geology essay 3
Please use the following link to write this essay.
The goal of the paper assignment is to assess your ability to read, synthesize, and interpret original scientific articles related to the environmental impacts of energy acquisition and consumption. An original scientific article is a peer-reviewed report of research activity written by the scientists that performed the research. In other words, original scientific articles are primary sources of information, containing original data, analytical results, and interpretations. Successfully synthesizing and interpreting an original scientific article on energy and environmental issues will demonstrate an increase in your scientific literacy on these topics.
The assignment will require you to choose one original scientific article from two collections of articles posted on Canvas. The articles in the first collection involve topics discussed in Weeks 1-8 whereas the articles in the second collection cover topics discussed in Weeks 9-14. Each scientific article is accompanied by a summary article published as either a press release or a popular media article. These summary articles will help you understand the original scientific work and choose the article that is the most interesting to you.
Your paper should cover the following components:
- Clearly describe the hypothesis or question addressed in the scientific article in your own words.
- Summarize the methods, results, and interpretation of those results of the authors of the scientific article.
- State the significance of the discovery or scientific study – More than what and when, why is the result of the scientific study important in understanding the environmental impacts of energy acquisition and consumption?
- Evaluate the claims of the author(s) – Which of the authors’ claims/interpretations do you find to be the most or least convincing? Why or why not? Be specific here. It’s the thought process that counts, not whether or not I agree with you. Feel free to incorporate additional scientific articles to support your argument.*
* For each additional scientific article you incorporate into your final paper I’ll award a 1 point of extra credit, up to a maximum of 3 pts.
Anywhere from 3-5 pages is a good target for length. If you need more than 5 pages to make your point, feel free to do so. However, if you have less than 2 pages, you probably forgot something, so go back and double-check.
Formatting Requirements:
- Word document (.doc, docx) file format. Name your document Last Name_Article Title (i.e.: Wood_Wind Energy is Mind Blowing.doc)
- Paper must be typed, double-spaced, 10-12 pt. Times New Roman or Calibri font, 1†margins
- The paper should as long as necessary to communicate the required information and most of you should be able to accomplish this in 3-5 pages.
- When using in-text citations or writing your reference list, please use APA guidelines.
Submission Instructions:
Submit your paper as a Word document or PDF (no files in “.pages” format, please) via Canvas.
Grading:
Please check the final paper rubric on Canvas. Below, you will find a list of suggestions for ensuring a good grade on your final paper.
- Paragraphs should be indented and organized with a topic sentence and supporting sentences. Make sure your sentence structure is grammatically correct (punctuations, correct sentence phrasing, etc.).
- This is a critique of an academic article so your writing style should reflect this. Your summary should be an objective/neutral summary of the main points of the article with some detail. The summary should NOT have a persuasive tone.
- Do NOT quote anything in the summary. The challenge of a good summary is identifying, rephrasing, and condensing the important points of the article. Use in-text citations in your final paper, but no quotes. Be careful of plagiarism in your rephrasing. Avoid redundancy.
- Science writing tends to be literal so make sure the meaning of the words you choose make sense in the context you are using them. Strive for a concise summary that covers the main points of the article. When considering a simple word and a complicated one, always chose the simple one. When considering a simple sentence structure and a complicated one, always chose the simple one.
- Avoid using “I†statements except in the evaluation portion of the paper. Avoid a “conversational†style of writing or wordy phrases such as “the fact that†or “it should be noted that.â€
- Read the article more than once. Take notes. You may have to read it multiple times to determine the main points and essential information.
- Organize your thoughts using an outline.
- Write a rough draft several days before the deadline to allow for time to edit.
- Edit your rough draft at least twice. Have someone look at it with fresh eyes to catch the typos and punctuation errors you missed. Read your paper out loud to check that sentences flow well and read clearly.
Option 1: Whole-soil carbon flux in response to warming by Hicks Pries et al. (2017)
Original scientific publication
Summary article (Links to an external site.)
Option 2: Biofuel blends in jets reduce particle emissions by Moore et al. (2017)
Original scientific publication
Summary article (Links to an external site.)
Option 3: Biofuel land use change and carbon debt by Fargione et al. (2008)
Original scientific publication
Summary article (Links to an external site.)
Option 4: Prevented mortality from historical and projected nuclear power by Kharecha & Hansen (2013)
