Introductory Letter to the Funding Source/Journal Letter of Inquiry

Students may choose to work on one of two final projects, a research proposal or a journal article. Although it may be difficult for them to decide which sort of project will be best for them at this early stage, the sooner the decision is made, the better for all. We encourage students who have already had some research background to write a journal article based on that experience with an eye to possible submission in a journal of undergraduate research. Those who have no research experience are encouraged to write a research proposal.

By clicking on The Rutgers Scholar students can access an electronic bulletin of undergraduate research here at Rutgers. Now in its 3rd volume, The Rutgers Scholar is a compendium of collaborative, scholarly research by Rutgers Undergraduate Research Fellows and faculty members. Browse through the site to get a better idea of the undergraduate research opportunities available to you and to review the kinds of articles written about it.

The Research Project | The Journal Article

The Research Project

Students working on a research project should submit a one page letter to their chosen funding source outlining their topic proposal and their reasons for choosing that source in approximately one paragraph each. This assignment may be handed in as an e-mail message, an online forum posting, or a written memo, depending upon the teacher's preference.

The topic proposal itself should be a brief paragraph describing your idea. You might ask questions or express your uncertainty, but you must propose a specific topic and give some tentative details about the who, what, where, when, why, and how of your project. If you want some ideas on what sort of topics might work for the class, check out the Sample Topics section below.

Sample Topics
Here are some sample questions that could generate topic ideas for the class project:

1. A plan to research a novel form of bioremediation for an area of Busch campus

2. A proposal to study aureococcus anophagefferens off the coast of Long Beach Island

3. A plan to study the effects of incorporating ionization into the ventilation system of a Cook College dorm

4. A proposal to develop an anthrax emergency response plan for the Rutgers mail system

5. An expansion of an ongoing particulate research study to include a missing crucial component

The Journal Article

Students working on a journal article as their final project should write a letter of inquiry addressed to the journal they have chosen to publish their article. The letter should be a one page document including a paragraph about the journal and at least a paragraph about the topic. This may be handed in as an e-mail message, an online forum posting, or as a written memo, depending upon the teacher's preference. To start your browsing process, take a look at two publications dedicated to undergraduate research:

• The Rutgers Scholar: http://rutgersscholar.rutgers.edu
  
  
• The Journal of Undergraduate Sciences: http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~jus

You are not limited to undergraduate journals, but be sure that you have the qualifications needed to get in print with the source you choose.

Begin your letter by introducing yourself and your credentials. You need to include some rationale as to why the journal would be interested in an article such as the one you will be writing. In order to show that you would be a good candidate for publication, do some homework about the journal itself. Know your audience.

Before writing this paragraph, take a look at a few issues of the journal to find out as much as you can about the philosophies or paradigms guiding article choice. What kind of people are on the peer review board? Is this journal geared toward a specific kind of science or approach to scientific investigation? What kind of audience does it command? What are the typical readers like? Explain why this journal is the best choice for your article and how your article will be of interest to their readers and board of peer reviewers.

The article summary paragraph should be a brief and informal memo that describes your idea for your journal article. You should briefly summarize your research experience and explain why you want to write an article about it. Give some details about the most important aspects of the research findings and their possible applications.

For ideas on what sort of article you might write, see the Sample Topics below.

Sample Topics
Here are some sample journal article ideas based on undergraduate research:

1. An article describing an experimental use of mosquitofish in combatting West Nile virus.

2. An article detailing the results of a three month study of an engineered form of bacteria to clean up BTEX contamination

3. An article describing the development of a new glove to let the wearer communicate with others who do not know sign language

4. An article on the effects of certain wetlands plants in heavy metal contamination in the Pine Barrens

5. An article describing the results of a Cook College experiment to increase the viability of newborn piglets.