BIOL 21 Environment, Ethics, and Human Health RESEARCH PAPER INSTRUCTIONS Compiled by Allison Harness with assistance from Dr. Goldman (SFSU), Biological Sciences Dept., Monash U, and Purdue OWL DUE DATES: September 14: InfoPower Tutorial and Quiz & Plagiarism Tutorial and Quiz September 14: Research topic proposal due on Canvas (up to 25 points) October 12: rough draft due on ETS Criterion (20 points; credit/no credit) November 9: final draft due on Canvas (up to 100 points) NOTE: Canvas works well with .doc, .docx, OR .pdf documents. If you are using .pages or ‘Google docs’, please convert to .doc, .docx, OR .pdf before submitting or I will not be able to read your assignment and you will receive a score of zero. When converting from .pages or Google docs, watch for and fix formatting changes before submitting. Don’t lose these easy points. GENERAL: Our goal in setting an essay as part of your assessment is for you to learn to obtain information from the scientific literature, to synthesize information from diverse sources, to use it to critically evaluate and discuss arguments or ideas, and then communicate these to the reader. This document gives guidelines and helpful hints for your research paper. Please be sure to ask if you have any questions. Also, be sure to follow the grading rubric at the end of this document to get the best score possible on your paper. Most scientific communication is through published papers. Communication is the cornerstone of any career, therefore, it is important that you learn to communicate effectively by the written word. Developing an ability to communicate ideas on paper is a crucial part of your education. As with all English writing, a scientific essay should be clear, concise, pertinent and written with accuracy of facts. Expectations of a scientific essay are very different from a standard English assignment. Firstly, you are expected to make your own search of the literature, using primary literature published in scientific journals. This is a time-consuming task and we urge you to start as soon as possible after you have decided your topic and have completed the tutorial on techniques for searching the library database for suitable journal articles. Here is a link to a video you might find useful that discusses a quick way to read a scholarly journal article: How To Read A Scholarly Journal Article (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEVftUdfKtQ) WRITING PROMPT FOR YOUR RESEARCH PAPER: Many issues affect the environment such as pollution, global warming, disease, and resource availability. These issues are not isolated or stopped by some boundaries drawn on a map and all can have a direct effect on human health. For this assignment, you will write your paper based on topics that look at environmental issues and their impact on human health with a global scope. STRUCTURE: The topic of your research paper should be of interest to you and of scientific relevance to the course. You want to synthesize ideas that are in the literature, not “rehash” the information. Your essay should be focused on a central point. Keep in mind that the more focused your research topic or question is, the easier it will be to identify relevant information to present in your paper. YOUR ESSASY MUST BE: • • • • • • • 5-7 typed, double-spaced pages (excluding cover page and reference page) on standard-sized paper (8.5”x11”) with 1” margins on all sides; be sure to number the pages. o minimum 1500 words – maximum 2000 words (excluding: cover page, in-text citations, and references page(s)) o Under the minimum and over the maximum word count will result in point deductions. Use a clear font that is highly readable; we recommend using 12 pt. Times New Roman or Calibri font. Informational Sources: o You must use a minimum of 5 primary journal articles published 2006 or later (more recent). o You may also use a combination of: reputable web sites (e.g. .gov, .org)(maximum of 3), reviews, and other sources, but must meet the minimum of 5 primary journal articles requirement first. ▪ Points will be lost for using secondary and tertiary sources without first meeting the minimum 5 primary journal articles requirement. o There is no min/max for books Include a cover page that lists a unique and original title of your essay, your name, class and San Jose State University Your writing must be in complete sentences, written clearly and concisely, and easily understood. NO DIRECT QUOTES. Paraphrase all information and be sure to cite your sources. Do not use personal bias – do not include “I”, “Me”, or “My” statements. • • • • • • Write in a scientific, professional tone. Do not use slang and do not use a conversational or argumentative tone. Use research facts and data to support all of your main points. Do not include information that can’t be supported by scientific facts and data. Standard grammar and spelling rules apply. Make sure that every paragraph has a clear topic sentence and that the paragraph content supports the topic. No images (pictures, graphs, or tables). Use APA format for in-text citations and reference page only. o Do not include a running header – this format is for citations and references only o Some examples are provided in Part B near the end of this document. o You can also find instructions and examples at the Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL): https://owl.english.purdue.edu/ Your ideas will have little impact, no matter how good the research, if they are not communicated well. Remember that scientific terminology very often has precise meaning. Be certain you choose your words correctly and wisely. (The dictionary and thesaurus will be your best friends) NOTE: You will be penalized for departing from the length, format, and referencing style requested (see grading rubric at the end of these instructions). Note that the penalties assessed for inappropriate topic, length, format, grammar, referencing, etc., are substantial and there is no reason for anyone to lose any of those points. LATE PAPERS: papers received on Canvas up to three days after the due date will be penalized 10 points per day (the weekend counts as one day whether it is Saturday or Sunday). Papers received more than 3 days after the due date (Tuesday at 11:59pm) will not be accepted and will receive a zero for the grade. NO EXCEPTIONS. ORGANIZATION: An essay should introduce the topic, discuss it, and lead to a conclusion. Your paper will be a review of scientific literature. Scientific essays may conveniently be divided into four parts to aid the logical communication of facts and ideas. These four parts may be separated as follows: NOTE: DO NOT list the headings (i.e. Introduction, body, conclusion) in your essay 1. Introduction An introduction is used to define the scope of the essay and to give background information necessary for the discussion of the topic. It should be brief (no more than about one-tenth of the essay length). It should include the following. (A) Background: - A brief overview of relevant introductory information to a topic which serves to place that topic in context for the reader. Depending on the topic, it may also be necessary to define important technical terms, or special uses of words. (B) Thesis statement: - A statement of your interpretation of the topic (that explains how you intend to cover it). 2. Body This should be the bulk of your paper. In this section, the logical development of the subject matter must be made apparent to the reader. It should include a description of research studies undertaken on your topic, including what question the researchers were asking, what was done, and what the researchers discovered. We do not want long descriptions of a topic, but your analysis of the topic. This means that we expect you to read widely about the topic, and to select the best references. Be sure to include in-text citations to give credit for any facts or ideas that are not your own (unless of course they are commonly used and accepted). Make sure you understand the tutorial on plagiarism. If you knowingly OR unknowingly plagiarize, you will receive a score of zero for the assignment and be reported to the Office of Judicial Affairs for violating the University Academic Integrity Policy: Academic Integrity (http://www.sjsu.edu/gup/syllabusinfo/#AcademicIntegrity) 3. Conclusion The conclusion should: (1) Integrate the major points presented in the body of the essay. (2) Provide a summary. It may also suggest additional questions or research areas that might provide the answers to unsolved problems. The conclusion is usually around one-tenth of the essay's length. 4. References For the purpose of this assignment, we will use the standard APA format for in-text citations and the reference page. The following examples in Part B should guide you through most referencing situations. PART B: How to use in-text citations: In-Text Citations: Author/Authors (https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/03/) In other disciplines, foot-notes are often used. However, this is less common in biology and should be avoided in work submitted in this course. A one author paper should be cited in the text as (last name, date) A paper with two authors should be cited as (last name & last name, date) A paper with three or more authors should be cited as (first author last name et al., date). If the information comes from more than one paper each citation is divided with a semicolon. If possible, cite an electronic document the same as any other document by using the author-date style. Here are some examples of how references can be cited in the text of your essay: Furthermore, the easiest way to justify land ownership is by converting the forest to agriculture uses, mainly pasture that is less costly than by establishing cash crops (Hecht, 1993; Margulis, 2004). Thus, extensive cattle ranching is the most common livestock production system under cheaply available land and scarcity of capital and labor (Kaimowitz, 1995). In this context, the government has not been able to enforce environmental law that mandates that 80% of each property be set aside as legal forest reserves (Alencar et al., 2004; Mueller & Alston, 2007). Note that the citations are in the sentence. They are not after the sentence, that is, not after the period. If similar information comes from multiple papers, they should all be cited in chronological order. If multiple papers are cited from the same year put them in alphabetical order. How to write your reference list: Your reference list should appear at the end of your paper. It provides the information necessary for a reader to locate any source you cite in the body of the paper. Each source you cite in the paper must appear in your reference list; likewise, each entry in the reference list must be cited in your text. Your references should begin on a new page separate from the text of the essay; label this page "References" centered at the top of the page (DO NOT bold, underline, or use quotation marks for the title). All text should be double-spaced just like the rest of your essay. For proper formatting, see Reference List: Basic Rules (https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/05/) on the Purdue OWL website. Below are examples of formatting a reference list. These examples do not cover all types of references. Please visit the OWL Purdue site for additional information. Articles in Periodicals (https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/07/) APA style dictates that authors are named last name followed by initials; publication year goes between parentheses, followed by a period. The title of the article is in sentence-case, meaning only the first word and proper nouns in the title are capitalized. The periodical title is run in title case, and is followed by the volume number which, with the title, is also italicized. If a DOI has been assigned to the article that you are using, you should include this after the page numbers for the article. If no DOI has been assigned and you are accessing the periodical online, use the URL of the website from which you are retrieving the periodical. One author: cited in text as (author last name, date) Harlow, H. F. (1983). Fundamentals for preparing psychology journal articles. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 55, 893-896. Two authors: cited in text as (author last name & author last name, date) Stover, L.E., & Partridge, A.D. (1973) Tertiary and Late Cretaceous spores and pollen from the Gippsland Basin, south-eastern Australia. Proceedings Royal Society Victoria, 85, 237-286. Many authors: cited in text as (first author last name et al., date). Please note here that although the abbreviation et al. is used for three or more authors in the in-text citation, the names of all the authors of a publication must appear in the reference list e.g. the reference below would be cited in your essay as (Coding et al., 1987) but written in your reference list in the following format: Coding, J.R., Catt, K.T., Brown, J.M., Kaltenback, C.C., Cumming, I.A., & Mole, B.J. (1987) Radioimmunoassay for ovine luteinizing hormone. Secretion of luteinizing hormone during estrus and following estrogen administration in the sheep. Endocrinology, 85, 133-142. Article From an Online Periodical with DOI Assigned (https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/10/) Because online materials can potentially change URLs, APA recommends providing a Digital Object Identifier (DOI), when it is available, as opposed to the URL. DOIs are an attempt to provide stable, long-lasting links for online articles. They are unique to their documents and consist of a long alphanumeric code. Many-but not all-publishers will provide an article's DOI on the first page of the document. Brownlie, D. (2007) Toward effective poster presentations: An annotated bibliography. European Journal of Marketing, 41, 1245-1283. doi:10.1108/03090560710821161 OTHER TIPS • • • • • • • • Pick a topic that truly interests you. You will spend a lot of time reading and writing about this subject, and it shouldn’t be a painful experience. Do not say "prove" or "disprove" regarding your hypothesis. Say "reject" or "fail to reject" or "support." (Because that’s how science works!) Writing style: Use active voice. Each paragraph should have a topic sentence. Eliminate nonsense phrases. Example: "It is the purpose of this experiment to…" can be shortened to "This study shows…" (among other things). Eliminate statements such as "it is clear that." Be direct and to the point. In general, avoid abbreviations. For example, use laboratory, not lab, and mathematics, not math. The first time you use an acronym, write out what it stands for and put the acronym in parentheses, for example: Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD). After that you can use the acronym. World Wide Web: Citing information from the World Wide Web in your paper is NOT appropriate in almost all instances. If you feel you can justify use of the WWW, please come see me and we will discuss it individually. Electronic Indexes: Google Scholar, Web of Science, BIOSIS (and Biological Abstracts), and Geobase are the most useful indexes for searching the ecological literature. VERY IMPORTANT: Evidence of plagiarism or academic dishonesty will result in a failing grade and a letter to this effect in your student file. It’s not worth it! I WILL CHECK YOUR SOURCES. I have had problems with this in the past and will not tolerate it. Plagiarism is deliberately handing in another person's work as your own. It may be the work of a classmate, work that you previously submitted to a class, a scientist whose work you read while researching a topic, or something you pulled off the internet. Paraphrasing consists of expressing what an author is saying in your own words. In this case you should include reference to the author you paraphrase to indicate that the ideas are someone else's and not yours. If you are not clear about the differences between scholarly citation, collaboration and paraphrasing, please see me or consult the resources available at I Need Help Avoiding Plagiarism (http://library.sjsu.edu/startyour-research/i-need-help-avoiding-plagiarism). RESEARCH PAPER GRADING RUBRIC How we use this rubric: For Excellent, Above Average, Average and Below Average quality: if you FULLY meet ALL of the criteria in a cell you get the points for that cell, otherwise you will get points for the cell below. Graders have the ability to grade points up or down. Format & Grammar An excellent “A” paper has… Content & Organization 0-1 grammatical mistakes. Title page with original, well thought out title. 0-1 spelling errors. Paper is well thought out with an introduction and conclusion. Demonstrates control of language, including appropriate word choice and sentence variety. 1500-2000 words. Body of essay is very logically organized and written; each paragraph is a complete paragraph, i.e., a minimal of 3 sentences; ideas are connected with clear transitions. Facts presented are relevant to the essay. 36-40 POINTS 27-30 POINTS 2-3 grammatical Title page with decent title. mistakes. Introduction or conclusion moderately 2-3 spelling errors. developed. An above average “B” paper has… Demonstrates control of language, including appropriate word choice and sentence variety. Body of paper is fairly logically organized and written; each paragraph is a complete paragraph, i.e., a minimal of 3 sentences; ideas are connected with some transitions. Facts presented are relevant to the essay 1400-1499 words. 24-26 POINTS 32-35 POINTS Comprehension Uses 5 primary peerreviewed journal articles. Accurately presents and integrates current research findings/data. All 5 studies are discussed within the text. All literature is correctly cited within the text and in the Reference page. 27-30 POINTS Uses 4 primary peerreviewed journal articles. Accurately presents current research findings/data and attempts to integrate results from research. All literature is correctly cited within the text and the Reference page. 24-26 POINTS 4-5 grammatical mistakes. 4-5 spelling errors. An average paper “C” has… Title page with decent title. Introduction or conclusion weakly developed. Demonstrates minimal Body of paper is moderately organized and control of language; written; most paragraphs are complete little sentence variety. paragraphs, i.e., more than 3 sentences; ideas are connected with some transitions. 1300-1399 words. Most facts presented are relevant to the essay. Uses 3 primary peerreviewed journal articles. Provides moderately strong, convincing support or evidence from research but does not integrate results from research. Uses direct quotes. Literature is not correctly cited within the text and/or the Reference page. A below average “D” paper has… 21-23 POINTS 28-31 POINTS 6-7 grammatical No title page. mistakes. Introduction or conclusion not present. 6-7 spelling errors. Body of paper is poorly organized and Has poor control of written; paragraphs are incomplete language, including paragraph, i.e., less than 3 sentences; ideas appropriate word are somewhat connected with some choice and poor transitions. sentence structure. Facts presented are somewhat irrelevant to Includes “I”, “Me”, or the essay. “My” statements and/or uses slang. 21-23 POINTS Uses only 1-2 primary peer-reviewed journal articles. 750-1299 words. Literature is not correctly cited within the text or the Reference page. 18-20 POINTS An unacceptable “F” paper has… 24-27 POINTS 8+ grammatical mistakes and spelling errors. No title page. Has no control of language, including appropriate word choice and poor sentence structure and variety. Body of paper is unorganized and poorly written; paragraphs are incomplete paragraph, i.e., less than 3 sentences; ideas are not connected with transitions. Includes “I”, “Me”, or “My” statements and/or uses slang. Less than 750 words. 0-17 POINTS Introduction and conclusion not present. Facts presented are irrelevant to the essay. Provides moderate support or evidence from research. Uses direct quotes. No comparison made between developed/developing nations. 18-20 POINTS Only uses personal opinion/non-scholarly sources, and/or web pages. Uses direct quotes. No comparison made between developed/developing nations. Literature is not correctly cited within the text or the Reference page. 0-23 POINTS 0-17 POINTS
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