BIOL 400 - Vertebrate Biology

Writing for your science classes may be different from what you've been used to. Your review paper guidelines will outline all of your requirements - make sure to read through the entire document!! 

A few main points about writing review papers that I want to highlight:

• You will write in the active voice. For example (See more at the University of Toronto Writing Advice):
  • Smith et al. have reported that cheetah dentition adapted to...
  • several recent papers have studied the role of geography in...
  • the results of this study showed.
• When incorporating information from other sources, you will want to paraphrase rather than provide a direct quotation. Make sure to read through the resources linked from his page on how to properly paraphrase. 

How to Write a Literature Review

Your professor has provided you with an assignment outline and rubric with specific requirements for your class. Make sure to follow those guidelines! You may want to also read more about what literature reviews are, their purpose, and how to effectively write them. I recommend this resource:

• Pautasso, Marco. 2013. Ten simple rules for writing a literature review. PLoS Computational Biology, 9(7), e1003149. doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1003149

In scientific writing, you will \incorporate outside information from your sources by paraphrasing information, rather than directly quoting it.

The Purdue Online Writing Lab recommends 6 steps for effective paraphrasing:

1. Reread the original passage until you understand the full meaning.
2. Set the original aside, and write your paraphrase on a note card.
3. Jot down a few words below your paraphrase to remind you later how you envision using this material. At the top of the note card, write a key word or phrase to indicate the subject of your paraphrase. 
4. Check your rendition with the original to make sure that your version accurately expresses all the essential information in a new form.
5. Use quotation marks to identify any unique term or phraseology you have borrowed exactly from the source.
6. Record the source (including the page) on your note card so that you can credit it easily if you decide to incorporate the material into your paper. 

Watch the four videos below from Walden University Writing Center to learn more about paraphrasing and how to do it.