Term Paper Outline
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Title
Should be informative and brief, so that reader can anticipate both the research problem and the study system. The researchers name and affiliation will be included here.
Abstract
This is a one-paragraph synopsis of your research problem/question, how you tested it, a summary of results, and the conclusion of your research. It has a maximum length of 250 words and you should update the version you submitted in March.
Introduction
The Introduction sets the stage for the paper, but MUST be concise.
Start with the general topic or problem (global or regional sense, and include references to similar research in other systems) and tell us why it is important and interesting. This provides the broad context for your research.
Then, focus in on the specific question you are addressing and make the case for why research is needed (incl. what information is lacking). Here is where you summarize what is known about the problem (with plenty of references), and why your system/case provides an appropriate test of the problem. This includes a cursory introduction to the study site/stakeholders/organisms/etc., and briefly explain the approach you will take in addressing the research question.
Follow with a CONCISE statement of the hypothesis(ses) you are testing.
This all should require no more than 2 or 3 published pages. Avoid including material that is more suited to the Discussion.
Do NOT retain the section headings you may have used in your Introduction last semester (Potential problems etc.)
Methods
Description of Study Subjects – If you have a study site, study organisms or stakeholders to describe then you may do so in a subsection at the beginning of your methods section. Hold back on analysis/discussion; just give the details on climatic factors, longitude-latitude or location, soil chemistry, monitoring programs, socio-political organization. This subsection is optional and if you find it is only a sentence or two long then the information may be included in the Introduction or Methods as appropriate. In the main Methods section give a detailed but brief description of the approaches you used to address your research question, the precise tools (sampling equipment, preservatives, survey tactics, etc.) that you used, details on samples sizes, replication, experimental manipulations, etc. and what form of quantitative information you collected. Include description of the statistical methods you used. Give references where appropriate. Your Methods should be sufficiently detailed that someone could repeat your work.
Results
This is another descriptive section in which you again just state the facts, and leave the discussion of what it all means until later. In most cases all of your tables and graphs will be in this section. All the figures and tables you present should be referred to at some point. Quantitative or qualitative information will be simply described, describing patterns, results of statistical analyses, and other direct information explanation. The data should be processed via descriptive statistics, etc. while raw data are generally inappropriate; if necessary (and it rarely is), include raw data in an Appendix at the end of the paper.
Discussion
Heres where you get to do your interpretations. First, briefly summarize the quantitative/qualitative findings of your research, and then use them to interpret and evaluate your results and their implications for study problem/question. Discuss biases in your data, and alternative explanations for your findings. Your results and conclusions MUST be integrated with other information in this field, in the contexts of both your study system and the field as a whole. Some speculative discussion and insights are suitable here, but must be warranted by the data you have acquired and other existing information – unjustified speculation or opinionizing should be assiduously avoided, as it is inappropriate in a scientific study, and tends to detract from your other conclusions that ARE justifiable. In the last paragraph, give a summary conclusion of what your research has shown, and it is also acceptable, but not necessary, to briefly suggest future research directions.
Acknowledgements
This is a one- to two-sentence thanking of people who assisted you in your work, provided information or access critical to your study, or helped critique your research and writing. If appropriate, give notice of funding sources that helped you carry out your research. Do NOT say that you wish to thank people, just thank them.
References
These only should include information sources that were used explicitly in your research, and were cited in the text. Dont include general sources, such as textbooks, that you used for just familiarizing yourself with the subject. They must be complete enough so that an interested reader could find the source. Avoid listing personal communications here, but only in the text, although these can be noted in the Acknowledgements. While we have said that electronic sources may be used, published information is preferable. So if identical information is obtainable online and in a written version you should cite the written version. Acceptable Web references include peer-reviewed on-line journals and raw data available only on-line. For reference formatting requirements, see:
PART 2: STYLE AND FORMAT
General Document Format
Set these in Word – the commands may vary according to which version of Word you are using.
Set margins: 1″ on top & bottom, 1″ on left & right sides (in the File Page Setup dialog box, choose the Margins tab)
Default Font: 12-pt Times (CG Times or equivalent) (in the Format Font dialog box, choose the right settings and click default)
EXCEPT where otherwise indicated (eg Abstract and References) use 1.5 line spacing (in the Format… Paragraph dialog box, choose Line Spacing: