Environmental & Evolutionary Health -- Research Paper


RESEARCH SUMMARY AND LITERATURE CITED

Assignment: Each student will be required to do a short summary of a topic relevant to environmental and evolutionary health of their own choosing. You should be able to get good ideas for a topic from your textbook, readings, lectures, or from the web. Be sure to pick a topic that you are interested in. I suggest you discuss your choice of topic with me before investing substantial time. The final product will be a three to four page (typed, double-spaced) summary paper plus an associated literature cited. The grade will be determined by the depth of research, the degree to which the student goes beyond what was lectured about in class, the quality and recentness of the references, the quality of writing, and the integration and understanding shown in the summary – this is a short assignment – the emphasis is on quality, not quanity. Do not simply repeat what you heard in class---in your paper and in your oral presentation your goal should be "to add to the conversation of the course"---in other words, add information that was not previously covered.

The paper should have a title, a brief introductory/thesis paragraph that indicates what the paper will cover, a number of paragraphs developing relevant ideas, and a brief conclusion/summary paragraph. The paper should be followed by a literature cited/references section in the same format as the literature cited section of your textbook. The purpose of this paper is not for you to produce a lengthy tome; rather it is for you to learn about doing research on a specific topic and effectively writing about and summarizing the information. Indicate in your literature cited how you found each reference (e.g., internet, bibliography of another paper, textbook, etc.). You should have at least eight references including at least three original research articles from scientific journals (there are huge numbers of such papers available on-line). Articles in sources such as Discover, Scientific American, blog posts, etc. are usually summaries, not presentations of original research. You may also include other articles (that are not "original research articles") from science magazines, the internet, books, blogs, summaries, or more general reference works in addition to your three original research articles. An "original research article" is a report in which the authors present new data and conclusions based on those data. Often, articles that are behind a paywall online can be found for free using the online resources provided by the Austin College Abell Library – if you do not know how to use these resources, please ask.

All information included in your paper must be cited. The citation of references and the format of your literature cited must follow the style used in your textbook ("in note" style). Your title, a typed short paragraph outlining the topic, and a list of at least three references are due at class time on Wednesday, 22 March. The assignment is due at class time on Wednesday, 24 April. Print out and staple a physical copy of this page to the front of your paper prior to handing it in. During one of the last class sessions you will give a ten minute oral powerpoint presentation of your topic to the class. The goal of your oral presentation should be to effectively communicate important information about your topic to your classmates in an articulate, organized, and engaging way.

Additional hints: Clearly state your thesis/introduction; back up all points and make sure they relate to your thesis; carefully cite your sources; make sure your content is appropriate; present a clear summary; use the correct format; check grammer and clearness of writing; do not use contractions; proofread your paper.

STUDENT ______________________________

GRADE ________________________________


1. Literature Cited (depth of research; topic covered adequately; number and diversity of appropriate references) _________

2. Recentness of references ______________________________________

3. Extent to which the research goes beyond what was presented in course material _______

4. Source of refererenes clearly indicated in literature cited ____________

5. Integration and understanding shown _____________________

6. Correct format (references, lit. cited, length, typed, proofed, etc.) ____________________________


COMMENTS: