BIO230 Writing assignment
Weighting:
4% of your final grade
Learning outcomes:
• Familiarize yourself with the organization, writing style, and logic of academic research
articles.
• Analyze and evaluate the evidence presented in a research article to form an
independent judgment on this evidence.
• Identify valid scientific arguments, and the lines of evidence used to support these
arguments.
• Relate hypotheses and / or results to the field and describe how these build on previous
research.
• Draft a research question / hypothesis statement proposing a logical next step.
BIO230 Writing assignment background:
For this assignment, your TA, in Lab 2, will provide you with one article from a topic that is
central to cell and molecular biology. Using this paper, you will explore how the authors 1)
present their main scientific argument, and 2) use empirical data and previous research to
support this argument. Finally, you will then think about what the next step is that can build off
the research paper that you have read. You can find a link to your Lab group’s article on
Quercus in the file ‘Writing assignment topics’. Be sure to select the link specific to your Lab
group.
Complete Parts I and II described below using your chosen/assigned research article. To
answer these questions, you will need to read the article, paying close attention to the
discussion section and the main argument made by the authors in that section. You will likely
need to perform some additional research to help you understand the concepts, scientific terms,
or methods presented in the article because primary research articles are written for members
of the research community with a high level of scientific background.
In Part I, you will provide a broad summary of your chosen paper. This summary will replicate
many of the same components you completed in the Self-guided Writing assignment (you will
find this in the ‘Writing assignment’ module on Quercus). For Part II, you will identify the main
argument that the authors of your paper have made explicating their data. This argument will be
an interpretation of the evidence that they have found and will be based on several lines of
reasoning and by the results generated by their research (review your notes from the Lab 2
Self-guided assignment peer exercise for an example of an argument). You will then find two
different lines of evidence that help to support this argument and explain how they support the
argument. Finally, you will expand on the findings of this research article and speculate as to
what the next step could / should be.
2
Style and Formatting
Audience
Write as though your reader would have the same level of biological understanding as you and
your peer group.
Writing style
Use common scientific terms, comparable to those found in your Lab manuals. Make sure that
you understand all the terms you are using so that your writing is scientifically accurate. You are
not given a lot of space to answer these questions, so you will need to write concisely.
Formatting
Write in full sentences (no bullets or point-form notes please). Proofread your work to eliminate
spelling and grammatical errors. Use size 12 Times New Roman font, default 2.5 cm margins,
and double-space the text. Max 2 pages for the full assignment; any work over the 2-page limit
will not be marked by your TA. Include the full citation for the assigned article on a separate
page that will not count toward the page limit. Do not include diagrams or figures for this
assignment. Do not include a title page. At the top of your assignment, please include the
following information: Name, Student ID, and Lab section.
Questions
Post any questions about this assignment on the discussion board on Quercus in the Writing
assignment thread. Questions can also be asked during the Lab sessions. Please refrain from
sending emails to your TA about the assignment.
Assigned article
Use the article assigned by your TA for your Lab section. A list of articles can be found on
Quercus in the Writing assignment module.
Writing assignment guidelines (25 Points Total)
Part I: Read your chosen article and summarize the main findings of that article. Answer the
following questions in paragraph format: (10 points)
1) What is the major research question or hypothesis statement that the authors address in
this article? Include an explanation as to why the authors asked this question/tested the
prediction leading from the hypothesis. (6 points)
2) Identify one significant experiment from the results section of the article and describe
how this result was obtained (main methods, principal variables). Specify the figure and
panel (i.e. Figure 3B, figure 5C-F) that presents the experimental result you are
discussing. (4 points)
Part II: Select an argument that the authors of your Lab group’s article made and describe the
evidence that supports this argument. Answer the following questions in paragraph format: (14
points)
1) State the main argument made by the authors in their discussion section. (3 points)
2) Identify one line of empirical evidence obtained by the study presented in this paper that
supports this argument. Explain how this evidence relates to the argument made and
3
how it provides supports for the argument. Specify the figure and panel (i.e. Figure 3B,
figure 5C-F) that presents the experimental result you are discussing. (3 points)
3) Identify one piece of evidence used to support the author’s argument that is taken from a
previous study. This evidence should be taken directly from the assigned article, do not
go looking for other papers. Explain how this evidence relates to the argument presented
and how it provides support for the argument. (4 points)
4) Think beyond your article and consider what the next step is, and what we would want to
do now. What is a research question / hypothesis statement that would follow on from
this article and briefly indicate why that would be the next logical step to take? (4 points)
Part III: Organization/Grammar/Writing style. (1 point)
Part IV: References
Cite the assigned article. You should use the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors
style of citing sources (presented in your Lab manual/course syllabus). Citations are not
included in the 2-page limit.
Definitions
A research question is a question that seeks to explore or explain an aspect of your topic, without
making any assumptions or claims.
A hypothesis is a statement that expresses a possible relationship between variables or
phenomena, based on existing knowledge, theory, or observation.