Step 1:
Reread the paper that you chose (Attached below)
Step 2:
- Identify the graph/figure that supports the main point (or one of the main points) in the paper.
- Copy that figure. You can take a screenshot and crop the figure. You will need to embed the figure in your discussion post.
Step 3:
Compose a short paragraph putting the results of the figure into context for an audience of biologist (your peers), who haven't read the paper, to be able to understand the figure and what it means. Remember the paragraph structure you used for the paragraph you wrote. The paragraph MUST include the following components, although you may vary the order of items 2, 3, & 4 depending on what makes more sense to your readers:
- Thesis statement: You start the paragraph stating the main point supported by the figure/graph that you chose and the only point you are trying to make with this paragraph. This is just ONE sentence and it needs to state ONE idea clearly. Useful tip: Always put the most important information first!
- Supporting statement(s): This/these statement(s) further develops the thesis statement or states predictions derived from the thesis statement. This could be just one statement or a few statements.
- Explanation of the study: before you can present the evidence from the study, you need to give your audience an overview of how the study was set up. This should be as short as possible and only include the information necessary for someone who has not read the paper to understand the results from the study. You can use this section to get the audience familiarized with the figure, for example, when explaining the treatments that the study used, indicate where those treatments are shown in the figure.
- Description of the figure/results: this section describes the figure and explains the results the figure is showing. Keep in mind that your figure and your results must be directly aligned with the thesis statement. There needs to be a clear connection between the results present here and the thesis statement. The results don't need to agree with the hypothesis, but they need to be about that hypothesis.
- Conclusion statement: this statement summarizes how the evidence presented from the study supports the thesis statement. Here you link back to the main idea of the paragraph; back to research question or topic of the figure.
- Citations: Since you are writing about somebody else's work, you need to give credit to the source. You must include the in-text citation for each source at least one within the paragraph and then list the full reference at the end. Both must be properly formatted.