ATMS 211
Research projects





The research projects are an opportunity for you to learn about a climate-related topic in more depth and to share your knowledge with classmates and with the professors.  Start your research early to ensure success, and feel free to discuss your research or the rough draft of your paper with us at any point.  This project forms one quarter of your course grade, so you should expect to spend a lot of time on it.  Your research must be extensive, your writing must be of high quality, and your presentation must be clear.
 

Requirements

You will be evaluated on two major components:  the written paper (20% of your course grade) and your oral presentation (5% of your course grade).

Paper

The written paper must be a solid piece of writing.  You will be evaluated primarily on content, including structure and accuracy, but we also expect correct spelling, punctuation, grammar, and construction.  Supplementary tables or figures are encouraged and datasets, references, and other sources of information used in the paper should be listed in sufficient detail at the end so that an interested reader will know how to locate them. Use at least three references (unless you are commenting on a book, in which case the book alone is probably enough).  Your references may include complete URLs, with date accessed, but at least one reference should be from a printed source. You must list all of your references, and any direct quotes must be indicated as such.

Please be really careful about your referencing. If you copy any exact wording from one of your sources, you must cite the source in your text. If you fail to do so, you run the risk of being accused of plagiarism. Even if you're paraphrasing in your own words something that is clearly one
scientist's idea or opinion, you must mention the source. But much of what you write in your papers will hopefully represent your own synthesis of what you've learned in your own reading and through talking with other members of your group. It will represent not just the opinion of one scientist but the prevailing views of the scientific community. This kind of writing does not (at least for this course) require extensive referencing within the text, but you still must include a list of references at the end of your paper.

Length: about 7-12 pages (minimum 2000 words), not including references.

If you are working with a partner, you have the option of submitting individual papers or a jointly written paper.  For a jointly written paper, both authors will receive the same grade but the paper must be more substantial.  The length must be at least 3000 words and you must work together to make sure that the paper is coherent and the transitions are smooth.

The paper is due Wednesday, February 20, in class.

"W" credit

If you are taking ATMS 211 as a writing course, you must submit a 10-page (2500 wd) paper on February 20 with everyone else.  (This is not a rough draft!)  You will have the opportunity to edit the paper in response to suggestions from the instructors, and a revised version is due Friday March 15.  We will grade only the final version.
 

Presentations

You are required to present your paper at the appropriate symposium on the week of February 19-23.  You are strongly encouraged to use visual aids, whether overheads, slides, or a powerpoint presentation (can be e-mailed to us the day before your symposium).  Each speaker gets roughly 12 minutes, plus 3 minutes discussion.  If you are working with a partner, you will get 17 minutes plus 3 minutes discussion, and it is up to you to decide how to share the time, but both partners must speak.  You are expected to participate in the entire symposium; don't leave after your presentation.

Tips: Practicing your presentation ahead of time will pay off, perhaps with someone else from the class who can .  A good descriptive title, an outline, and conclusions will improve your audience's comprehension.
 

GETTING HELP: The instructors can offer suggested readings or web sites or experts who can be contacted for more detailed information.