Expectations | Reports | Communications Program
All students are required to complete a final paper. Direct questions
to sfp@caltech.edu or call 626.395.2885. Please read all instructions
below!
Instructions for Uploading Final Paper
The process for uploading the final paper and securing mentor approval
is described below. The important dates are:
Students must upload a draft of the final paper no later than 5
PM on the fourth Friday in September.
Mentors must finally approve the paper no later than November 1.
Students must upload their final technical paper into the SFP Online
system no later than the fourth Friday in September. The paper must
be in Microsoft Word or PDF format, and must not exceed 10MB. (If
you absolutely can't make your paper smaller than 10MB, please contact
sfp@caltech.edu for instructions.) Once the paper is uploaded it
will be locked in the system, and your mentor will be sent a message
containing instructions for accessing your paper online. Your mentor
then has two options:
1. Approve your paper as is. You will receive confirmation of this
action via e-mail.
2. Disapprove your paper and give suggestions for improvements.
You will receive confirmation of this action via e-mail as well as
your mentor's comments. When your paper is disapproved, it is unlocked
in the system. This allows you to incorporate your mentor's suggestions,
go online to delete your previous paper, and then upload the new
version. Your mentor will again receive instructions for accessing
your paper and the whole process starts again. This can continue
as many times as necessary until your mentor gives final approval
of your paper.
Once your paper is approved, your paper will remain locked. If you
would like to submit a revised version of your paper after a previous
version has been approved, e-mail your revised paper to sfp@caltech.edu and we will replace your old paper with the new version.
Final Report Writing Requirements
Final reports should be clear, concise, and written for a broad scientific
audience. Papers should be written in the style and format of the
journal Nature or it is suggested that you find a article
from your field after which to model your paper.
As in these articles (1) (2), reports should place all technical
information in the 'Methods' section at the end of the paper while
making the main text accessible to a nonspecialist audience. Use
clear, significant words when writing your paper and avoid using
jargon or specialized terms whenever possible. The main text of your
article (excluding 'Methods', 'References', and 'Appendices') should
not exceed 2,000 words. Use fewer words if you can; a concise paper
is always better than a wordy one. It is often useful for authors
to have students in other disciplines read their papers to improve
clarity. Mentors are also encouraged to edit their students' papers.
If you are submitting an article for publication or if your mentor
requests that your paper be written in a different fashion, please
check with the SFP office. Such requests will usually be acceptable.
The Final Report Format:
- Title
- Author
- Faculty Mentor (and Co-Mentor if applicable)
Abstract. The abstract is a succinct outline of the research project.
For experimental projects, it presents the principal objective and
scope of the project, describes the methodology, summarizes the results,
and states the principal conclusions. For a theoretical paper, it
describes the issue and analysis, and states implications for further
research. The abstract should stand alone and be intelligible without
the paper.
Text. The paper should begin by providing background, presenting
the nature and scope of the problem being investigated, and giving
rationale for the work. The main conclusions should be stated briefly
in this section. This section should be accessible to readers in
any discipline (including non-science fields) and readers for whom
English is not a first language.
Following this introductory section, the findings should be described
concisely with brief descriptions of the methodology when necessary.
The text should finish with a discussion of the results. The implications
of the research, relation to other work in the author's lab, and
future research directions should be included in this section. Even
though this section may be technical, it should not be obtuse.
Methods. As noted above, materials and methods may be described
briefly in the text. However, as in a Nature article, lengthier descriptions
belong in a 'Methods' section at the end of the paper. This section
should be subdivided by short headings referring to the technique
being used or the experiment being explained. This section is directed
toward scientists in the author's field.
Figures. Include figures whenever possible to illustrate your points.
Explanatory diagrams may help explain background information (pictures
from textbooks are fine). Carefully choose your image size, font
size, line widths, and labels to ensure that your figures are clear.
Plot theory and experiment on the same graph and redraw screen photos.
All figures should be accompanied by explanatory captions.
References. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of references.
References should be numbered sequentially as they appear in the
text and should be listed at the end of the paper. Reference numbers
should be in superscript when cited in the text. References should
follow the style used by the journal Nature.
Acknowledgments. Acknowledge your mentor and all
other individuals who provided technical assistance, and the individuals,
organizations, grants, or contracts from whom you received financial
support. Amgen Scholars should be sure to acknowledge the Amgen Foundation.
Appendices. Large data files, catalogs, tables, diagrams, and archival
information may be included in 'Appendices' at the end of the paper.
Additional Suggestions. News and Views articles often accompany
important Nature papers to provide additional background and discussion
of the work's implications. A paper will be more accessible if these
additions are incorporated into the paper itself. Authors are encouraged
to use examples, stories, and analogies where appropriate. These
additions are highly recommended for students submitting their papers
to the Caltech Undergraduate Research Journal and will greatly increase
the odds of acceptance.
Adapted from the Nature Guide to Authors by Robb Rutledge (BS '02;
SURF '98, '00, '01).
Submissions to CURJ
Students may submit any paper that follows the SFP final report guidelines
to the Caltech Undergraduate Research Journal (CURJ). Accepted
articles will require the addition of subtitles and 'Further Reading'
and the removal of the abstract, 'References', 'Methods', and 'Appendices'.
CURJ editors will work with authors to prepare their articles for
publication.
A publication release signed by the head of the laboratory (not a
graduate student or postdoc) will also be required. This document
is legally binding. You and your advisor are advised to consult with
the appropriate journals and must resolve any copyright issues before
submission. Once your paper is accepted, it cannot be withdrawn.
