General Instructions:
All assignments must be computer generated (i.e. no hand written papers or hand drawn graphs). All Homework / Projects turned in must be the original work of the student. Any copying, plagiarism, or falsification of data on a project will result in a grade of zero (0) for that project and it will become ineligible to serve as a dropped project grade. All written assignments are due by 6:45 p.m. on the due date and should be placed in the appropriate folder in the box outside my office – I will also accept assignments on the due date at the end of class. Late assignments will suffer from a grade decrease of 50% for each day they are late. So an assignment with a grade of 100 if one day late becomes a grade of 50, if two days late becomes a grade of 25 etc…
Research papers should follow the form of a scientific journal paper. It should contain a title page, abstract, introduction, methods and materials, results, discussion, and literature cited sections. All graphs and tables must be computer generated and placed in the results section. Use 1 inch margins, 12 font, and plain white paper. All text is double spaced unless otherwise noted.
NO INTERNET SOURCES/REFERENCES WILL BE ACEPTED—NO EXCEPTIONS
Title page
The title should be informative and specific and appears in either title case or all caps at the top of the page.
Your name, class, and due date should appear below the title.
Abstract
The abstract is a summary of the major points of the paper. It is usually short (250 words or less). It should appear on the second page of the paper (after the title page). Although it is the first thing read, it is easier to write this section after the paper is finished. The abstract should be able to stand alone yet still make sense to the reader. Single space and bold the abstract.
Introduction
Since the abstract is short, the introduction will begin on the same page. The introduction is used to orient the reader by summarizing the information needed to understand the topic of your research. In it you need to include the rationale for your study and state your major objectives and hypotheses. Be sure and cite any references you use to write this section.
Materials and Methods
The materials and methods section should include all the information needed to allow the reader to repeat your experiment. Avoid listing materials or turning the steps you took into bullet points. This section must also be written in complete sentences. Avoid unnecessary details. Write in the past tense.
Results
Summarize and illustrate your findings. Figures and tables belong in this section. Tables and Figures are numbered separately (i.e. Table 1, Table 2, Figure 1, Figure 2). The title of the table goes at the top. Figure labels should appear below the figure. Pay attention to scale. Some data will “look” better if the scale is changed. I should be able to understand the information contained in a table or figure without reading the paper.
Discussion
The discussion is where you interpret your results, supporting your conclusions with evidence. Be sure and cite any references you use to write this section.
Literature Cited (References)
References are the final section of the research paper and should be in alphabetical order. All references should be cited in the text. References may be single spaced but double space between separate references.
CITATION EXAMPLES:
One Author:
The most recent study of coral bleaching in this region (Scipione 1995) suggests that…
In Chandler’s (1993) study of marine planktonic ciliates…
Black-horned locusts were first reported in Maryland by Rampolla (1980).
The presence of hairs on a leaf can increase light reflectance from the leaf surface (Cunningham 1966).
Two Authors:
Hagihara and Inoue (1993) found that….
Other researchers (Silsby and Dunkle 1981) have suggested a different method of chemical analysis.

Three Authors:
White-lined bark beetles are attracted to the odor of rotting wood (Zorn et al. 1992).
REFERENCE EXAMPLES:
Lee, T.D. and Bazzaz, F.A. 1982. Regulation of fruit and seed production in an annual legume, Cassia fasciculata. Ecology 63:1363-1373.
(Note in this example the title of the article includes a species name which is italicized).
Auerbach, S., Zhou, F.C., Jacobs, B.L., and Azmitia, E. 1985. Serotonin turnover in raphe neurons transplanted into rat hippocampus. Neuroscience Letters 61:147-152.
Miller, G.T. 1990. Resource Conservation and Management. Wadsworth Publishing Company. Belmont, California. 546 pp.