This asssignment page has been included as an example not because we want to encourage DHC students to write term papers for the seminar, but because it is a good example of how an instructor can clearly outline an assignment. This assignment clearly communicates what is expected, how papers will be graded and resources students can reference.

Research Reports

These reports have a ten page (2500 word) target with 5-15 references, depending on the depth and level of the class. Most students are successful with a formal outline that has specific headings and subheadings, such as those listed below, but papers can be successful without the headings. On the other hand, if this general structure is absent, the paper is likely to be unsuccessful.

Introduction - Provides an explanation of the importance of the subject of the report, and the goal of the report. Here you must convince the reader why they should read further. Thus, a report is always more effective if it has a story to tell rather than being a simple tabulation of information.

To achieve this goal the introduction should end in some "thesis" statement of what you will demonstrate in your paper-on a paper of this length this is typically at the end of the first or second paragraph. For a literature report, an effective thesis statement can be in the form of a question, such as "what wine compounds may reduce disease?"

Literature reports - Coverage must go beyond the class description of the topic. This is typically included with the next section-

Interpretation of literature data - This can include interpretations from original reports (be sure this is cited properly) as well as your own interpretation. Here you must evaluate the relative merit of different sources, especially when they conflict. You must put the information into perspective with the topic of the report.

Conclusion - This is not a summary. Here you want to tie your conclusion back to the thesis statement in the introduction, i.e. here is where you answer your question or "prove your point," or perhaps disprove it. For a paper focusing on a specific chemical important in winemaking, typical concluding remarks might state whether or not the chemical has a distinct effect on wine flavor, whether it can be controlled in practical terms, or whether those controls would affect the sensory properties of the resulting wine. DO NOT introduce new information in the conclusion.

Use of Figures - The use of figures from cited papers is recommended. Be sure the original source is clear, and don't turn in pages with the figures taped in. Photocopy the page with the figure attached. While pictures are worth 1000 words, figures cannot be used to shorten the text of the paper.

References. - For freshman classes, 5 references is the minimum, while for upper division work, fewer than 10 bibliographic references is marginal. Use authoritative primary literature except in a few cases. The secondary literature, such as reviews and books with references are good places to start a study of a topic, but should not be cited in your report, except perhaps one comprehensive review. Web sites in general have little authority, but like reviews, may be a good means to get started on a topic. Use AJEV format for references

in text citations are by number but the listing is alphabetic. Consult a recent issue for full info.

AJEV article citation style: Name1, F.I., F.I. Name2, Article title, Journal Vol:pp-pp (year).

Other Formatting. On the first page put your name, the paper title, the class name and the date. Cover pages and covers are not necessary simply staple in the top left corner. Double space, and on the top of each page please put your name, a key topic word and the page number. Print clearly!

Useful Bibliographic Resources:

Biosis or Current Contents on Melvyl: Titles back to 1990, Vitis Abstracts (paper only), FSTA on CD-ROM/Web, Science Citation Index (www.webofscience.com)

Grading. Report quality is usually based on three criteria. First , did you do a good search of the literature? This entails a quantitative and qualitative evaluation of your references. Second, is the writing clear and logical, and were the ideas developed in a clear order (such as outlined above) to come to a well supported conclusion? Third, did you critically evaluate the information you found (and the sources) and integrate them well in your report (synthesis), resolving conflicting information, or did you simply restate what you read?

Writing Guides:

THE Classic: Turabian, K.L., A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Dissertations, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1955.

Ebel, H.F., Bliefert, C., Russey, W.E., The Art of Scientific Writing, VCH, New York, 1987.

Schoenfeld, R., The Chemist's English, 2nd Edition, VCH, Weinheim, 1986.

Dodd, J.S., The ACS Style Guide, A Manual for Authors, American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C., 1986.

Kanare, H.M., Writing the Laboratory Notebook, American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C., 1985.

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