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Essay Instructions: Scientific Progress
This is an independent writing project that will be submitted to your instructor.
In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley expresses very strong opinions about the need for scientists to behave responsibly with their creations.
Today, science has progressed in ways Mary Shelley never could have imagined, and scientists still struggle with their ethical responsibilities for their creations. For this assignment, you will research a controversial advance emerging in science, such as cloning, gene therapy, atomic energy, stem cell research, or another topic of your choosing, that directly deals with a scientific research. Your topic should be about a new technology or technique, NOT a general scientific theory like evolution. You will research the arguments in favor of and opposed to this technology and write an essay arguing for or against the use of the controversial scientific advance. Your essay should be 2-3 pages long and should be based on facts and evidence, not simply rhetoric or emotion. You should have at least four independent sources to cite in your research.
Consider the implications of the technology for the general population, as well as the population the emerging technology serves. I would also like you to address the question of whether or not you think your argument agrees with or is contrary to the belief expressed by Mary Shelley in Frankenstein. You should use at least two examples or quotes from the book in your essay. Your essay will be graded on the strength of your argument a well as the research you present.
Prewriting:
List five possible topics for your research. Choose two topics and spend some time looking up information on the Internet about these topics. List the websites you visit in your prewriting notes, with a brief note about what they contain.
Choose which topic you want to write about; and indicate what your initial reaction to the topic is: are you in favor of it or against it?
Research the topic. Try to find sources that are as objective as possible about the issue at first. For example, if you choose to research cloning, you might look for sources that discuss the process with out any moral commentary. After you've discovered the facts about the topic, feel free to research the emotional side of the issue. List the sources that you'd like to use in the essay. Be sure to make notes about what information you got from each website.
First Draft:
Write a draft of your essay. It should be 2-3 pages long. After you've written your first draft use the checklist below to make sure it has the required elements.
• Topic is about a scientific advance or technology, not a scientific theory.
• My essay argues for or against the technology.
• I have cited at least four sources, and in my essay, I have indicated where I got my information.
• I have indicated whether or not I think Mary Shelley would agree with my argument and incorporated two examples from the book.
• I have a strong thesis statement and each paragraph in the essay works to support my thesis statement.
• Each paragraph has a topic sentence.
• My essay has an interesting introductory paragraph and a concluding paragraph.
• I have proofread for spelling and grammar errors.

Essay Instructions: Scientific Paper Report

You will choose a peer-reviewed primary literature scientific article that interests you and write a two -three page synopsis explaining the author’s hypothesis and how it relates to topics we are covering in BIOL 2108. The paper should be generated in Microsoft Word and will be submitted through www.turnitin.com. The info you need to submit is below:

Class: BIOL 2108
Class ID: 2507187
Enrolment Password: darwin
Assignment: Peer-Reviewed Article Summary


Bibliographic citations should be in AMA format. Galileo is a great source of literature for you to consider. I have include information below on what qualifies as peer-reviewed primary literature. Print your full text article and bring it to me for pre-approval (write your name on the paper). Start now, on average, 40% of the first papers brought to me do not meet the requirements. The timeline is as follows:

Wednesday, 11 February: Pre-approval deadline (miss this and subtract 10%)
Monday 16 February: Final approval deadline (only required for those not pre-approved on 11 February)
Wednesday 11 March : Paper due (miss this and subtract 10% per day)

Peer Reviewed Scientific Literature
“Scientific literature comprises scientific publications that report original empirical and theoretical work in the natural and social sciences, and within a scientific field is often abbreviated as the literature. Academic publishing is the process of placing the results of one's research into the literature. Scientific research on original work initially published in scientific journals is called primary literature. Patents and technical reports, for minor research results and engineering and design work (including computer software) can also be considered primary literature. Secondary sources include articles in review journals (which provide a synthesis of research articles on a topic to highlight advances and new lines of research), and books for large projects, broad arguments, or compilations of articles. Tertiary sources might include encyclopedias and similar works intended for broad public consumption. [edit] Types of scientific publications
Peer review :The purpose of peer review of scientific manuscripts submitted for publication in scientific journals is quality control, a term which also encompasses other means towards the same purpose. The "quality" being referred to is the scientific quality, the lack of flaws in the data, and the validity of the conclusions drawn from the data. The lack of peer review is what makes most technical reports and World Wide Web publications unacceptable as contributions to the literature. The relatively weak peer review often applied to books and chapters in edited books means that their status is doubtful, unless an author's personal standing is so high that his or her prior career provides an effective guarantee of quality. Formal peer review is in flux and likely to change fundamentally owing to the emergence of institutional digital repositories where scholars can post their work as it is submitted to a print-based journal. Though this does not prevent peer review, it permits an un-reviewed copy into general circulation.”
Bibliography

Scientific literature. (2008, July 23). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 18:49, September 25, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Scientific_literature&oldid=227437703

Essay Instructions: Research about how memory works vs. what people often believe about accuracy of memory, discuss the Pros and Cons of the people claiming they have completely recovered long lost memories. Explain if these claims of "recovering a memory or series of memories" are likely to be accurate or created, given what the scientific research findings say about memory. Feel free to read and use outside sources for this paper, inlcuding those list below.

Here?s a link to an article by Elizabeth Loftus? on ?recovered memories?:http://faculty.washington.edu/eloftus/Articles/price.htm

Please make sure to use correct APA format for citation.

Essay Instructions: Research Paper Topic: EFFECTS OF IMMIGRATION ON U.S. CRIME RATES

Below is a format of what should be in the paper. (INCLUDE GRAPHS OR CHARTS IN APPENDIX PAGE, ONE GRAPH/CHART PER PAGE!)

ABSTRACT : Summary of study?s purpose, major findings from the literature and conclusion
(Limit to no more than 150 words, and on a separate page)

INTRODUCTION: First provide some background to the research problem or issue. Refer to past research or current events. Describe the significance of the research problem. State the purpose of the paper. Define concepts. What explains the research problem? Specifically, are there any theories relevant to the topic? State hypotheses if needed. You must have this statement or some equivalent: The purpose of this study is to investigate/examine/study?the immigration policies of the United Kingdom and Germany. Specifically, the following questions are addressed: (1) Are there similarities and differences between the two systems? (2) Are there historical reasons why the two countries are different in the administration of immigration policy? The expression ?The aim of this study is to ?.? is called the thesis statement, and lets the reader know what the study is about. Without having it, nothing that follows will make sense, since the reader has no idea what you are trying to explain. If this statement is missing from the Introduction, substantial points will be deducted.


LITERATURE REVIEW: Indicate research findings directly related to your problem. Be sure to include previous studies that support your position and/or refute your position. Be very objective in the selection of articles or books read. Show inconsistencies in the literature as well as points of agreement. What remains to be done in the area? [This is the body of your paper and carries most points]. As you write, please cite properly. Do not copy other people?s work and not give them credit. Avoid using language like: I think, I believe, I feel, in my opinion, etc. Research has nothing to do with your opinion; rather it is an objective presentation of arguments with evidence to support the arguments, theories, statements, propositions and hypotheses. If we argue based on opinions, we will never arrive at objective conclusions that others can evaluate.
When you use ideas that someone else has published, provide the last name of the person, and year of publication. E.g. The view that immigrants cause high crime rates in American cities has been a constant theme in most of U.S. (Kposowa 1998). If you use a direct quotation, give a page number after the year. E.g. Using data from Riverside County, CA, Kposowa & McElvain (2008, p. 50) reported that ?immigrants have much higher risk of suicide than the native born.?
If possible, I encourage you to obtain data, and use Excel to create Figures and/or tables, interpret how these figures or tables provide evidence to support your research problem. Do not cut and paste figures and tables from other people?s work without explaining their relevance to your own work. Make use of the Census Bureau?s website, along with that of the US Department of Homeland Security. For immigration, you may want to look at the Yearbook of Immigration Statistics. It is also helpful to search online for the government publication: Statistical Abstract of the United States. It is in PDF, and can be easily downloaded or saved in Cloud. If you limit yourself to a state, that state may have its own statistical abstract, e.g. Statistical Abstract of California has lots of data. In addition, for California you want to visit the Department of Finance. Despite its name, this agency keeps data on demographics for all of California?s counties and its numerous cities and towns.

CONCLUSION:
What conclusions can be drawn about the research problem from your review of the literature? Was the study?s purpose as stated in the introduction achieved? Were the hypotheses supported? What is wrong or wanting in the literature that you have read? What remains to be done on the topic? Point out any limitations of your research. If you were asked to conduct this research from scratch, given money and time, how would you go about doing it? Will you collect data? If so, how would you do it?
References

REFERENCES: For citations within text use last name of author, followed by year and page
number(s) if applicable (direct quotations). For citations at end of text follow alphabetical order.
Example:
Kposowa, A.J. (1999). Suicide Mortality in the US: Differentials by industrial and occupational
groups. American Journal of Industrial Medicine,36, 645-652

Do main headings in Font 14, and text in font 12 Times New Roman
Do not underline main headings, but center each one. If you use subheadings, begin in the first column (underlined).

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Here is a Grading Scale of the paper! Please follow it!

ABSTRACT : If placed on separate page and summarizes the main research findings
from literature. Write abstract as one paragraph. Do not indent.

INTRODUCTION:
If it gives background to problem, gives some indication of what the
paper is about, and explicitly states the aim/purpose or objective of paper
Points deducted if student does not seem to know what he/she is doing, e.g.
does not explicitly state:
?The purpose or aim of this research is to ...?

LITERATURE REVIEW:
If student reviews relevant studies (mainly journal articles), books,reports,
about the selected research problem. Topics vary, and some literature may not be
based on scientific research. Students are given permission to read
books, journal articles, newspaper articles, and government publications.
They are also allowed to use textbook, and class notes. This is the most important part of
the paper, and hence the largest point distribution. Points are deducted for lack of proper
citation. Proper citation entails providing last name of author, year of publication, and [page numbers
for direct quotes]). Quotation marks should be given for direct quotations. (Kposowa 2009, p. 202) or Jameson (2002) or As Jackson (1987, p. 273) indicated,?.....?

CONCLUSION :
If student gives reflection or implication of findings in literature, provides some
understanding of what he/she has read, etc.

REFERENCES:
Students are allowed to use either format of the American Psychological Association
(APA) or American Sociological Association(ASA) for both citations
within the text and setting up the Reference Section. Please provide 5-10 different
references. Desist from relying exclusively on webpage citations.


APPENDIX:
For charts or tables, append them to the manuscript. Do NOT insert them in the text. ONE CHART/TABLE PER PAGE



If you have charts or tables, append them to the manuscript. Do NOT insert them in the text
Do NOT use Wikipedia
as your source of information.