<p>I just had a quick question regarding my application to pton. As of now, I am pritty borderline for the school (I havent won USABO nor have I won Intel), and pton is my dream school. So, I am still vacilating on whether or not to send them a research abstract. This summer, I worked at my local med center for a doctor and ran PCRS, Gels, and ELISAs in order to compile data for her/our lab’s research. However, since I didnt really design the research, would it be wrong to send them an abstract containing my doctors findings?</p>
<p>yes it would be wrong, but if u play arnd with it, that can work out, can you say you were the apprentice ? or you helped him draft it or you shadowed him and that was the research you understood and worked on even though it was the more qualified doctors brain power?.. so to answer your question, it would be unethical, but if i were you, i will figure out a way to make it ethical.</p>
<p>Taking credit for the work of another is plagiarism. Be very careful about how you talk about this experience. It’s possible to tell them about your research without making it seem as if you are the one responsible for designing the experiment, etc.</p>
<p>Always think twice if it raises ethical questions. And if it does, there’s a good chance it is unethical. But I’d go more for the personal essay side of it.</p>
<p>BTW I assume you’re not the class of 2014, because the deadline on this has probably already passed.</p>
<p>Did YOU write the abstract? Are you actively involved in trying to answer the biological question, not just performing experiments at the random request of your supervisor?</p>
<p>Submitting an abstract is appropriate only if both conditions are met.</p>
<p>I submitted an abstract for my college apps! There is only ONE rule about this sort of thing: if you are listed as an author on whatever publication the abstract is a part of (or if it’s just the abstract by itself), then you can use it! It doesn’t matter if you wrote it yourself or if what you did to deserve it is trivial. If you are listed as an author, you are part owner of that intellectual contribution and can reference it on any application/resume from now until you die.</p>
<p>Everyone who said “don’t send it in” are either clueless about how scientific publications work or are just worried you’re going to take their spot.</p>
<p>Oh, and congratulations because sending in an abstract definitely helps. There’s nothing that shows you are more capable of scientific research than having a publication. </p>
<p>But if you aren’t listed as an author, it would be ethically/legally wrong to claim that work as your own. And it would be kind of ridiculous for you to submit someone else’s publication on your application.</p>
<p>^second what randombetch said. Only send in a research abstract if the research can be thought of as partially your own intellectual property. In any case, you probably wouldn’t want to send in an abstract to the admission office this late anyway… I was under the impression that most of the supplements are looked over by professors in the relevant academic departments rather than by the admission office, and I have a feeling that the bulk of those supplements are already forwarded to specific departments. I doubt an admission officer would be interested in reading something totally abstract and convoluted like those typical research abstracts. It would probably be more helpful and more accessible if you simply describe your work in a short essay or something. Just my thoughts.</p>
<p>“And regardless of the ethically issues, I’m not sure PCRs and gels are significant enough to even inform the admissions committee about.”</p>
<p>taking apart and cleaning machine guns looks complicated but any army dude can do it, not saying anything about their intelligence but they’d be working at jpl if they were geniuses</p>