Literature summaries For each of three writing assignments, select a paper that is published in one of the journals selected for this course (See list.) For the first 10 points, you need to select an article, and write a one paragraph summary.  Your article must have methods, data and results sections.  It is best to avoid papers with human subjects or extensive animal studies.  Those papers usually involve myriad of statistical methods that we will not be able to comprehend. 

 Then, for the first and final drafts, include the following in your written report: 

1. Briefly explain the rationale and significance of the work in this paper. Why is this paper interesting?  What does this paper contribute to the understanding of the topic? Your audience is your classmates, you will need to define terms and explain concepts that have not been covered in General, Organic or this first semester of Biochemistry.  You will have to consult other books and journal articles to do this well.
2. Briefly describe the techniques that were used.  What experiments were done?  Leave out the details (no volumes, temp or reaction times.)
3.  Analyze the data and the results.  What do the results of the experiments mean?  Draw some conclusions from your analysis.
4.  Compare your analysis of the results with the authors' conclusions.  Also, search the literature for similar studies and compare those results with the results in your paper.
5. Be sure to cite all of your sources in a well documented bibliography that includes all authors, titles, pages and dates of publication.

These reports must be generated using a word processing computer program. No handwritten text, tables or graphics will be accepted. Please use double spacing and select a font that has 10-12 characters per inch. Both MacIntosh and IBM machines are available for your use in the computer labs in the Library building. If you are in need of assistance, it is your responsibility to schedule a computer lesson with me.