Evaluation of seed cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

After receiving the notice of which of your submitted articles you are to re-write for the Term

Paper Project, you may now begin composing your version of this article. It is important to note that

each scientific journal has a specific set of formatting requirements; however, as a standard, each peerreviewed article must include an abstract, introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion,

conclusion, and works cited sections. Below is a brief description of these various sections as printed

by the American Society of Agronomy (ASA) in the Publications Handbook and Style Manual (a

complete copy of this manual is posted on the Term Paper Project overview Canvas page).

• Abstract: “An abstract helps readers decide whether to delve into the paper…The abstract

should call attention to new techniques, observations, or data. Be specific…. [The abstract]

moves from an introductory statement of the rationale and objectives or hypotheses,

through materials and methods, to the results and conclusions.… Because an informative

abstract has to stand alone, do not deflect the reader with phrases such as ‘will be

discussed’ or ‘will be explained.’… Limit your use of abbreviations, and define the ones you

do use…. Write the abstract as a single paragraph, with a limit of 250 words.”

• Introduction: “Use the introduction to review published literature and issues related to

your topic…. Keep the introduction short, but include (i) a brief statement of the problem

that justifies doing the work, or the hypothesis on which it is based; (ii) the findings of

others that will be further developed or challenged; and (iii) an explanation of the general

approach and objectives.”

• Materials and Methods: “In the Materials and Methods section, give enough detail to allow

a competent scientist to repeat the experiments, mentally or in fact. In the materials

section, describe the preparation method, equipment, and measurements, using SIacceptable units…. Cite references for your methods…The Materials and Methods section

may be arranged chronologically, by a succession of techniques, or in any other logical

manner, such as by experiment or location, and may include tables and figures.”

• Results: “Use tables, graphs, and other illustrations in the Results section to provide the

reader with a clear understanding of representative data obtained from the experiments.

Call attention to significant findings and special features (e.g., one quantity is greater than

another, one result is linear across a range, or a particular value is optimum), but do not

repeat in detailed prose what is already clear from an examination of the graphics.”

• Discussion: “Use the Discussion section to interpret your results. Give particular attention

to the problem, question, or hypothesis presented in the introduction. A good discussion

typically covers most or all of the following steps:

1. Relate the results to the original objectives.

2. Explain the principles, relationships, and generalizations that can be supported by

the results.

3. Address any exceptions or lack of correlation that qualify the findings, or difficulties

that point to areas for further investigation.

4. Explain how the results relate to previous findings, whether in support,

contradiction, or simply as added data.

5. Present conclusions, supported by a summary of the evidence.

Whether combined with the Results section or standing alone, the Discussion section

should focus on the meaning of your findings, not recapitulate them. Scientific speculation

is encouraged, but it should be reasonable, firmly founded in observation, and subject to

tests. It must also be identified as such. Where results differ from previous results for

unexplained reasons, possible explanations should not be labored. Controversial issues

should be discussed clearly and fairly.”

• References: “The References section lists only the literature cited in the paper. Authors are

encouraged to cite only significant, published, and up-to-date references.”

Before you can begin re-writing this article, it is essential that you take the time to understand

the purpose, methods, and results reported. As you are interpreting the information presented within

the article, we recommend making notes of important facts, interesting results, questions you have

regarding materials and methods, as well as some references you would like to check. This assignment

is not meant for you to regurgitate the original information presented by the article author(s), but

rather to have you comprehend the research, summarize and relate the information according to your

writing style, and learn how to arrange a scientific article. Do NOT plagiarize!

As such, your Term Paper Project Rough Draft should:

• Include an article title, your name as the author, and a date of “publication” (i.e. the date

you submit the article).

• Include the six essential components of a peer-reviewed research article (an abstract,

introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion, and works cited sections). Each

section must also have a title/heading. You are able to combine the “Results” and

“Discussion” sections into a single “Results and Discussion” section, but please ensure that

you have included ample detail for both.

• Utilize 12-point, Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri font for all Term Paper text (excluding

the Article Title).

• Be free of spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors.

• Utilize a minimum of three credible resources, all of which are appropriately cited within

the article text and the works cited section. Please utilize scientific citation styles when

acknowledging resources—we recommend the ASA citation style, as available in the ASA

Publications Handbook and Style Manual