The IRB and Power Points

Today in class because it was the last day before we had to turn in our final paper, we spent a good deal of the first half of class working on our final paper. She wrote on the board the key problems she found in our final papers and results and discussions. Some of these problems included citations that were not APA style, using the word "kid", instead of the words "children" or "participant", which is more professional. Another issue was that in our papers we were saying that we were proving or that our findings were concrete and applicable. We cannot say these things because although research may suggest or support a hypothesis, it cannot prove anything completely. 

So we spent about an hour and a half just revising our papers. Then after people felt like they made significant progress, we switched gears. The IRB (Institutional Review Board) visited and answered some of our questions. We learned about the process of having a research proposal approved, and how it can be judged. Usually, they said, they try not to completely reject a proposal, but instead work with the researchers so that the proposal improves to the point of being approved. We also learned that the board gets about fifty research proposals to review every month. They hold monthly or weekly meetings depending, and on the board there are doctors and researchers and many other people qualified to review the specific proposal. 

After the IRB people left, we went to lunch and I went to the cafe again. This time I got Indian food and rose lemonade. I looked over my paper some more and made slight adjustments. After lunch I went back to the classroom. It is always nice when I get back to the classroom early and other students are there and Cassie is also there. We can talk about whatever because it is technically not class time. Today, Cassie and the class were talking about the college admissions process and its flaws. She also told us how she chose her college and so on. It was a really interesting conversation, but we had to start class soon enough.

 Today we were told we have a twenty minute power point presentation for the last day of class. Making the slides was pretty easy since they are very simplified, but figuring out what to say was more complicated. We were in class until about three thirty, and then we were allowed to go back to the dorms. I studied in my dorm room for a while, before going down to get dinner with Oyin, Dani, Victoria, and Katelyn. 

After dinner, Alie met us outside of the dining hall so we could all walk together to Jimmy's class's reading at a bookstore and cafe. I really like the poem called, "Dear John Green", by a girl named Lisa. Some of the other stories were very interesting as well. After the presentation, we got something to drink at the cafe. Then we walked back, and Alie helped me revise my final paper one last time. After she left I still had to practice my presentation. I am meeting up with my group members tomorrow at 7:30 AM, to rehearse the entire presentation again. I hope everything goes smoothly on my last day of class.