Papers and reports must be organized as follows (pay strict attention and note that there are some course differences - label each section of the paper):
Cover page with title, author, date, and course.
First page begins with Title, author, and date at the top. It continues with abstract, keywords, etc. in that order
Abstract - A brief summary of the paper intended for someone who has not read the paper. Bear this in mind when writing the abstract and editing it. Use a print that is smaller than that used for the main report. For the General Horticulture reports this is optional and no points will be lost if you omit the abstract.
Key words - A few words that identify the subjects discussed in the paper. This is a simple list and is not a definitions section. Example: Key words - Alaska, Copper River Delta, wetlands, wildlife, ecology, plant ecology, Alaska marshes, and Alaska swamps. For the General Horticulture reports this is optional and no points will be lost if you omit the abstract.
The abstract and key words are to come before the introduction. The abstract and key words are to be 8 pitch. The rest of the paper is to be 12 pitch Times, New Times, Times Roman, or some other Times type. Line spacing must be set at 1.5 for the body of the text. Make the paper look professional! Writing skills and spelling will count. I will also expect scientific names of plants to be spelled correctly and cited formally. Underline or italicize scientific names. If you do not know how to spell a plant name, look it up.
Body of the Paper -
Methods - In Field Studies in Plant Ecology the reports will require a methods section. No methods section for Plant Ecology or General Horticulture (lecture).
Findings (Results) - Now, present the information gathered in your research. Along with the text, Tables, diagrams, maps, photos, and other figures might help here and should be used to present the materials efficiently and effectively. Do not confuse the findings with discussion! The better papers will have a clear distinction between the findings and discussion. In some research papers this sections would be called "results." In a library paper, there is no 'materials and methods' section. In field courses, this section might be called "results." Make absolutely certain that your use of citations for all sources is richly placed in this section and in the discussion.
Discussion - Here you interpret the data and have a chance to cover the concepts and generalities that are important to you. Use the data to back up and support your interpretative points. Make sure that you remember what the thrust of the paper is all about.
* In General Horticulture and Plant Ecology I will not be as strict with respect the separation of Findings and Discussion but the separation is preferred.
Summary - Succinctly review the majors points of the report in an interesting way and, where possible, draw conclusions.
Literature cited - You must use at least six sources for your paper in Plant Ecology. In General Horticulture 2 of the articles must be from books or journals. You can count those from the web so long as the articles are from something relatively authoritative; check with me if you have a question about the source. You cannot count newspaper articles except for specialty pieces. You cannot count magazine articles except for those coming from higher level gardening magazines. Again, you can always check with me.
Journals and books are regarded as better sources because they are generally peer reviewed. There is a general belief that the quality of such sources is better and more reliable than sources without such review.
PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH!
Please note that each and every source of information must be cited in the body of the report. Failure to do this would be a major failing of the paper and would be regarded as plagiarism. Rutgers considers plagiarism to be a punishment worthy academic sin that may result in failure, dismissal, or both. Be very careful about your citations in the body of the report! Do not be afraid to use 'too many' citations in the body of the report. Citations and literature cited should follow the format used in the journals or books.
The literature cited at the end of your paper is a list of the sources of information that you have used in the body your report. Do not use the word "bibliography."
In General Horticulture I would like to limit the text portion to 8 pages. Illustrations, photos, literature cited, and the cover page do not count as pages.
Try working from an outline and your writing is likely to be better!
Please try to make the papers and reports interesting. Tell a story! Before you write, make an outline. Consider giving an oral presentation to a classmate. Spelling, grammar, presentation, and substance are all important. I am reluctant to give an 'A' grade to any student who does not write an 'A' papers or reports! The papers and reports are important. When appropriate, I will look at your use of the library.
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