Notes on Drafts of Papers

1
Notes on Drafts of Papers
2
Abstracts and References

• See What is an abstract? on course web site
• AEES Majors use APA format
• All others use GSA format

3
Conventions

• Genus and species names should be italicized or
  underlined
• E.g., Monograptus uniformis or Monograptus
  uniformis
• Genus names are capitalized (u.c.) species names
  are not (l.c.)
• Period and era are capitalized when used with a
  specific interval
• E.g., Devonian Period or Paleozoic Era

4
Grammar

• Being is a noun it is not a form of the verb
  to be
• So, usage such as this being the case or being
  that these fossils are found is INCORRECT!
• Pronouns refer to the preceeding noun

5
Grammar

• What is wrong with this passage?
• The trilobites occur in association with
  symmetrical ripples. Frequently, they are missing
  their heads.
• Two things!
• The pronoun they refers to the ripples, not the
  trilobites ripples have no heads to be missing!
• Frequently, carries a time connotation. It would
  be preferable to use commonly

6
Grammar

• When using to try with another verb, the
  correct form is
• to try to do NOT to try and do This is one
  action, not two.