Writing a Biology Review Paper

Presbyterian College Biology Department

Definition of a review paper

A review is a comprehensive synthesis of results from a wide and complex set of

studies
A synthesis of findings rather than ideas.
Goal of a review paper is to help readers make sense of all available information
Direct quotations rarely found in reviews. Do Not Use!

Research reviews focus on primary sources

Original scientific experimentation reported in scientific journals

The quality of the review depends largely on the comprehensiveness of the
literature search

Use of secondary sources--textbooks or review journals (Science, Scientific American,

Discover)

Overview of material--easier to understand.

Use references for networking, authors
Get keywords
Help devise outline

Formatting the Paper

General Information

15-20 pages of text (not including figures and tables)

Typed, double-spaced
12 point serif type fonts (Times, Times New Roman, Palatino)
Margins 1.5" left, 1" top, 1" right, 1" bottom
Indent each new paragraph 0.25"
Must be in a bound folder with a transparent cover

Title Page

Center title about 1/3 down the page in18-point font. Capitalize the first letter of
each word except for articles (a, an, the), conjunctions (and, but, for) and
prepositions (in, on, to)

The Adaptations for Thermoregulation in Winter Moths

Center your name 10 lines under the title in 12-point font

Center the date of submission date a double space below your name in 12-point
font

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 Center the following phrase a triple space below the date: "a paper submitted to
the faculty of the Department of Biology, Presbyterian College, in partial
fulfillment of the requirements of Senior Seminar, Biology 401"

Pagination

Number the pages consecutively, beginning with the title page, which does not
have a page number but is still counted as the first page
Use only arabic numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.)
Put the page numbers in the upper right hand corner

Headings

Use sparingly
Make them informative and concise
Center headings.
Triple space before the heading and double space after the heading
Use 12-point font, but bold

Using Numbers in Paper

Spell out numbers less than 10

Do not begin a sentence with a numeral, even if it larger than 10
Always use numerals when reporting quantitative data with a unit: 15 km, 8 g, 5
mL (check McMillan pp. 155-157 for proper abbreviations)

Tables and Figures

Must be incorporate/insert tables and figures in the text following the first text
citation.
Cite according to number: "----as shown in Figure 3." "----the relationships of the
species (Table 2)."
Each table and figure should be self-explanatory.
Left justify all titles and legends (single-spaced).
Put a period after the number of the figure or table in the title. Figure 1.
Survivorship of Xanthium strumarium seed over a period of 100 days.
Tables and figures should be cited according to number, "as shown in Figure 3,"
or "the relationships of the species (Table 2)."
Make sure to reference figures in title, if taken from a source.
Triple space before and after each table or figure.

Tables

At least one in paper

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 Make sure to know when to use and when not to use: Use to present many
numerical data or to summarize verbal material from text. Do not use to show
patterns or trends
Reference table in preceding paragraph: Table 1 shows --- or ---- (Table1).
Number tables consecutively throughout paper, even if there is only one
Always horizontally centered
How to set up
Title at top, left justified--Table 1. XXXXXXXXXXXXX (Citation 2005).
Spanner line
Header
Subheader
Spanner
Data
Spanner
Notes

Figures
Anything not a table is a figure
At least one in paper
Many different types.
Graphs: Line -- shows trends. Bar -- quantitative v/s qualitative
Illustrations
Diagrams
Reference figure in preceding paragraph. Figure 1 illustrates --- or ---(Fig. 1)
Number figures consecutively throughout, but separately from tables
Always horizontally centered
How to set up: Figure is on top. If it is a graph, make sure axes are labeled:
independent variable on X-axis and dependent variable on Y-axis. If it is an
illustration, include spanner lines
Title at bottom, left justified - Figure 1. XXXXXXXXXXX (Citation 2005).

Scientific Names

Always italicized
Genus capitalized, species not
Abbreviate genus name after the first reference: Querus alba becomes Q. alba
Avoid using common names without scientific names. For example, "corn" is not
the same thing in different parts of the world. Give the scientific name instead of
or following the common name: The great white shark, C. carcharias, is
commonly found---- or C. carcharias is commonly found----
Do not use articles (the, a, an) with scientific names
"Species" is a collective singular: There is no such word as specie. For example,
"This species is specific to one locale."
Genera names can be used alone if you are referring collectively (Some species of
Sargassum grow----)

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 Taxonomic levels above the genus level are capitalized but not italicized: the
Chilopoda (centipedes), Animalia, Chordata, Osteichthyes
Some taxa have been modified to become common names, which are not
capitalized: lycopsids from Lycopsida; dipterans from Diptera

Subscripts and Superscripts

Use superscripts for degree measurements, ion charges, and mathematical
expressions: 36oC, Ca++ or Ca+2, C+
Use subscripts for chemical compounds: CaCl2 Fe2(SO4)3

Writing the Paper

Remember the basic outline for a review paper.

Title Page
Title should be specific, informative, concise
See pages 89-90 in McMillan
Abstract
Short, concise summary of paper (200-250 words)
No references
Center "Abstract" a double space before paragraph
Introduction
Center "Introduction" above this section
Review the topic
Importance and significance.
Background information, conflicting views, major lines of thought
Statement of purpose
Document and reference sources
Body of text (topic 1, topic 2, Topic 3)
Present details of work done by researchers on topic
Mention and describe important techniques, methods, results, and
conclusions
May have headings, but don't use "Body"
Develop and follow good topic sentences
Coherent, well-blended summation of all the work you could find that is
important to your subject
Develop a pathway of thought that leads to conclusions
Document and reference sources
Conclusions
Consolidate ideas, strengthen relationships between ideas, patterns, tie up
loose ends
Significance of topic
Make sure you conclude something
Do not introduce new data, results
What is next, future avenues of research
Write the paper well in advance of the due date
Set it aside and reread it later.

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 SAVE, SAVE, SAVE, SAVE (not only on disk, but on a hard drive
somewhere)
Computer malfunctions will not be accepted as an excuse for late work

Person
Most scientific work is written in the third person, but is written in passive, past
tense
Avoid using pronouns
Facts and ideas are stated about procedures and results. Comparative studies were
performed ---- or ---- was observed over a period of two years.

Documentation
Use the Literature Cited method (all references cited in the text). No footnotes and Nno
numbers (as in Science)

In Text: Cite using the Harvard System (Name-Year)

One author
The most recent study of this species (Jackson 1996) shows ----
---- demonstrated in the most recent study of this species (Jackson 1996).
Jackson's (1996) study fails to account for ----
In a recent study of this species by Jackson (1996) ----

Common Errors. Watch where periods go.

----(Jackson, 1996).

----. (Jackson 1996)

----(Jackson 1996.)

Correct --- (Jackson 1996).

Two authors
In a study of the spotted skunk (Smith and Jones 1991) ----
Smith and Jones (1991) reported that ----

More than two authors

In a study of the snowy egret (Brown et al. 1994) ----
Brown et al. (1994) reported that ----

Two papers from the same author in the same year (alphabetical by authors, then
titles)
----(Johnson et al. 2004a)

----(Johnson et al. 2005b)

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More than one reference, different authors (chronological, then alphabetical)
Several models have been proposed (Wright 1935, Abrams and Chen 1960, Diaz 1980).
Several models have been proposed (Jones 1985, Allen 1990, Stokes 1990, Diaz 2004).

No author is given
Creeping bellflower has been reported ---- (Anon. 1986).

Unpublished work

General Info: The yolk-sac placenta of the cat shart contains a capillary plexus along its
inner surface (Wourms, personal communication).

Research in progress: This capillary plexus serves to exchange metabolites across the egg
envelope (Wourms, unpublished).

Manuscripts not yet printed: The cotylephores of Platystacus contain approximately

28.5% greater surface area for exchange than is availble in Solenostomus (Wetzel, in
press).

Electronic Sources

Identifiable Author and Date: Still use name-date citation.

Identifiable author, but not Date: Use author's name and date the page was accessed.

No Identifiable Author: Use the rool web address ----(www.cdc.gov).

References: Use the Harvard System (Name-Year). Put sources in alphabetical order by
first author's last name. If you have more than one article by the same author, put the
articles in chronological order with the earliest first.

Begin the first line of first entry at the left margin and then indent the rest of the reference
5 spaces (not shown in example below).

References

Centers for Disease Control - Division of Parasitic Diseases. 2003.

http//www.cde.gov/ncidod/dpd/default.htm. Accessed 21 Feb 2006.

Kingsolver, J.C. and R.B. Srygley. 2000. Experimental analyses of body size, flight, and
survival in pierid butterflies. Evol. Ecol. Res. {serial online]; 2:593-612.
<www.colgate.edu/biol>. Accessed 3 Oct 2000.

Linton, J.R. and B.L. Soloff. 1964. The physiology of the brood pouch of the male
seahorse, Hippocampus erectus. Bull. Mar. Sci 14: 45-61.

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Orr, J.W. and R.A. Fritzsche. 1993. Revision of the ghost pipefishes, family
Solenstomidae (Teleostei: Syngnathodidei). Copeia 1993: 168-182.

Ruppert, E.R., Fox, R.S., and Barnes, R.D. 2004. Invertebrate Zoology. Belmont:
Thomson. 963 p.

Journal articles: Author(s). Year of Publication. Title of Paper. Journal Title(no. )

Volume Number: Pages.

Primary source with single author: Jones, B.J. 1994. Serotonin turnover in raphe
neurons transplanted into rat hippocampus. N Engl J. Med 330:874-8.
Two authors: Jones, B.J. and K.Y. Lee. 1994. Agonistic and reproductive
behavior of african bees. Nat Zool 35:396-400.
Multiple authors: Jones, B.J., Lee, K.Y., and Smith, N.D. 1994. Agonistic and
reproductive behavior of african bees. Nat Zool 35:396-400.
No author given: [Anonymous]. 1976. Epidemiology for primary health care. Int
J. Epidemiol 5:224-5. Citation in text: (Anon. 1976)

Books: Author(s). Year. Title of book. Place of publication: Publisher. pages in book.

Book: Voet, D., and J.G. Smith. 1990. Biochemistry. New York: J Wiley. 1223 p.
Citation in text: (Voet and Smith 1990)
Book with editors: Gilman, A.G., Rall, T.W., and Nies, A.S., editors. 1990. The
pharmacological basis of therapeutics. 8th ed. New York: Pergamon. 1180 p.
Citation in text: (Gilam et al. 1990)

Electronic Sources
Author/editor. Year. Title (edition). Publisher (if applicable). [Type of medium, i.e.CD-
ROM or online], Volume: Paging or indicator of length. Internet Address. Accessed day
month (abbreviate) year.

Example: Clark, J.K. 1994. Complications in academia: Sexual harassment and the law.
[Online] 2:3 paragraphs. http://www.cac.psu.edu/jeb/twocont.html Accessed 21
June1995.

If author is not available put [Anonymous]. Leave out what is not supplied.
Write (no date) when the electronic publication date is not available. Example:
[Anonymous] (no date). Transgenic potatoes as a source of vaccines. [Online] 6-10.
http://www. cac.texasam.edu/tebsu.html. Accessed 2 Jan 1997.

Make an appointment for a writing conference in the Writing Center in Neville 206 to go
over your paper with a tutor.