Expectations | Project
Plan | Reporting
Requirements | Progress Reports |
Abstract | Final Technical Paper
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.
It is suggested that you find a Nature article from your field after
which to model your paper.
As in a Nature article, 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. Students
should be sure to include the names of their financial sponsors.
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.
