UMUC BIO495 ASSIGNMENT 4-SWOT Analysis-Identifying Research Challenges and Opportunities

ASSIGNMENT 4 – SWOT Analysis: Identifying Research
Challenges and Opportunities (100
points/10%)
Addresses Course Outcomes 1, 2, 3 and 4:
? Interpret and critically analyze primary scientific
literature to assess the validity and reliability of
scientific results and evaluate the conclusions drawn from
these data
? Demonstrate proficiency in scientific principles,
techniques and applications in the life sciences
to evaluate experimental design and determine compliance
with standards of protocol and ethical
practice
? Effectively communicate scientific principles, concepts,
methods, and research findings based on
critical analysis of primary literature, industry reports,
and other life sciences resources
? Pose vital and relevant scientific questions to identify
problems, challenges, and opportunities for
the development of innovative products and services in the
life sciences
Recall from last week’s critical analysis assignment that
assessing the authenticity of the research findings
by careful critical analysis serves to broaden the
understanding of the subject matter, and provide a
background for conducting further study. This week you will
apply your ability to read and critically
analyze primary scientific literature to identifying future
research challenges and opportunities.
For this assignment, you will use the same primary article A
that was assigned by your instructor. You will
analyze the article for its innovative potential in one of
three areas:
1) development of a new research
2) development of a new product
3) development of a new service
To accomplish this task, you will apply a simple technique
called a SWOT analysis. SWOT represents
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Although
at first glance the SWOT analysis seems more
fitting for a business course, its application in
biotechnology is very valuable. Many start-up companies or
new products and services in the life sciences are initiated
by researchers who recognize challenges and
opportunities to investigate complex phenomena and, in the
process, make new discoveries, encounter
seemingly insurmountable technical problems, or recognize an
opportunity to serve other industries. This
process is often based on the observations gleaned from
primary scientific literature.
Read
Primary Article A
Use the resources listed below to help you choose a specific
area of interest for the opportunities
section of the assignment:
Career Trends
http://www.nhscareers.nhs…./explore-by-career/healthcare-science/careers-inhealthcare-science/careers-in-life-sciences/
http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/explore-by-who-you-are/undergraduates-andrecent-graduates/
http://www.nature…./scitable/ebooks/guide-to-life-science-careers-14053951
OR
http://www.nature…./scitable/ebooks/guide-to-life-science-careers-
14053951/contents
http://www.nature…./naturejobs/science/articles/10.1038/nj7393-277a
Service Trends
http://www.lifesciencepatents.nl/en/
http://lifesciencesadvisory…./services
http://www.indeed.com/q-Technology-Transfer-jobs.html
http://www.federallabs…./employment/
Technology Trends
www.bio….
http://www.biotech-now…./
https://www.youtube…./watch?v=ptqPJGTsIoM Future
Technologies That Will
Change the World
http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/life-science-chemicalbiotech-instrumentation-market-38.html
http://aami-bit…./loi/bmit OR
https://www.mhealthevidence…./journaltitle/biomedical-instrumentation-technology-association-advancement-medicalinstrumentation
http://www.unboundmedicine…./medline/journal/Biomedical_instrumentation
technology
http://www.biotechmedia…./y2001-ed-bit.html
The SWOT analysis resources
http://www.whatmakesagoodleader…./swot_analysis_template.html
http://www.hhmi.org/programs/resources-early-career-scientist-development
THE ASSIGNMENT
Please address each of the following items. Label each
section of your paper according to the labels
A-C below.
A. Introduction (10 points)
1. Summarize the research in primary article A (3-5
sentences) (5)
2. Select one of the conventional features from the article
(application, method, materials, etc.) used to
address the research
question and describe it in detail. (5)
B. SWOT Analysis (55 points)
Strengths (10)
Explain in detail the ways in which the feature you chose
was innovative and creative.
Weaknesses (10)
Explain in detail the ways in which the feature you chose
could have been approached more
innovatively and creatively.
Opportunities (25)
1) Think of how the feature you chose could lead to the
development of innovative research, an
innovative product,
or an innovative service. (5)
2) Explain the rationale for your choice of innovation. (5)
3) Examine a similar/related application (research, product,
or service) of your chosen feature in
two additional recent
primary journal articles (be sure to cite the resources) (15)
1. Provide a short description of the use of comparable
components in the other two
recent journal
articles.
2. Compare the use of the chosen innovation in the two
articles by explaining which
researchers were more
effective in their use of the application,
method, material, or
feature.
3. What are some approaches that could be improved or
implemented to help this
application, method, material, or feature move farther
along? Approaches might
include new technical instrumentation, collaboration,
bioservices, funding, etc.
Threats (10 points)
1. After comparing the three articles, use what you have
noticed from reviewing this research to
explain whether you
believe the development of the application, method, material, or feature
you have chosen into
new research, a new product, or a new service is a very competitive
research area. (5)
2. After reviewing and analyzing these papers, what do you
regard as the biggest threat to the
future of the new
research, new product or new service for the application? (5)
C. References (15 points)
A. Include in-text references where appropriate (5)
B. Cite all references (5)
C. Use APA-style references (5)
NB: If no references are cited, you will receive a grade of
zero (0) for this assignment
D. Grammar (10 points)
Spelling, punctuation, capitalization, sentence
construction, and paragraph construction will be
considered in the grading of this assignment.
E. Paper format (10 points)
A. Title page: Name, Course Name and Number, Instructor
Name, Paper Title, Due Date (5)
B. Sections of paper properly labelled (1)
C. Type double-spaced, 11-point,Times New Roman font paper
with 1-inch margins (2)
D. 3-5 pages (not including title page and reference page)
(2)
Please submit your paper as a Word document to your
assignment folder.
GRADING RUBRIC
How completely and thoroughly questions are addressed – (65
points)
References – (15 points)
Grammar – (10 points)
Format – (10 points)