BIO306 (Genetics)
Drosophila Research Paper --- Specific Guidelines
(with links to general guidelines)

NOTE: Also consult the grading rubric when writing your paper. If the rubric contradicts any of the guidelines presented on this page, the rubric takes precedence over this page.

General Format
The paper should be divided into sections that are placed in the following order:

Sections should be labeled (e.g., ABSTRACT or Abstract or Abstract to set them apart from the text)

The text should be double-spaced. Information in tables and the Literature Cited can be single-spaced.

NOTE that you are not writing all of the sections of a primary literature paper. For example, you will NOT write an Introduction or a Materials and Methods sections. However, to help you better understand how your paper should sound, please follow this link to a sample Materials and Methods section. Read this document and try to mimic its quality and tone while writing the required sections for your paper.

Watch plagiarism: copying someone else's words, even if you reference their work, is illegal. You must put everything into your own words, and then if those ideas that you are describing are someone else's, you also must cite the reference from which those ideas came. Do not quote someone's words as you might do in a history or literature paper; scientists don't do that in standard research papers.

Consult the Communication in Biological Sciences website for two methods of citing references, choose one of those two, and consistently and correctly use them throughout your paper.

Writing should be in the past tense and third person:

Proper grammar and punctuation should be used throughout; spelling is also important. Microsoft Word has a pretty good grammar check, and although you cannot necessarily trust the spell check, it’s better than not checking at all.

However, YOU should read through both the initial and final drafts of your paper before handing them in. Critiquing your own work is very difficult, but it is a skill that will serve you well no matter what you end up doing.

Keep in mind that the writing and flow of your paper is important. Simply stringing together all of the items listed below for each section is NOT ENOUGH.

Text
TITLE

ABSTRACT

RESULTS DISCUSSION LITERATURE CITED IMPORTANT: Before you turn in your paper, you need to revise it many times. Please use the following website for tips on reviewing a manuscript.