This document provides guidelines for writing a scientific article. It discusses researching the topic through data collection, site documentation, and literature reviews. The main parts of a scientific article are then examined: the title should be concise and capture attention; the abstract summarizes key information in 150-350 words; and the introduction provides historical context and introduces the topic. Proper research and clear writing are emphasized to disseminate new discoveries.
The document provides instructions for students to research the life cycle of a frog using online databases. It guides students to formulate a research question, look up the definition of "frog" in a dictionary, search for articles on the topic and choose one to read further. Students are asked to take notes by underlining information that answers their research question and writing it in a bulleted list. The document warns that research may require trying multiple strategies to find relevant information and to discard sources that do not help answer the question.
The document provides an overview of how to conduct scientific research, including identifying primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. It discusses starting with broad background searches in tertiary sources before narrowing to subject databases and literature reviews. Key databases are recommended for finding scholarly articles, including Scopus, Web of Science, and subject-specific databases. Tips are provided on using keywords, subject headings, and bibliographies to expand searches. Assistance from a librarian is also offered.
This document provides an overview of resources for researching scientists and their biographies for a WRIT 312 class. It introduces Laksamee Putnam as the contact librarian and provides links to the library homepage, biography database, and APA citation styles. It then outlines steps for finding books and articles about scientists, including searching the library catalog, databases like Scopus and specific journals, and the web. Keywords, affiliations, and publications are suggested to aid the search. Students are instructed to fill out a worksheet with their findings.
O documento discute critérios para escolha de tema de pesquisa, incluindo importância, originalidade e viabilidade. Também aborda tipos de pesquisa como aplicada, fundamental, descritiva e teses. Realça a importância de considerar a teoria subjacente, o conhecimento prévio e os riscos envolvidos.
The document provides tips and guidance for biology students at JMU conducting research. It outlines resources available through the JMU library like databases, journals, books, and assistance from librarians. Key tips include using library databases to efficiently find scholarly sources, reading abstracts before obtaining full-texts, properly citing sources, and seeking help from librarians.
AssignmentAs you learned in your Explorations reading .docxedmondpburgess27164
This document provides instructions for an assignment to research and write about an important fossil discovery of a hominin or ancient primate made after 2000. Students are asked to choose a fossil, research it using at least 3 sources, and write a minimum 800-word report summarizing the fossil's name and discovery details, description, dating techniques, important traits, impact on evolution knowledge, and placement on a phylogeny/family tree. The report should utilize both popular science and scientific sources, and be submitted by the due date as a Word or PDF document with a word count.
The document discusses the nature of science by providing a checklist of key characteristics of science and comparing it to Ernest Rutherford's investigation into the structure of the atom. Some key points made are:
- Science asks questions about the natural world and studies natural phenomena through observation, evidence and testing of ideas. It aims to understand the universe and how things work.
- Rutherford's atomic research exemplified the scientific process by using tools to study atoms, which cannot be seen, in order to learn about their structure.
- While science can investigate many topics, it is limited to natural explanations and cannot address supernatural phenomena or concepts outside the natural world.
The document provides instructions for students to research the life cycle of a frog using online databases. It guides students to formulate a research question, look up the definition of "frog" in a dictionary, search for articles on the topic and choose one to read further. Students are asked to take notes by underlining information that answers their research question and writing it in a bulleted list. The document warns that research may require trying multiple strategies to find relevant information and to discard sources that do not help answer the question.
The document provides an overview of how to conduct scientific research, including identifying primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. It discusses starting with broad background searches in tertiary sources before narrowing to subject databases and literature reviews. Key databases are recommended for finding scholarly articles, including Scopus, Web of Science, and subject-specific databases. Tips are provided on using keywords, subject headings, and bibliographies to expand searches. Assistance from a librarian is also offered.
This document provides an overview of resources for researching scientists and their biographies for a WRIT 312 class. It introduces Laksamee Putnam as the contact librarian and provides links to the library homepage, biography database, and APA citation styles. It then outlines steps for finding books and articles about scientists, including searching the library catalog, databases like Scopus and specific journals, and the web. Keywords, affiliations, and publications are suggested to aid the search. Students are instructed to fill out a worksheet with their findings.
O documento discute critérios para escolha de tema de pesquisa, incluindo importância, originalidade e viabilidade. Também aborda tipos de pesquisa como aplicada, fundamental, descritiva e teses. Realça a importância de considerar a teoria subjacente, o conhecimento prévio e os riscos envolvidos.
The document provides tips and guidance for biology students at JMU conducting research. It outlines resources available through the JMU library like databases, journals, books, and assistance from librarians. Key tips include using library databases to efficiently find scholarly sources, reading abstracts before obtaining full-texts, properly citing sources, and seeking help from librarians.
AssignmentAs you learned in your Explorations reading .docxedmondpburgess27164
This document provides instructions for an assignment to research and write about an important fossil discovery of a hominin or ancient primate made after 2000. Students are asked to choose a fossil, research it using at least 3 sources, and write a minimum 800-word report summarizing the fossil's name and discovery details, description, dating techniques, important traits, impact on evolution knowledge, and placement on a phylogeny/family tree. The report should utilize both popular science and scientific sources, and be submitted by the due date as a Word or PDF document with a word count.
The document discusses the nature of science by providing a checklist of key characteristics of science and comparing it to Ernest Rutherford's investigation into the structure of the atom. Some key points made are:
- Science asks questions about the natural world and studies natural phenomena through observation, evidence and testing of ideas. It aims to understand the universe and how things work.
- Rutherford's atomic research exemplified the scientific process by using tools to study atoms, which cannot be seen, in order to learn about their structure.
- While science can investigate many topics, it is limited to natural explanations and cannot address supernatural phenomena or concepts outside the natural world.
This document provides an overview of what science is and how it works. It discusses that:
1) Science is both a body of knowledge and a process of discovery to understand the natural world through evidence-based investigation of testable ideas and questions.
2) A key characteristic of science is that it aims to develop explanations of the natural world that can be revised as new evidence emerges. While scientific ideas are subject to change, they become widely accepted when supported by multiple lines of evidence.
3) An example of the scientific process discussed is Ernest Rutherford's early 20th century work investigating the structure of atoms through experiments firing alpha particles at gold foil. His goal was to understand the natural world at the atomic
This document provides an overview of what science is and how it works. It discusses that:
1) Science is both a body of knowledge and a process of discovery to understand the natural world through evidence-based investigation of testable ideas and questions.
2) A key characteristic of science is that it aims to develop explanations of the natural world that can be revised as new evidence emerges. While scientific ideas are subject to change, they become widely accepted when supported by multiple lines of evidence.
3) An example of the scientific process discussed is Ernest Rutherford's early 20th century work investigating the structure of atoms through experiments firing alpha particles at gold foil. His goal was to understand the natural world at the atomic
This document provides an overview of what science is and how it works. It discusses that science is both a body of knowledge and a process of discovery. Key aspects of science outlined include that it asks questions about the natural world, aims to explain and understand through testable ideas, and works through an ongoing process of gathering evidence and refining understandings. The document uses Ernest Rutherford's investigation of the structure of atoms in the early 1900s as an example of the scientific process in action.
Bio 150 Information Sources in BiologyAlyssa Young
This document provides information and tips for students conducting biology research at James Madison University. It discusses using library resources like databases and interlibrary loan to efficiently find scholarly articles. Tips are provided for searching databases, evaluating sources, and citing references. Students are encouraged to contact the science librarian for help using tools like RefWorks. The librarian's contact information is included to schedule research consultations.
This document provides the preface to the first edition of the textbook "Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy" by Libbie Henrietta Hyman. In the preface, the author explains that the textbook was written to accompany a comparative anatomy course that teaches vertebrate anatomy through comparison rather than focusing on individual types of vertebrates. The preface describes the intended scope and organization of the textbook, which provides both anatomical directions and brief explanatory accounts of the evolution of anatomical systems to give students context for their dissections.
GEOG102 Lab #7 1 Lab #7 A Pacific Northwest Geolog.docxhanneloremccaffery
1) Students are presented with 8 pieces of geological evidence from around the Pacific Northwest and are tasked with forming a hypothesis to explain how the different landforms are related based on observations of the evidence.
2) Clues and hints are provided for each piece of evidence to help guide interpretations, but students must record their own observations and come to their own conclusions.
3) Using the scientific method, students are to independently write a 500-600 word lab report compiling their observations, interpretations, and developing a narrative to solve the "Pacific Northwest Geologic Mystery".
Scientific Method is a process used to build and organize knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the natural world. It involves making observations, asking questions, formulating hypotheses, making predictions, conducting experiments, and analyzing the results. While science is constantly evolving as new discoveries are made, the scientific method helps ensure research is objective, evidence-based, and peer-reviewed.
The scientific method is important because it allows for a systematic process of exploring the natural world to build understanding. By making detailed observations and asking questions, researchers can form hypotheses to explain phenomena. Experiments are then designed to test these hypotheses, either supporting or dis
Here are the answers to Exercise #2:
1. Newspaper articles about weather events in your hometown over the past year.
Primary
Secondary
2. Interviews you conducted with local residents about their experiences during
weather events.
Primary
Secondary
3. A textbook on meteorology discussing weather patterns.
Primary
Secondary
4. Government weather data and records for your hometown.
Primary
Secondary
5. A blog post analyzing a major storm that hit your hometown last winter.
Primary
Secondary
Numbers 2 and 4 are primary sources. Numbers 1, 3, and 5 are secondary sources
because they analyze or interpret primary source data and information.
Bringing Reading and Writing into the Biology ClassroomWesley McCammon
The presenters argue that integrating English II concepts into the biology classroom benefits both subjects by reinforcing common academic language and increasing students' vocabulary and writing skills. They provide examples of using quotes to prompt essays explaining scientific concepts and position papers analyzing biology-related decisions to address objectives in both the science and English frameworks. The presenters encourage collaboration between English and science teachers to jointly develop assignments that teach cross-curricular content and skills.
The document discusses the QAR (Question-Answer Relationship) reading comprehension strategy. [1] QAR helps students become active readers by showing them where information can be found in the text or in their own heads. [2] It breaks questions down into four types: Right There, Think and Search, Author and You, and On My Own. [3] The strategy provides a way for teachers to classify questions and guide students in understanding different question types.
This document provides guidance on finding resources for research at the PUC library. It discusses physical collections organized by the Library of Congress Classification system and call numbers. It describes using the online catalog (OPAC) to search for resources. It also explains how to search electronic databases like JSTOR and Academic OneFile using basic, advanced, and boolean searches. Additionally, it provides tips for using search engines like Google to find resources, noting their limitations for scholarly materials. The document aims to help students effectively find resources for their research papers from the various sources available.
1. The document makes 10 predictions about the future of biodiversity data and information, most of which are pessimistic. It predicts databases will continue to have errors and not adopt wikis, literature not online will go unread, and data providers will cling to intellectual property notions.
2. It discusses issues with identifiers, literature access, databases having errors, lack of wiki adoption, and intellectual property claims over data.
3. The challenges discussed include identifier failures, literature paywalls, unfixed database errors, lack of collaborative tools like wikis, and restrictive intellectual property claims limiting data sharing and reuse.
Can a biologist fix a radio or what i learned while studying apoptosisSantosh Kathwate
This document summarizes a biologist's experience studying apoptosis and his realization that the lack of a standardized language to describe biological systems contributes to increasing confusion in the field despite accumulating data. The biologist uses the analogy of trying to fix an old radio without an engineering approach to illustrate how biologists approach complex biological problems in an experimental rather than quantitative way. He argues that developing a standardized, quantitative language for biology similar to what engineers use could help overcome increasing complexity and paradoxes in rapidly advancing fields.
The Tyrannosaurus rex had small arms despite its large size for several reasons. Its arms were only about 3 feet long but were muscular and likely useful for activities like catching prey or mates. The small size was not a disadvantage and may have been an evolutionary adaptation. Over time, as T. rex became a pursuit predator, it did not need large grasping arms and instead put its energy into developing massive jaws and teeth for catching and eating prey.
Keystone Species Research PaperThis writing assignment is desi.docxDIPESH30
Keystone Species Research Paper
This writing assignment is designed to provide opportunities for the student to find, evaluate, select, synthesize, organize, cite, and present information and arguments clearly and effectively for understanding scientific issues on personal, societal, and global levels.
Your Aunt Gertrude recently wrote you a letter mentioning a news story she saw about a mysterious disease that causes sea stars to disintegrate. “I don’t know why there’s so much fuss about sea stars,” she writes. “They just sit there all day in the ocean and as far as I’m concerned, who would even notice if they disappeared? Those scientists should take all that time and money they’re spending on sea stars and put it to good use saving the whales instead!” Knowing you are enrolled in a biology course, your aunt wants to know what you think about the subject. Remember your
aunt is smart but has not taken a biology course in many years. Your response to her needs to be concise and clear, but understandable by a non-scientist.
Write a well-researched letter to your aunt that addresses the following key points (allocate 1 – 2 paragraphs for each point):
1. What is a keystone species? Explain why sea stars are considered a keystone species in their
community.
2. Explain the potential causes for sea star wasting disease, and describe the scientific evidence
for each cause.
3. Which cause or causes of the disease may be attributable to the actions of humans? Explain
how human actions can be linked to the spread of this disease in sea star populations.
4. Do you think it is important for people to protect keystone species from decline, such as
taking measures to prevent wasting disease in sea stars? Is it important to protect keystone species regardless of whether humans are responsible for the species decline? Explain your opinion to your aunt. Be sure to support your opinion with evidence.
*NOTE: Your entire paper, even parts that ask for your opinion, must be well supported by evidence. Having a good number of quality references will help in this regard.
Assigned article (must read and use in your paper):
Lopatto, E. (2014, November 18). In search of the starfish killer: the quest to save the original keystone species. The Verge
http://www.theverge.com/2014/11/18/7222479/starfish-wasting-quest-save-keystone-species
Total number of references (3):
You must use and reference the above article and at least two additional sources for this paper, making the minimum number of references for your paper 3. You may review relevant chapters in your textbook and use other sources to fill in missing information.
It is important that your response to your aunt be thoroughly researched and clearly written. You should define all your terms and be concise (1,000 words maximum). This assignment is designed to give you the experience of applying your knowledge of biology to a current controversy or topic of interest. You will use this ...
This document provides an introduction to the SGTC library located on the Americus Campus and Crisp County Center. It describes the various types of printed materials available in the library including fiction and non-fiction books, reference books, periodicals, and how they are organized. It also provides tips for choosing a research topic, searching for information using keywords and subjects, evaluating online sources, and dealing with too many or too few search results.
This PowerPoint presentation discusses developing research skills in biology. It covers finding resources like books in the library catalog or through interlibrary loan. It explains using subject headings to find additional related resources and databases like BioOne, WorldCat and EBSCO. One example explored was the invasive Burmese python. The presentation discusses finding relevant authors to learn more about their work and choosing literature reviews that summarize many articles on a topic.
This passage discusses the connections between Sherlock Holmes' methods of deduction in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novel "A Study in Scarlet" and the scientific method. It provides examples of how Holmes observes all available data before making conclusions, similar to how scientists conduct experiments and observations. It also explains how both Holmes and scientists must reason backwards from results to deduce previous events or steps. While these methods have helped solve mysteries, collecting the right data takes time and care, as misinterpreted data can lead to wrong conclusions. As a science student, the author applies Holmes' deductive techniques in their own lab work and studies.
Como escrever bem redação, dissertação, textos em geralEdson Dorneles
Este documento fornece 5 dicas para melhorar a habilidade de escrever, incluindo: aprender a ouvir seus próprios pensamentos, copiar frases de autores admirados, ler e escrever sobre livros preferidos, treinar com frases-mestres reescritas, e seguir uma ordem subjetivo-predicado ao escrever. O objetivo é quebrar bloqueios e ganhar confiança na escrita.
O documento discute regras gramaticais sobre concordância verbal e nominal em português. Aborda casos em que o verbo concorda com expressões numéricas e pronomes, flexão facultativa de "maior parte" e "maioria", e uso dos pronomes "se", "um" e "outro" na concordância. Fornece também exemplos de exercícios sobre o tema com suas respectivas respostas.
This document provides an overview of what science is and how it works. It discusses that:
1) Science is both a body of knowledge and a process of discovery to understand the natural world through evidence-based investigation of testable ideas and questions.
2) A key characteristic of science is that it aims to develop explanations of the natural world that can be revised as new evidence emerges. While scientific ideas are subject to change, they become widely accepted when supported by multiple lines of evidence.
3) An example of the scientific process discussed is Ernest Rutherford's early 20th century work investigating the structure of atoms through experiments firing alpha particles at gold foil. His goal was to understand the natural world at the atomic
This document provides an overview of what science is and how it works. It discusses that:
1) Science is both a body of knowledge and a process of discovery to understand the natural world through evidence-based investigation of testable ideas and questions.
2) A key characteristic of science is that it aims to develop explanations of the natural world that can be revised as new evidence emerges. While scientific ideas are subject to change, they become widely accepted when supported by multiple lines of evidence.
3) An example of the scientific process discussed is Ernest Rutherford's early 20th century work investigating the structure of atoms through experiments firing alpha particles at gold foil. His goal was to understand the natural world at the atomic
This document provides an overview of what science is and how it works. It discusses that science is both a body of knowledge and a process of discovery. Key aspects of science outlined include that it asks questions about the natural world, aims to explain and understand through testable ideas, and works through an ongoing process of gathering evidence and refining understandings. The document uses Ernest Rutherford's investigation of the structure of atoms in the early 1900s as an example of the scientific process in action.
Bio 150 Information Sources in BiologyAlyssa Young
This document provides information and tips for students conducting biology research at James Madison University. It discusses using library resources like databases and interlibrary loan to efficiently find scholarly articles. Tips are provided for searching databases, evaluating sources, and citing references. Students are encouraged to contact the science librarian for help using tools like RefWorks. The librarian's contact information is included to schedule research consultations.
This document provides the preface to the first edition of the textbook "Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy" by Libbie Henrietta Hyman. In the preface, the author explains that the textbook was written to accompany a comparative anatomy course that teaches vertebrate anatomy through comparison rather than focusing on individual types of vertebrates. The preface describes the intended scope and organization of the textbook, which provides both anatomical directions and brief explanatory accounts of the evolution of anatomical systems to give students context for their dissections.
GEOG102 Lab #7 1 Lab #7 A Pacific Northwest Geolog.docxhanneloremccaffery
1) Students are presented with 8 pieces of geological evidence from around the Pacific Northwest and are tasked with forming a hypothesis to explain how the different landforms are related based on observations of the evidence.
2) Clues and hints are provided for each piece of evidence to help guide interpretations, but students must record their own observations and come to their own conclusions.
3) Using the scientific method, students are to independently write a 500-600 word lab report compiling their observations, interpretations, and developing a narrative to solve the "Pacific Northwest Geologic Mystery".
Scientific Method is a process used to build and organize knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the natural world. It involves making observations, asking questions, formulating hypotheses, making predictions, conducting experiments, and analyzing the results. While science is constantly evolving as new discoveries are made, the scientific method helps ensure research is objective, evidence-based, and peer-reviewed.
The scientific method is important because it allows for a systematic process of exploring the natural world to build understanding. By making detailed observations and asking questions, researchers can form hypotheses to explain phenomena. Experiments are then designed to test these hypotheses, either supporting or dis
Here are the answers to Exercise #2:
1. Newspaper articles about weather events in your hometown over the past year.
Primary
Secondary
2. Interviews you conducted with local residents about their experiences during
weather events.
Primary
Secondary
3. A textbook on meteorology discussing weather patterns.
Primary
Secondary
4. Government weather data and records for your hometown.
Primary
Secondary
5. A blog post analyzing a major storm that hit your hometown last winter.
Primary
Secondary
Numbers 2 and 4 are primary sources. Numbers 1, 3, and 5 are secondary sources
because they analyze or interpret primary source data and information.
Bringing Reading and Writing into the Biology ClassroomWesley McCammon
The presenters argue that integrating English II concepts into the biology classroom benefits both subjects by reinforcing common academic language and increasing students' vocabulary and writing skills. They provide examples of using quotes to prompt essays explaining scientific concepts and position papers analyzing biology-related decisions to address objectives in both the science and English frameworks. The presenters encourage collaboration between English and science teachers to jointly develop assignments that teach cross-curricular content and skills.
The document discusses the QAR (Question-Answer Relationship) reading comprehension strategy. [1] QAR helps students become active readers by showing them where information can be found in the text or in their own heads. [2] It breaks questions down into four types: Right There, Think and Search, Author and You, and On My Own. [3] The strategy provides a way for teachers to classify questions and guide students in understanding different question types.
This document provides guidance on finding resources for research at the PUC library. It discusses physical collections organized by the Library of Congress Classification system and call numbers. It describes using the online catalog (OPAC) to search for resources. It also explains how to search electronic databases like JSTOR and Academic OneFile using basic, advanced, and boolean searches. Additionally, it provides tips for using search engines like Google to find resources, noting their limitations for scholarly materials. The document aims to help students effectively find resources for their research papers from the various sources available.
1. The document makes 10 predictions about the future of biodiversity data and information, most of which are pessimistic. It predicts databases will continue to have errors and not adopt wikis, literature not online will go unread, and data providers will cling to intellectual property notions.
2. It discusses issues with identifiers, literature access, databases having errors, lack of wiki adoption, and intellectual property claims over data.
3. The challenges discussed include identifier failures, literature paywalls, unfixed database errors, lack of collaborative tools like wikis, and restrictive intellectual property claims limiting data sharing and reuse.
Can a biologist fix a radio or what i learned while studying apoptosisSantosh Kathwate
This document summarizes a biologist's experience studying apoptosis and his realization that the lack of a standardized language to describe biological systems contributes to increasing confusion in the field despite accumulating data. The biologist uses the analogy of trying to fix an old radio without an engineering approach to illustrate how biologists approach complex biological problems in an experimental rather than quantitative way. He argues that developing a standardized, quantitative language for biology similar to what engineers use could help overcome increasing complexity and paradoxes in rapidly advancing fields.
The Tyrannosaurus rex had small arms despite its large size for several reasons. Its arms were only about 3 feet long but were muscular and likely useful for activities like catching prey or mates. The small size was not a disadvantage and may have been an evolutionary adaptation. Over time, as T. rex became a pursuit predator, it did not need large grasping arms and instead put its energy into developing massive jaws and teeth for catching and eating prey.
Keystone Species Research PaperThis writing assignment is desi.docxDIPESH30
Keystone Species Research Paper
This writing assignment is designed to provide opportunities for the student to find, evaluate, select, synthesize, organize, cite, and present information and arguments clearly and effectively for understanding scientific issues on personal, societal, and global levels.
Your Aunt Gertrude recently wrote you a letter mentioning a news story she saw about a mysterious disease that causes sea stars to disintegrate. “I don’t know why there’s so much fuss about sea stars,” she writes. “They just sit there all day in the ocean and as far as I’m concerned, who would even notice if they disappeared? Those scientists should take all that time and money they’re spending on sea stars and put it to good use saving the whales instead!” Knowing you are enrolled in a biology course, your aunt wants to know what you think about the subject. Remember your
aunt is smart but has not taken a biology course in many years. Your response to her needs to be concise and clear, but understandable by a non-scientist.
Write a well-researched letter to your aunt that addresses the following key points (allocate 1 – 2 paragraphs for each point):
1. What is a keystone species? Explain why sea stars are considered a keystone species in their
community.
2. Explain the potential causes for sea star wasting disease, and describe the scientific evidence
for each cause.
3. Which cause or causes of the disease may be attributable to the actions of humans? Explain
how human actions can be linked to the spread of this disease in sea star populations.
4. Do you think it is important for people to protect keystone species from decline, such as
taking measures to prevent wasting disease in sea stars? Is it important to protect keystone species regardless of whether humans are responsible for the species decline? Explain your opinion to your aunt. Be sure to support your opinion with evidence.
*NOTE: Your entire paper, even parts that ask for your opinion, must be well supported by evidence. Having a good number of quality references will help in this regard.
Assigned article (must read and use in your paper):
Lopatto, E. (2014, November 18). In search of the starfish killer: the quest to save the original keystone species. The Verge
http://www.theverge.com/2014/11/18/7222479/starfish-wasting-quest-save-keystone-species
Total number of references (3):
You must use and reference the above article and at least two additional sources for this paper, making the minimum number of references for your paper 3. You may review relevant chapters in your textbook and use other sources to fill in missing information.
It is important that your response to your aunt be thoroughly researched and clearly written. You should define all your terms and be concise (1,000 words maximum). This assignment is designed to give you the experience of applying your knowledge of biology to a current controversy or topic of interest. You will use this ...
This document provides an introduction to the SGTC library located on the Americus Campus and Crisp County Center. It describes the various types of printed materials available in the library including fiction and non-fiction books, reference books, periodicals, and how they are organized. It also provides tips for choosing a research topic, searching for information using keywords and subjects, evaluating online sources, and dealing with too many or too few search results.
This PowerPoint presentation discusses developing research skills in biology. It covers finding resources like books in the library catalog or through interlibrary loan. It explains using subject headings to find additional related resources and databases like BioOne, WorldCat and EBSCO. One example explored was the invasive Burmese python. The presentation discusses finding relevant authors to learn more about their work and choosing literature reviews that summarize many articles on a topic.
This passage discusses the connections between Sherlock Holmes' methods of deduction in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novel "A Study in Scarlet" and the scientific method. It provides examples of how Holmes observes all available data before making conclusions, similar to how scientists conduct experiments and observations. It also explains how both Holmes and scientists must reason backwards from results to deduce previous events or steps. While these methods have helped solve mysteries, collecting the right data takes time and care, as misinterpreted data can lead to wrong conclusions. As a science student, the author applies Holmes' deductive techniques in their own lab work and studies.
Como escrever bem redação, dissertação, textos em geralEdson Dorneles
Este documento fornece 5 dicas para melhorar a habilidade de escrever, incluindo: aprender a ouvir seus próprios pensamentos, copiar frases de autores admirados, ler e escrever sobre livros preferidos, treinar com frases-mestres reescritas, e seguir uma ordem subjetivo-predicado ao escrever. O objetivo é quebrar bloqueios e ganhar confiança na escrita.
O documento discute regras gramaticais sobre concordância verbal e nominal em português. Aborda casos em que o verbo concorda com expressões numéricas e pronomes, flexão facultativa de "maior parte" e "maioria", e uso dos pronomes "se", "um" e "outro" na concordância. Fornece também exemplos de exercícios sobre o tema com suas respectivas respostas.
O documento discute como o ataque de 11 de setembro desviou o foco estratégico dos EUA, beneficiando a China geopolítica e economicamente, e como a demanda americana por produtos chineses alimentou o "milagre econômico chinês".
O documento discute como o ataque de 11 de setembro desviou o foco estratégico dos EUA, beneficiando a China geopolítica e economicamente, e como a demanda americana por produtos chineses alimentou o "milagre econômico chinês".
O documento discute regras de concordância nominal e verbal no português brasileiro. Aborda concordância do predicativo com o sujeito, de sujeitos do mesmo e diferentes gêneros, com pronomes de tratamento, e exceções. Também trata de concordância do predicativo com o objeto, uso de "bastante", "meio", "só", "mesmo" e "próprio". Por fim, exemplifica corretamente essas regras.
O documento discute a visão cristã do casamento, comparando-o à relação entre Cristo e a Igreja. Afirma que o casamento deve ser uma relação de entrega e submissão mútua, assim como Cristo se entregou por amor. Também deve ser uma imitação do amor incondicional de Deus por Sua criação.
O documento define termos essenciais, integrantes e acessórios na oração e fornece exemplos de cada um. Também classifica termos sintaticamente e analisa termos destacados em frases exemplificativas.
O documento discute diferentes tipos de amor, comparando o amor mundano descrito em Ozéias com o amor divino. O amor mundano é descrito como passageiro e volátil, "como a neblina da manhã", enquanto o amor divino é caracterizado como um compromisso duradouro baseado na escolha, cuidado e alimentação mútua.
O documento define e exemplifica os diferentes termos integrantes da oração, incluindo objetos direto e indireto, complemento nominal, agente da passiva e classificações de verbos como transitivo, intransitivo, entre outros.
1) O documento discute conceitos de sintaxe e estrutura da linguagem como orações, frases e períodos.
2) Apresenta exemplos de frases completas de Machado de Assis para ilustrar diferentes tipos de orações.
3) Explica termos essenciais como sujeito, verbo, complemento e exemplos de classificação do sujeito.
O documento discute os processos de formação de palavras na língua portuguesa, incluindo derivação, composição e outros métodos como onomatopeia e siglas. A derivação envolve a adição de prefixos e sufixos, e a composição envolve a junção de radicais.
Este documento descreve diferentes tipos de locuções, incluindo locuções adjetivas, adverbiais e verbais. As locuções adjetivas combinam palavras para formar um adjetivo, como "amor de gelo". As locuções adverbiais indicam circunstâncias como tempo e lugar, como "à noite" ou "em baixo". As locuções verbais combinam verbos auxiliares e principais para expressar uma ação, como "estava cantando".
Andreas Schleicher presents PISA 2022 Volume III - Creative Thinking - 18 Jun...EduSkills OECD
Andreas Schleicher, Director of Education and Skills at the OECD presents at the launch of PISA 2022 Volume III - Creative Minds, Creative Schools on 18 June 2024.
Leveraging Generative AI to Drive Nonprofit InnovationTechSoup
In this webinar, participants learned how to utilize Generative AI to streamline operations and elevate member engagement. Amazon Web Service experts provided a customer specific use cases and dived into low/no-code tools that are quick and easy to deploy through Amazon Web Service (AWS.)
Philippine Edukasyong Pantahanan at Pangkabuhayan (EPP) CurriculumMJDuyan
(𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝟏𝟎𝟎) (𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝟏)-𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐬
𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐏𝐏 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐮𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬:
- Understand the goals and objectives of the Edukasyong Pantahanan at Pangkabuhayan (EPP) curriculum, recognizing its importance in fostering practical life skills and values among students. Students will also be able to identify the key components and subjects covered, such as agriculture, home economics, industrial arts, and information and communication technology.
𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫:
-Define entrepreneurship, distinguishing it from general business activities by emphasizing its focus on innovation, risk-taking, and value creation. Students will describe the characteristics and traits of successful entrepreneurs, including their roles and responsibilities, and discuss the broader economic and social impacts of entrepreneurial activities on both local and global scales.
Philippine Edukasyong Pantahanan at Pangkabuhayan (EPP) Curriculum
How to write_a_scientific_article
1. The Journal of Paleontological Sciences: JPS.TD.07.0001 1
How to Write a Scientific Article
_____________________________________________________________________________
Kenneth Carpenter – Curator of Lower Vertebrate Paleontology, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001
Colorado Blvd., Denver, CO 80205. Ken.Carpenter@dmns.org
___________________________________________________________________
ABSTRACT
Writing a scientific article can appear intimidating, but need not be. The various parts of a scientific
article are examined and guidelines given. With time and patience, almost anyone can write a scientific article.
INTRODUCTION
So you have a fossil in your collection that you want to tell the world about? You may ask, “How do I
write a scientific article?” Contrary to what many think, you do not need a Ph.D. to write a scientific article. For
example, until he died in 1995, the world’s foremost expert on fossil eggs, Karl Hirsch, only had a high school
degree. Karl became interested in fossil eggs when he found one on a fossil hunting trip in the early 1970s. He
showed the egg to several professional vertebrate paleontologists, but none could tell him with certainty what
animal laid the egg. Most paleontologists said that fossil eggs were just rare curiosities and of little scientific
value. Dissatisfied with the answers, Karl delved further into the subject discovering that, in fact, fossil eggs
were much more common than realized and that there was much information that could be gleaned from fossil
eggs and eggshells. Karl eventually published over 28 scientific articles on the subject and in the process
pioneered many of the techniques and terminology used today. As for the egg that started it all, Karl eventually
described it as a turtle egg (Hirsch 1983). If Karl can do it, so can you. Let’s begin.
The steps toward publication can be summarized like this:
Do research
Write manuscript
Submit
Editor sends to review
Returned manuscript with reviews
Revise
Published
We will concentrate on the first two points, which will get you started to finally showing off your article to
family and friends.
PART I. DOING THE RESEARCH
In order to describe your fossil, you are going to have to do some research. Research basically seeks to
answer a question: Why are the bones in this quarry laid out the way they are? How do the parts move? or What
organism is this fossil?
As you gather data during your research, you should record it in a notebook (or on your computer).
Never trust your memory because as you gather more and more data, and as more and more time passes, the
chances of forgetting some crucial point will increase. Ideally, you should make sketches in your notebook to
help you later interpret photographs taken. For example, you photographed a skeleton you have partially
2. The Journal of Paleontological Sciences: JPS.TD.07.0001 2
uncovered in the field. A quick sketch with parts labeled may make it easier for you to interpret the photograph
at a later date because not all the bones will be completely exposed, or they may be broken and incomplete.
Fossil sites need to be recorded to give the fossil context (see Walter Stein’s article in this issue). Why
bother you ask. Let me give you an example. In 1975, Peter Dodson wrote a now classic article in which he
concluded that many of the different species of crested hadrosaurs were in fact males and females of two
species. Then a few years ago, David Evans and his colleagues revisited the quarries where the specimens were
collected in the 1910s and 1920s in what is now Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta. By plotting the quarries
(hence the specimens) stratigraphically, they discovered that the supposed males and females did not occur in
the same beds, but rather in different stratigraphic levels (Evans and others, 2006). Therefore, the diversity of
crested hadrosaur species in the Dinosaur Park Formation was greater than Dodson realized - a conclusion only
made possible by the records of locality data. This example illustrates one reason why it would be good to
archive your notes at the JPS website.
What should that data include? The most obvious data to record is, of course, GPS coordinates. You
should also describe the local terrain: Is the fossil site at the base of a cliff, bottom of a gully, or at the top of a
ridge? What formation do the fossils come from and if known, what member? (Some formations have been
formally subdivided into members, such as the Brushy Basin Member of the Morrison Formation). Are the beds
tilted, and if so, how much? Give a description of the rocks the fossils are from, including the rock type. Ideally,
this description should include rock type, color, grain size and shape, hardness, and cement. Unfortunately, few
people have enough geology background to record these data, so saving a small sample with the fossil is one
solution. Finally, photograph the site from a distance at different angles to aid in relocating the spot at a later
date.
You will also need to do some library research, which today also includes the internet. Be careful what
you read, however, not everything there may be true. As you will see in the next section, this phase of research
gives your scientific article some context, and it will help you to justify your statements. Almost everyone who
collects fossils has also amassed a small library of books and articles. These are a good starting point, but don’t
be surprised if you have to go to a bigger library. The library of a university with a geology department is ideal
because then you would probably find suitable journals and books there. If you don’t live near enough to use
such a library, start with your public library. Often it is possible to order scholarly articles through interlibrary
loan at the reference desk. However, some small libraries have no experience in that, so you may need to work
with them in getting what you need. Sometimes you can get a photocopy of an article for free or at low cost.
How do you find these scholarly articles? Many Portable Document Format files (a.k.a. PDF) of articles
can be downloaded from the internet. For example, using Google (probably the best search engine for this sort
of thing), a search for “trilobite” produced 802,000 sites. Most of these sites are not useful for our needs, so I
narrowed the results with “trilobite PDF.” That reduced the sites to 109,000 sites, some of which included PDFs
of scientific articles. Suppose you made a large collection of a trilobite at different growth stages and you need
information on the changes that take place in trilobites as they grow. A search of “trilobite growth PDF”
produced 23,400 sites, including free PDF scientific articles, such as “Development of the caudal exoskeleton of
the pliomerid trilobite Hintzeia plicamarginis new species” and “Growth, Visual Field, and Resolution in the
Juvenile Limulus Lateral Eye.” A related search engine that I often use is Google Scholar
(http://scholar.google.com), although that often processes sites with restricted access, such as various scientific
journals. Usually, though, you can read the abstracts (more on that in the next section) and at least get a feel for
the article. You can sometimes make a one time purchase of the entire article (don’t forget to print it or save it!).
You may also be able to get the article through interlibrary loan (give the librarian the entire article reference:
authors, date, article title, journal title, volume number, and pages).
Reading scientific articles can be difficult for a variety of reasons, including unfamiliarity with the topic,
poor writing and too much jargon. It may be necessary to read an article several times to understand it. You
should at least strive to understand the sections called the Abstract (more on that below), the Introduction and
the Conclusion, as well as the captions for any illustrations. If you can understand those sections, you can
generally understand the most important parts of the article. You should definitely look up unfamiliar words
3. The Journal of Paleontological Sciences: JPS.TD.07.0001 3
because they can be the heart of the article. Google is a good tool to use. Be sure to include the word “define” in
the search, such as “define prezygopophysis” in order to narrow the results.
PART II. DOING THE WRITING
Why write a scientific article in the first place? Writing is a way of disseminating or sharing the results
of research; it allows you to share your discovery with the rest of the world. The process of writing does not
need to be tedious, but what is written needs to be honed through repeated “tweaks.” If writing feels tedious,
then perhaps you are trying too hard to write the “perfect” manuscript. Accept that you will need to refine your
manuscript several times, so it is best just to get the ideas down first. It is also possible that you are not sure
what it is you want to write. In that case, making an outline can help. An easy way is to start with the major
parts of a scientific paper as given below and then organize your information and thoughts into each of the
sections.
In honing your manuscript by reading and rereading, remember to keep to the subject. If writing about a
dragonfly fossil from the Green River Shale, don’t get side tracked into writing about other insects. It is OK in
this example (and indeed preferred, as you will see below) to mention other dragonfly fossils, especially those
from the Green River Shale in a historical context. If you suggest an idea (called a hypothesis), be sure to back
it up. In other words, give your reasons for your belief, even if it requires reference to some other article. For
example, if I write “Triceratops males used their horns as weapons in fighting,” you might ask, “Why does he
think that? Does he have a time machine?” As written, the statement is presented as fact. Because I am
speculating it is better to write, “Triceratops males may have used their horns as weapons in fighting each other
much like Jackson’s chameleons during territorial disputes (Carpenter and Ferguson, 1977)” or “Farke (2004)
has suggested that Triceratops used its horns in fighting much like the Jackson’s chameleon.” Note that in the
first example I gave a reference to where I found the information that the Jackson’s chameleon uses its horns as
weapons. If I had left the reference out you could rightly ask how I knew this to be a fact.
Let’s now look at the structure of a scientific article. The layout is fairly consistent. The biggest
difference is in how the references are formatted. For the Journal of Paleontological Sciences (this journal), you
will set up your manuscript as it will appear on the internet. Be sure to follow the guidelines or risk not having
your manuscript accepted. For most journals, however, what is submitted will look different from what is
eventually published. For these journals don’t try to set up your manuscript as you think it will appear in
published form. In other words, don’t “desk-top publish” your manuscript. Because the requirement for each
journal is different, you must carefully read the submission guidelines for each, or risk having your manuscript
rejected. Now let’s look at the parts of a scientific article. The arrangement is fairly standard and serves to
organize the contents of the manuscript:
Title
Author name(s) and address(es)
Abstract
Introduction
Main body of manuscript
Conclusion/Summary
Acknowledgments
References Cited
Illustrations and Figure captions
Tables
Title
The title is the first thing that the reader will see and this will often determine whether they will read
further. You naturally want to capture their attention, so the title needs to succinctly encapsulate the subject of
4. The Journal of Paleontological Sciences: JPS.TD.07.0001 4
the article. The best way to do that is to use key words. Contrast this bad example, “Flying reptile of the
Jurassic” for an article about a Rhamphorynchus specimen from Solnhofen, Germany. The key words really
should have been “Rhamphorhynchus” and ‘Solnhofen.” Try to also make your title interesting. Contrast these
two titles: “A plesiosaur skull” vs. “A complete plesiosaur skull from the Niobrara Formation of Kansas.”
Which article would you most likely look at? How about, “Butterfly Fossils from Colorado” vs. “A Butterfly
Fossil Showing Color Patterns.” The more specific the information you give in the title, the more likely
someone will read your article. On the other hand, avoid long titles that are too ponderous to read: “A new
ammonite specimen showing iridescent color from the Trail City Member of the Fox Hills Formation, Corson
County, northern South Dakota, USA.” Why not: “Iridescent Ammonite Shell from the Fox Hills of South
Dakota”?
Abstract
Having read your wonderful title, the reader will next want to know a little more information without
having to wade through a long article to get the “meat.” That is the purpose of an abstract. It briefly (150-350
words) conveys the essential information of your article, including its purpose, the results and conclusion. The
purpose may be to describe a Eusmilus skull with lower jaw or to report on a new dinosaur quarry). The results
may be that the Eusmilus skull can be referred to the species E. sicarius, or that the new quarry has a juvenile
Stegosaurus skeleton. The conclusion may be that this specimen is only the second Eusmilus skull from
Niobrara County, Wyoming, or that the juvenile Stegosaurus skeleton is the most complete found to date.
Although the abstract occurs near the front of the article, it is actually written last. Why? Because you need to
select and summarize from the text of your article once it is written. Abstracts seldom contain references to
other articles. Above all, they need to be concise and clear.
Here is a poorly written abstract:
“My restudy of the short-necked plesiosaurs Alphasaurus and Betasaurus is presented. I have found a
new, magnificent, little crushed skull I refer to Alphasaurus, which I illustrate and discuss. Alphasaurus
and Betasaurus were originally described by J.M. Smith (1933) based on partial skulls collected in the
Thermopolis Shale of eastern Wyoming. The specimen is complete and allows me to correct mistakes
made by Smith, namely, that Betasaurus is a juvenile Alphasaurus. Therefore, Betasaurus is not a valid
name.”
Compare that with this version:
“A complete skull of a pliosaur from the Thermopolis Shale is described. It is referred to Alphasaurus
on the basis of the unique premaxillary-maxillary notch. The skull also shares with Betasaurus the
pineal opening at the frontal-parietal suture. Therefore, Betasaurus is considered a junior synonym.”
Why is the second version better? Because it gets to the point, has more information and give the justification
for considering the skull to Alphasaurus and for why Betasaurus is the same as Alphasaurus.
Introduction
The Introduction “introduces” the reader to your topic or subject (why are you writing this article?).
Consequently, you need to arrange the information from general to more specific. It is also important to give
your reader a historical context so that they can understand the significance of your article. The best way is to
refer to previous publications. The following is taken from an actual article:
“The armor-plated stegosaurs were first named by O.C. Marsh in 1877 for elements collected from the
Morrison Formation near Morrison, Colorado… One genus, Stegosaurus, and three species, S. armatus
5. The Journal of Paleontological Sciences: JPS.TD.07.0001 5
(sensu stricto), S. ungulatus, and S. stenops, are recognized by Carpenter and Galton (2001) from the
Upper Jurassic of North America. The obscure Hypsirophus discurus, named by Cope (1878), differs
enough from Stegosaurus to warrant recognition (Carpenter 1998). Yet another specimen of stegosaurid
has recently been found that differs from all known genera (Carpenter and Miles 1997), indicating that
the diversity of stegosaurids was greater in North America than previously realized” (Carpenter et al.
2001, p. 55-56).
In reading this, you know immediately that the topic of the article must have something to do with stegosaurs.
You want to avoid leaving your reader guessing what you are writing about, so don’t string them out too long.
The historical context is given by reference to various previous publications about stegosaurs. Finally, the new
stegosaur is referred to, which was implied by the title: “New primitive stegosaur from the Morrison Formation,
Wyoming.” The progression then of the information is general (stegosaurs) to more specific (diversity of
stegosaurs in the Morrison Formation) to very specific (a new stegosaur).
Main Body of Text
This is the “meat” of your article. It does not really have a title because it will depend on what you are
writing about (don’t write Main Body of Text). If you are describing a eurypterid, you might simply title this
section Description, or if you are elaborating about an idea on feeding behavior in trilobites you might call this
section Trilobite Feeding Behavior. You may actually have several section that make up the may body of your
article. Each of these may have different titles, such as Evidence for Trilobite Feeding Behavior and Trilobite
Mouth Parts. Remember though, to keep to the point. Don’t wander from the theme of each section, or you
will loose your reader. You may find that you have to create new sections in order to accommodate different
subjects.
Sometimes in scientific papers you will find headings such as Materials and Methods, which lists
specimens used in the study and what methods or procedures were applied to them (CAT-scan, enhancement of
digital images in PhotoShop, measurements with a digital caliper, statistical tests, etc.). This allows others to
replicate the study, and hopefully to get the same results. The information is given as a narrative, rather than
step-by-step instructions. There may be a section called Results where you literally give the results of the
analysis, but you don’t interpret them. That occurs either in the next section, Discussion.
The Discussion explains the meaning of the results (such as a Chi-square statistical test applied to a
group of brachiopods), or why the results differ from what others have previously reported. For example, Smith
may have reported that the average length-width ratio for the cephalon (head portion) of the trilobite Elrathia
kingii from the Wheeler Formation of Utah as 0.44, whereas your result is 0.40 (given in the Results section).
In the Discussion you would explain why your results differ, perhaps because you used twice as many
specimens (called the sample size), for example.
Not every manuscript will have Materials, Methods, Results, or Discussion sections, especially if your
article is descriptive of a single specimen. Regardless of how many sections you have, you need some sort of
title so that the reader knows that they are no longer reading the Introduction.
Conclusion/Summary
This is where you wrap-up your article by either summarizing the main points (Summary) or by
interpreting the significance of your article (Conclusion). If either of these is short (one or two sentences), then
you can just add it to the end of the Main Body rather than make it a distinct section. The Conclusion is a good
place to set your results in a bigger picture, which might help the reader understand the significance of your
article. For example, if your article describes small theropod teeth from a single site in the Hell Creek
Formation, you might discuss how the diversity compares with other sites or even how the diversity is
representative of small theropods from the Hell Creek. The Conclusion is also a good place to recommend
future research, perhaps in the form of a hypothesis. For example, the abundance of large dinosaur eggshell
6. The Journal of Paleontological Sciences: JPS.TD.07.0001 6
fragments at a site might suggest the possibility that a nesting site was once nearby. Regardless of what you
include in the Conclusion, the last sentence should convey closure so that the reader recognizes “The End”
without you having to write those words.
Acknowledgments
You might have had some assistants toiling at the excavation. This is where you thank them for their
hard work. Perhaps someone allowed you to describe a specimen they owned,. Again this is where you thank
them. Did you have someone make your illustrations, type the manuscript, or read it for you? Thank them all.
Be careful, however, not to get carried away with flowery language. Rather than write “I would like to thank…”,
just do it: “I thank…”
References Cited
This is where you list alphabetically by author’s last name(s) any article that you referred to (such as in
the example above under Introduction). You do not list any articles or books you read for background if you did
not cite them. Let’s suppose you read Fenton and Fenton’s, “The Fossil Book”, to get some background about
brachiopods for yourself, but don’t refer to it when you finally get around to describing a wonderful pyritized
brachiopod from Illinois. In this case, you would not list Fenton and Fenton in the References Cited section.
How references are organized is perhaps the one area that different journals vary. I have no idea why they are
fussy, but they are. For example, the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology has the references thus: Sues, H.-D., E.
Frey, D. M. Martill, and D. M. Scott. 2002. Irritator challengeri, a spinosaurid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from
the Lower Cretaceous of Brazil. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 22:535–547. In contrast, the Journal of
Palaeontology wants references like this: BENESKI, J. T., Jr and LARSEN, J. H., Jr 1989. Interspecific,
ontogenetic, and life history variation in the tooth morphology of mole salamanders (Amphibia, Urodela,
Ambystomatidae). Journal of Paleontology, 199, 53-69. Before submitting an article, be sure that you have the
references in the correct format. You can find this information at each journal’s website. Also be sure to check
the references against the citation in the text of the manuscript so none are overlooked. That is one of the most
common mistakes professional paleontologists make.
Illustrations and Figure Captions
Because “a picture is worth a thousand words”, you should plan to illustrate your article with maps,
images of the specimen(s), etc. Typically when you submit your article, these do not go within the manuscript,
but are each on separate pages (or separate files if electronic). However, for the Journal of Paleontological
Sciences you will insert the images within the manuscript and add a caption (i.e., a narrative to the illustration)
so your reader will know what they are looking at. Any image is called a figure and each is given a separate
figure number. Be sure to refer to each figure in the text, so your reader will know what image you are referring
to. Be sure to include both a north arrow and scale for any map, and a scale for any image of a fossil. In addition,
give any abbreviations used in the image (such as for various parts of a fossil) either in the caption, or compile
all of them (if many) as an Appendix. For the Journal of Paleontological Sciences the images within the
manuscript should be of low resolution, or it will take too long to download your article. Higher resolution
images can (and probably should) be archived at the Journal’s Website.
Tables
Tables allow you to present a great deal of information in a non-narrative format, i.e., tables are lists.
The list can be of measurements, specimens you examined, etc. However, a table should not repeat all the
information given in text. For example, rather than give measurements for all the bones in the skeleton in the
text, compile them all in a table. This makes it easier to read. Each table should have a caption to explain what
7. The Journal of Paleontological Sciences: JPS.TD.07.0001 7
the list is about. As with Figures, Tables numerical and should be referred to in the text: “Measurements of the
specimens used in this study are given in Table 1.” A table should be created using the Table menu, not using
the tab or space bar. To create a table in Microsoft Word, find it in the menu: ‘Table > Insert > Table’, then set
the rows and columns to the numbers you need.
Here is an example:
Table 1. Measurements (in cm) of Stegosaurus femora
element Greatest Greatest Greatest distal
length proximal width width
Femur (L) 128 24.5 22
DMNH 243
Femur (L) ~130.25 26.3 -
YPM 1987
Femur (R) 120.2 19 15
YPM 1991
WRITING STYLE
Remember that it isn’t enough to simply have a good idea. You must be able to communicate it clearly.
‘Twas the nocturnal segment of the diurnal period preceding the annual Yuletide celebration and
throughout our place of residence, kinetic activity was not in evidence among possessors of this
potential, including that species of domestic rodent known as Mus musculus. (Author unknown,
http://www.textfiles.com/holiday/night.hum).
One of the biggest mistakes made by first time writers is trying to sound scientific. Don’t bother. You
will only confuse your reader. Be careful about jargon because you will come across as pompous and your
article will not be read (remember that the point of your work is to entice someone to read it). Some scientific
terminology is unavoidable such as “caudal vertebrae” for vertebrae in the tail or “jugal” because it refers to a
specific bone in the skull. The example above is full of technically correct words, but it is difficult to understand.
You can find a great deal of basic invertebrate terminology in Boardman and others (1987), as well as at
numerous web sites. One particularly good site for vertebrate anatomical terminology is found at the Dinosauria
site: http://www.dinosauria.com/dml/dmlf.htm .
Long sentences are also difficult to read, so cut them into two or more:
“On the tops of crinoids is a circle of plates called radials, which in some primitive crinoids is further
divided into a lower inferradial and an upper superradial, and below the radials is a circlet of plates
called basals.”
can be simply written:
“On the tops of crinoids is a circle of plates called radials. In some primitive crinoids these radials are
divided into lower inferradials and upper superradials. Below the radials is a circlet of plates called
basals.”
The first sentence contains 39 words, whereas the revision is composed of 3 sentences with an average
of 13 words each. Shorter sentences are easier to read. Sentences should rarely exceed 25 words, and then only
if you are presenting a list. For example, “The skeleton contains a nearly complete skull, 6 vertebrae, a left
8. The Journal of Paleontological Sciences: JPS.TD.07.0001 8
femur and parts of the right, 12 ribs, two left metacarpals, five right, twelve phalanges, and numerous
unidentifiable fragments.”
Finally, there are common mistakes that even professional paleontologists make, but which you should
avoid:
Scientific names are never pluralized: “Three specimens of Tyrannosaurus were found” not “Three
Tyrannosauruses were found”.
Scientific names of the genus and species are by convention given in italics, with species always given
in lower case: Aeger tipularius (a shrimp from Solnhofen).
‘Upper’ and ‘Lower’ refer to the age of rocks, such as “the Upper Cretaceous Pierre Shale”, whereas
‘Late’ and ‘Early’ refer to time: “Macginitiea wyomingensis is a common Early Cenozoic leaf.” An easy
way to remember all this is “Early Cretaceous dinosaurs are found in Lower Cretaceous rocks.”
Be careful about using words that imply motion when the object is stationary: “In the gastropod Murex,
the spines extend or project outwards to a point” not “In the gastropod Murex, the spines run outwards to
a point”. These spines have no legs, so they can’t run.
If you know something to be true, then say so. Don’t be wishy-washy: “The teeth of Allosaurus appear
to be sharp.” Is there doubt? “The teeth of Allosaurus are sharp.” There are many similar words you
should avoid, such as: ‘suggests,’ ‘appears,’ ‘probably,’ ‘may be.’ Better words to use are ‘indicates,’
‘implies,’ ‘shows,’ ‘illustrates,’ etc.
Avoid implying time when none is meant. “Because the teeth were broken we restored them” rather than
“Since the teeth are broken, we restored them.” Other words to be careful of using include: ‘while’ and
‘frequently’. Use ‘whereas’ or ‘many’.
Redundancy can sometimes slip by: “The leaf is triangular-shaped.” Triangular is a shape, so to write it
is redundant. It is better to write “The leaf is triangular.”
‘As’ implies a comparison, whereas ‘because’ implies the result of some action: “The legs of this
specimen are unknown as they are missing” should be “The legs of this specimen are unknown because
they are missing.”
Something that is not alive cannot possess, therefore write: “the premaxilla of the skull…”, not “the
skull’s premaxilla…”
Be careful about writing something in the past tense if it still exists. For example, rather than “three teeth
were found in the jaw,” write “the jaw has three teeth.” Your reader will have an easier time if you write
in the here and now, rather than in the past.
CONCLUSION
Having gotten this far, I hope you are not discouraged in your attempt to write a scientific article. I
should warn you, however, that once you submit your article, it isn’t done. Articles are given to someone to
review (i.e., evaluate). Hopefully it is someone who is knowledgeable in the topic of your article. The purpose
of the reviewer is to ensure that the science in the paper is sound and that they can follow your train of thought.
Often negative reviews occur because the reviewer can’t follow how you got from “A” to “C”. They can’t get
into your mind. To limit that have a friend or colleague read your article before you submit it. Tell them you
want an honest appraisal, but don’t lash out if they don’t sing praises. Better they give you constructive
comments now, than getting harsh ones later from the journal reviewer. The whole review process is
emotionally traumatic. This is one reason why some professional paleontologists publish few articles during
their career. Even after 30 years of publishing scientific articles (about 200 thus far), it is still an emotional blow
to me to get negative comments (and yes, I have manuscripts that were rejected and never published). When
that happens to you, it is best to set the manuscript aside for a week or more in order to get some emotional
distance. Then go back through the review comments and tweak your manuscript to improve it according to the
comments. Your manuscript will be better for it.
9. The Journal of Paleontological Sciences: JPS.TD.07.0001 9
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I thank Yvonne Wilson, Kraig Derstler, Bill Stein and the copy editor for comments on earlier drafts of this
manuscript. I also thank the organizers of this journal for inviting me to contribute to the Journal of
Paleontological Sciences.
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