生物地理学代写-GGR305
时间:2022-02-02
GGR305: Biogeography Winter 2022
Research Question and Critical Reading Assignment
(Due 10 pm on Feb 3rd, Worth 15% of final mark)

A. Goals of this Assignment
1. Work through the formulation of a term paper question.
2. Familiarize yourself with a search strategy to effectively research your topic.
3. Identify and review relevant scholarly articles.

The scope of the term paper and library research approaches were discussed more thoroughly in
class.


B. Suggested Approaches to Formulating a Term Paper Research Question

1. Focus on one taxon (species, genus, etc.) investigating how it has changed overtime: what
physical and biological limiting factors impact its distribution throughout its biological history;
how has the distribution changed over time; and what are the hypotheses explaining these
changes? For example: How has the distribution of the horse changed overtime?

2. Focus on a specific location investigating what plants, mammals, birds, invertebrates, or
other taxonomic group are currently present: how has this changed over a given time period
(i.e. since the last glaciation); what are the physical conditions of this location; how have these
conditions changed over time; and what is the impact of these changes on the taxa of interest?
For example: How has the vegetation of Southern Ontario changed since the last glaciation and
have these changes impacted on taxonomic diversity?

3. Focus on humans’ impact on a given taxa or the diversity in a particular location. For
example: How have humans impacted the biota of New Zealand since the first Polynesians
arrived?

4. Another approach of your choosing (prior approval suggested).


C. For this Assignment

Basic requirements:
• Your assignment should be typed, and use 12 pt Times font (or similar), double-spaced.
• Make sure your name and student number are on your assignment.
• You do not need a cover page.
• Do not use direct quotes. Marks will be deducted if you use direct quotes to answer any of
the questions listed under item number 3 below.




GGR305: Biogeography Winter 2022
Tasks and questions to answer:

1. Provide the research question you plan on addressing in your term paper. This research
question is the foundation for your paper and must be sufficiently clear to ensure appropriate
focus for your research. It should be stated in one sentence. (10 pts)
• See section B above for suggestions about appropriate topics.

2. After using your key words/phrases to search scholarly article databases, provide the full
reference for at least five articles relevant to your research question. Please follow APA style.
(10 pts)
• See here for appropriate style here. (you only need to follow APA style for references, not
the rest of your assignment format)

3. For one of the five articles you identify, please read it carefully and answer the following
questions (make sure it is clear which article you have selected to answer the questions).

You cannot use a review paper to answer these questions; make certain that the article is a
primary source. In other words, it involves some type of data (e.g. field observations, samples of
material, computer simulated data) that is analyzed and does not just provide a summary or
reflection of other scholarly papers.

A. What is the research question(s) that this paper is trying to answer? (10 pts)

B. How is the research question addressed? In three to five sentence please identify the type
of data used (field observations, samples of material, computer simulated data, or something
else) and how the data were analyzed. In other words, what methods were used in the paper.
(15 pts)

C. In three to five sentences, please explain why you think this paper was published
(addressing a basic gap in knowledge, testing a new hypothesis, applying an existing
hypothesis or theory in a new situation, or something else). This information may be stated in
the introduction of the paper and/or be your interpretation of the paper’s contribution. (15
pts)

D. In one paragraph, describe the major findings or conclusions of the paper. (20 pts)

E. In one paragraph, explain how this paper is relevant to the question you are researching for
your term paper. You must justify your choice/explanation by providing a logical rationale.
(20 pts)


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