Lab 2 pre-lab.

Your task in Lab 2 will be to conduct a mini-literature review on the ecology and behavior of terrestrial isopods, complete your chi-square analysis, and begin construction of your scientific poster. Please take advantage of all the resources you have been provided to produce a quality final product. You will also create a technical report, a manuscript, and a scientific argument piece as other final products throughout the term.

• Introduction
• Do you know enough?
• What we will do in lab?

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How do we translate theory into practice?

It's just a theory? Biological theories underpin all the concepts and principles explored in both lecture and lab. Testing a single hypothesis, even with repetition, cannot lead to a theory; it can, however, add to theoretical development. As we discovered, ethological theory encompasses most of what we understand about animal behavior, and this unit is an excellent example of how a theory works in practice. Watch the YouTube video in the sidebar which deals with some common misconceptions about what the words fact, theory, hypothesis, and law actually mean to scientists.

• Theories are not waiting to one day become a law. Theories are conceptual frameworks; laws are mathematical principles.
• There is absolutely NO biological "fact" you have ever learned that is not connected to a larger theory: Cell theory, the theory of modern genetics, germ theory, etc.
• Theories are developed, debated, and tested in the scientific literature. This is why presenting your research as a talk, poster, or paper is critical. It is how our (as in human-kind) knowledge is collected and enhanced over time.
• In particular, publishing in peer-reviewed journals is critical and is held-up as the ultimate test of your research.

You will be investigating the scientific literature involved in ethology in this lab. Learning to tell what classifies as "peer-reviewed" research and what does not is an important step toward knowing and understanding how science works.

Watch the short YouTube video on fact, hypotheses, theories, and laws. Know the difference & how each is applied.

Read the short article on knowing how to tell if an article is peer-reviewed. Please remember all 5!

Link to article.

DO you know enough about statistics?

We look for patterns to help us understand the natural world. As we do so, we are fighting our own human tendency to see patterns where none truly exist, and to take what we see in a specific context and try to apply it more broadly. Let’s say you notice that within your friend circle, those who regularly eat breakfast did much better on their first BIOL 122 exam than those who skipped your morning meals together. You might then assume that, somehow, eating breakfast is causing the better grades. But! Consider the following...

• How much of a difference in test averages should there be between breakfast-eaters and breakfast-skippers for that to be true? 90 vs. 60? 80 vs. 70? Reasonable people could disagree.
• How often do you need to see this relationship for that to be true? On exam 1 and 2? On all the BIOL 122 exams? Reasonable people could disagree.  
• Is it really the breakfast? Maybe students who are disciplined in their sleeping and eating habits are also more disciplined in their study habits? Maybe chatting with other BIOL 122 students each morning is helpful?

Statistics solve these problems. Using the principles of probability, they help us identify observations as random (chance alone) vs. meaningful (a real difference, or a real relationship). Statistics tell us how likely we would be to make the same observations we have made, if chance and randomness were the only drivers.

Review our white squirrel scenario for an example using chi-square analysis.

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the chi-square statistic

You have likely made statements using terms like “more, less, lower and higher” regarding your animal behavior data thus far. That is a good place to start! Now we must ask if the patterns we see in our data...

• ...are from chance alone (i.e., pillbugs/sowbugs just moved around regardless of environment) and match the null hypothesis = [fail to reject the null hypothesis]
• ...or if they are biologically relevant (i.e., related to pillbug/sowbug preferences) and match our hypothesis = [reject the null hypothesis]

​We term potentially relevant findings as significant; that is, differences, or patterns that are significantly different from those we would expect from chance alone, may be biologically important. We cannot know whether your results are significantly different from chance, without performing a statistical analysis on your data. We will use the Chi-Square Goodness of Fit analysis to reveal which stimulus is preferred, if any, by your isopods. This statistic compares your distribution of data (your OBSERVED DATA) to that of a distribution you might predict from randomness, or you null hypothesis (the EXPECTED DATA).

• If the null hypothesis cannot be rejected, your observed data will be close to the expected data.
• If the null hypothesis is to be rejected, your observed data will need to be very difference from chance alone.​

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​You need a basic understanding of using statistics including: alpha and p-values, and rejecting or failing to reject the null hypothesis.

Be sure you have Excel on your device. The web version is not sufficient. You can download Excel by clicking this checkmark.

You need a basic understanding of Excel. If it has been a while, watch one of the tutorials linked in this Pre-Lab.

What will we do in lab & how will we do iT?

Lab 2 contains three exercises.

1. ​Literature Review: You will search the scientific literature for resources on terrestrial isopods, including their ecology and behavior. You will also learn how to cite these references correctly.
2. Chi-Square Analysis: You will pick up from the preliminary analysis we started last week to complete a chi-square analysis of your animal behavior data and create graphs for each test.
3. You will begin the creation of your scientific poster.
   

​​Head to Blackboard Now & Take the Pre-Lab Quiz

STOP! If this is a fall term, next week's lab is "online only" due to Labor Day. LABridge 2 is due the week of Labor Day and LABridge 3 is due before our next in-lab meeting. Plan accordingly. If this is a spring term, you will be in lab next week.

The "rubber ducky" isopod, Cubaris sp.

Lab 2 Protocol

Following this lab you should be able to...

• Use the scientific method including hypothesis creation, data collection, and analysis with the chi-square statistic.
• Determine if a source is considered scientific and peer-reviewed and conduct a literature review with proper citation format.
• Calculate and use the chi-squared statistic to test a hypothesis
• Produce a scientific poster.

Overview. In today's lab you will conduct a mini literature review on the ecology and behavior of terrestrial isopods, complete your chi-square analysis, and begin construction of your scientific poster.

1. ​Exercise I. Literature Review
2. Exercise II. Data Analysis
3. Exercise III. Poster Preparations
   

• Exercise I
• Exercise II
• Exercise III: Poster

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Exercise I. Literature Review

Investigating the scientific literature on your topic is an important step of the scientific method; it connects your question to existing theory and research. Some of this was done for you so you could begin with your experiment last week. We need more research before we can proceed, and this will also give you a good start on your poster.
Scientific articles are often not free to the public, so large institutions, like universities, pay fees for access. If you are not on a campus computer, you will need to sign into the library using your WKU account to access some articles: Just click HERE, and search "Google Scholar" [see example].

Procedure.​

1. Go to Google and type "Google Scholar." A new search bar will appear.
2. You can search scientific journals much like you do anything else on the web.
3. Look for five articles on the ecology, natural history, and behavior or pillbugs, sowbugs, or terrestrial isopods.
4. If you search the internet without using a database like Google Scholar. You may inadvertently be using non-peer-reviewed literature outside the scientific community. These sources are not valid. If you are unsure if your article is actually peer-reviewed: Use these 5 Ways to Tell If an article Peer-reviewed or Academic, from the Prairie State College Library.
5. Once you start finding good matches, open your Lab Notebook Guide and complete Exercise I.
6. You also need to reference each one correctly. Citation and style guidelines vary by journal but are usually some type of modified-APA format. We will be following the formatting guidelines of the Kentucky Academy of Science throughout BIOL 123. Details on how to cite your sources are listed below.
7. Lastly, pick one source and add it to our library.

Three good references as examples:

• A preliminary study on habitat features and associated terrestrial isopod species
• Learning from the environment: how predation changes the behavior of terrestrial Isopoda (Crustacea Oniscidea)
• ​Evolutionary adaptation of oniscidean isopods to terrestrial life: Structure, physiology and behavior ​

Library.

Link to Google Scholar.

Example search results (click to enlarge). We do not have access to the first, but the 2nd is available as a pdf, and the 3rd as a link.

Click to download.

BIOL 123 Library

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Citation Details

IN-TEXT CITATION OF LITERATURE

• Cite publications in the text by author(s) and date - e.g., (Readley 1985).
• For in-text references to works with one or two authors use names of both authors – e.g., (Jones and Williams 1991)
• For works with three or more authors use name of the first author followed by et al. – e.g., (Lee et al. 1994)
• Multiple citations should be  in chronological order and separated by semi-colons – e.g., (Foster 1976;  Ashley et al. 1987; Brown 1994)
• Multiple citations of works by one author(s) should be in chronological order – e.g., (Jones 1978, 1983)
• Publications by one author(s) in the same year should be distinguished by a, b, c, etc. – e.g., (Smith 1994a, 1994b)

LITERATURE CITED [END OF DOCUMENT/PAPER/ASSIGNMENT] 
This section is also referred to as the "References" or "Works Cited" section. List all authors of each entry. Do not abbreviate journal titles. The first line of each reference should be typed flush left; the remaining lines should be indented five spaces. Examples of common types of references are given below.

• JOURNAL ARTICLE (one author): Lacki, M. J. 1994. Metal concentrations in guano from a gray bat summer roost. Transactions Kentucky Academy Science, 55:124-126.
• JOURNAL ARTICLE (multiple authors): Jones, D. G., Little, D. P., and Marks, L. J. 2010. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and Wasting Disease in Western Kentucky. Transactions Kentucky Academy Science, 55:124-126.
• BOOK: Ware, M., and R. W. Tare. 1991. Plains Life and Love. Pioneer Press, Crete, WY.
• PART OF A BOOK: Kohn, J .R. 1993. Pinaceae, Pages 32-50 in J. F. Nadel (ed). Flora of the Black Mountains. University of Northwestern South Dakota Press, Utopia.
• WORK IN PRESS: Groves, S. J., I. V. Woodland, and G. H. Tobosa. In press, Deserts of Trans-Pecos Texas.
• WEB PAGE: Smith, A.W. 1999. Title of web site. Web site address. Date accessed (06/12/2005).

Exercise II. Analysis

Now it is time to calculate the chi-square value for each test. Open your datasheet in excel. Remember, you determined your observed and expected values last week. Review your Lab Notebook you submitted for Lab 1 if necessary.

Procedure.

1. Open the second tab in your Excel datasheet. The formula is in the sidebar and the tables in Excel will help you calculate it. You will have a single chi-square value for each test, your "test statistic." 
2. Now that you have calculated your chi-square statistic (χ2) for each test, we need to put it in context. On its own, it tells us nothing! We need to compare our chi-square value to a "critical value" that is based on probability. To do that we need two things...
3. First, determine your: Degrees of Freedom (df). For this statistical test, the degrees of freedom = number of environmental choices – 1. For this experiment, df = 1.
4. Next, determine your: Alpha (α-level). For this experiment we will use the standard alpha = 0.05.​
5. If the degrees of freedom and alpha values are still confusing, review part 2 of the White Squirrel Example from the Pre-Lab.
6. Now, using the degrees of freedom and alpha, consult the table of critical values in the sidebar to determine our critical value to compare to our chi-square value. Record this in your Lab Notebook.
7. If your χ2 is less than or equal to your critical value, then you FAIL TO REJECT THE NULL HYPOTHESIS (Ho): No significant findings (p > 0.05). Your findings are no different than from what we would expect from chance alone.
8. If your χ2 is greater than your critical value, then you REJECT THE NULL HYPOTHESIS (Ho): You have significant findings (p < 0.05), that may be biologically relevant.
9. Add your findings to the Lab Notebook Guide under Exercise II.
10. Click the "write up your findings" tab in the sidebar for an example of how to write up your results depending on the outcome of your test. 
11. Lastly, write up your conclusions from each test and complete Exercise II in the Lab Notebook Guide.

Expected vs. observed distributions.

Chi-square formula.

Chi-square table of critical values.

write up your findings

Exercise iii. Poster Creation

The scientific poster is a form of scientific expression and one way researchers communicate their work with the wider scientific community. Most often, researchers will use the poster format as a way to put their preliminary research together and test the waters of scientific critique. Posters often come before presentations and manuscripts and they are presented at scientific conferences in large halls or rooms. Attendees wander from poster to poster, get a brief explanation from the researcher, and then a discussion begins. The appearance/content varies widely by field or lab, but they are often produced in PowerPoint and printed as 36" x 48" posters for display.

Important!!! You will need to bring one color copy (on a 8.5x11" page) of your poster to class with you next week to participate in peer review. Discuss who will be in-charge of bringing the copy to lab!
FAQs on printing / WKU Computer Labs

poster template

poster rubric

Poster Example from Lab

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Procedure.

1. Review the information presented on this page, including the template and rubric.
2. Discuss a plan of action for completing a draft of your poster with your group. Make a list of any questions you might have for your TA.
3. Please note: You will trade your draft with another group next week for an informal peer review. You will have another week or two to revise before submitting your final poster. Everyone in your group must submit a final version via Blackboard.
4. Complete Exercise III in your Lab Notebook Guide.
5. EXTENSION: Do you think the results would be the same if you completed these analyses using class data? Why or why not? You can decide as a group to use the class data for your posters if you wish. Be sure to discuss this with your TA. 
6. Please check-out with your TA before you leave.

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Your Poster: Will be created in PowerPoint using a provided template. We will print and display the three best, which will earn extra credit (TBD).
Lab Groups: You will work in your lab group. You must be an active participant in this assignment. You will be evaluating each other’s contributions via a peer evaluation form at the end of the term.
​Content: Specific directions on what to include in each section are available on the poster template and the evaluation measures are available in the rubric. 
Research: 
Formatting: You have a lot of leeway!

• Colors: Your choice.
• Length: Variable section length. Typically, the results section takes up the most space, but include the least amount of text.
• Font: Use serif font (e.g., cambria or times), non sans serif (e.g., arial or calibri). Avoid red font.
• Font size: You can go a bit smaller/ larger but stay close to these and be consistent within levels. Title: 80-100pt., Authors: 60pt., Sub-headings: 28-58pt., Body text: 24-32pt., Captions: 18pt.
• Tables & figures: Your design! Stay clean and readable. Tables get labeled (Table 1.) with titles that go above. Figures (diagrams, graphs) get labeled (Figure 1.) with captions that go below.
• Citations: Five minimum, directions in template.
• Be creative and have fun with this.​ Examples below!

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Dr. McElroy is a solver of puzzles. He enjoys trying to make the pieces fit and finding new ways to understand old problems. Often, he applies the processes of scientific inquiry to new issues that not befitted from the approach in the past. PLUS, he is a statistical expert. Much of his perspective has been translated into Unit 1. Reach out to him if you have interests in statistics or evolutionary biology.
Research: Evolutionary Biology and Genetics, Biostatistics.
Dr. McElroy's current research focuses on applying evolutionary principles and multivariate statistical methods to examine processes of curricular change and assessment in higher education.  Past research interests have addressed questions related to wildlife molecular forensics, morphometrics and conservation of desert fishes, genetics and speciation in African cichlid fishes, and the statistical analysis of population genetic data.
​Recent Publication: ​An Evolutionary Perspective on Increasing Student Success, and the (Partial) Fallacy of First-Year Retention