The document discusses various aspects of conducting research including: - Defining research as the act of carefully searching for or investigating a subject through consideration or scientific inquiry. - Outlining some key steps in the research process such as formulating hypotheses, making predictions, and empirically testing predictions through experiments. - Emphasizing the importance of evaluating sources and considering what happens when answers cannot be found.

1. Sophomores are for the birds! G. F. Barbato Department of Poultry Science Graduate Programs in Animal Science and Genetics The Pennsylvania State University

2. Research OED Noun : The act of searching (closely or carefully) for or after a specified thing or person. a. A search or investigation directed to the discovery of some fact by careful consideration or study of a subject; a course of critical or scientific inquiry. b. Without article: Investigation, inquiry into things. Also, as a quality of persons, habitude of carrying out such investigation. Investigation or pursuit of a subject. R are. Verb : trans . To search into (a matter or subject); to investigate or study closely. Also, to engage in research upon (a subject, a person, etc.). So: Search, and re-search!

3. Google (or Wiki!) it. Research Over 5,460,000,000 hits (2006/6/26) 93,000,000 in June, 2005!! Why is research important? 845,000,000 hits Research process (or, strategy) 345 million hits... How big is it, really ?

4. How to create new knowledge (or evaluate old stuff) Historical perspective. Await revelation. Await enlightenment. Fake it. Methodical evaluation.

5. How to do research Identify a topic Harder than it sounds... Find background information Libraries, books and articles (oh my!) Evaluate quality of sources Citations What happens when you can't find the answer?

6. and ... Don't forget Knowledge is a function of BOTH context and method. We assume a certain level of logic and mechanism. We also assume that rational principles govern the world. We further assume that humans are logical and capable of deducing these principles. [Now – That's a leap of faith!]

7. Four Easy Steps Observation and description of a phenomenon or group of phenomena. Formulation of an hypothesis to explain the phenomena. Often, the hypothesis often takes the form of a causal mechanism or a mathematical relationship. Use of the hypothesis to predict the existence of other phenomena, or to quantitatively predict the results of new observations. Performance of empirical tests of the predictions by appropriately designed experiments and, preferably, several independent experimenters.

8. What's Important? What did Albert Einstein think? “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” “The important thing is to never stop questioning.” “The independence created by philosophical insight ... is the mark of distinction between a mere artisan or specialist and a real seeker of the truth.” Another way to put it: "Invention, my dear friends, is 93% perspiration, 6% electricity, 4% evaporation and 2% butterscotch ripple." W. Wonka

9. Fertilization Model

10. Sperm binding: Antibodies

11. Sperm binding experiments Photo Comparison: On the left is a sample of the control group, which included several thousand bound sperm. On the right is a sample of the assay that included an antibody to block ZP1 and ZP3 binding. In this sample there were less then 500 bound sperm.

12. Learning Anatomy

13. Anyone can do this !!

14. Having fun with anatomy! http://michaelpaulus.com/gallery/v/character-Skeletons/

15. Learning Anatomy??? ... or ...