May 06, 2024
Editorial and media unit
A seminar lecture series was organized by the Department of Biological Sciences
from the 6th –7th of December, 2021 during the 2021/2022 academic Session to orientate the 400L students in the Department on the concept of research and report writing. This seminar series was conducted to prepare and groom the students in the field of research and to teach them the right way to write seminar reports. The lectures were delivered by members of staff in the Biological Sciences Department, with each lecturer focusing on specific areas of research and taking questions after each session.
The Ag. HOD of Biological Sciences, Dr. (Mrs) O.T. Kayode, opened the lecture series with the title, "Introduction to the Lecture Series: The Importance of Scientific Research". She eloquently explained the different definitions of research, the importance of research, the types of science research (basic science research, applied science research, translational research) and the 17 Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDGs). The second lecture on "Methods of Sourcing for Research Topics and How to Search and Download Scientific Jour-
nals" was delivered by Dr. G.E. Adebami. In this session, the students were taught how to search for quality research journals and how to download free and subscribed research papers using the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) number. He also gave all the participating students an assignment to open accounts on Google Scholar and Research Gate with their profile links submitted for verification.
A Cross section of the students receiving lectures on concept of research and report writing The third session, titled; "Writing the Statement of Problem, Justification, Aim, and Objectives," was taken by Dr. (Mrs) O.O. Ayodele. She explained that a research problem is a fundamental factor that must be considered when selecting a research topic. She also emphasized key components of a problem statement, definitions of research justification, as well as goals and objectives of scientific research. After this session, there was a 30-minute refreshment break, after which the fourth lecture was given by Dr. E.O. Fayemi on"How to Use Microsoft Word to Prepare Seminar and Project Work (Including: Page Numbering, Review
Menu, Referencing, Table Insertion, and Other Vital Information". The whole lecture was done practically using the interactive board, and students followed the teaching using their laptops. The fifth and final lecture for Day 1 was delivered by Professor G.O. Ajayi, a professor in the Biochemistry programme, titled: "How to Write Research Methodologies and Results." He
taught students about the different types of research methodology, how to write experimental research methodology and the basic things to consider when writing research methodology. On Day 2, the lecture series began with the lecture "Plagiarism and How to Avoid It" delivered by Mrs. I.O. Kolawole, a lecturer in the Biochemistry Programme. She taught the students about the different types of plagiarism and how to avoid each of them. The seventh lecture was delivered by Dr. (Mrs) O.R. Oyerinde on the topic”"How to Plan and Carry Out Benchwork". Shegave the students some pre-lab tips and explained the proper way to plan for research work.
The eight session was handled by Dr. (Mrs) C.I. Ayolabi on "How to Write and Publish Scientific Research". She highlighted the contents of a scientific research paper, its purpose, and the motivation for publishing research papers with examples of her own co-written publication. The ninth lecture, which was previously scheduled for Day 1, titled: "Introduction and Literature Review," was delivered by Dr. M.A. Abiala. He began by explaining the meaning of the words "Introduction" and "Literature Review." He also gave the students four critical steps towards writing a good report. The next lecture was given by Dr. G.B. Akanni, a lecturer in the Biotechnology programme, on "How to Write a Research Proposal and Apply for Research Fellowships." He explained to the students the importance of research proposals and how to get started, as well as the procedure for applying for research fellowships Mr. T.S. Ogunbiyi delivered thenext lecture on "How to Write an Abstract and Discussion." He taught the students how to write abstracts, discussions, and references, including the proper way to write references, including the referencing style used at Mountain Top University, which is the American Psychological Referencing (APA) Style. The next lecture was given by Dr. O.I. Ogunsuyi, a lecturer in the Biology Programme on "How to use MS Excel to plot research graphs and carry out some calculations."
The students were taught how to input data, organize data, and carry out calculations using Microsoft Excel. The whole lesson was carried out practically using the interactive board, and students were actively involved using their laptops.
The final session of the lecture series was taken by Dr.(Mrs) O.T. Kayode on the topic "Research Ethics".During this session, all the students were given refreshments, while the lecturers shared personal experiences of their publications in some notable publishing
outlets such as Elsevier, Springer, Taylor & Francis,Wiley, and other Scopus index journals. They explained to the students the importance of novelty andintegrity when it comes to research papers and publications. The Ag. HOD also gave room for some students to summarize all they have gained throughout the 2-day lecture series.