2. Discussion topic (10%). The Discussion Topic will provide you with the opportunity to read a series of primary scientific papers on a hotly debated topic in palaeontology. This will allow you to become familiar with the way scientists communicate their ideas and gives you the chance to formulate your own conclusions regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the data presented in the published papers

An introduction to the Discussion Topic and the questions you need to address will be provided separately on the iLearn site. Copies of all the relevant papers for the Discussion Topic are available from e-Reserve in the Library. You are required to submit a written response to each of the questions asked and to provide an evaluation of all the pertinent evidence and data related to the Discussion Topic. It is always a good idea to carefully read each of the core papers several times so that you can come to grips with the main thrust(s) that each one presents. Your written response should be word processed (hand written Discussion Topics won’t be accepted) and properly referenced using the Harvard Referencing System.

1. Online Quizzes (30%). Each laboratory session in BIOL261 will be assessed via an online, multiple choice quiz on iLearn. The questions for each quiz will be based directly on work completed during each laboratory session. Following the Lab classes each week you will have 6 days to complete the associated lab quiz. Each quiz is marked out of 10 and you will have 20 minutes to answer all questions. You may only attempt each quiz once. Students who forget to complete the quiz or simply do not attempt the quiz will have a zero mark recorded for that quiz. External students will complete the quizzes after each of the on-campus sessions. 

3. Major assignment (20%). Each student is expected to choose and submit ONE Major Assignment from the two possible topics (these will be provided separately on the iLearn website for the unit.

Marks for the Major Assignment will be given for: 

1. Scientific evaluation or how well you have supported your answers using evidence from the primary scientific literature.
2. Logical organisation, formatting, sentence structure and style / grammar / spelling.
3. Relevance, clarity and acknowledgement of all figures, graphs and tables. Figures MUST be used to support your views in the Major Assignment.
4. Complete reference list and the correct and comprehensive citation of all sources using the Harvard Referencing System. 

Additional information on the marking criteria will be provided in class.

Important points to note regarding the format and structure of the Major Assignment:

• Make sure you carefully read the questions and associated core papers for your chosen topic. Your assignment must precisely and completely address each question posed. Do not waste time and space reviewing the contents of each paper or bulking out the assignment with irrelevant ‘waffle’.
• The assignment should be word processed using a 12 pt font with double spacing throughout, and should not exceed 2000 words (this is approximately equivalent to 5-6 double spaced A4 pages for text in 12 pt font and 2.5 cm margins). Hand written assignments won’t be accepted.
• The word limit does not include supporting figures, graphs, tables or the reference list.
• An accurate word count should be included on the coversheet for the assignment.
• You MUST include figures, graphs and/or tables in your assignment. Figures are vital as supporting evidence for your arguments and point of view. Make sure all figures, graphs, tables etc are referred to in the text and are included at relevant places in the text – do not lump them all together at the end of the assignment.
• A set of core papers for both assignment topics are available in e-Reserve. The core papers are meant to provide a starting point for your reading, but are not intended to be comprehensive. You are strongly encouraged to access other relevant primary scientific literature sources outside of the core papers. A separate handout entitled ‘Search Strategies in the Library’ is available on iLearn to help you access the core papers held in e-Reserve and to search out other relevant papers.
• Use only primary reference sources from scientific texts and journals. Avoid using secondary (and usually dated) sources such as encyclopedias or Readers Digest type material. Don’t use Wikipedia (an online reference encyclopedia) as a reference source. Although this site has improved in recent years, it still has plenty of factual errors. Since Wikipedia merely summarises conclusions and does not present evidence, it is a classic example of a secondary source.
  • Primary source = a paper published in a peer reviewed, international scientific journal that presents raw scientific data collected in the field or the lab, interpretation of results and conclusions. Primary sources are written by the scientists who undertake the original investigation/experimentation. There are lots of primary sources (especially scientific journals) in the Library and you can search through topics using keyword searches in bibliographic databases such as GEOREF or BIOSIS (see the separate handout ‘Search Strategies in the Library’ available on iLearn).
  • Secondary source = a review or compilation of the research performed by someone other than the author. Examples of secondary sources include textbooks, popular science magazines (e.g. New Scientist), newspapers, Readers Digest and most web sites (e.g. Wikipedia). There are some exceptions (e.g. the web journal, Palaeontologica Electronica, a peer reviewed scientific journal only available online). While some secondary sources can provide accurate information, they often only present the conclusions and not the raw data or evidence that the conclusions are based on. The reader therefore has no way of checking the data to see if alternative interpretations or conclusions can be reached. Secondary sources can also include material that is out of date, misinterpreted, or simply wrong.
• Since only one Major Assignment is scheduled for BIOL261, you are required to research and prepare your work to a high standard. You will need to rigorously assess and evaluate the data/evidence presented in each paper and to frame your answer to the questions posed based on supporting evidence and data from the literature. I want YOUR critical evaluation/synthesis of the topic, not someone else’s. Don’t fall into the trap of simply summarising the conclusions or interpretations of the authors of the core papers. Your job is to critically evaluate the evidence provided in support of the various interpretations. To do this properly, you will need to read widely and investigate the details of unfamiliar concepts and terminology.
• Previous experience has shown that students who leave starting their Major Assignment to a few days prior to submission usually get a correspondingly low mark.

• Make sure all information sources used are cited in the text in the appropriate manner.
• A full reference list in alphabetical order should be included at the end of the assignment. Only sources cited in the main text of the assignment should be included in the reference list. You MUST use the Harvard Referencing Style when writing your assignment (see separate handout entitled ‘Harvard Referencing Style for Palaeontology Assignments at Macquarie University’ available on iLearn). This means that the use of footnotes or numbered reference citations (Oxford referencing style) should be completely avoided.
• Direct copying from the work of others (including other students) is plagiarism. The University has very strict policies relating to this type of cheating which may involve failure in the unit. See Policy Central for full details on how the university deals withs students who plagiarise.
• Before handing in your assignment you must submit it to Turnitin, an online plagiarism checking program through the iLearn website for BIOL261.
• If you have any queries regarding the Major Assignment please contact Glenn. 

Final Exam