Biodiversity Crisis and Arctic Fox Endangerment Paper This assignment consists of two parts: Part I Biodiversity Topic Statement: submit the following to
Biodiversity Crisis and Arctic Fox Endangerment Paper This assignment consists of two parts:
Part I Biodiversity Topic Statement: submit the following to Canvas by 11:59 pm PST on the due date listed in your syllabus: {10 points
In this assignment state your intended topic that you will be addressing in your paper AND list at least three references (using complete and correct bibliographic citations in CSE Name Year Style, more info below). You will choose a threatened or endangered species to write a literature review paper on. You can do any endangered species, it does not have to be a mammal (think fish, amphibians, insects) and it doesnt need to be an animal! (Think plants and fungi too!). Lots of endangered species out there get creative!!! Please note: when choosing your topic, make sure that you are able to find enough scholarly articles to write your paper. Some species are more researched than others.
To find some inspiration check out http://www.iucnredlist.org (????????)???????? , http://www.fws.gov/endangered (????????)???????? , http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/index.html (????????)???????? . Topics that you may NOT do are: tigers, whales, pandas (red or giant), elephants, polar bears, rhinos, bluefin tuna, sea turtles, snow leopards, gorillas, chimpanzees, penguins, koala, monkeys, dolphins, sea lions, African Wild Dog, Amur Leopard, Black Footed Ferret, or California condors.
If your paper is written on an unapproved topic your will lose a minimum of 30 points from the final grade.
Part II Biodiversity Writing Assignment (Final Paper, 1500 Words): Submit this to Canvas by 11:59 pm PST on the due date listed in the syllabus. NO HARDCOPY IS NEEDED {100 points}
Below is detailed information that you will need to complete your 4-6 page, 1500 word paper on your chosen threatened or endangered species.
Purpose: One of the main purposes of this paper is for you to research data collected by other scientists and synthesize it into a coherent review of the information on your chosen topic. This paper is NOT an argument or opinion piece. A scientific paper presents facts and data in an unbiased, straightforward manner. Your paper should not be an argument for or against an issue and should not include personal information.
The purpose of this assignment is to:
Learn as much as you can about your topic.
Evaluate the benefits and pitfalls of using a combination of primary and secondary sources (references).
Draw conclusions as an informed member of society based upon your research.
Learn how to write a concise, grammatically correct, non-plagiarized review paper.
Writing Assignment: You must write a SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL STYLE paper on a species of your choosing that is currently being affect by biodiversity crisis. Please use the Short Guide to Writing About Biology, the CSE Name Year Style Guide and the information contained within this assignment as your guide.
This paper should be an example of your best efforts at written communication. Part of your grade will be based on form, style, and grammar, while the content of your report will carry the heaviest weight towards your grade. The length of the write-up should be 4-6 pages (please no more than 6 pages), a minimum of 1500 words (not counting citations), 12pt. times new roman or Arial font, double-spaced, and word processed (approx. 1500-2000 words).
FORMAT: You do not need to place these underline headers in your paper this is just to help you create your paper. No need for an abstract. No cover page needed.
Introduction: describe the topic, indicate the scope and give any history and/or background information that is appropriate. (Cite literature)
Body: Include current information/arguments drawn from a wide array of literature sources and text. Connect the issue to some aspect represented in the text (In other words what have you learned in the class that has enabled you to write on this issue). Develop your ideas sequentially. (Cite literature)
Conclusion/Discussion: Pull together the information and ideas to make a coherent picture. Give some idea of the importance of the topic and its role in its community (if applicable). Also, indicate what the future may hold. (Cite literature)
Literature Cited: Follow the form as given at the end of these instructions. Note: all scientific names are in italics!
For example, if we were doing our paper on tigers, it might look something like this:
Introduction: Introduce what the tiger is, where it is found, what it current status is (endangered/threatened?), how many are left in the world. (Cite literature)
Body: Why tigers are important to the health of the ecosystem, what has caused their decline, what is being done to help conserve the species (Cite literature)
Conclusion/Discussion: wrap up all points into a coherent closing; give ideas/hopes for the future (Cite literature)
Literature Cited: Follow the form as given at the end of these instructions.
Citations: Always give credit for ALL information you have gained from someone else. The only information that does not need to be cited is data generated by you personally or common knowledge. In science, direct quotes are seldom used. Instead, information is summarized and the sources cited. Citations occur within the text using the CSE Name Year format NOT as footnotes. This is an activity to gauge how well you can write, not how well a published author can write. Therefore, DO NOT PUT DIRECT QUOTES FROM YOUR SOURCES. You must REPHRASE the information you have gathered. You must cite all your sources both within the body of the paper AND at the end, in the literature cited section.
We will be using the CSE NAME YEAR style (or Council of Scientific Editors style) for all of our citations. You absolutely must use this style for your citations in this paper. You can find more detailed information on how to cite your references both within the body of your paper and at the end in your literature cited section by going to your course book, Write, Present, Create: Science Communication for Undergraduates (Cognella, 2015 First Edition)
Citing Your References in CSE Name-Year Style
You MUST Use this format for your Literature citations within text (use ONLY this format):
(Single Author) Alligator lizards are active during the day (Jones, 1984) while desert geckos are nocturnal (Smith, 1982).
(Two Authors) Alligator lizards are active during the day (Jones and Davis, 1984) while desert geckos are nocturnal (Smith and Kirk, 1982).
(More than 2 Authors) Alligator lizards are active during the day (Jones et al., 1984) while desert geckos are nocturnal (Smith et al., 1982).
(Websites) Alligator lizards are active during the day (worldwildlifefund.org, 2008) while desert geckos are nocturnal (nature.org, 2008).
If you have used a reference multiple times within the same paragraph, you may cite your reference at the end of the last sentence in your paragraph. Otherwise, cite your source at the end of the thought/idea of which you are using their information.
These references are then included more fully in the Literature Cited section at the end of your report, in the following format. If you have used the Latin abbreviation et al., (which is short for et alia, or and others) within the body of your paper you MUST spell out each authors name in the literature cited section.
Literature cited section: You MUST Use this format for your Literature Cited section (use ONLY this format; no extra information is needed). Each individual citation is single spaced with a double space separating individual citations. No hanging indents. All left justified. Alphabetized by last name of first author (or website). Do not include URL information for peer reviewed articles you retrieved from an online database.
To cite a peer reviewed journal article in CSE Name-Year Format:
Jones, V.W., and Patel, M. 1984. Activity periods of alligator lizards. Journal of Lizard Research. 34(2):182-189.
To cite a book in CSE Name-Year Format:
Smith, I.M., Barlow, T.K., and Jerome, M.M. 1982. The Life of the Gecko. College of the Desert Press, Tucson. 333pp.
To cite a website in CSE Name-Year Format:
World Health Organization. Malarial mortality in Africa. 3 July 2001. http://www.who.int/rbm/Presentations (????????)????????. [accessed 2003 May 5]
If you have used a reference multiple times within the same paragraph, you may cite your reference at the end of the last sentence in your paragraph. Otherwise, site your source at the end of the thought/idea of which you are using their information. These references are then included more fully in the Literature Cited section at the end of your report, in the following format. If you have used the Latin abbreviation et al., within the body of your paper you MUST spell out each authors name in the literature cited section.
You must have at least 10 reputable literature sources. Of these 10, you must have:
A minimum of 8 peer reviewed journals
A maximum of 2 can be from an online only website (no minimum requirement for websites)
A maximum of 2 books (no minimum requirement for books)
A maximum of 2 secondary literature resources such as magazines (no minimum requirement of secondary sources)
You MUST HAVE PRIMARY, PEER REVIEWED ARTCILES CITED IN YOUR PAPER. You may have NO Wikipedia resources! If you use multiple pages from a single website, it is still considered just one website-one source. When you access journals from the library through the internet, these are considered NON-WEB resources because they are simply electronic versions of hard copy papers that have been published in paper form elsewhere. Most libraries now store journal articles in electronic form. A web resource, is a website that does not exist in a published, printed format anywhere. If you access an electronic copy from a library database, treat it as a journal do not put any info on what database you accessed it from.
Grading: A copy of the grading rubric is available for you on Canvas.
Plagiarizing: It is critical for you to understand that when you summarize articles, you must put what you read into your own words. By failing to do this you are plagiarizing (in essence stealing another persons work) and will be penalized by receiving a zero on this assignment, putting you in danger of failing the course (NO exceptions)!Turnitin.com is a powerful tool that scans your paper for any unoriginal material, so please do not even think about turning in unoriginal work! All academic dishonesty events will be reported to the university.
Lastly, I am available during office hours or by appointment to discuss any ambiguities regarding this assignment. If you do not understand something contact me sooner rather than later in order to successfully complete this assignment.
***Please see the grading rubric available on our Canvas page for detailed grading information ***
All papers will be graded and feedback returned via Canvas
