AP Biology is primarily a theory course. That is to say, most of the material students learn in the course is based on macro and micro biology theories, including the theory of evolution, cell theory and punctuated equilibrium theory. Research projects on these topics might consult peer-reviewed biology journals, such as "Biology Theory" or "Annual Review of Microbiology," to arrive at research findings on a narrow topic. For example, a student could use an issue of the "Annual Review of Microbiology" to present up-to-date research on topics in the AP Biology cellular reproduction unit.
Field work can be applied to AP Biology material in a real world context. For example, AP Biology students could collect data on insects or plants in parks near their town, and analyze that data in terms of AP Biology ecosystem material to arrive at conclusions about the biodiversity in local parks. Field work can also use data from the wilderness and from bodies of water.
Lab work is a necessary component of AP Biology curriculum. As part of their course work, AP Biology students must conduct laboratory experiments and write reports on their findings. For example, an AP Biology student might perform an experiment with several plants of one species grown in differently fertilized media and use the resultant data to present a research report on the effectiveness of each fertilizer type.
Ambitious AP Biology students may opt to do interdisciplinary work as part of their research project. Because AP Biology is such an advanced course, students in the class are frequently given the option of taking on creative or innovative term projects. Since biology is a highly interdisciplinary field, with connections in chemistry, engineering, medicine and physics, interdisciplinary projects are a natural choice for ambitious biology students. An interdisciplinary research project could look at new developments in medicine, biotechnology or biochemistry. For example, a research project could review articles in the "Molecular Medicine" journal and use the findings to show how AP Biology molecular concepts are applied to save lives.