BIOL 4398 Current Topics in Life Sciences Lecture 2 Review paper; Citations; Editing of drafts improves communication leads to a firmer understanding of your project

Literature review Introduction Main Body Conclusion Background Overview of field/research Thesis Main Body Covers key points of thesis Synthesize previous work, current understanding of topic, controversies, incorporate your own analysis Relate key points to thesis Conclusion Summarize and connect main points and thesis Significance of major supporting points Suggest future research Review of a current topic

Fact versus opinion A fact must be supported with a citation. An opinion should be clearly expressed as such. The data suggests… seem possibility

Citing sources Important! Cite often, but don’t over-do it Acknowledgement of ideas that are not yours. Shows you are well-read and knowledgeable about the topic. Cite often, but don’t over-do it Write in your own words; do not use quotes. Not always at the end of a sentence. Ethical and legal obligation to give others credit for what is theirs If an entire paragraph only uses 1 source, cite near the beginning and again near the end. Kim and colleagues (1976) demonstrated… in a list… If same authors have multiple papers in the same year, use a, b

Improving writing style Read good writing! Smooth transitions of sentences and paragraphs. Well-organized paragraphs with a topic sentence, followed by supporting sentences. KISS method Browse owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/ for grammar basics, punctuation, sentence structure, etc. Avoid long, involved sentences and overuse of polysyllabic words. Long, run-on sentences often obscure your meaning, and frequent use of cumbersome words reduces the readability of the paper. Check for excessive use of commas and conjunctions (“and,” “but,” “or”). These often connect clauses that can be more clearly separated into two or more sentences. supporting sentences provide an explanation and the evidence for your idea in the topic sentence Be concise and to the point, but explain your idea well

Revising Review the overall content, organization, flow of coherent ideas, consistency. work on improving articulating your main idea Polish your prose style. sentence sturcture, bad grammar, excessiveness, vagueness Proofread proper word usage, punctuation, spelling, other typos Focus on the important job of articulating and organizing your main ideas you may need to go back to some papers or find a few new ones. regoranize Examine individual paragraphs and sentences closely for clarity, accuracy and conciseness. thesis sentence, supporting sentences relevent and relate to thesis of the paragraph, transitions clarity of each sentence, watch for awkward sentences excessive use of particular words, passive voice it, its, theirs, they, them, those, this great info and examples in your book Inspect final form of the paper

Revising Allow plenty of time for revising. Save all versions of your draft. Backup. Read at least one draft on paper.