II. The Assignment

The term paper is an original report on your chosen or assigned research topic. This report will

• be typed and double-spaced in Courier 12-point or equivalent font.
  

• include a
  title page
  abstract
  a text of ten pages
  at least one supporting figure
  make use of and cite a minimum of five sources.
  

• conform in format to these standards listed below:

III. Requirements and Standards

A. Title Page

B. Abstract

C. The Body of the Paper

D. Figures and Tables

E. Citations and Literature Cited.

F. The Most Common Error

A. Title Page

The title page is not part of the assigned page count.

Students are allowed some latitude on the title page as to the style and size of the font.

The title page should include

• the title of the paper
  
• the author's name
  
• the course for which the paper is written,
  
• the term and date submitted
  

COMMON PROBLEMS AND ERRORS FOR TITLE PAGES

Missing information (not giving your name, not identifying the course for which the paper was written, not identifying the term and date of submission.

B. Abstract

The abstract is not part of the assigned page count.

An abstract is a one-page summary of the information in the report or paper.

The abstract should begin with the title of the paper.

An abstract is a boiled-down version of the entire paper in 100-300 words.

A good abstract is not the same as an introduction. A good abstract delivers the rationale, method, main facts and important conclusions of the paper in concise form.

Eighty plants of Sarracenia minor Walt. from Alachua County, Florida, were examined for insect prey and living insect associates. Leaf damage by the noctuid moth Exyra semicrocea (Guenee) had rendered two-thirdsof the leaves non-functional and young larvae were present in 22.5% of the remaining functional leaves. larvae f the sarcophagid Blaexoxipha jonesi (Aldritch) wree present in 64% of the functional leaves and were estimated to consume as much as 50% of the insect prey captured by the leaves. Nests of the sphecid wasp Isodontia Mexicana (Saussure) prevented insect cature in an additional 2.5% of the functional leaves. Over 90% of the insecs captured by the leaves were ants, indicating that S. minor may be specialized in securing it's insect prey.

COMMON PROBLEMS AND ERRORS FOR ABSTRACTS

Not including the title on the abstract page.

Using the abstract as the introduction of the paper.

Writing in generalizations and not including all important specific information in the abstract.

Introducing facts or conclusions in the abstract that you did not deal with in the paper itself.

These pages make up the assigned page count.

• The first page of the body should be headed by the TITLE of the paper, followed by the first heading.

• Title and headings should be centered, underlined, double-spaced below and triple-spaced above. Please note that double-spaced means TWO SPACES. If your word processor is set for double-spaced text and you hit the return bar twice, you have just quadruple-spaced instead of double-spacing.
  

• Paragraphs should be indented 5 spaces.
  

• The text should be double-spaced.
  

• Top, bottom, left, and right margins should be one inch.
  

• You should set page breaks so that the pagination of your document is proper. Try not to orphan the first few sentences of new paragraphs or headings on the bottom of a page. Set a page break and start fresh on the next page.
  

• You should cite a source for each fact or idea introduced in your paper, using the form (Author's last name /Year) (Smith 1960). Each of these cited sources should be listed in the Literature Cited section of the paper

Incorrect margins and spacing.

Not paying attention to basic good writing skills: confused organization, poorly constructed paragraphs.

Not properly citing sources for each and every fact and idea not your own original work...see Plagiarism.

In a research report, mixing content between the sections, for example introducing new facts in the discussion section instead of giving them in the results section.

Failure to adequately state the justification and background information for your pape in the introduction.

Avoidance of the intellectual task at hand--collecting a bunch of data or facts then not using them or discussing them.

Awkward appearance due to poor page control--not using appropriate pagination.

D. Figures and Tables

Figures and tables are not part of the page count.

A figure can be a chart, graph, photograph, or other graphic illustration of your results. A table is a listing of your data, usually organized in columns and rows.

• Place each figure/table on a separate page.
  
• Each must have a title, figure/table number, and a single-spaced caption. The caption is a short description relating the information in the figure/table to the text.
  
• Figure titles and captions are at the bottom of the page, table titles and captions are at the top.
  
• The figure should be referred to at some appropriate point in the text of the paper (Figure 1).
  

See the example below:

The illustration or graph is centered in the upper portion of the page.

Every figure must have a caption. The caption of a figure should be at the bottom of the page. It should make plain to the reader the significance of the figure to the subject of the report. A). Items of interest can be lettered or numbered. B). Any such items should be keyed or listed in the caption. C). Such items should relate directly and clearly to the concerns of the text. If the figure is not original to you, i.e. traced or re-drawn from an original source, that source should be cited here in the caption and included in the literature cited section of the paper (Drawn from Smith 1960, page 25).

The caption of a table should be at the top of the page. It should make plain to the reader the significance of the table to the subject of the report. A). Items of interest can be lettered or numbered using superscripts within the table. B.) Any such items should be keyed or listed in the caption. C). Such items should relate directly and clearly to the concerns of the text. If the table is not original to you, the source should be cited here in the caption and included in the literature cited section of the paper (Smith 1960).

Not following the required format.

Including tables or figures that don't clearly support and clarify the text.

Relying on tables and figures to introduce facts which are not reported in the text of the paper.

Not including references to your tables and figures in appropriate places in the text of the paper.

Not including a source citation in the caption.

Not supplying a caption, figure number, figure title.

Not listing the source of your table or figure in the Literature Cited section of the paper.

• E. Citations and Literature Cited

• The literature cited section should begin on a separate page.
  

• It should be titled: LITERATURE CITED
  

• List only published works that were consulted and/or quoted in the writing of the paper.
  

• Follow the following formats, also shown in greater detail in the Bibliography Standards. Consult me if an unusual case comes up.

The Literature Cited Section--

must have at least 5 entries. This is a minimum, not a maximum.

must have a heading: LITERATURE CITED

must include both books and journal articles.

may not include internet sources or general reference works such as encyclopedias and biology textbooks, except as sources for your figure. Specialized references for the specific topic under review are acceptable: for example, a microbiology bibliography may include Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology.

Part of the grading of this section will be on the quality and appropriateness of the citations. Citations of scholarly journals are preferable to citations of un-refereed general interest magazines such as National Geographic and Audubon.

Entries will be single spaced and in alphabetical order by first author's surname.

Entries will have a hanging indent: This means that the first line of each entry will not be indented, but all subsequent lines in the entry will be indented 5 spaces.

There will be a double space between the entries.

• Each source you use should be included in the literature cited.
  A citation reference should be inserted in the text of the paper at each and every place you use information from that source, using the format (Author's last name/Year) (Smith 1960). Each and every source listed in the literature cited must be cited somewhere in the paper and each citation in the paper must be included in the literature cited.
  

• Do not use footnotes as a substitute for these parenthetical citations.
  

• The Bibliography may be on the same subject as your paper, but is in fact a COMPLETELY SEPARATE ASSIGNMENT. Please do not turn in your 25-source bibliography as a substitute for a literature cited section for your pap

Gould, S. J. 1995. Dinosaur in a Haystack-Reflections in Natural History. Harmony
[HANGING INDENT]Books. New York, New York.

Jones, H. and N. S. Smith. 1989. Hard Times in Mobile, Fifth Ed. Worth Publishers, Inc.
[HANGING INDENT]New York, New York.

Maisie, J. D. 2003. The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-In-The-Moon Marigolds. Gonzo
[HANGING INDENT]Inc. Mobile, AL.

Schwaegerle, K.E. and B. A. Schaal. 1979. Genetic Variability and Founder Effect in the
[HANGING INDENT]Pitcher Plant Sarracenia ..........Purpurea L. Evolution 33(4):
[HANGING INDENT]1210-1218.

Slobodkin, L.B. 1975. Ecological Energy Relationships at the Population Level. In:
[HANGING INDENT]Readings in Population and ..........Community Ecology, Hazen,
[HANGING INDENT]W.E., (ed.), W. B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia, PA.

Xerces, F. X. and D. L. Lawrence. 2003. An Illustration of the Principle of Heavier-Than-
[HANGING INDENT]Air Flight among the natives of the New Guinea Highlands: the
[HANGING INDENT]Witch Doctor's Wings. The Weird Illustrations Web Page.
[HANGING INDENT]National Institute of Strange Stuff. URL
[HANGING INDENT] http://www.strangestuff.net/weird/witchdoctor.jpg

COMMON PROBLEMS AND ERRORS FOR THE LITERATURE CITED

Citing and using sources in the text of the paper that are not included in the literature cited section.

Including sources in the literature cited section that are not used or cited in the text of the paper.

Poor proofreading of sources: giving various spellings of the author's name or mis-matched years of publication.

Using another style of citation instead of the requested one, for example, the Turabian style of citation (Author/page number) instead of the style requested here. This style is more appropriate for situations where you are making repeated references to large works, such as in textual criticism. In biological writing where citations of multiple, usually short, sources are the norm, the form is seldom used.

F. The Most Common Error

Completely ignoring this set of standards and turning in a paper styled like the last paper you turned in

As I mentioned in the Introduction of this page, no style is right or wrong in the absolute sense. What I am trying to achieve is for you to learn to carefully heed the format requirements of each individual writing job.

If you are reading this, it probably doesn't apply to you.

Directly or indirectly quoting or using a source without attribution is called plagiarism

PLAGIARISM IS UNACCEPTABLE.

It is considered dishonest and a form of academic malpractice. Plagiarism in a final, edited paper will result in disciplinary action according to the standards and policies of ASMS.

HOW TO AVOID PLAGIARISM

Avoiding plagiarism is easy if you accept the concept that in the academic world as elsewhere, ideas are property. Each and every use of an idea or fact which is not original to you alone must be accompanied by a source citation giving credit to the author of the fact or idea. The only exception is knowledge that is truely common: the sky is blue.

QUOTATION:

If you use an author's exact words, you must acknowledge this fact by placing those words in quotation marks and following the quotation with a source citation. If you find it completely unavoidable to use a long direct quote, indicate it by indenting and single-spacing the passage, followed by a citation.

Ex: "Direct quotes from your source must be inticated by quotation marks and a citation of the source of the quote" (Smith 1960).

You should avoid lengthy direct quotes. If you find one absolutely necessary, indicate it by a special format:

Single-space the quote and indent all lines of the quote 5 spaces farther from the margin of your paper in relation to the regular text.

PARAPHRASE:

If you express an author's sense but use different words, this is called PARAPHRASE.

Paraphrase is often misunderstood and is only acceptable if done correctly. Changing a few words here and there is not acceptable. If the overall order and organization of the thought is untouched, you do not have true paraphrase. In that case, preserve the exact words instead and make it a direct quote. Cite the source of the direct quote.

True paraphrase involves taking the author's words and thoughts, learning and understanding them, and relating them in an original composition of your own. The author must STILL be cited as source of the facts or opinions expressed.

POOR ACADEMIC PRACTICE:

While not technically outright plagiarism, some students deliver papers which are properly sourced but which consist almost entirely of linked direct quotes and paraphrase.

A work of scholarship involves SYNTHESIS. This means studying and assimilating the important sources and then writing a work in which the sources are used to advance and support an argument, point of view, or thesis. Your sources are merely the raw material of your scholarship, not the meat of the paper.

COMMON PROBLEMS AND ERRORS WITH SOURCING AND PLAGIARISM

Not citing a source for a fact or opinion which is the intellectual property of another.

Not using quotation marks to indicate that you are quoting a source's exact words.

Improper paraphrase: changing the words to avoid a direct quote but not achieving true paraphrase.

Not providing sources for tables and figures not original to you.

Submitting a paper which consists in large part of linked quotes and paraphrase.

This is a web version of the checklist that I return with your edited term paper. I provide it here to give you one more set of hints on how to turn in an acceptable paper.

I apologise for the impersonality of a checklist. I find that my students often make similar mistakes on their rough draft term papers and it saves me a great deal of time if I don't have to write and re-write the same explanations over and over by hand.
When you receive your edited paper, please look carefully at the checked comments and make needed corrections. Look for editing marks on your paper and any personal notes I may have added.

TITLE PAGE

no title page

title page missing information:

no title

no name

no date/course information

ABSTRACT

no abstract

no heading (Abstract)

no title on abstract page

the abstract needs work. Please re-write.
(SEE ATTACHED COMMENTS)

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THE BODY OF THE PAPER

Margins and line spacing:

margins are incorrect (1" margins, top, bottom, sides)

indention is incorrect (first lines of paragraphs should be indented)

spacing between lines, headings, paragraphs is incorrect
double-space between lines,
triple-space above headings,
double space or triple space between paragraphs.
NOTE: if your word processor is set on double-space, then if you hit the return twice, that's not double-space but 4-spaces! Three times is 6-spaces!

no title on the first page of the body

too short: does not have the minimum number of pages

Sources are not properly cited:

NO source citations are given in the text

Some facts in the text do not have source citations
All statements of fact or opinion which are not your original thoughts or findings but instead you found in a source, are the intellectual property of the original authors. You must cite that author as the source for these facts or opinions or be guilty of plagiarism.

citations in the text not included in the literature cited

citations in the literature cited not included in the text

citations do not follow the requested form
(author's last name, year of publication)
NOT (author's last name, page #). that form is sometimes used but is not what I asked for

The paper is disorganized:

The paper is not divided into clear sections with headings for each section.

You include too much info that is not applicable to your chosen subject

You need to work on paragraph construction and paper organization
Each paragraph must have an identifiable theme and purpose in your paper. The paragraphs should be arranged in a way that the reader is not lost, and so that your argument or explanation unfolds in a logical, clear way.

You need to work on fundamentals
(spelling, grammar, sentence construction, typos)
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FIGURES AND TABLES

no figure or table given
(one of the requirements of the paper is that it include a figure or table)

figure or table is not referred to at an appropriate place in the body of the paper
Example: The number of fish can be compared to the depth of the water (Figure 1).

figure or table lacks a figure number (Figure 1)

figure or table lacks a title
Graph of fish density as a function of depth

figure or table lacks a caption
A caption explains the figure or table to the reader and makes clear the relevance of the figure or table to the point under discussion in the text
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LITERATURE CITED SECTION

no literature cited section
the bibliography is a completely separate assignment and is not an acceptable substitute for a literature cited section

citations must be alphabetized

citations are not given according to the required form
see the back page of your stylebook for the required forms

too few citations (five are required)

citations are all books-journal articles are required

too many internet sources-all sources should be books/journals. The only exception is that I allow your figure to come from an internet source, which must be included in the literature cited section

some citations are unacceptable
you may not use a textbook or a general reference such as Groliers or World Book. (bio change: Gould essays are an exception, but you must cite a PARTICULAR essay, not an entire book)
Specialized references such as medical encyclopedias are acceptable on a case-by-case basis. See me for permission.

Other problems SEE ATTACHED COMMENTS

The wording of your paper leads me to suspect that portions of it are copied directly from your sources or at least inadequately paraphrased. Please SEE ME about proper use of citations and academic honesty. If you feel that I am mistaken, I will be happy to hear your comments.

Your paper is properly sourced, but consists of a series of long direct quotes or paraphrases. This is unacceptable. You must LEARN from your sources and combine the information into an original composition. USE your sources to support your argument or explanation. Don't rely on them to say it for you!
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ATTACHED COMMENTS:

ABSTRACTS
An abstract is not the same thing as an Introduction. In an Introduction, you state generally what the paper is about, you give some background information and state your justification for writing the paper.

An Abstract, on the other hand, is a condensed summary of the entire paper written in only a couple of hundred words or so. It must include the basic justification for the paper, state the central problem, subject or issue, give a very concise summary of the main facts of the case, and summarize any conclusions you reach. The test of a good abstract is: can a person reading the abstract only know what the paper is about and understand the most important and pertinent facts and conclusions of the paper? A good abstract is extremely specific and factual. The purpose of an abstract is for a busy scientist to be able to read it and judge whether the entire paper is worth his or her time.

A SHORT LECTURE ON PARAPHRASE AND PLAGIARISM
If you use an author's exact words, you must acknowledge this fact by placing those words in quotation marks and following the quotation with a source citation. If you find it completely unavoidable to use a long direct quote, indicate it by indenting and single-spacing the passage, followed by a citation.

If you express an author's sense but use different words, it is STILL unacceptable if the overall order and organization of the thought is untouched. You MUST decide whether to make it a direct quote or turn it into a true, acceptable paraphrase. In either case you must cite the author as source.

True paraphrase involves taking the author's words and thoughts, learning and understanding them, and relating them in an original composition of your own. The author must STILL be cited as source of the facts or opinions expressed.