TERM PAPER DIRECTIONS
BIO 103 HONORS, FALL 1998

NUMBER AND TOPIC SOURCE: Two papers, one during Part I and one during Part II of the course; topics of your choice relevant to the two parts of the course, subject to instructor approval.

STYLE: Literature Review type

FORMAT: Double space typed, 12 point font max, 1 inch margins

LENGTH: Minimum ten pages (excluding bibliography)

LITERATURE SOURCES: Minimum 10 primary research articles


CONTENTS:
Title
Introduction
Main body with specific subsection topic headings
Summary and Conclusions
Literature Cited

GRADING CRITERIA:
Appropriate scope
Coherent, focussed development of material
Clear, concise, and economical rhetoric
Correct terminology etc. for biological sciences
Basic grammar and spelling
Appropriate use of literature sources

DUE DATES:
Paper #1 (50 points)
Topic and title approval October 5
Final draft November 2

Paper #2 (50 points)
Topic and title approval November 16
Final Draft December 9

A paper that is submitted late will be discounted by 2% of its numerical grade for each day past due date (e.g. a paper worth 45 points in quality that is 10 days late would receive 45 minus 20% = 36)


Title Page:

TITLE
















TERM PAPER # ____
BIO 103
Student Name

Date due: __________________
Date received: _______________

REVIEW PAPERS

A scientific review paper is a critical synthesis of the recent and current research on a particular topic:



CHOOSING A TOPIC

The topic should be:

The first steps are:

1. Do general library browsing and reading of journals and general science magazines for broad topic
Sources:

  • General references (incl. textbooks etc)
  • Scientific abstracts and indexes

    General Science Index
    Biological and Agricultural Index
    Biological Abstracts
    Science Citation Index
    Current Contents

  • Bibliographies of major papers or books
  • Computer searches

    WSU Science & Engineering Library
    Worldwide Web


    • 2. Narrow down and focus topic to workable size
    3. Decide on scope and main objectives
    4. Compose a tentative title and outline



    TITLE
    For students, composing the title helps focus the work. For professionals, the title will be the most read aspect, and will be indexed by the electronic information media: must be accurate and informative; every word should be chosen with great care.

    Appropriate length

    The fewest possible words that adequately describe content
    -- at least 4 but not more than 8 to 12 words
    -- if more needed, use subtitle

    As specific as possible (= a useful label)

    Too broad: "Action of Antibiotics on Bacteria" (would require a book)
    Better: "Action of Streptomycin on Gram-Positive Bacteria"

    Too broad: "Gene Therapy"
    Better: "Gene Therapy in Cystic Fibrosis"

    Too broad: "Environmental chemicals and disease"
    Better: "Herbicides and Cancer"

    Use Precise syntax, and avoid abbreviations or jargon

    INTRODUCTION

    Breadth of topic coverage
    Time frame
    Type of studies

    Explain approach (sequence to be used), objectives and main point you plan to achieve

    MAIN BODY


    SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

    LITERATURE CITED
    List all references cited alphabetically by author (do not list references that you do not actually cite in body of the paper).
    Citation format (in body of paper):

    Option 1: cite as author and year, e.g.(Jones, et al. 1996)
    Option 2: cite by number (requires numbering references in Lit Cited section)

    Use of sources:
    Concentrate on primary research articles in addition to secondary review sources and books
    Take notes with a technique that will prevent accidental plagiarism


    PLAGIARISM

    "Plagiarism is the theft of someone else's words, work, or ideas" (McMillan, V.E., Writing Papers in the Biological Sciences, St. Martin's Press, 1988). Plagiarism is a very serious offense, nearly as bad as falsification or fabrication of research data. It can end a career, cause dismissal from school, or failure in a course.

    Forms of plagiarism:
    1. Turning a friend's paper in as your own
    2. Using others' data or ideas without acknowledgement
    3. Using an author's words without quotation marks and citation
    4. Using words very similar to the original source (e.g. key phrases or sentence structure) as entirely your own, with or without citation

    #1 and 2 are totally egregious and require no further comment.
    #3 and 4 often occur even when conscientious writers are not careful.

    To avoid 3 and 4, you must either
    - Use direct quotation of exact wording, with citation (but don't overuse)
    - Paraphrase or summarize adequately (without quotation marks), and still give citation

    To help avoid 3 and 4    ,
    - When taking notes from a literature source, identify your notes as to whether they are direct quotes or paraphrases.
    - Learn to paraphrase and summarize effectively.
    paraphrase - similar in length, but using different words & structure
    summary - shorter

    EXAMPLES OF PLAGIARISM VS. CORRECT CITATION

    Original passage:
    A very virulent isolate of Alternaria mali, the incitant of apple blotch, was found to produce two major host-specific toxins (HSTs) and five minor ones in liquid culture. (Taken verbatum from Kohmoto et al. 1976; see below).

    Plagiarized version:
    Entire sentence, or part of sentence, word for word.
    Example: Kohmoto (1976) reported that a very virulent isolate of Alternaria mali was found to produce two major host-specific toxins. (Citation is given, but too many exact words without quotation marks)

    Non-plagiarized versions:
    1. Correct direct quotation:
    As reported by Kohmoto (1976), "a very virulent isolate of Alternaria mali ... was found to produce two major host-specific toxins...."

    2. Correct paraphrase:
    Kohmoto (1976) isolated a virulent strain of Alternaria mali (which causes apple blotch), and found that liquid cultures produced two major and five minor host-specific toxins.

    [NOTE: this reference would appear in the bibliography as Kohmoto et al. 1976. Host-specific toxins in     apple blotch isolates. Physiol. Plant Pathol. 8:141-153]


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