Topic: ant colonies as superorganism
Use of quotes
Quote an author’s words directly only if the actual wording is critical, e.g., of
historic note or controversial.
Otherwise, paraphrase, but attribute the idea or finding to that author.
Paper Format
Length
10-12 pages of text double spaced
not counting cover page, bibliography, figures
Each page except the cover should have at the top
Page number
Your last name
Cover page includes
paper title
half page summary of your paper
No cute pictures
Tables and Figures
Should be of your own devising, not ones copied from the papers reviewed.
Literature Cited / Bibliography
Properly formatted, the word “Bibliography” at the top of the page so that
Turnitin does not flag your bibliographic entries as part of the text.
Appendix
Same as for the full outline, you must include an appendix consisting of a
photocopy of the first page of every article or book chapter you cite.
Bind with a single staple or paperclip in the upper left corner
No fancy binders.
Double spaced
Preferred fonts (serif fonts only) 12 point Times New Roman
Margins 1.5″ at left side (allows space for written comments), 1” at right
Evaluation Criteria – a checklist
Research (25 points)
At least 25 references in bibliography. More is better – 40 is a good target.
Emphasis on primary literature (not reviews or books).
Cites classic papers in the field as well as recent ones.
All references in bibliography are cited in the text (and vice versa).
Thoroughness – covers the subject as defined, with no literature large gaps.
Does not rely overly on one or a few sources.
Organization (20 points)
Proper introduction and conclusion.
Logical flow of ideas in body of text.
Puts subject and findings in context.
Describes results not methods.
Presents ideas, not a series of “book reports”.
Writing (20 points)
Good grammar & spelling.
Clear with good flow.
Engaging but not chatty.
Uses active tense where possible, avoiding lazy constructions (e.g., “there is”).
Scientific Form (20 points)
Abstract on front page, below student’s name and title of the paper.
All factual statements are supported by cited evidence.
Proper in-text citations (Smith et al. 2017; Smith & Jones 2018).
Proper bibliographic citations.
Scientific names (Genus species) properly capitalized & italicized.
Page numbers, double spacing, 12 pt font, margins as specified.
Analysis (10 points)
Contrasts conflicting results and views from published studies.
Can you identify controversies in the field? Do papers disagree?
Goes beyond statements from published studies to bring out new ideas.
Create a table of results & citations – can help avoid boring lists.
Drafting a new figure can present complex information or synthesis of ideas.
Where is the field going? What big questions remain to be answered?
Appendix (5 points)
First pages of cited papers.
