REPRODUCTIVE PHYSIOLOGY
ANSC 506
Guidelines for Research Review Papers
Review articles should be written in the Journal of Animal Science Style and Form and
should conform to the following guidelines:
GENERAL:
1. Papers should be written in the past tense. All information presented comes from
research that has already been completed.
2. The purpose of the paper is to utilize documented research to support a conclusion.
The author has not personally conducted the research. He/she is only using the
information to justify his/her conclusions.
3. All references must be from peer reviewed research journals and should have been
published within the last 3-5 years. A suggested list of journals follows these guidelines.
4. At least 5 references must be from different authors with different research groups, not
just repeated articles from the same author.
5. Topics should be chosen from the list at the end of these guidelines and should be as
specific as possible.
6. Papers should be 5 pages in length not including the title and citation pages, should
have at least 5 references and should be single spaced in 12 pt. type.
7. All papers must be stapled in the upper left corner. NO BINDERS OR PAPERCLIPS
SECTIONS:
1. INTRODUCTION. The introduction should be a clear, concise explanation of the
hypothesis being examined. Relevant literature should be included in a conclusive
manner; one sentence per citation, and no more than three references should be cited. The
introduction ends with a statement of hypothesis.
2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE. A review article requires that the author replace the
customary Materials and Methods section with a Review of Literature. The author has not
conducted any research and has no research technique of his/her own to report. This
section should be organized by concepts rather than references. Information on the
procedures of the specific references should only be included if it provides necessary
information regarding the hypothesis. The purpose of this paper is to provide supporting
information, however, it is also important to present at least one conflicting or alternative
conclusion, if possible. This is where the author interprets the information obtained from
the literature. Specific information from the cited papers should be included in this
section and is most often presented in a combined tabular or graphic format. Concepts are
presented, with documented information, which support the author’s hypothesis. Detailed
explanations and interpretations of all pertinent scientific evidence is presented using
correct scientific terminology. The author’s conclusions are the main focus of this
section. For examples of the proper format for the Review of Literature, look at the
Introduction and Discussion sections of the journal articles that you are using.
3. CONCLUSIONS. The conclusion section is a clear, concise presentation of the
author’s hypothesis in lay terms. Speculation is permitted. Application of the hypothesis
to practical animal husbandry should be stressed. The need for future investigation may
also be presented. Specific citations are generally not included in this section.
4. CITATIONS. Use the format from the Journal of Animal Science for citations. List
the first author and date within the paper and then list all references in alphabetical order
on the Literature Cited page. If there are two authors, use both last names and the date
for references within the paper. Use et. al. within the text to indicate three or more
authors but list all of the authors on the Literature Cited page. Every reference on the
Literature Cited page must be cited in the paper and you must have read every paper that
is cited.
Sample citation within the paper: Nephew, et. al. (1994) reported that pretreatment ----.
or ----after treatment with progesterone (Nephew et. al., 1994).
Sample citation on Literature Cited page:
Nephew, K.E., H. Cardenas, and W.F. Pope. 1994. Effects of progesterone pretreatment
on fertility of gilts mated at an induced pubertal estrus. Theriogenology 42:99-106.
SUGGESTED JOURNALS
Theriogenology: Full text articles available through Science Direct, TSU Library
Animal Reproduction Science: Full text articles available through Science Direct, TSU
Library
Journal of Animal Science: Available in the Library
Canadian Journal of Animal Science: Available in the Library
Journal of Dairy Science: Available in the Library
SUGGESSTED TOPICS
Artificial Insemination - A specific new development in a specific species not just a
general paper on AI.
Sexing of Semen for a specific species
Embryo Transfer for a specific species or a specific new technique
Cloning with a specific application
Some specific technique for enhancing or limiting reproductive capability of a specific
species
Specific genetic evaluation of a characteristic within a species related to reproduction
Specific nutrient requirement or additive in a specific species related to reproduction