The lab is divided into seven units each covering a specific theme or topic in the course. In each lab unit, you will perform a variety of online and in-class activities. Online activities require the use of IP Web (or the Interactive Physiology CD), PhysioEx, and library databases. Students enrolled in hybrid sections of the course must complete these activites at home or in the learning center/library. Students enrolled in traditional sections must complete these same activities in the lab room. All sections of the course complete In-Class Activities activities in the lab room. Time requirements and location of work are summarized in the following table:
| Activity | Time Required | Hybrid sections | Traditional sections |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online labs | 4 hr/week | at home, library/learning center | on campus in lab room - 3 hr at home, library/learning center - 1 hr |
| In Class labs | 3 hr/week | on campus in lab room | on campus in lab room |
What do I include in my report?
Requirements for completing each lab report are available as downloadable Word templates from the respective course topic pages. You may need to right-click the link and "Download file to disk" or "Save linked file as" to your Desktop. Then you can launch Word, open the file, and insert your answers directly following each question. You can also upload this template into your Google Docs account and begin collaborating with your team mates. Using Google Docs eliminates the need for email attachments and the confusion from multiple drafts. Give it a try!
Primary sources of information
These include journals such as Science, Nature, Cell, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), and others. These are peer-reviewed scientific journals (that is, all articles are reviewed by a panel of scientists to determine if they have merit). To determine whether a journal is peer-reviewed, look for a list of "reviewing editors" somewhere within the first twenty pages of the journal. If you have any doubts, ask your reference librarian or instructor. You can also view this summary of the differences between journals and magazines.
You will find some of these journals in the Cañada College library and some online. Once you find an article, don't get overwhelmed by the foreign vocabulary and technical details. You're not expected to understand all of the article. Just skim through to "get the gist of it". Focus on the introduction, figures, and some of the discussion. The papers should be an excellent source of graphs, tables or pictures.
Secondary sources of information
These include books, magazines, newspapers and journals such as CQ Researcher, Science News, National Geographic, New York Times Science section (every Tuesday), TIME, Newsweek, and the Wall Street Journal. Materials (including pamphlets) published by independent organizations such as the National Cancer Society, Planned Parenthood, AIDS Hospice and others are secondary sources and often contain bias in their information. Reliable internet sites (from governmental, university, or independent organizations, not from individuals) also are considered secondary sources. SciCentral is an excellent place to begin finding appropriate web sites. To help evaluate the credibility of a web site, complete this form.
Help from the Experts
Our reference librarian has compiled some very helpful guides to assist your research efforts. Check out these guides here.
How do I cite my sources?
APA Style
All sources should be cited using the standards of the American Psychological Association (APA). This is the format that many nursing schools require. View the standards here in pdf format. Another helpful web site for APA format is provided by Diana Hacker. From the left menu, go to "Documenting Sources", select "APA list of references" and select "20, Article from an online database".
Format for journal articles from electronic databases
Author last name, initials, second author last name, initials, & final author last name, initials. (publication year only) Title. Journal name. Volume number(issue number if applicable), page numbers. Retrieved on [date you found the article] from [name of ] database.
- Sequence of authors should remain the same as shown in the journal article
- Omit professional titles from author names (e.g. PhD, MD)
- Omit month when identifying the year of publication
Example:
Scarmeas, N., Stern, Y., Mayeux, R., & Luchsinger, J.A. (2006) Mediterranean Diet, Alzheimer Disease, and Vascular Medication. Archives of Neurology. 63, 1709-1717.
Retrieved on [March 18, 2007] from Highwire Press database.