The Purpose
The purpose for this course work is to learn and practice how to systematize literature data on the topic and to present them in a concise and understandable format.
The Topic
The course work is a literature based research essay with in-depth analysis on a suggested topic:
Autosomal genetic disorders in Arabs
The Format
The format of the essay should follow that of review papers adopted by leading scientific journals. You may refer to my paper uploaded on Moodle as an example.
Length: 2000-2500 words (excluding the title page and the reference list). Make the file in the MS Word format.
Spacing: 1.5-line interval Margins: 2 cm throughout Font: 12 pt Times New Roman
The paper should include several sections (each of them is about a particular subtopic): you may name those sections accordingly. The paper should contain a list of the used references. Below is a general guidance for each of the sections (not mandatory and may not be named exactly as shown).
Introduction (Thesis) (about 1-2 pages): This is a section, in which you should briefly describe a purpose of your work. Provide some background information, e.g., what is known about the problem and what is not, why this problem is important, etc. Provide respective references to the original sources.
Results and Discussion (Evidence and Analysis) (3-4 pages): This is a main section of your paper. It should summarize results from the articles under review. Try to be clear and concise. Remember, “brevity is the soul of wit” (W. Shakespeare). You may use table(s) or/and figure(s) (not more than 2 of each) to present your findings. Discuss your results. What have been found and what remains obscure or still unknown? What are the prospects?
Conclusions (1 paragraph, 2-3 sentences)): A brief concluding statement of the previous section.
1
References.
In preparation of your essay, you are encouraged to use the following sources and databases: the US National Library of Medicine (https://www.nlm.nih.gov/); National Center for Biotechnology Information (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/); European Molecular Biological Organization (https://www.embo.org/) and similar world organizations and databases.
Submission
The essay should be submitted through Moodle Turnitin assignment option. All papers will be checked by anti-plagiarism software Turnitin and all copy-paste text will be instantly detected. If detected, plagiarizing to any extent would be sufficient ground for dismissal. Therefore, you must write this paper using your own word and sentence constructs.
Evaluation criteria
Thesis & Motive: Thesis: the paper’s main argument/s, presented clearly in the introduction and evolving throughout the paper. Motive: why the paper’s key question(s) and thesis are interesting and important—the motivation for the paper.
20%
Evidence: The core data of your paper. The evidence/data used should support your thesis and analysis, be the best available, and include precise and well-cited examples and quotations.
25%
Analysis: Takes the evidence beyond mere description or reporting; explores the evidence in insightful ways to support the paper’s claims; pushes the initial argument forward to develop new or more complex claims; makes the paper interesting and exciting to read.
25%
Structure: The organization and logic of the presentation of the paper, including introduction, body sections, conclusion, and appropriate transitions.
15%
Style: The writing, including:
1) formatting (grammar, punctuation, title, citations, works cited page, careful
proofreading, appropriate length),
2) clarity (clear, easily understandable prose; a clear thesis or point for each
15%
2
paragraph that is directly relevant to the paper’s thesis and helps move the paper’s overall project and argument forward; ideally, most paragraphs will begin and/or end with a clear topic statement conveying the paragraph’s main point), and
3) creativity (varying, engrossing and sophisticated prose).