Instructors

David Bird - david_bird@ncsu.edu

Alison Motsinger - motsinger@stat.ncsu.edu

Days and Times

• Tuesday at 2:30pm - starting 15th January
• Thursday at 11:00am - starting 10th January

Place

The Journal Club meets in Room 1513 in Partners II building on Centennial Campus' Main Campus Drive.

Map of Centennial Campus

How things work

Each week, the presenter will choose a paper, either on their own, or from the list we have provided. This list is also accessible from a tab at the top of this page. You can also look at prior journal clubs to see the types of papers we have discussed in the past. Other than the overall topic of Genomic Sciences, the journal club doesn't have a theme. However, if the topic seems far away (such as straight biochemistry, genetics, computer science, statistics, etc), then you should justify your decision to the class. Remember, the quality of the discussion does depend to a degree on the choice of papers. Papers that use genomics to address biological questions are often good choices. Choices should be approved by Alison and/or Dave prior to going onto the schedule. You must select a paper at least one week (ideally more) before the class.

Each student is expected to read every paper, not just the one(s) you sign up for. The format of this class is a discussion of the chosen paper, and to receive credit for this course, you must contribute to the discussion on a regular basis. To do this you can:

1. Interject your interpretation/understanding of a particular point,
2. Answer questions posed by the discussion leader or other class members,
3. Ask questions of your own - especially questions like:
   • "I didn't understand the part about ..."
   • "what exactly is a ..."
   • "what does this Figure actually show?"

Each student is expected to actively participate in each class. Unfortunately, if you do not participate in the discussions, we have to assume that you have not read the papers, and you will not receive credit for the course.

On the day you've signed up as discussion leader, you are responsible for:

1. Providing a brief (10 minute maximum, but ideally shorter) but well-thought out background of the paper. This is not to be an overview of the day's paper (remember, everyone in the class has read it too). The purpose of this introduction is to put the paper into context (i.e., the bigger picture) and to explain aspects that may generally not familiar to others in the class (such as specialized terminology, biology, statistics, etc.). The best way to prepare for this is to read a few background papers, possibly papers found in the references of your paper. Although you may us a computer presentation to show images that are otherwise hard to explain (such as micrographs), PowerPoint or similar presentations are strongly discouraged. It is much better to use the whiteboard to support your introduction.

2. Providing 10 questions pertinent to the specific paper. You need to bring two copies of your questions, one for Alison and one for Dave. We have found that preparing these questions (and hopefully the answers) is a useful way to help you focus on important aspects of the paper, and shows us that you have studied the paper carefully.
3. Leading the discussion. You are in charge of running the discussion for that day. Although the 10 questions you have prepared may be helpful in structuring the discussion, the class should not be just a question-and-answer session.

Hints and Tips

1. In reading a typical research paper, at a minimum you should ask the following questions:
   1. Are the questions/hypotheses clearly stated, and are they sound?
   2. Do the experiments performed address the proposed questions/hypotheses?
   3. Have sufficient data been gathered, and are the data robust (e.g., statistically validated)?
   4. Are the data properly shown (e.g., as Figures, Tables, etc)?
   5. Do the Figures make sense?
   6. Are the conclusions drawn warranted from the data?
   The focus will obviously be slightly different for a methods or a theoretical paper, but the principle is the same.
2. For some papers, there may be issues that go beyond the scientific aspects. For example, some approaches raise issues of personal privacy or have ethical ramifications. Such points are often good discussion topics.
3. As the presenter, you should pay particular attention to a) the experimental design/methods and b) the presented data. It is often useful to carefully go over one or more of the key figures in the paper.
4. As discussion leader, you should endeavor to elicit discussion. You should not use a computer to deliver a "presentation."
5. The whiteboard is a very useful tool, and students should be encouraged to draw to help explain ideas.

Finally, because the topics vary widely from week-to-week, you will find that you are very familiar with some topics (you can help explain these papers and answer questions), moderately familiar with some topics, and completely in the dark on some topics (you can ask questions about these papers).

Guides on the Web

Little and Parker: How to Read a Scientific Paper

Ashwin Ram's "How to Present a Paper"

Bob Spillman's "How to Present a Paper: A Speaker's Guide"