Evolution (EEB 245W)
Spring, 2008

Note:  This web site contains information for the writing portion of the course only.  Click here for the lecture site.

This information applies to the following W instructors:  Drs. Henry, Jockusch, King, and Smith. 

Announcements


The final HuskyCT quiz is available and should be completed by Thursday, May 1.  Not quite sure how to diagnose a run-on sentence or why your instructor writes "frag" in the margin of your paper?  This quiz will teach you to identify and solve these and other common problems.

The final term paper is due Thursday, May 1. 

Suegene's recent series of blog entries is aimed at helping on revisions.  See her entries on:
    presenting evidence and addressing counterarguments
    sentence level revision for style
    last minute checklist

The list of questions from the draft is still a good reference as you think about whether your revisions are complete.
  1. Does your paper have a clear thesis statement?  (See Suegene's blog entry on thesis statements for more information.)
  2. Does the introduction give readers enough context and background to follow your arguments?
  3. Have you supported all of your claims with evidence from the primary literature?
  4. Have you cited sources properly in the text and literature cited sections?  (See the citation handout and quiz 1 on HuskyCT for reminders on how to do this).
  5. Does your paper have an informative title?
  6. Have you formatted scientific names properly?  (See the writing tips sheet for more information.)
  7. Have you proofread a printed copy of your paper?  It helps to read the paper out loud.
  8. Have you checked the spelling?  Remember that MSWord doesn't always know the scientific lingo, so don't assume it's right.  (For example, it will want to turn phylogenetic into phylogenic.  Don't let it!)
  9. Did you follow the formatting and length requirements?

The UConn writing center is available to provide additional help at all stages in the writing and revising process.  They provide individual tutors to work with you (it's free), and the past experience of EEB 245W students has been very positive.  Contact your W instructor with all questions and concerns about the course.

There are two assignments in this course, each broken down into several components. The first is a short paper summarizing and critiquing a paper from the primary literature (see Short Paper Assignment). This is intended as a warm-up exercise, a way to get you reading and thinking critically about a particular topic. The major assignment is a term paper on some subject that interests you in evolutionary biology. This is a review paper in which you will address a well-defined question of broad evolutionary significance using data from the primary literature. It is very important that you devote time and thought to your choice of topic so that you enjoy the research that goes into this paper (see Term Paper Assignment).

Click the links below for:
Course information Short Paper Assignment Term Paper Writing information
Grading Short paper assignment Term paper assignment Writing tips
Schedule and deadlines examples of papers that are acceptable as the basis for the short paper assignment Sample term paper topics Citation information


Tips for getting started discussion of primary literature versus other kinds of literature

Contact your W instructor with any questions about the course that we haven't answered with the information and links above.

Dr. Elizabeth Jockusch, coordinator

Dr. Charlie Henry

BioPharm 305B, Phone 486-4452

TLS 479, Phone 486-4450

e-mail: elizabeth.jockusch@uconn.edu

e-mail: charles.henry@uconn.edu

 

 

Dr. Richard King

Dr. Chuck Smith

TLS 470, Phone 486-5662

BioPharm 410, Phone 486-4158

e-mail: richard.w.king@uconn.edu

 email: charles.smith@uconn.edu