lymphatic leukemia 1
Objective: To develop and investigate a physiological-relevant scientific question and
communicate your research in the form of a research paper.
This document gives some guidelines and helpful hints for your research paper. Please be sure to
ask if you have any questions.
Your paper should be 5-7 double-spaced pages (papers longer than 7 pages will not be
accepted! Be as succinct and informative as possible). References and figures are not part of the page count. Use a 12-point font and margins that are at least 1 inch on all sides.
Grading: The paper is worth 60 points. An approximate breakdown of the paper grade is:
1. Central question or problem clearly stated with a brief description of why it is
important and interesting.
2. Arguments, insights, and conclusions articulated, accurate and supported by
sources
3. Written to appropriate target audience using proper terms, explanations of concepts
and jargon, and formal tone
4. Properly formatted with Title, Abstract, Introduction, Conclusion, and References
5. Organized into complete yet concise paragraphs with strong topic sentences that are
well linked together
6. Written with complete sentences, in active voice, without spelling or grammatical errors
Paper structure: The research paper should reflect investigation into a question of interest to
you and of scientific relevance to the course. I want to see that you can synthesize ideas that are
in the literature. The paper should not be a “regurgitation†of this information but rather should
be focused on a central point. Keep in mind that the more focused your research topic or question
is, the easier it will be to identify relevant information to present in your paper.
Suggested outline:
Title: The title should be clearly stated and carefully reflect the content of the paper
Abstract : Summarizes the paper. The abstract includes an introduction to your central question, why this question is interesting or important, and your main conclusions regarding this question.
Background/Introduction: What is the importance of this topic and why did you choose it
for your research paper? What is the “history†of this issue or idea? How does this fit into the
“big picture� The background section should address the question: why should we care?
Research question/hypothesis: Describe the essential research question(s) or the central
thesis of your paper and summarize why this is biogeochemically important, and relevant. A
clear statement of your research question or thesis is a key component of a good paper.
Conclusions: Provide your assessment of the state of knowledge in this area. What is known?
What is still unknown? What implications do the results have? How does this knowledge
advance science?
Other Tips:
Use the following format for literature cited (same as that used in many scientific journals,
for example Limnology and Oceanography). Make sure all your references are correct. Use
scientific journals only. No websites are acceptable as citations. Include DOI reference
information for those journals published online.
