6th Annual

ODNI Intelligence Community Centers of Academic

Excellence Summer Seminar
August 2, 2010
Gaylord National Harbor Hotel and Conference Center,
National Harbor, MD

BIOSECURITY COMMONS: YEAR 1

BREAKOUT SESSION:
SYSTEMIZING THE RESEARCH
EXPERIENCE WITH STUDENT PARTNERS

Brian J. Gorman
Assistant Professor
Department of Sociology, Anthropology & Criminal Justice
Towson University
Creating Student Partners

 Clear Continuous Goals

 Short Range: (always) Research/Brief/Post

 Medium Range: Status brief for specialty

 Long Range: Journal quality paper for BsC Review

Providing Guidance

Students’ Weekly Protocol:

 Fill-in research topic completed for week on white

board in faculty office.
 
 Students provide electronic copies of research material
obtained for doc review & verification.
 
 Review of findings with professor (and peers when
possible).
Critical Thinking
 Weekly Data/Content evaluation
 Continuous hypothesis development &
evaluation
 *Beneficial Technique: have student
researchers answer questions through
development of graphic expression whenever
possible, i.e.
 -Timelines, Flowcharts, Graphs, & Tables.
Student Integration of Material

 Student outline on specialty area.

 -Faculty review & critique.
 Student draft of BsC Review article.
 -Faculty review.
 Student assigned additional research
assignments on topic as needed.
-Faculty rewrite.
 Student review with fact checking.
 -Repeat final 3 steps until finished.
Static vs. Fluid Research Topics
 Static: (Well defined initial research topics)
 -Biosurveillance c Status Brief/Journal Chap
 -Anthrax c Status Brief/Student Paper
 -PSI c Status Brief only

 Fluid: (Evolving & novel developments)

 -Swine Flu Scare of 2009 c Status Brief/Journal Chap
 -Prophylaxis Supply & Policy c Journal Chapter only
 -Personnel Reliability c Journal Chapter only
Timeline
 Semester 1., Week 1.: Semi-autonomous Start.
 -Student free to research any topic in BsC Index or one recommended by faculty.
 -Students usually float through topics due to ease of research and appeal of the
topic.

 Semester 1, Week. 4.: Team Coordination of Research.

 -Students share research progress with team, i.e. better sources, etc.

 -Refine research areas and prevent redundant work.

 Semester 1, Week 7.: Identify & Refine Issues.

 -Guide student research toward journal-worthy topics, i.e. unique findings
emerging policy issues, or
 
 -In the alternative, guide students toward completion of Status Brief in area of
specialty and term paper.
 
Timeline continued
 Semester 1, Week 10.: Students identify their own track.
 -Students identify whether or not they will complete the status
brief and term paper or pursue a paper for the journal.
 
 -Students opting for co-authorship with faculty submit outline and
summary of research findings for satisfaction of term grading.
(Approval of faculty required for this option).

 
 Semester 2, Week 3: Final Outlines on Journal Article Due.
 
 Semester 2, Week 6: Student’s First Draft of Article Due.
 
 -Initiate collaboration process for BsC Review articles.