ENG 3313: SCIENTIFIC WRITING
JOURNAL ARTICLE TOPIC & RESEARCH WORKSHEET
OVERVIEW:
For the first assignment, you will write the Introduction and Methods for a journal article on the topic: Use of graphs, figures, and tables in your field. (The first assignment is to write the first two sections covering the background and procedure of the experiment. After we complete this assignment, we will then focus on the Results and Discussions sections in a separate assignment.)
Requirements: 3-5 pages, Times 12 point, double spaced, includes 5+ references
TOPIC:
To complete this assignment, you will need to collect some data to report. For the writing assignment, you will need to count/inventory the number and types of illustrations (graphs, tables, and other figures) in a scientific journal that you select. The scientific journal should be a popular journal in your field. However, if your field does not use many illustrations, then you may select a journal in another field that has more illustrations (such as education or psychology).
This research topic will build on the following research: "Graphical Literacy: The Quality of Graphs in a Large-Circulation Journal" by Cooper, Schriger, and Close (2002)
The primary goal of this assignment is to collect novel data on the topic so that you can write a journal article (of original research) for our class writing assignment. You will also use this data to create a scientific poster (at the end of the semester). Therefore, please limit your work on the research design and focus on collecting data so that you can communicate effectively in a scientific writing style.
For simplicity, the Methods for your research study will limited to the following:
- Select one scientific journal to study (preferably a popular journal in your field)
- Access the past full year of the journal and count/inventory the number of tables and figures (which include graphs and other illustrations) in original research articles
Note: If the journal has published more than 12 issues in the past year (and has more than 5 articles per issue), then you may use a random sampling method for selecting journal articles. If you would like to use a random sampling method to select journal articles, then you will need to specify the process and ensure that you analyze at least 20% of the total number of articles published in the previous year. Be sure to detail your random sampling method on the worksheet so that you can report this information accurately in your journal article.
Criteria Ratings
Content and Style
Excellent
Scientific title following the informative sentence style presented in the class material. Specifically, the title lists BOTH the topic and/or subjects being studied. Additionally, the title FULLY SUMMARIZES the research of the paper and functions as an informative summary of the research. (This title will be useful for other researchers searching literature in online databases.)
Competent
Scientific title following the style presented in the class material. Specifically, the title lists the topic and/or subjects being studied, but does not fully summarize the research of the paper. (Thus, the title is NOT a complete informative summary of the research.)
Content & Organization
Excellent
1.5 to 2 pages of text (double-spaced, Times 12 points) providing content following the Moves/Steps of the CARS model: Move 1: Establishing a research territory, by Step 1: Establishing the importance of the research topic Begin by stating the problem (lead with the subject of the problem), Present specific statistics or details that establish the scale of the “cost.” Be sure to provide sufficient context and Step 2: Summarizing previous research to contextualize the present study The majority of the information from previous research is devoted to Move #1/Step #2. This section summarizes the content and provides insights from at least 5 published journal articles on the topic. Paragraphs organized using topic sentences and all information in each paragraph is connected at the sentence level using transitions. Move 2: Justifying the present study (explain to the reader how that there is a gap in the research knowledge--a niche) Move 3: Stating the objective of the present research (which fills the research niche that you identified above)
Competent
1.5 to 2 pages of text (double-spaced, Times 12 points) AND follows the CARS Model BUT has ONE of the following issues: (a) Does not thoroughly examine the background literature (making the section a little brief or does not have 5 different sources ), (b) Does not identify a GAP in the literature, or (c) Does not identify the PURPOSE of the current study.
Writing Style
Excellent
For Move 1: Statements summarizing findings from research are in present tense and focus on the findings (not the researchers who conducted the study). However, in limited situations if/when attributing findings to researchers, the findings are presented in past tense. For Move 3: Use of first person acceptable and present current study objectives in present tense. Throughout the section: Readable, professional/scientific style and tone, appropriate language, consistent use of terms when referring to the same items, free of grammatical errors.
Competent
In general, follows the same criteria although minor error(s) in a limited number of items below: For Move 1: Statements summarizing findings from research are in present tense and focus on the findings (not the researchers who conducted the study). However, in limited situations if/when attributing findings to researchers, the findings are presented in past tense. For Move 3: Use of first person acceptable and present current study objectives in present tense. Throughout the section: Readable, professional/scientific style and tone, appropriate language, consistent use of terms when referring to the same items, free of grammatical errors.
Content & Organization
Excellent
1.5 to 2 pages of text (double-spaced, Times 12 points) providing content with the following subsections: (a) Subjects/sample for analysis (the specific items that were analyzed in the study) (b) Procedure: A description of the selection and categorization of subjects BOTH at a level of detail sufficient so that other researchers could duplicate the sample and collect similar results. (c) Data Analysis: A description of how the data was analyzed and presented in the Results section. (Note: NO data is provided--just describes the procedure for the data presentation format and the statistics.)
Competent
1.5 to 2 pages of text (double-spaced, Times 12 points) AND follows the 3-subsection format BUT one of the following: (a) Internally in one or more subsections, the organization of information needs to be improved for clarity, and/or (b) one or more subsection is missing a limited amount of information (possibly easily inferred so the study could be replicated, but would require another researcher to fill in the missing information/detail that should have been provided in the section).
Writing Style
Excellent
Proper scientific writing style for the Methods section: Past tense, truncated passive voice (limited use of first-person). Procedural information is presented in paragraphs with topic sentences with proper emphasis on the subjects and procedure (not the scientists performing the actions). Information logically flows and sentences contain linking words and phrases to facilitate comprehension. Appropriate language for scientific writing--avoids conversational words/phrases. Terms are used consistently (each time referring to the object or item). All measures are presented in consistent format, using the Metric system (not Imperial). Numbers (in words versus numerals) follow recommendations for APA style. Grammatically correct (no errors of grammar or punctuation), no typos or spelling errors.
Competent
In general, follows the same criteria although minor error(s) in a limited number of items below: (a) Past tense, truncated passive voice (limited use of first-person). (b) Information is presented in paragraphs with topic sentences with proper emphasis on the subjects and procedure (not the scientists performing the actions). (c) Information logically flows and sentences contain linking words and phrases to facilitate comprehension. (d) Appropriate language for scientific writing--avoids conversational words/phrases. (e) Terms are used consistently (each time referring to the object or item). (f) All measures are presented in consistent format, using the Metric system (not Imperial). Numbers (in words versus numerals) follow recommendations for APA style. (g) Grammatically correct (no errors of grammar or punctuation), no typos or spelling errors.
APA Style/Formatting & Completeness
Excellent
Complete and correct bibliographic content and proper format for references in APA style (both in the text and in the References section). References section is properly formatted in Times 12 point, double-spaced, hanging indent. Includes at least 5 references free of errors (including proper italics, spacing, and punctuation for each).