Final research Project for GLG 362/598 Geomorphology

Overview

Instead of a final exam, you will be required to submit a final project and briefly present it orally. I expect a significant effort of original research on a geomorphic process or problem of your choice. This may (should) be tied to research for your thesis or work or other project if possible. Your project should be based upon original library, field or experimental research.

Your write up must be reviewed by two of your classmates before turning it in. These persons should write comments, corrections, and suggestions on a draft of your paper, and then sign the bottom and include their ID#s.You should then incorporate their suggestions (at least those that are valid) into your final paper and drawings. You will turn in the reviewed draft with classmates reviews and the final draft. One of the best ways to learn is to edit someone else's writing.

Your report should include: short Abstract, Introduction, main body, conclusions, figures with figure captions. The report should be no more than 8 pages length (total, including text (1.5 spacing, font >11 point), figures, tables, references)--remember the famous Pascal quote: "I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time."

In order to help you to make progress on this project, I have established the following milestones for you:
Final project topic due: October 9
General outline and sample text (1-2 pages) and illustration for final project due: November 8.
Final presentations and Final project due during Final exam time (12:20-2:30pm on 12/8)--some will start on 12/4
The presentations will be based on a 5 slide MS Powerpoint-based talk for about 10 minutes

Suggestions for writing style improvement

Style Manual for Writing in Geology by Rossbacher and Rhodes
Comments on writing from former editors of GSA Bulletin (Sylvester and Costa)
Help to eradicate passive voice in your writing
Advice for speakers from Jon Claerbout
A scrutiny of the Introduction by Jon Claerbout

Suggestions for approach

1) You may approach the study of a particular region using the method we have developed in class:
What are the landforms that you see?
What are the processes operating within this landscape?
What drives the surficial processes here?
What resists the surficial processes here?
How does energy flow in this landscape?
What can you say about the development of this landscape?
What would be a representative piece of this landscape? How would you divide it up to get the most important processes and landforms?

2) You may write about a particular process or set of processes and the landforms that are developed.
Try to make some original observations either in the field or on maps or in an experiment that help you to understand the processes and how they operate. Don't just say that something happens, show me and describe it.

Use this method (perhaps as an outline) to guide you:

Conceptualize the problem and choose something worth doing (know the why).
Choose appropriate methodology, tools, data, etc. that will help you to solve the problem or test the hypothesis (be efficient and select the most useful approach first).
Do your research and try to answer the questions laid out in the problem statement.
Tell us about it, using this method as an outline.

Approximate point breakdown

Presentation and application of original data to substantiate inferences	30%
Thorough consideration of geomorphic processes and related landforms	30%
Clarity of writing	20%
Clarity and usefulness of illustrations	20%

GLG362/598 Geomorphology

Last modified: September 19, 2006