History of Neuroscience

(psy 241)

Guidelines for Written Assignments

  

   The goal of these written assignments is for you to be able to reflect critically on discoveries in neuroscience from a historical, scientific, and philosophical perspective. This requires not just learning what particular neuroscientists have done, but also discussing the underlying ideas (scientific, political, social, etc) that were prevalent at that time, the impact the individual or discovery had in its day, and how they affected later generations.

   These assignments require that you do a moderate amount of research to explore your topic (books, journals, internet, etc). It is neither professional nor ethical to copy text verbatim from other sources. If for some reason you need to do this, you must place the copied material within quotation marks and you must cite the source.  If you have any questions about what constitutes plagiarism, consult the Vanderbilt student honor code and/or see me.

    75% of your final grade will be determined by three papers written during the course of the semester. For undergraduates: each of these papers should be approximately 5 pages in length (1000-1500 words) and will count equally towards the final grade. For graduate students: the first two papers should be approximately 5 pages in length, while the final paper should be approximately 10 pages in length.  This final paper will be counted slightly more than either of the first two papers.

 

Format: These papers need not be presented in the style of a research report (e.g. APA format), but should include the following:

 

1) A brief abstract summarizing the topic (< 100 words)

2) A clear and logical presentation of ideas

3) Proper citation of all sources material within text

4) Bibliography

5) Every report must include on the title page the following:

 

"I pledge on my honor that I have not received aid on this assignment except for the following acknowledgements: (explicitly list who helped you in what way)".

 

The quality of the writing, as well as the content, will be considered in evaluating your work. Explain your subject in you own words, in a manner that one of your fellow students will be able to follow (For that matter, I encourage you to have a fellow student proofread your written assignments for style and clarity). The following article from the course reading list is a good model to follow:

 

Cobb, M, (2002) Exorcising the animal spirits: Jan Swammerdam on nerve function. Nature Reviews Neuroscience 3:395-400.

 

Topics: You are encouraged to pursue a topic that is germane to the course, but may not have been covered in lecture. All paper topics must be approved by the instructor.  Paper topics can include, but are not restricted to:

 

Historical perspectives on anatomical structures

Central figures in neuroscience

Philosophical trends in neuroscience

History of a neuropathology or related treatments (eg epilepsy)

 

If you having trouble choosing a topic, see me after class or during office hours and I can provide you with some suggestions.

 

Deadlines* for Written Assignments:

 

                                                                 Submit topic                  Paper due

paper # 1                                                 Sept 12                            Sept 26

paper # 2                                                 Oct 21                             Nov 7

paper # 3                                                 Nov 18                            Dec 5

 

* No extensions or exceptions