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Fine Focus: A New International Journal for Undergraduate Microbiology Research
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) recently disseminated a call to action underscoring the need for a re-evaluation of undergraduate biology education. Development of creative student-centered research into existing curricula is a major theme of this announcement, as well as ‘community-based participatory research.’ Ball State University is well positioned to take advantage of many of these rapidly evolving objectives in undergraduate science education, largely due to an established track record of excellence through our Biotechnology Certificate Program, an active Chapter of Sigma Xi (the Scientific Research Society), and the only ASM chapter in Indiana. This proposed immersive learning course utilizes the skill sets of 12 undergraduates in four departments to develop a peer-reviewed journal that will publish findings of undergraduate microbiology research internationally. This journal, entitled Fine Focus, will be the first of its kind, and will be produced in print form and electronically. Participating students gain a multitude of experiences through collaborations with professionals from ASM National and other professional coalitions. Such experiences will include acquisition of a working knowledge on scientific writing, editing, peer review, graphic design, and advertising, as they relate to dissemination of microbiological research data through an academic journal with international scope. Students will leave the course having also established permanent professional contacts in varied subdisciplines of microbiology worldwide. In order to be successfully implemented, contemporary undergraduate research in the biosciences must incorporate not only the bench skills, and experimental design principles, but the other vital aspects of doing original research, including professional dissemination. It is this unique niche that Fine Focus will fill. Our proposed work here is the first undergraduate journal specifically in microbiology. In a time when limited research budgets prevent undergraduates from attending national conferences to present their data, a venue such as Fine Focus allows interested students the opportunity to see their research efforts to fruition and learn about the entire research process at the same time.
Keywords: Undergraduate research; microbiology; immersive learning; peer-reviewed journal