My next steps in planning, researching and deadlines that I will set myself. What I intend to do, by when, what resources I will use and how I will implement the recommendations of the centre co-ordinator (where appropriate). Initially, my plan proposes gathering and analysing all the relevant sources which will later aid me in the development of my report and will provide me with the background knowledge required to write the essay.
I am planning to read a book called ‘Designer Babies: Where Should We Draw the Line?’ in order to increase my depth of knowledge on the topic of preimplantation diagnosis which will subsequently help me write my 5000 word report. I also intend to study a variety of different intellectual articles, documentaries ,web resources and podcasts, which will ensure I am knowledgeable about the research and exploration that has already gone into my subject matter. Additionally, I want to analyse primary sources as well as secondary sources. Therefore, I aspire to create and conduct out a survey to individuals of different ages which I believe will allow me to see different perspectives on the usage of preimplantation diagnosis. I plan to finish all my research and preparations for my essay by the end of February.
Upon completion of my research, I hope to start writing my essay by the beginning of March and finish it by June. Prior to writing my essay, I will plan my essay out and briefly outline what each paragraph will be about. My summary of the comments and advice from my supervisor My supervisor advised me to set both soft and hard deadlines(depending on the task) in order to keep organised and ensure that I keep to my schedule. He also stated that my I should set realistic dates bearing in mind all the challenges and obstacles that I might have to tackle. Other advice that I received from my supervisor was to keep my deadlines in a table or any other format where I could easily track what tasks I have done and what tasks I need to do before a particular date. Also, my supervisor mentioned that it was important that I check my sources are reliable and the sites I use to collect information are trustworthy. Modifications I have made as a result of my discussion with my supervisor and/or the comments from my centre coordinator As a result of the advice given by my supervisor, I decided to set more specific dates that I needed to complete certain tasks by.
For example, I have made the decision to complete all my research by February the 24th and start on my essay by March the 5th. Although I initially had the intention to finish my essay in June, I realised that this could not be realistically feasible due to time restrictions as I knew my end of year exams were in May and I would not be able to spend a vast amount of time on my EPQ project. Therefore, I have re-evaluated this deadline and I came to the conclusion that I should finish my essay by July the 20th . Upon reflection on the feedback given by my supervisor, I have split my tasks into smaller sections and set hard deadlines for each task. For example, I have decided to write my introduction paragraph by March the 30th and my second paragraph by April the 30th and third paragraph May the 30th . I also decided to make a research diary on ‘Microsoft Excel’ including the tasks I need to do, the date it needs to be completed by and actions to happen next.
I have also considered using Gantt charts which will help me coordinate and illustrate the expected completion dates of specific tasks. I believe this is beneficial as it will enable me to manage my time effectively and also push me to finish certain tasks within a time limit. As a result of my supervisor’s comment on the importance of checking the reliability of my sources, I decided to cross-reference all my sources and ensure all the information I use is accurate. Additionally, I have decided to not use websites such as Wikipedia as I know this site can be edited by anonymous users and the information will not always be precise.
