Overview
For the final paper, you will write an 8-10 page analytical and reflective paper drawing on 1. Our course textbook A Tapestry of Values by Kevin Elliott, 2. Any one article we have read in the course, 3. Any of the following pairs of popular science articles(/video), and 4. A minimum of one relevant peer-reviewed scholarly article of your choice that we haven't read in the course.
Chapter 2/ Kahanamoku et al: What (not) to Study?
- Scientific Research in the EPA: Trump Administration Aims to Eliminate EPA's Scientific Research ArmLinks to an external site. (PDF here)
- Eugenics: Human Testing, the Eugenics Movement, and the IRBs
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/...
- https://www.nature.com/articles/526024a
- Chapter 2 (what to study)
Suggested Structure
You can begin the paper by identifying the overarching themes of the textbook chapter of your choice and briefly giving the big picture of the chapter. Then identify and discuss in detail the specific questions/ ideas from the chapter that you will incorporate in your paper. (You obviously will not discuss with equal importance the entire chapter.) Then, it's up to you in what order you want to discuss the other three components (course article, popular science resources, and another peer-reviewed article of your choice). Organize your paper in a way you see fit. But the important thing is to find appropriate connections between all the components. You could do this in a number of ways. For instance, you could note that some point in the popular science article exemplifies/ reinforces some point made by Elliott, or that they go in opposite directions. Or, you could ask if an argument made by a certain author applies to a scenario in the popular science article. (For ex.: does Kitcher's argument apply to eugenics?) Or you could show that a case study in a popular science article exposes the limitations of some author's argument. These are just a sample of ways in which you could draw connections. Feel free to use your sources in ways that go beyond these. But making these connections is your own, original contribution, and hence the main component of the paper.
Your paper must
- Be 8 – 10 pages long, double-spaced, in 12 pt. font, Times New Roman, with 1” margins all around. (1 pt.)
- Have a clear and short thesis somewhere in the beginning that tells the reader what exactly the goal of the paper is and what exactly is/ are the view/s that you will be arguing for/ against/ analyzing/ reflecting on: this is very important. This should be between 2 and 6 sentences. (2 pts.)
- Give a roadmap somewhere after the thesis, saying what you’re going to do in this paper and in what order. Be as specific as you can with each item. For instance, “First I will discuss Elliott's three aspects of doing scientific research and how each is value laden: asking questions, making assumptions, and choosing research methods. Then, I discuss the case of X and relate it to Elliott's point that asking questions in science is value laden. Following that, I present Author Y's arguments that go with/ against Elliot's.... Finally I conclude with....” And then of course, stick to this plan. This is distinct from the thesis described in the previous point. (1 pt.)
- Be well-researched and based on textual evidence where necessary (and cite, cite, cite!) and accurately convey and/reconstruct the authors’ arguments. Take care to not misrepresent authors’ views. Talk to me when in doubt. Be extremely careful to not make it seem like you’re passing off someone else’s words/ ideas as your own. When you quote or borrow an idea from someone, make that clear by giving credit. Plagiarism is a serious issue. Never simply copy-paste from anywhere without quotation marks and proper attribution. Use at least one appropriate peer-reviewed source in addition to one from the syllabus. Any outside sources you use should be discussed with me first. The use of Grammarly and any generative AI tool such as ChatGPT is prohibited. (3 pts.)
- Be well-thought out and well-argued, making relevant and interesting connections between the various sources. Never make claims without giving reasons. Avoid excessive quoting and show originality of thought. If using specialized language, define/ explain the terms. (4 pts.)
- Be well-organized into paragraphs (and optionally, sections): Take care to not make each paragraph too long or too short (ideally a paragraph is a quarter to half a page long), and there should be a flow and continuity of thought within and between paragraphs. Check for connections between sentences and paragraphs before submitting. (1 pt.)
- Be written CLEARLY, in proper grammar, with proper punctuation, and without any typos. There should be continuity between sentences and paragraphs. Don’t have too many long block quotes. (Not more than 10-15% of the paper should consist of quotations.) Always proof-read multiple times before submitting. (And get help from the writing center if you need to.) (2 pts.)
- Follow a consistent citation format (can be any format) both for the bibliography and in the text. (1 pt.)
I have created a little outline for the paper which will be attached. Please use only sources listed above.