Evolution BIOL 350 Fall 2016
1
Critique Project for Evolution (BIOL 350): Instructions
Due date: December 06, 2016
Each student will write a critique (review) of the article cited below. All
students will read and evaluate the same article, and write a short paper
(length of the paper should be 3 to 4 typed pages double-spaced (no
more than 4), excluding pages required for the cover page, literature
cited, and any figures or tables. This is an independent project so you
must do all the work yourself, without any collaboration with other
students.
Article to be reviewed:
Davis, M.P. 2015. Evolutionary relationships of the deep-sea pearleyes
(Aulopiformes: Scopelarchidae) and a new genus of pearleye from
Antarctic waters. Copeia 103(1): 64–71.
You will receive an electronic copy of this article from Dr. Harold. Read
the article carefully, using the textbook and any other sources you may
need from the library to help you understand the subject matter and the
concepts involved. The article makes use of ideas in evolutionary biology
that involve phylogenetic analysis, lineages, classification, and character
data of a morphological and molecular nature. Submit a paper copy in
class and an electronic copy (MS Word format; do not use MS Works) as
an attachment to an email message to Dr. Harold by the due date
(electronic copy can be submitted any time on the due date).
A good review should discuss both positive and negative aspects of the
article. Here are some questions and points you must consider in writing
and formatting your paper. Always justify your position.
1. What are the goals of the article? How clearly are they articulated?
2. Are the goals met in the paper?
3. Are the tables and figures adequate and of sufficiently high quality? If
not, make recommendations.
4. Are the methods employed appropriate? Should they have tried other
techniques and/or approaches that you are aware of?
5. How carefully edited is the article? Are there editorial/grammatical
errors? What about the overall layout of the article? Does it make sense or
should some items be presented in another order or other locations in
the paper?
6. Other literature: Use the journal databases, available through the
library’s webpage, to find one other article published in a primary
scientific journal that represents a similar kind of study. Compare the
Evolution BIOL 350 Fall 2016
2
Davis (2015) article with the other article and reach conclusions about
which paper is most successful (regarding points 1 through 5 above), and
why. You should also use other papers from the primary literature to
substantiate any information/concepts/ examples you provide in your
paper. You should include a minimum of 5 references in your Literature
Cited, including the article you are reviewing.
“Primary literature” and format of your paper:
The primary research literature comprises scientific journals in which
original research is published and the article was subjected to peerreview.
The journals Evolution, Copeia, Zoological Journal of the Linnaean
Society, Journal of Biogeography, Science, Nature, and Systematic Biology
are all good examples of primary sources which may contain articles that
could be used to satisfy some of the above requirements. Articles from
popular scientific magazines such as Science News, National Geographic,
Scientific American, American Scientist, Endeavor, Discover, and New
Scientist are not primary sources – and nor are textbooks. Although they
are not permitted as primary literature you still may find them useful for
gaining familiarity with a topic and as an aid in locating important
primary literature that may be cited in them.
Follow the format used in the journal Evolution (obtain an article from
that journal from the College’s e-journals to provide you with format
examples). Your paper should be formatted as though it were a
manuscript for submission to Evolution for publication and therefore will
differ in some respects from the printed page as seen in a recent issue.
The main differences are: your paper should be double spaced (including
Literature Cited); typed in a 12 pt. font; in single, not two-column,
format; and include a title page stating the title of the paper, your name,
the course name and number. Pay particular attention to exactly which
headings and subheadings are used in a typical paper in the journal
Evolution and how they are formatted. The exact manner in which
literature is referred to in the text of your paper and listed in the
literature cited section is also critical. You will not need all the sections in
your paper that you will see in a typical published article. Your paper
should have an introduction, a discussion, literature cited, and any
figures or tables you choose to include, and you will need to determine
which, if any, headings should be used. You should not include an
abstract in your paper. Use primary and secondary headings to help
organize your paper. Figures and tables, if included, should be placed
one per page at the back of your paper. Grading will be based on both
content and format.
Welcome to one of the most trusted essay writing services with track record among students. We specialize in connecting students in need of high-quality essay writing help with skilled writers who can deliver just that. Explore the ratings of our essay writers and choose the one that best aligns with your requirements. When you rely on our online essay writing service, rest assured that you will receive a top-notch, plagiarism-free A-level paper. Our experienced professionals write each paper from scratch, carefully following your instructions. Request a paper from us and experience 100% originality.
Check your essay before you submit. See exactly what your professor sees.
See your AI and plagiarism results before your instructor does.Get the exact same report your professor uses. Trusted by 50,000+ students worldwide.
From stress to success – hire a pro essay writer!
