Posted: March 8th, 2016

PREPARATION OF REACTION PAPERS

PREPARATION OF REACTION PAPERS
Science today depends heavily on the free and rapid flow of information concerning new
observations, results of experiments, and developing theories. The principle means of
transmission of this information is the publication of reports in journals or magazines. This flow
of information is important both to individuals involved in current research and to the general
public. Our daily lives are profoundly influenced by the happenings in the scientific community.
Several publishing companies have responded to the ready market of those individuals that “need
to know” by offering science oriented magazines for the non-scientist. These magazines, along
with the older, more established magazines of popularized science and the highly technical
journals, regularly provide an abundance of information to be incorporated into our thinking.
During this semester, as an exercise in information gathering, synthesis, and evaluation, you will
be asked to read two journal articles and to write a brief swnmary of each of them and your
reaction to one. These articles you read will be chosen, by you, from the publications listed on
the reverse side, published in 2016, the articles you read will be a minimum of three pages in
length, and they will deal with the specified subject matter.
After you have read a journal article you are to write a short paper briefly summarizing the
article, and, for one article, giving your reaction to it. You should write about your new
understanding of the topic, how well you feel that it was explained, if and how your outlook on
animal biology .was changed after reading the article, etc.