EXAMPLES

Example 1

Autoethnography is an innovative qualitative research method. It is the practice of reflecting on moments of your life, writing your story down, and examining the moments with a critical eye. Performing autoethnography allows the writer to capture the lessons learned and share these lessons with an audience. The audience in turn, benefits from the performance by receiving an empathetic view of a real life experience. Utilizing self–reflective prose about my mother–s battle with cancer, I hope to better understand the experience as a whole and share my lessons with an audience. My paper outlines the basic principles of autoethnography and incorporates the text from my own autoethnography.

Example 2

THE ROLE OF POPULATION SIZE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF WORK ETHIC AND SUCCESS IN SCHOOL
Jeremy Husfeldt (Psychology)
Edison Perdomo, Faculty Mentor (Psychology)

A number of studies have suggested that a person’s attitudes and beliefs concerning work ethic is a function of their environment. Consequently, it would seem likely that someone raised in a rural environment could be significantly different from someone raised in an urban environment regarding their value of work. Studies have also been done showing that the endorsement of work ethic by college students is linked with increased studying, while studying has been correlated with higher grade point average (GPA). As a result, 50 college students were given a work ethic assessment and asked to state their GPA and size of their hometown’s population. Results from this study indicate that there is a difference between rural and urban students relating to work ethic endorsement and GPA.

Example 3

IMMUNOLOCALIZATION OF ACTIN CAPPING PROTEIN IN MURINE TISSUES
Benjamin Jilek (Biological Sciences)
Marilyn Hart , Faculty Mentor (Biological Sciences)

Actin is an essential component of all cells. Actin contributes to cell shape, cell structure and cell motility. Actin’s growth and regulation depends upon a variety of proteins including actin capping protein (CP). CP is composed of two different proteins, an alpha and beta subunit. The alpha subunit has three different forms: alpha1, alpha2 and alpha3. In previous studies, we have determined that the different alpha forms are expressed at different levels in a variety of tissues and some tissues contain only alpha1 or only alpha2. This data suggests that the different alpha subunits may have different functions. The goal of my undergraduate research is to elucidate the cellular functions of the alpha subunits of CP by determining where the alpha proteins are in a cell or tissue using immunolocalization studies. Previously alpha1 and alpha2? specific antibodies were purified from rabbit polyclonal antisera. The antibodies were used in conjunction with a recently generated chicken anti–alpha2 antibody and a mouse anti–actin antibody to assess the distribution of the alpha proteins relative to actin in a variety of murine tissues. CP alpha1 and alpha2 proteins have similar distributions in murine myocardium, co–localizing with actin at the Z–lines of sarcomeres. In skeletal muscle, both isoforms localized to the Z–line but unlike alpha1, alpha2 localized to the periphery of the myotubes. Preliminary location studies of the alpha proteins in a variety of murine tissues including, kidney, liver, spleen and lung will also be presented.

Example 4

ANALYSIS OF AN E–85 TURBO FOUR–STROKE SNOWMOBILE
Mark Halbert (Automotive Engineering Technology)
Reed Hanson (Automotive Engineering Technology)
Bruce Jones, Faculty Mentor (Automotive Engineering Technology)

The project concerns the Minnesota State University Mankato Automotive Engineering Technology Program’s entry to the 2004 Clean Snowmobile Challenge. Included in this presentation is the snowmobile model chosen for modification, engine choice, modifications applied, methods used, modification results affecting performance, emission control, noise reduction, production cost, durability, fuel efficiency, safety, and rider comfort. The MSU Mavericks devoted their main focus for the 2004 Clean Snowmobile Challenge to a turbo charged Polaris 683cc four–stroke was tested. The engine was tested for emissions, noise, and performance; these test results were then analyzed for advantages and disadvantages.