How to read primary source paleontology articles First, it is important to find multiple primary source articles related to your topic. I recommend reviewing our class librarian video which discusses how to find and identify primary source articles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygkr1hV-Stc&feature=youtu.be Scientific Articles - Sections Many scientific articles, particularly if the paper has been published in the last 15 years will have the following sections: 1. Abstract (A short summary of article. This is very dense and filled with advanced vocabulary but will provide all the key information from the article.) 2. Introduction (This gives overview of topic and provides a background. Often it will include information about the species significance.) 3. Methods/Materials (Explains the study/experiment and sometimes materials used. For fossil finds this may include information about who originally found the fossil and how a paleontologist came to access the fossil.) 4. Results (findings of the study/experiment) 5. Discussion (what the findings mean and what else remains to be known) Paleontology Articles - Additional Sections Paleontology articles will follow this format but will often have additional headings. For your Term Paper, you will likely read the scientific paper about the discovery and naming of the first specimen of your species (also known as holotype). This article, particularly if the paper has been published in the last 15 years may have the following additional sections: ● Occurrence and geological setting (This will discuss where the fossil was found and the details known about the outcrop and how the skeleton (or portion of the skeleton) was found.) ● Systematic palaeontology (This will provide the details for the naming of the new species and include all the taxonomy (Links to an external site.) details.) ● Osteological description (This is a description of the skeleton (if animal) and how complete it is. Other sections may follow discussing the different sections of the skeleton if it is a more complete fossil. These are usually very detailed descriptions because they need to clarify why this is believed to be a new species.) ● Results of the phylogenetic analysis (A phylogenetic analysis is the process of measuring specific parts of a fossil to properly identify it or, in the case of a holotype, to make the case that it is a new species.) Hints and Tips for reading scientific articles Don't get overwhelmed by the descriptive adjectives. You probably won't understand every word since you are not a professional paleontologist but you can understand the main points which is exactly what you need for your Term Paper. Don't get bogged down in the detailed descriptions of the fossils. Instead focus on the main points and significance of the fossil finds - these can be found in the abstract, introduction and conclusion. Often quality secondary sources, such as National Geographic or Ars Science (Links to an external site.), will have articles discussing the primary source material of new fossil finds. These sources are a great help to understanding the significance of the fossil find. Zuul Crurivastator - article link and powerpoint Zuul crurivastator is the species we discussed in lecture. You are NOT responsible for any material from that lecture or article linked below. I hope this discussion will help you understand how to interpret the primary resource paleontology papers you will read for your term paper. Link to primary source article: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.161086 (Links to an external site.) Powerpoint of in-class lecture: Zuul crurivastator.pptx What is a Primary Source? In the sciences, a Primary Source is the original publication of new research, data or theories by the person(s) who conducted the research or formulated the theory. Primary Sources are typically published in Scholarly Journals, accessible through library databases like Academic Search Premier (EBSCO). They are often characterized by standardized sections - you can remember them with the acronym AIMRAD. A - Abstract (short summary of article) I - Introduction (gives overview of topic) M - Methods/Materials (explains the study/experiment and sometimes materials used) R - Results (findings of the study/experiment) A - And D - Discussion (what the findings mean and what else remains to be known) They will also have a long list of References (the sources the authors used) at the end. Sometimes the sections might be combined, named differently, or unnamed, so if you aren't sure if what you have is a Primary Source email Haley or Ask a Librarian. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=ygkr1hV-Stc&feature=emb_logo Reference List Requirements and CSE Citations Provide a numbered list of all your source material at the end of your term paper. The list should be in CSE format (numbered in the order you cite within the paper). When quoting or paraphrasing another person's words or ideas (which is almost all of your paper), you must give credit to that person. You do this with an in-text citation. In the Citation-Sequence system used by CSE, the in text citation is a number, either in superscript or in parentheses. The notations go in numerical order and correspond to the numbered references given at the end of the paper. Our library has set up a CSE Citation-Sequence Citation Guide website (Links to an external site.) This website gives all the information you need to properly list the different types of source material. We also have a library resource guide (Links to an external site.) to help you find primary source material. While you should have some direct quotes, please limit these to less than 25% of your paper. Most of your text should be paraphrased, not direct quotes. Ideally, you will have many sentences in your own words but using scientific research and ideas. While a significant majority of your sentences will contain one or more citations, this does not mean you will not be exhibiting your own writing. Also, please assume I will check your paper for plagiarism and will read the wikipedia page of your species. Web Resources ● ● ● ● ● US Geological Survey National Science Digital Library (NSDL) This resource allows you to search for educational materials on a variety of scientific topics. Earth and Environmental Discoveries from the National Science Foundation Earth Science Picture of the Day from the University Space Research Association NASA Science: Earth Books in the Library Encyclopedia of Prehistory Call Number: QE26.3.L36 2002 Reference Collection - In-library Use Only ISBN: 081604547X Fossils Call Number: QE711.3.F67 2002 Geology News from ScienceDaily Newest Geology articles from ScienceDaily (secondary sources!): ● Peeking at the plumbing of one of the Aleutian's most-active volcanoes ● This link opens in a new window ● See help text ● Feb 4, 2020 ● Viscosity measurements offer new insights into Earth's mantle ● This link opens in a new window ● See help text ● Feb 3, 2020 ● Past climate safe havens now most vulnerable ● This link opens in a new window ● See help text ● Feb 3, 2020 ● Meteorites reveal high carbon dioxide levels on early Earth ● This link opens in a new window ● See help text ● Jan 29, 2020 ● Upper-plate earthquakes caused uplift along New Zealand's Northern Hikurangi Margin ● This link opens in a new window ● See help text ● Jan 28, 2020 ● More rain and less snow means increased flood risk ● This link opens in a new window ● See help text ● Jan 27, 2020 ● Seismic biomarkers in Japan Trench fault zone reveal history of large earthquakes ● This link opens in a new window ● See help text ● Jan 27, 2020 ● Mystery of Grand Canyon's water supply ● This link opens in a new window ● See help text ● Jan 23, 2020 ● Evidence to explain behavior of slow earthquakes ● This link opens in a new window ● See help text ● Jan 23, 2020 ● Complex rupturing during 2019 Ridgecrest, California, sequence ● This link opens in a new window ● See help text ● Jan 22, 2020 Using this guide Scientific Style And Format: The CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, And Publishers This guide will help you set up your CSE citations. Click on the tab for the source you want to cite for examples. If you cannot find an example here, ask a librarian or use our 24/7 online chat service: Ask a Librarian. Copies of the CSE Manual are available for use in the library. For a copy, ask the librarian. NOTE: The majority of examples used in this guide are from Scientific Style and Format, The CSE Manual for Authors, Editors and Publishers, 7th edition. General Rules Authors' names. List last name first. Use initials for first and middle names, with no periods after the initials and no space between them. No commas between the lane name and the initials. If a work has two to ten authors, list all of their names with commas between them. If a work has more than ten authors, list the first ten names with commas between them, followed by a comma and "et al." Titles of books and articles Capitalize only the first word in the title of a book or article (and all proper nouns). Do not underline or italicize the book title; no quotation marks around article titles. Titles of journals Abbreviate journal titles that consist of more than one word. Omit the word the and of; do not use apostrophes. Capitalize all the words or abbreviated words in the title; do not underline or italicize the title. Publication information Include the date, city of publication and name of the publisher. If no publication date, use a copyright date, "c2010" If no date is found, as is often true with electronic sources, include in the citation the phrase "date unknown" in brackets [ ]. Electronic sources For sources found on the Internet, include the word "Internet" in brackets [ ] after the title of the book, periodical, report or website. Citation Types Use these links for citation examples for the following citation types: ● In-Text Citations ● ● ● Books Scientific Journals Web Sites
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