Biology

The Biology Essay

The Essay should have the following characteristics:

· Cover page: Must include: Title, Student Name, Course, Term, Instructor Name, and Date. The cover page should be properly formatted using APA 7th edition.

· Length: 500-700 words. There is no specific number of pages required as long as it fits within the word count requirement. Titles, headings, references, citations, and directly quoted materials are NOT included in the word count. The word count refers only to the body of the essay written by you.

· Content: The essay must summarize the topic you chose and discuss a few of the aspects of the topic that are significant to the topic. The topic of discussion must be clearly and directly related to biology. If the relationship is not clear, it should be explicitly stated.

· Opinions: Any opinions you express throughout the paper should be clear and consistent. For example you should not be “pro” in one paragraph and “con” in another. ALL opinions must be supported by FACTS from reputable sources that are properly cited in the text and references sections.

· Expression: The essay should be well written and clear. It should be easy to understand and read. (HINT: Try reading it OUT LOUD to a friend or relative to find difficult or confusing passages.)

· References: The paper should be supported by a minimum of three references that are reliable and reputable sources. All references must be properly formatted into a References section at the end of the paper AND cited as in-text citations throughout the text. All References and in-text citations should be properly formatted using APA 7th edition.

· Spelling and Grammar: The essay should be free from spelling and grammar errors. (HINT: a great way to catch these is by reading it OUT LOUD.)

· Plagiarism: Any plagiarism will result in a GRADE OF ZERO. See the table below for the distinctions between plagiarism and non-plagiarism. Your submission will be checked for plagiarism using Turn-It-In.

Plagiarism

Non-plagiarism

· Any unquoted material copy/pasted from another source, EVEN if it’s cited.

· Copying material word for word without using quotation marks.

· Quotes that make up more than 10% of the original paper (50-70 words). If your essay requires large amounts of quoted material, DO NOT USE the quoted resource.

· Any quoted material that is not properly cited.

· Summarizations of other material in your own words that are not properly cited.