) you will need to present more charts, graphs, and pictures than words; (b) the words should be readable from 4 feet away; and (c) the type font greater than 24.

Poster Creation Using Power Point

1. New Slide: A new slide will open when Power Point opens. Two boxes should be on the slide ‘click to add title’ and ‘click to add subtitle’. Click on the edge of the boxes until you can delete them both.

2. Page Setup: Go to Design, Page Setup. Enter maximum height 24” and maximum width 36”, for UNM SOM Medical Student Research Day. (Use whatever size is required by the conference you plan to attend)

3. Add text and images: Use only the default fonts, Times New Roman or Ariel. DO NOT USE ‘CUSTOM/DESIGNER’ FONTS. Choose Insert, text box and click the left-sided mouse button to place the top left hand corner of the text box. Box size, location, and font size/style are modifiable. Choose Insert, Picture, From File, then browse until you find it, click ‘OK’. UNM School of Medicine logos can be found at http://hsc.unm.edu/about/marketing/hsc-logos.html.

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4. REMEMBER: If you need to scan, or have digital camera images, start with a high resolution setting [200-300 ppi] and large format size [8x10], when possible. Website images are not high resolution enough for poster formats. If web images are all that you can find remember that they will be fuzzy when enlarged, which is unavoidable.

5. Rulers: Select View, Ruler - use the ruler at the top and left of the slide to position your text boxes and images.

6. Font sizes: Title, 80-72 pts.; Authorship, 48-36 pts.; Affiliation, 34-26 pts.; Subtitles, 24 pts.; Body, 18-14 pts.; and References, 12 pts.

7. Background: Use a light background color w/ dark text.

Printing Your Poster

The cost of your poster is covered by UME1. Email your Power Point slide to Peter Couse at [email protected]. Check for a confirmation email that it was received.3. Allow three days for printing.4. We will contact you when it is ready for pick-up in Fitz Hall B-80

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Appendix VI.

Final Scholarly Paper Format

Submitting a Final Scholarly Paper is one way that you can meet the final requirement for the Mentored Scholarly Project. The research mentor must review and approve the final scholarly paper. Use the organizational structure described below and submit your paper to the MSP Advisory Committee. Your paper is due on or before April 15, 2019.

Some General Standards

The best manuscripts are short and thorough, using the standard American Medical Association format. Approximately 8-10 double-spaced pages should be considered an appropriate length for most papers.

Wording should be simple and readily understandable to the reader. Avoid jargon, words should be used according to their dictionary definition. Key technical words and acronyms should be defined early in the paper, usually in the “Methods” section. Paragraphs should have topic sentences, which introduce the subject of the paragraph. Unless prescribed by the proposed journal, the active voice should be used—it is more informative and more precise than the passive voice.

When a manuscript is submitted, it should be free of grammatical and numerical errors. Make liberal use of editors (or friends) who have a critical and sharp eye for inconsistencies or errors. It is difficult to spot your own errors after several drafts of the manuscript are written—a “fresh pair of eyes” is usually very helpful to eliminate errors in the final draft.

Organizational Structure

Manuscripts should conform to the following layout:

Title page Abstract page Introduction Methods Results Discussion Acknowledgments References Tables Figures

Title

Please provide a descriptive title for the paper.

Abstract

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The abstract should describe the principal objective of the investigation, the methods, the main results, and the principal conclusions. It should not exceed 150-250 words. Abstracts warrant a separate page from the body of the paper.

Introduction

The Introduction should have a problem statement, which indicates the importance of the study and the reason for doing it. Present pertinent known facts and the theoretical development that leads logically to your hypotheses. It should include a specific statement of what your study is about. In addition, it is often useful to tell the reader the key finding(s) of the paper, especially if the study is complex.

Sample outline to use for the Introduction:

Establish the problem (e.g., how common is the problem, who is affected) and consequences of the problem (e.g., morbidity/mortality, quality of life, economic burden).

Summarize relevant literature (i.e., what is known and what is missing). Explain how your study fills the knowledge gap and end with your specific objectives or hypothesis for

your study.

Methods

The Methods section describes what was done in the study. When writing the Methods, ask yourself if someone else reading your paper can replicate the experiment solely based on the information provided. It should list the data sources and define the study population in terms of person, time and place. A table of important characteristics of the study group (and comparison group) can reduce the length of text. One must explicitly state selection criteria for subjects; diagnostic criteria for cases; how exposure was measured and categorized; and the methods of data collection, such as chart review, interview, or laboratory procedures. For laboratory-based studies, clear descriptions of procedures should be included. In addition, key variables should be defined. If interpretation depends on how questions were asked, then these questions can be included. Statistical methods of analysis and special analytic tools (such as computer software packages) should be stated and referenced. No results should be in the Methods section.

Sample outline to use for the Methods:

Study design and setting (include when the study was conducted) Description of animals, humans (sex, age, ethnicity/race) or cells. Include the inclusion/exclusion

criteria and IRB approval/exemption Reagents and equipment Data collection (include measurements, surveys and procedures used to obtain data) Statistical analyses

Results

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The Results section describes the data that was collected. It should cleanly summarize your data (usually in table format) and state all of your new findings. It should contain only the results bearing on the problem stated in the Introduction. It should not include methods, references to other studies, or inferences.

For epidemiological studies, use relative risk and 95 percent confidence intervals to describe differences. If no difference is found, power calculations are in order.

All Tables should be numbered and titled. The Results narrative should emphasize only the high points of the accompanying tables and graphs. Numbers should correspond between text and tables/graphs. However, the text should not simply list numbers easily found in Tables; rather it should highlight the trends or key data. Methods or discussion belong elsewhere.

Sample outline to use for Results:

Describe the study population in text and consider including a table of demographic characteristics of subjects.

Describe important results in analyses (e.g., comparisons between groups, relationship between variables of interest, treatment effects). The text should highlight important results that you want to get across to the reader. Don’t repeat everything in your tables.

Use tables and figures to help present the data. Don’t make the reader work to figure out your tables. Make sure your tables and figures are clear and easy to follow. Tables and figures with descriptive legends should be able to stand alone without the reader having to refer back to the text.

Discussion

The Discussion section interprets the data. If the results are complex, the Discussion should begin with a summary of the most important findings to be considered in the Discussion section. This paragraph should be followed by a discussion of (1) the validity of the findings, (2) the relationship to results from other studies, and (3) the implications, conclusions, and recommendations emerging from the study. When applicable, the public health and economic implications of the findings are important. Inferences from the data at hand should be distinguished from inferences either based on other studies or drawn from personal beliefs.

Suggested outline to use for Discussion:

Summarize the most important finding(s) in the first paragraph. Interpret and explain your finding(s) in the next paragraph. Compare and contrast your findings with other published literature. Discuss limitations of your study. Conclusion, implications, and future recommendations

Acknowledgements

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For the Acknowledgements section, the following support personnel might be considered: those who provided important roles in supervision, statistics, data processing, typing, editorial review, financing of the study, and other institutional support.

References

The standard AMA reference format should always be used

Tables

Tables should be as simple as possible. Dates should be organized so that like elements read down, not across; this strategy facilitates easy comparison. For both graphs and tables, headings should be sufficiently clear so that the meaning of the data is understandable without reference to the text. Explanatory footnotes facilitate ready understanding of graphs and tables independently from the text.

Graphs and Other Illustrations

Maps, graphs and other pictorial aids can communicate information quickly and effectively. One should use an illustration if the data show pronounced trends; making an interesting picture and a visual “snapshot” of the data will make it more likely to be remembered by your readers. If numbers “just sit there” with no exciting trend apparent in the graph, a table is satisfactory. One should choose the appropriate type of graph.

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Appendix VI.

Mentored Scholarly Project Final Evaluation Form

Mentor Name:

Student Name:

Student Email:

Student Class:

Project Title:

I have thoroughly reviewed the student’s Final Scholarly Project submission. The format chosen to meet the MSP final requirement is checked below.

1. Presentation at a local or national meeting (oral or poster format) ______2. Submission of a Final Scholarly paper ______3. Co-author of a manuscript submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal ______

Mentor Name, Signature and Date

______________________________________________________________________

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