DearolfBIOL 221
SEMINAR: BIOLOGICAL COMMUNICATION
Syllabus Fall 2016
Instructor: Dr. Jennifer DearolfOffice: DW Reynolds 230
ProfessorE-mail:
Phone: 450-4530 Office Hours: Tuesdays 10:00-11:00,
Fridays 10:00-12:00,
or by appointment
Class Meetings:LectureF2:10 – 4:00
Required Textbooks:
Hofmann AH(2014)Scientific writing and communication: papers, proposals, and
presentations, 2nd edn. Oxford University Press, New York.
Course objectives: This course is designed as an introduction to reading and writing biological research articles. In addition, students will be exposed to poster presentations. Specific course objectives include:
1)To know where the biological journals are housed in Hendrix College’sBailey Library
2)To gain skills in searching databases (BIOSIS Previews, MedLine, etc.) for biological research articles
3)To learn the sections of a biological research article and the types of material included in each section
4)To gain skills in critically reading biological research and review articles
5)To develop and hone skills in writing biological research articles
6)To gain an understanding of how biological research is presented orally
7)To be exposed to some of the other ways in which biologists communicate with other scientists about their research
Grades and Grading: Your grade will be based on the results of a) worksheets, b) roving reporter assignments, c) research project paper, d) attendance, and e) class participation as follows:
5 Worksheets100
Roving Reporter
Article Summary 40
Summary Comments (4) 16
Research Project Paper
Introduction Draft 30
Revised Introduction 50
Materials and Methods 20
Results 20
Discussion 40
Abstract and Title 20
Literature Cited 10
Final Draft200
Attendance 26
Class Participation 28
A = 600 – 537 pts.; B = 536 – 477 pts.; C = 476 – 417 pts.; D = 416 – 357 pts.;F < 357 pts.
If the class distribution is well below these cutoffs, the scale may be adjusted (curved) in calculating final grades. There will be no curve on individual assignments.
More Details about Grades and Grading:
Worksheets: There will be five worksheets, each with a value of 20 points. Each worksheet will include a number of questions that will address concepts presented in different chapters of the textbook. In addition, you will be asked to either (1) answer questions about or (2) summarize or (3) evaluate a biological research article you have read.
Roving Reporter: You will summarize a general science article that you find using the General Science Full Text search engine (40 points). Your summary will be posted to the course website anonymously, and the other students in the class will comment on your writing. You will also comment on the summaries of four of your colleagues’ article summaries (16 points).
Research Project Paper: Over the course of the semester, you will write all six sections of a biological research article. The topic of this article will be an animal behavior project that was performed by me when I was an intern at Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut. You will perform a literature search for the research article as one of your worksheets, and we will discuss the articles everyone finds in class.
You will write a draft of your Introduction (30 points) that you will turn in to the Biology Writing Center. You will revise your Introduction based on the feedback you receive from the Writing Assistants (50 points). After I present the methodology of my project and the results, you will write both of these sections of your paper (Materials and Methods: 20 points; Results: 20 points). Then, you will write the Discussion section (40 points), the Abstract and the Title (20 points), and the Literature Cited section (10 points).
Based on feedback from me or other Biology faculty, you will edit all of the sections of your research project paper and turn in a final draft (200 points) on Wednesday, December 16th, using Chapter 16 of the textbook as a guide. This final draft will be due to me by 5 pm, either in hard copy form to my office (DW Reynolds 230) or to my e-mail ().
Attendance policy: To do well in this course, you must be here, both in body and in mind. Formal attendance WILL be taken in this class. If you have a legitimate reason for missing class, notify me before class. A student with a poor attendance record may not be eligible for any grade curving conducted at the end of the course.
Academic honor code: As in any other course, any form of academic dishonesty will be taken very seriously, including cheating, plagiarism, or presenting work as your own when it isn’t. Please refer to the Academic Integrity section under Academic Policies and Regulations in the online catalog ( for the college’s academic integrity standards.
Students with Disabilities or Special Needs:It is the policy of Hendrix College to accommodate students with disabilities, pursuant to federal and state law. Any student who needs accommodation in relation to a recognized disability should inform me at the beginning of the course. In order to receive accommodations, students with disabilities are directed to contact Julie Brown () in the Office of Academic Success at 501-505-2954.
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