Guidelines for Written Assignments in Biology
for Dr. Peter King
Library Research Paper

Many of the term papers you are assigned in Biology will be library research papers. You are expected to find information from sources such as textbooks, scientific journals and possibly the internet, and report the relevant facts in a coherent informative manner.
This is not a creative English assignment and the style of writing must be appropriate for Biology. Structural elements are important and you should have at least an introduction, main body and conclusion although these need not be labeled as such.
It is important to remember the audience for whom you are writing. Assume the reader has the same general biology education as yourself. Do not use technical jargon found in a reference source that you do not understand. Avoid expressing your personal opinions unless it is relevant and backed up by other information.

Purpose of Assignment.
There are two main reasons for research papers.
1. To demonstrate knowledge about a particular topic
2. To gain experience in report writing

Your report will be judged on these two criteria and so your paper should demonstrate your ability to find relevant information from other sources, synthesize this material with your own previous knowledge and express your thoughts clearly.
Be careful of information gained through internet sources. Remember that anyone is able to make a web page and make it accessible to the public, so be selective in who you choose to use as an authority. Sites with a suffix .edu usually come from a university server but nevertheless not all this information is factual. Some may be opinion or just plain wrong. Scientific journals are generally reviewed by other scientists before being published and are more reliable.

Plagiarism
Beware of plagiarism i.e. the presentation of somebody else's work as your own. Direct quotes from another source must be acknowledged as such. Try and reorganize information that you find and express it in your own words that will be more appropriate to the reader.
For more detailed information on plagiarism see http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/plagiarism.html

Cite and Reference your sources
It is essential that you cite the sources of your information within the text of your essay and give full details of the reference at the end of the document. Read on for more details on acceptable ways to do this.

Documentation Style
The style for referencing sources varies greatly between disciplines. In english composition classes it is common to use the MLA (Modern Language Association) style and this may be the style you are most familiar with. However this is not appropriate for a biology essay. It is common in Biology to use the name-year system in the CBE (Council of Biology Editors) style. A detailed reference for CBE style can be found on the website of the Colorado State University Writing Center at http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/researchsources/documentation/cbe_citation/index.cfm. The CSU site can also be accessed from the FMU Writing Center site at http://www.fmarion.edu/academics/wcenter/ .
Examples of citation methods within the text are given below along with an example of a list of references in the Literature cited section that should appear at the end of the essay.

Internet sources and electronic media
To cite files available for viewing/downloading via the World Wide Web, give the author's name (if known), the document date if known, the full title of the work, the full http address, and the date of access (Nesbitt, 2001). A more complete guide to citing electronic media can be found on the Roger's Library website at http://libguides.fmarion.edu/citing .

Citation Examples
1. Hibernating Chrysemys picta reportedly had lower whole blood oxygen affinities than did summer-active animals and this was interpreted as the influence of organic phosphates (Maginniss et al., 1983).
2. Tucker (1966) found two different circulation patterns in a group of Iguana iguana indicated by differences in oxygenation of the blood in the right and left aortic arches.
3. Gregor Mendel was raised on a farm and had a keen interest in agriculture. His knowledge of mathematics combined with his interest in plant breeding led him to his hypotheses on inheritance (Starr and Taggart, 1995).

At the end of the report you should have a 'Literature cited' section listing the details of your references in alphabetical order by author. Only those references named in the text of your essay should be listed.

Nesbitt, Laurel. 2001. Electronic and Internet Sources. Available: http://writing.colostate.edu/references/sources/cbe/pop5c12.cfm. Accessed May 8, 2002

Maginniss, L. A., S. S. Tapper, and L. S. Miller. 1983. Effect of chronic cold and submergence on blood oxygen transport in the turtle, Chrysemys picta. Respiration Physiology, 53:15-29.

Starr, C. and R. Taggart. 1995. Biology, the Unity and Diversity of Life. Wadsworth, Belmont.

Tucker, V. A. 1966. Oxygen transport by the circulatory system of the green iguana (Iguana iguana) at different body temperatures. Journal of Experimental Biology, 44:77-92.

If you want additional assistance with your writing, I recommend you contact the FMU Writing Center. They have experienced writers who can help you address any of the aspects encountered in tackling a writing project. Even if you are a good writer they may be able to help you!!

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This page was created by Peter King. Please email any comments to pking@fmarion.edu.
Last edit October 3, 2007.

Copyright Peter King.