The course is meant for students of the master tracks Evolutionary and Ecological Sciences (EES), Animal Biology (AnB), Sustainability and Biodiversity (S&B) and Biodiversity in Time and Space (BTS). The course has three main focuses: Scientific writing, Methodology & Statistics, and Models. The different aspects are as much as possible integrated in the 7 weeks course.
We do so through one long-running project in which you will go through the entire empirical cycle of scientific research. Students will work in small groups. Only the data-collection itself cannot be done within the constraints in available time of this course, and as a consequence we (or rather: you) have to simulate appropriate and realistic data. You will do this for the proposal written by one of the other groups of students. In chronological order you will:
1. design a research & write an introduction and materials & methods section of a paper,
2. simulate appropriate data using deterministic and stochastic models,
3. statistically analyse the simulated data,
4. write a short scientific paper based on the results of the analysis.
This project will be ‘intermingled’ with lectures and exercises focusing on the theoretical parts of the different stages of the project: aspects of scientific writing (scientific writing, reading scientific papers, finding literature, publication strategies, formulation of hypotheses), mathematical modeling, and statistics (Bayesian statistics, bootstrap/resampling methods, optimal design and power analysis, simultaneous tests and multiple comparison methods, generalized linear models, multivariate analysis, classification methods).
Coordinator
first semester (M01;1 sept – 17 oct 2008) dr.P.Klinkhamer; p.g.l.klinkhamer@biology.leidenuniv.nl
second semester (M21; 2 febr - 20 march 2009) drs.P.Vos; vos@cml.leidenuniv.nl
Methods of instruction
lecures, assigments and computer practicals
Study material
Sanders, Tingloo en Verhulst (2005). Advanced writing in English (7th edition). Garant-Uitgevers, Antwerpen, Belgium.
G.P. Quinn and M.J. Keough (2006), Experimental design and data analysis for biologists (5th edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Examination
The grading of the entire course will be based on a number of deliverables and examinations:
1. the final version of the introduction and materials & methods section of a paper,
2. the final version of the description and justification of the data simulation model
3. an examination of statistics
4. the final version of the scientific paper, including the presentations of the results
Course requirements/recommendations
The student should be admitted to one of the participating master tracks.
Time table
the course will be given 2 times each year starting at 1 September 2008 and 2 February 2009. The course lasts 7 weeks full time
Application
application form available from www.studiegidsen.leidenuniv.nl > Wiskunde en Natuurwetenschappen > Biologie > Forms > Mastercourses
Blackboard
Time tables and study materials will become available at Blackboard
Course objective
the student is able to perform a computer literature search and answer scientific questions based on this search
the student is able to read and critically analyse a scientific paper
the student is able to identify relevant issues in relation to the choice of a publication strategy
the student can write a scientific paper in English such as required during their research project
the student can translate theory into testable hypotheses
the student can simulate data according a specific model / or according specific assumptions
the student can apply the statistical tools to develop an experimental design and to analyse experimental and comparative data
the student can use models to generate predictions and to test hypothesis