Framing the IQP and Defining Objectives

This section contains resources that can help students frame their projects. Students must determine how their work fits into a larger body of research on the topic and define their objectives and research questions.

To start, students must determine their project’s goals. Faculty can assign exercises to help students develop better understandings of their project, including a Mission Statement exercise (Word Document) and Problem Statement exercise (Word Document). Clarity about project objectives is important and can be facilitated through exercises for students where they learn how to operationalize project objectives/research questions.

Students can also be given materials to further their understandings of how to develop Effective Goals ( Word Document) and clarify their Project Goal (Word Document).

A Lesson Plan for Discussing Problem Analysis (Word Document) can be used with students in the early stages of project conceptualization. This is especially useful when dealing with externally sponsored projects.

An interim project planning report is a useful tool for helping students organize and communicate their understanding of the project, its major elements, and next steps.

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Last modified: Jun 28, 2006, 10:34 EDT