Biology Research Report (IMRaD Format)
12 weeks · 0 milestones
Write a complete research report in IMRaD format (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, References) documenting a real biological investigation. The investigation can be original wet lab data OR a rigorous analysis of a named publicly available biological dataset (GBIF, NCBI SRA, iNaturalist) — both produce a real artifact with the same documentation requirements. The proof is the report plus a documented review by a working biologist who challenges the methodology section (specifically: are the controls adequate? is the statistical analysis appropriate? do the results support the conclusions?) and provides written feedback that the student must respond to. The Methods section must be detailed enough that another researcher could replicate the investigation. Primary literature (minimum 5 peer-reviewed sources) is required in the Introduction and Discussion.
Milestone map
Milestone map
3 milestones
Select a focused biological research question and gather 15–20 peer-reviewed primary sources. The annotation step — evaluating each source for methodology quality and relevance — is what separates a literature survey from a research report foundation. Use PubMed and free full-text access (PubMed Central, PLOS ONE) to avoid paywalls.
Proof required
Submit your research question and a 15–20 source annotated bibliography. Each annotation must state: what the study found, the key methodological strength or limitation, and its relevance to your question. Total annotation word count should be 1500–2500 words across all sources.
What gets checked
- All 15–20 sources are peer-reviewed primary research papers — not textbooks, Wikipedia, or secondary summaries
- Each annotation addresses methodology, not just conclusions — evaluates how the study found what it found, not just what it found
- Research question is specific enough that some sources clearly support and some clearly challenge a given interpretation — a question that all sources agree on is too narrow to write a research report about