A Brief Guide to Writing for Geology
Tips…
Article
Summary
Literature
Review
 Be CONCISE! Re-read what you have written. If you can say it in fewer
words, do it. “Flowery” language often indicates that you are not confident
that what you are writing is correct.
 Know what you are talking about. Unless you are drawing conclusions or
making inferences, do not write anything you cannot support with evidence.
 Use only credible sources. Often peer-reviewed journals are the best option.
Use EBSCO Host or GeoRef to locate articles that will be useful.
 Organize your paper either by first writing an outline or by editing carefully
afterwards. A good paper will flow well and incorporate seamless transitions.
 If you use jargon, make sure you define it. Words can have different
meanings in different disciplines, so make sure you and your reader are on the
same page.
 Be sure to cite any information that is not considered “common knowledge.”
This may often seem like every other sentence; however, when in doubt, it is
better to cite than be accused of plagiarism.
 Do NOT turn in a rough draft. Professors can tell when you are turning in a
first copy; if you do not edit your paper or have someone else edit it, it can
seem like you did not care enough to turn in a polished paper.
 Article summaries will often be required when reading and discussing articles
in peer-reviewed journals. The purpose of the article summary is to make sure
that you (the reader) comprehend the article content well enough to write about
and discuss it.
Step 1: Make sure you read and understand the article. This simple step will
make all the others 1000 times easier (trust me ).
Step 2: Determine what the main points and conclusions of the article are.
Step 3: Write an organized summary of the article, making sure to stick to the
facts (this is not an opinion paper). Highlight the salient aspects of the
study and address the conclusion(s). If applicable, draw connections
between the article and what you have learned in class. This shows the
prof that you understand in the “broader implications” of the paper.
 A literature review is a bit like an article summary in that it is a synthesis of
someone else’s published work. Often, however, a literature review is
undertaken when you are required to write on a particular topic on which you
have not personally done the research.
A Few Tips:
o Use EBSCO (specifically Academic Search Premier, GeoRef,
GreenFile or GeoRef in Progress) to search for journal articles.
Search by topic – there are many different options in this database to
search for a particular interest. This is an invaluable resource!
o Take notes or highlight as you read. If you take notes separately,
Research
Paper/Lab
Write-up
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
make sure you know who you are referencing.
o Try breaking notes into categories or subsections so that you know
what sort of information you are dealing with and can therefore be
more focused in your argument.
o Write an outline before you get started writing the actual document.
It is important to weave together a coherent argument, and often the
best way to do this is to be organized before you start.
o Make sure to cite any information that is not considered “common
knowledge”
There are two major types of papers in this category: the lab write-up and the
research paper. While they are constructed using the same basic outline,
they differ slightly in style and content.
The Basic Format differs from professor to professor, so be sure to check
your specific requirements before getting started.
Abstract
Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion/Conclusions
References
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Lab Write-up
o These are often required after completing an experiment. They are
less common than literature reviews or summaries in geology, but are
fairly straightforward in terms of paper layout. Also, there are
variations on the format which may include combining the results
and discussion and listing the conclusions separately.
Research Paper
o These are often reserved for upper-level geology courses or
independent projects; they are often based on personal research rather
than studies of published literature. The same tips apply as for the
literature review, but the format is that listed above. Additional
sections may apply, including: a table of contents (depending on the
length of the paper), a “data analysis” section and both “field
methods” and “lab methods” sections.
o For a complete guide to writing each of these sections, see
handout on Science Writing.
o The discussion section is arguably the most important section of the
paper, because it involves your results as well as the conclusions you
have drawn based on these results. It is important to focus on your
findings and use the results (statistical and otherwise) to support
them, rather than the other way around.
Citations
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The style of citations may vary from professor to professor (and even
assignment to assignment), but if not told otherwise, stick to general APA
format.
Ex) Baron, R.P., & Travers, A.M. (2010). The discovery of shock quartz in
the Yucatan Peninsula and its implications for the K-T mass extinction.
Science, 44, 431-445.
If the professor requires a different style, use the example they give or go
online to RefWorks (via cornellcollege.edu) and select the necessary format.
By Kelsey Feser, Geology major