Inquiry 270 FAQ

Research Questions

To what extent do our research questions have to pertain to anatomy?

Anatomy is the foundation to many of the life sciences (biochemistry, physiology etc) and
therefore many of the questions that pertain to these other sciences will be directly linked to
anatomy. It is acceptable to pick a question that uses information from other sciences to explain
your answer as long as there are connections made to anatomy. Consider this example of a
question: “How does acupuncture work on the musculoskeletal system?” ties in aspects of
physiology but focuses on the underlying anatomical targets of acupuncture.

How serious of an academic topic of inquiry should we choose?

This is completely up to your group and where your interests lie. You will not be marked on how
academically stimulating your topic is, rather the bulk of your presentation marks will be derived
from your answer to your question.

What defines a “good” research question?

A good research question consists of topics that interest your group and pertains to anatomy.
One requirement of your question is that it is specific enough to be sufficiently answered in a
poster presentation. For example, with the acupuncture question, if the question began as “Does
acupuncture work?” which is very broad and covers way too much content to be adequately
described in a poster. As part of the group process, the question can be reworked to be more
specific and better suited for an anatomy class: “How does acupuncture work on the
musculoskeletal system?”

Should the research question be about a topic that is currently being researched or
something that is already known?
You topic does not have to be something that is currently being researched, nor unknown to the
world. Rather, your research question should be about something that is not yet known to you or
your group. It should require you to extend your current anatomy knowledge but may also touch
on subjects that you have yet to discuss in class.

How detailed/complex should the question be?

Your question should be detailed enough so it can be adequately answered in a poster
presentation. The complexity of a question is up to your group and your inquiry topic as this is not
an area that is specifically evaluated. The clearer your question is, the easier it will be for your
peers and facilitator to understand the context of your presentation and your answer.
 How far must we answer the question?
It is understandable the some questions will not yet have an answer. Our goal is for you to look at
the information that is out there about your question and draw some conclusions. Providing some
of your thought process and the support you found in your presentation, should suffice to back up
your conclusion.

Presentation

In the end, what type of information do we need to be relaying to our peers through the
presentation?
To be clear, none of the information presented in the presentations will be tested (unless already
a part of ANAT 270). It will probably become clearer as you move through the project but, in
essence, you will be presenting the answer to your question.

Evaluation

By who are the presentations marked?

The posters are presented to your facilitator (TA) and the other groups who share your facilitator
(TA). Therefore, the presentation is marked by your facilitator (TA) who will be receiving input
from the other groups reviewing your poster

Do you have any say if you feel that your peer evaluation mark was unfair?
The specific requirements for peer evaluation is decided by your group, and what they feel
accurately represents how each member should be graded. The facilitator will be present for at
least two meetings of your group and will therefore have a good idea about who is contributing
and who is not. When you hand in the peer evaluations for each of your group members (each
member will have 4 evaluations filled out) the facilitator will ensure that your evaluation correlates
with what is observed in the meetings. Also, there should be consistency between the 4
evaluations filled out be your peers. For example, if three of your evaluations demonstrate that
you were an excellent collaborator and one that you were a poor collaborator, your facilitator will
acknowledge this incongruence and most likely speak with you and the student who gave you
such a low grade. If you feel your peer evaluation mark is unfair, it is encouraged that you contact
your facilitator, and Dr. MacKenzie so we can address the issue.

Other
Do we need to reference our sources?
Yes, you are required to provide references. The referencing style is up to your group and
individual facilitator but please be neat and consistent. You can provide your facilitator with a
hard copy of your references after your presentation is complete.