OCEANOGRAPHY WRITING
ASSIGNMENT:
(Revised 10/06)
This required writing assignment involves
producing a short report on one of the following interest areas related to
oceanography:
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Palomar College has a policy requiring “writing across the curriculum”. There are several reasons for that. Of course it is vitally important that students generally increase their writing skills and ability to research and organize a paper. (Knowledge is so much more valuable if it can be communicated well.) A second major objective of required writing assignments is to foster critical thinking. This article review assignment will require you to synthesize the information you find in several sources into one coherent and fairly brief paper. That is not the complete assignment, however, as an article review is also a critique. By the time you put the paper together, you will have gained knowledge of your subject from your various sources. You probably chose a subject of which you already have some knowledge, and maybe even some life experience. Evaluate the work of the authors and then make your own contribution. Be critical. Is an author reaching his/her conclusion unscientifically on the basis of conjecture or insufficient data? Are there contradictions between the work or the reasoning of authors? What does your own thinking or experience tell you? Finally, tell what impact your subject has had or may have on your life. Is it an issue that receives too little (or too much) attention? Is there potential for great things—or for disaster—for your family or for mankind?
For this assignment, you will need to locate at least five current articles (no more than two years old) relating to any one of the listed topics. (You may also use older references, but at least five must be current.) The articles must be from newspapers, journals, other periodicals, or the Internet. Papers must be typed and least three full pages of double-spaced text. (Use 10- or 12-point font size with one inch, or smaller, margins on all sides.) You will be penalized if your paper is shorter, but there is no maximum length so long as the text is substantive (not just wordiness). Use as many pages as you need to develop your topic.
Include a title page with your name and class meeting time, date, and report topic. The text of your paper comes next. Include a bibliography page at the end that lists the exact reference for each article: author(s), title, journal name, date, and page numbers. If you have used Internet sources, use either the APA or MLA format for citing electronic sources (be sure to include the date the web site was last updated or copyrighted). After the bibliography, attach annotated copies of all the references used. Please do not put your report in a folder. Simply staple or clip the report together.
Annotated copies help the instructor to follow the organization and thought processes you used in preparing your report. Important portions of each article should be underlined or highlighted. Good annotation also includes considerable detailed marking and margin notes, including your own comments, to show your thought processes as you composed the paper.
Sources of information
Use only newspaper or magazine articles, journal articles, or reliable sources from the Internet as sources of information for your report. For your five required sources, you may not use any handouts or class materials or any books (not even our textbook), but such types may be used as supplemental sources. The library’s on-line catalog and electronic databases (such as Central Search, ProQuest Newspapers, EBSCOhost, and JSTOR) make research much faster and easier than in the past.
If you do not find what you need in Palomar’s library, you
may need to check the holdings of other libraries through the Palomar Library web
page. (For instance, the library at Scripps Institution of Oceanography of UCSD
is a rich source of marine science info). The following are just a few of the
journals and periodicals that regularly carry articles on oceanography:
Discover, National Geographic, Oceans, Oceanus, Science, Science Digest,
Science News, Scientific American.
When using Internet sources, bear in mind that anyone can post anything to the net—and they do. Consider the credibility and credentials of the source. (See “Evaluating Internet Resources: A Checklist” on my website.) Also remember that the website must provide a date of copyright or most recent update, or it cannot be used as one of your five sources.
The assignment, which is worth 40 points toward your class
grade, is due at class time on the date specified in your class syllabus. Early
papers are accepted gladly, but there is a severe penalty for late papers (20
points plus 5 points per day after the deadline). No excuses will be accepted,
so do not wait until the last minute. Note that you will not get your
paper back. Instead you will receive a grade sheet similar to the one shown
below no later than the last class meeting prior to the final exam. The report
will be graded on the basis of: appropriateness of topic, appropriateness of
content, quality of writing, length, adequate and timely references, and proper
and thorough annotation of references.
Grade report, article review assignment
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Category |
Points |
Comments
(optional) |
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Topic (appropriate to course) |
6 5 4 3 2 1 0 |
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Content (appropriate) and Quality of Writing |
11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 |
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Length (at least 3 pages) |
6 5 4 3 2 1 0 |
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Number of references (at least five) |
6 5 4 3 2 1 0 |
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Age of references (not older than two years) |
5 4 3 2 1 0 |
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References attached and annotated |
6 5 4 3 2 1 0 |
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Late paper |
-20 (and –5 per day) |
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Total |
-------- (out of 40 points) |
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This is really quite a short paper. Don’t choose a subject that is too large to develop in a few pages. I would rather see a thorough treatment of a limited subject than an over-generalized and incomplete job on a broad subject. For example, write about over fishing of a particular organism or in a particular region rather than about the worldwide issue.
Start early, and if you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask me for clarification. Enjoy the assignment and learn something!