Research Topic (Pesticides polluting goundwater) You must do some preliminary research to determine if the topic you are considering has enough information available for you to create a minimum of a
312 WRITING RULES for the research paper
1) Research your topic to gain understanding. Accumulate data, take notes and review the facts before writing. You must understand the topic before writing.
2) Think about where you are going with the topic before you begin writing, while writing and while you revise. Have a rough idea (plan) of where you are going from the start, but it is alright to change your plan if it makes the paper better.
Organize the research paper. The paper must be divided into the following headers that will result in the paper being organized and with references. These headers (Introduction, Assessment/Discussion, Conclusion and Literature Cited) are to be used in the paper.
Introduction
Introduce and provide general information about the topic
Assessment / Discussion
The main body of the paper. Specifically describe and explain the environmental issue and/or condition with great clarity and accuracy. Provide any potential solutions to environmental problems.
Conclusion
Summarize your analysis and provide concluding remarks about the environmental issue and/or condition
Literature Cited
Provide the full citations of the references in formats used by the Journal of Environmental Health (see #7 below)
3) Start writing assignments early enough to allow time for at least one revision of the paper.
4) Write to inform the reader, not to impress. Use simple words and phrases. Define and spell out all acronyms (i.e. EPA) before use. Define all technical terms used.
5) Back up all statements of fact, opinion or any formula used in the paper with a reference.
i.e. cite data referenced to a table: The tallest plants grew in the pots with the most fertilizer (Table 1).
i.e. cite any factual statement referenced to an author: All statements of fact must be referenced (Pechenik, 1997). Note: authors may be individuals or organizations i.e. the Environmental Protection Agency
6) Cite with an In-Text Citation immediately after use of the reference information in the paper. Use only the (author, year) in-text citation format. i.e. If you make a statement of fact in a paper, at the end of the sentence before the period add the in-text citation for the reference (Pechenik, 1997).
There must be at least one in-text citation (author, year) for each reference in Literature Cited.
Never use the reference name within the sentence, always use the (author, year) method at the end of the sentence to cite the reference.
7) Full Citations of the reference are in the Literature Cited section of the paper and have the following format(s) as are used in the Journal of Environmental Health:
book format:
author. (date). book title. publisher, publisher location. pages referenced.
i.e.
Pechenik, J. A.. (1997). A Short Guide to Writing About Biology, 3rd Edition. Addison Wesley Longman, Inc., NY. pp. 1-18.
Langford, I.H., Marris, C., & O’Riordan, T.. (1999). Risk communication and public health. Oxford University Press, Oxford. pp. 33-50.
journal format:
author. (date). title of article. journal title. issue, pages referenced.
i.e.
Orloff, K., Hewitt, D., Metcalf, S., Kathman, S., Lewin, M., & Turner, W. (2001). Dioxin exposure in a residential community. Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology, 11, 352-358.
electronic (Internet) format:
author. (date). article title. date of retrieval from the full internet address
i.e.
Minnesota Department of Health. (2001). Minnesota blood lead surveillance data, 1999–2000. Retrieved May 9, 2005, from www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/lead/reports/surveillane/data 1999_2000.pdf.
i.e.
Washington State Department of Ecology. (1998). Chemical testing methods for designating dangerous waste. Retrieved June 18, 2003, from http://www.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/97407.html.
If no date of publication can be found, indicate that with “n.d.”
i.e.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). Best management practices. Retrieved December 9, 2005, from http://www.epa.gov/ebtpages/pollbestmanagementpractices.html.
Note: Authors may be organizations or agencies, if the person(s) writing the item is not identified. List the references in the Literature Cited section of the paper in alphabetical order by author (which will be first in the reference), do not number the references. *Internet sources may be subjectively biased, such as personal websites. Seek out sources that are science-based, more objective with less bias such as government agencies ".gov" and universities ".edu". Do not use pseudoscience.
8) Always distinguish fact from possibility. Don't express your opinion as fact.
9) Say exactly what you mean. Don't make the reader guess what you are trying to say. Be precise and use complete explanations.
10) Don't make the reader backup. Link sentences with transition words, i.e. "Therefore..." or "In contrast...". If possible, keep visual aids (table, graph, chart) on the same page as the discussion about it.
Present ideas or explanations in a logical sequence of thoughts or events.
11) You must interpret for the reader. The reader can’t read your mind. Do not skip over necessary details for an understanding of the topic. Just because you understand it does not mean the reader does.
12) Be concise and use only necessary words, but it is acceptable to repeat key words to make a clear argument, i.e. frequent use of the word "nutrient" in a paper concerning fertilization of plants. Do not use excessive, useless wording to add writing to the paper. Use only factual statements from science-based sources.
13) Stick to the point. Don't get sidetracked or off the subject. Your paper should be a logical flow or sequence of information.
14) Focus on the appropriate audience. Write as though you were explaining the subject to members of the general public who do not have your background. This means you will provide an explanation of any technical terms or concepts used. The underlying premise of writing this paper is for you to provide an educational paper to the general public. Do not write with the instructor as your audience. This would result in leaving out necessary educational details. This does not mean that you should “dumb down” the paper, you must include whatever scientific information is needed to express the ideas. In addition to the scientific information you must attempt to provide explanations that would result in at least a rudimentary understanding of the subject by the general public.
15) Don't plagiarize. Don't copy sentences from text. Translate your research into your own words. Do not use quotes or quotations in sentences, use in-text citations to reference authors of information. Present your own interpretation of the research.
16) Underline or italicize scientific names of species, i.e. Homo sapiens or Homo sapiens Once used, it is appropriate to use H. sapiens or H. sapiens
17) Capitalize the names of taxonomic groups above the genus level. i.e. Arthropoda
18) Use only Microsoft Word to create the paper. Proofread all work and make a copy for yourself before turning it in. Check all punctuation and capitalization. Use Microsoft Word Review for Spelling and Grammar.
19) Papers must be 1.5 spaced, 1 inch margins left and right, 1 inch margin top and bottom. Use 11 font, Arial
20) Make effective use of visual aids. Insert tables, graphs, figures or pictures whenever they assist to enhance and help explain the topic. It is best to describe visual aids on the same page as the visual aid, if possible. Visual aid size is not counted toward the required number of pages of writing for the paper.
21) Use a cover page on research papers. Number all of the pages.
22) Always save a copy prior to submittal. Save your work after every time you work on it.
23) Use complete sentences. A complete sentence always contains a verb, expresses a complete idea and makes sense standing alone. Complete sentences express one idea. If a sentence contains two ideas, it should be split into two sentences.
24) Do not start sentences with a conjunction such as “and”, “for”, “nor”, “but”
25) This is a scientific paper. You are to be objective and provide factual scientific information about the issue. Do not to be subjective by providing bias or opinion.
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