Weber State University
Weber State University
Department of Botany
Botany LS1203 - Plant Biology - Details for Written Assignments
You are to summarize
three research papers (articles) from the
scientific journal
Economic Botany. You cannot substitute any other journal. The Stewart
Library received this journal in print - call number SB1.E19 - through 2005. Electronic access is available via the
Stewart Library web site. If a paper in Economic Botany is
headed "Utilization Abstract," "Notes on Economic Plants," "Botanical Note,"
"Collections Corner," "Plant Portraits," or "Book Review,"
it may not be used. (Basically, avoid any article that is four pages or less in length.)
With the exceptions given below, you are to use "Research" articles from 2004-2011.
Each assignment will
begin with a one paragraph summary of the
article. Your summary should address the following: What question was asked
by the author(s) of the paper? What process or processes did the author(s)
use to get an answer? What was the answer? What conclusions did the author(s) draw?
The summary
paragraph will be followed by one paragraph in which you
explain why you chose this article and
describe one one new thing you learned about plants from the article.
All assignments are to be typed (word processed),
double spaced, with one inch margins and 12 point font (Times New Roman or
Arial). Your assignment must not exceed two pages. Do not use a cover page. A photocopy or printout of the PDF file
of the chosen article is to be turned in with your summary.
All written assignments are due at the
beginning of class on the due date. Each assignment is worth 40 points.
Late assignments will lose 8 points per calendar day. Any
assignment that is more than three calendar days late will not be graded. If
you cannot turn in an assignment on time for a valid reason (death in
the family, medical emergency), contact me ASAP. If you will be gone
on official university travel, it is your responsibility to turn in assignments early. Any
plagiarism in an
assignment results in an automatic zero.
Exceptions to the 2004-2011 restriction on articles. You may use ONE of the following during the semester:
Burton RA, Cox PA. 1998. Sugarbeet culture and Mormon economic development in the Intermountain West. Economic Botany 52(2): 201-206.
Floyd ML, Kohler TA. 1990. Current productivity and prehistoric use of piņon (Pinus edulis, Pinaceae) in the Dolores Archaeological Project Area, Southwestern Colorado. Economic Botany 44(2): 141-156.
Monson CS. 1996. Mulberry trees: The basis and remnant of the Utah silk industry. Economic Botany 50(1): 130-138.
Neumann A, Holloway R, Busby C. 1989. Determination of prehistoric use of arrowhead (Sagittaria, Alismataceae) in the Great Basin of North America by scanning electron microscopy. Economic Botany 43(3): 287-296.
Format for Written Assignments
Remember, do not use a cover sheet.
The final length of each assignment should not exceed two pages.
YOUR LAST NAME, First name
Complete citation for the Economic Botany article
in
CSE format (may be single spaced)
Your two paragraphs ==> double spaced!!
Example for print access to article:
STUDENT, Joan W.
Votava EJ, Baral JB, Bosland PW. 2005. Genetic diversity of chile (Capsicum annuum var. annuum L.) landraces from northern New Mexico, Colorado, and Mexico.
Economic Botany 59(1): 8-17.Paragraph 1 ==> summary of the Economic Botany article; double spaced
Paragraph 2; double spaced
Example for electronic access to article:
STUDENT, Joan W.
Votava EJ, Baral JB, Bosland PW. 2005. Genetic diversity of chile (Capsicum annuum var. annuum L.) landraces from northern New Mexico, Colorado, and Mexico.
Economic Botany [Internet]. [cited 2009 Aug 13]; 59(1): 8-17. Available from: http://www.bioone.org/toc/ebot/59/1Paragraph 1 ==> summary of the Economic Botany article; double spaced
Paragraph 2; double spaced
| Scoring of written assignments: | |
| Points | Qualities |
| 36-40 | The summary paragraph addresses all four questions posed above and is a well constructed piece of writing. The second paragraph is an extension of the article, not continued summary. The second paragraph also is well constructed, with good narrative flow. The paper is in the correct format (citation of the article, only two paragraphs, double spaced, etc.), mechanical errors do not detract from the paper, and a photocopy or PDF printout of the original Economic Botany paper accompanies the assignment. |
| 32-36 | The summary paragraph is incomplete, with one or two of the questions not addressed. The second paragraph is underdeveloped. The paper is in the correct format (citation of the article, only two paragraphs, double spaced, etc.), mechanical errors do not detract from the assignment, and a photocopy or PDF printout of the original Economic Botany paper accompanies the assignment. |
| 28-32 | The summary paragraph is incomplete, with one or two of the questions not addressed. The second paragraph is underdeveloped. There are format problems (citation wrong or incomplete, extra paragraphs, not double spaced, etc.), mechanical errors detract from the assignment, and the copy of the original Economic Botany paper is in HTML. |
| 24-28 | The summary paragraph is substantially incomplete. The second paragraph is inadequate. Format problems are extensive, mechanical errors detract from the assignment, and there is no copy of the original Economic Botany paper. |
| 0-24 | No apparent effort to do the assignment as given, including using a paper that is not from Economic Botany. |
| 0 | Plagiarized. |
Plagiarism: What It is and How to Recognize and Avoid It from Writing Tutorial Services at Indiana University
How to Read a Scientific Research Paper
Plant Information Center: Student Botanical Dictionary
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
Stewart Library Reference Department
A dictionary of plant sciences / edited by Michael Allaby. Call number:
QK9.D52 1998
The Penguin dictionary of plant
sciences / edited by Jill Bailey. Call number: QK9.P465 1999
Return to Botany 1203 Syllabus.
Return to Botany 1203 Home Page.
2 January 2011