For interested students, a Research PEP495 Project is an option class for Pre-Exercise Science, Exercise Science, Liberal Arts and Integrative Studies, and other undergaduate students at UNM. There is no prerequisite for this class. Students learn the basics of doing a scientific Systematic Review with this course. The Research Internship is taught completely ONLINE. There are NO meetings for students completing a PEP495 Research Internship.

For the 180-hour research internship/project you will be doing a research review on 15 topics and submit to me in a electronic notebook. Please pick 15 topics of interest from those below. For each topic you will get THREE Research-based articles (references) from scientific publications published within the last 5 years. Do not use any trade magazines or professional journals: Get the actual review articles or studies. Double check that your studies are published within the last 5 years. Then, you will write a 1.5-3 page (double spaced) SUMMARY of the THREE articles. A topic with less then 3 research articles will get a '0' score. Please write our your references at the END of each Summary. See below for TIPS on writing a research review AND some Sample Research Writings.

This project is due the week of finals (by Friday by Midnight) (or at End of Summer Session if completing during Summer). Please provide a TABLE OF CONTENTS for your Summaries. See Sample summaries below for an example of a TABLE OF CONTENTS. Compile ALL OF YOUR WRITTEN SUMMARIES into ONE MS Word document or PDF document. Entitle your document by your last name. So, I would call my document with all of my Summaries, Kravitz.docx or Kravitz.pdf

So, to be clear, on TOPIC ONE you will have the 1.5-3 page SUMMARY and 3 research references you used. TOPIC TWO you will have the SUMMARY and 3 research references you use. Continue the same way for all 15 topics and compile all into one MS Word or PDF document.

Please list each reference the following way: NOTE, some journals only have a VOLUME number.
Authors. (YEAR). Title of the Article. Title of the Journal. VOLUME (Number), pages.

If there are 4 or more authors, please list this way.
Smith, J., Barker, B., Kravitz,L. et al. (note et al. means and others).

Here is what ONE reference will look like.
Cavanagh, P.R., LaFortune, M.A., Bailey, R.S. et al. (2017). Ground reaction forces in running. Journal of Biomechanics, 13(4), 397-406.

Here is my grading Rubric:
90-100
Consistent and accurate evidence that is explained and developed with much breath and depth. Main ideas flow together with excellent consistency. A very clear and well-developed theme showing excellent thought and analysis. Organization is decidedly sequential and systematic. All content is highly supported by evidence-based research. Virtually free of punctuation, grammar, spelling, and capitalization errors. Well-chosen variety of sentence styles and lengths.

80-89
Evidence is explained and developed satisfactorily. Main ideas flow together with good consistency. A clear and finely developed theme of thought and analysis. Organization is sensibly sequential and systematic. All content is moderately supported by evidence-based research. Generally free of punctuation, grammar, spelling, and capitalization errors. Good variety of sentence styles and lengths.

70-79
Evidence is explained and developed adequately. Main ideas flow together passably. A satisfactorily developed theme of thought and analysis. Organization is reasonably sequential and systematic. All content is mostly supported by evidence-based research. Few punctuation, grammar, spelling, and capitalization errors. Sufficient variety of sentence styles and lengths.

<70 means the paper is not accepted and must be rewritten

Important Steps to Follow:
1) Contact Dr. Kravitz to verify with him you are doing a Research Internship.
2) Choose your topics from below: email Dr. Kravitz (lkravitz@unm.edu) your topics for approval.
3) Send your FIRST completed summary to Dr. Kravitz for review and editorial suggestions. Once he gives you feedback please move forward and complete this research internship.
4) The research internship project is due any day/time the week of Final Exams
5) Submit your Electronic Research Project by Email to Dr. Kravitz as an ATTACHMENT to your email. Your document should be in MS Word or PDF format

1) Suggested Topics to Choose from Physical Therapy/Occupational Therapy:
cerebral palsy, fibromyalgia, herniated disk, incontinence, temporomandibular joint fracture, osteoporosis, pelvic pain, plantar fasciitis, rotator cuff tear, scoliosis, spina bifida, spinal stenosis, lymphedema, patella tendon rupture, Achilles tendinopathy, Alzheimer disease, chronic low back pain, patellar dislocation, Parkinson's Disease, hip osteoarthritis, shin splints, cervical radiculopathy, torticollis, tendon inflammation, guillain-barré syndrome, tennis elbow, cerebral palsy, herniated disk, pelvic pain, spondylolisthesis, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS: i.e., Lou Gehrig's Disease), total hip replacement, scleroderma, multiple sclerosis, autism, guillain-barré syndrome, rotator cuff tear, ACL injury, stroke, rhuematoid arthritis
Your first step is to choose the 15 topics and email me your list for approval. Also, if you have other PT/OT topics you would like to add, please suggest. YES, you can choose topics from all THREE areas. Thank you.

2) Suggested Topics to Choose from Exercise and Sports Physiology:
Altitude Training and Performance, High-Intensity Interval Training, Limiting Factors of Endurance Exercise Performance, Exercise Order in Resistance Training, Core Strength and Sport Performance, Range of Motion Effects on Muscle Adaptation, Nutrition for Weight and Resistance Training, Masters Athletes: Aging and the Impact on the Energy Systems, College Athletes and Overtraining, Recovery and Sports Performance, Flexibility: Effect of Stretching on Performance, Creatine Supplementation, Periodization, Modes of Resistance Training and the Effect on Strength, Hydration and Athletic Performance, Aerobic Training Adaptations (chronic, acute), Anaerobic Training Adaptations (chronic, acute), Hormone Response to Exercise, Women and Hypertrophy, Barefoot Running, Neuromuscular Adaptations to Resistance Training, Effects of Respiratory diseases on training, Protein Supplementation Effect on Muscle Hypertrophy, External Influences on Training (weather), Diabetes Mellitus and exercise, Delayed Onset Muscle Syndrome (DOMS), Eccentric Exercise and Training
Your first step is to choose the 15 topics and email me your list for approval. YES, you can choose topics from all THREE areas. Thank you.

3) Suggested Topics on Exercise and Nutrition, Ergogenic Aids and Weight Loss Products:
Creatine, L-cartnitine, L-tryptophan, beta blockers in sports, caffeine, diuretics, anabolic steroids, human growth hormone, blood doping, erythropoietin, oxygen supplementation, bicarbonate loading, carbohydrate loading, probiotics, prebiotics, antioxidants, microbes and health, whey concentrate, whey isolate, casein, arginine, beta-alanine, glutamine, and branched chain amino acids. The following are weight loss products: forskolin, fucoxanthin, green tea, chromium picolinate, conjugated linoleic acid, taurine, lecithin, leucine, capsaicins, and bitter orange.
Your first step is to choose the 15 topics and email me your list for approval. YES, you can choose topics from all THREE areas. Thank you.

TIPS on writing a research review:
For your research review I suggest you go with this approach.
1) Introduce the topic of interest with a 2-3 sentence introduction

2) Go through each study (one at a time) and present a DETAILED METHODS of each study. You will get a great deal of this content from the study ABSTRACT. Since this is a RESEARCH Internship, you need to Explain in more detail HOW the data was collected. HOW MANY subjects and anything unique about the subjects (i.e., how old they were or if they were low fit or high fit). WHAT did the subjects do? HOW were they trained or treated? Then, for EACH of your three Studies, you need to report the RESULTS and CONCLUSIONS of the study. Do this for each of the 3 studies for each topic.

3) Lastly, the LAST paragraph (2-3 sentences) is a BRIEF CONCLUSION. Laser Focus your thoughts on highlighting 'Your Major TAKE HOME findings.

For an example of Sample Reseach Summary and Table of Content Writing, CLICK HERE.

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