Term papers, such as review papers, briefly explore materials in a given area and synthesize and narrow a topic. Primary research papers, such as lab reports and independent honors research, record actual lab procedures and data interpretation. Some characteristics of writing in biology include the frequent use of tables and figures that show data and help readers read data quickly. The writer comments on highs and lows in the text but does not put all the data in the text. Line graphs help readers see trends.
Biologists also use headings and subheadings as organizational tools.
Unlike students writing about literature, who often use direct quotations as evidence, biology students need to paraphrase ideas in their papers. The biology department requires all majors to take two courses to learn the process of writing in biology. The first, Library Research Methods in the Biological Sciences, taught by Jane Ellis , introduces the students to the use of the library and other sources for scientific research. The course uses the text Writing Papers in the Biological Sciences by Victoria McMillan. Students in Library Research Methods develop skills in writing a comprehensive, well-documented scientific paper and in presenting an effective formal scientific presentation.