During the course of the term you will create a document which fulfills the ‘synthesis’ component of this course. You will synthesize material across disciplines (history, biology, ecology, forestry, soil science, political science, philosophy, etc. as appropriate) into a well-referenced, expository paper focusing on a natural resource issue, preferably within your bioregion . Be sure to select an issue in resource conservation for your paper topic! Issues are typically problems/concerns that are debated by both professionals and members of the general public.
The issue that you choose to research should be within one of the following natural resource areas: population, soils, agriculture, freshwater, oceans, rangelands, forests, biodiversity, wildlife management, mining, energy, or air. Be sure to narrow your focus. Don’t research broad topics such as “salmon in the Columbia River” or “forestry in the Pacific Northwest.” Instead, select a smaller, more specific topic, such as the conservation of particular species or run of salmon, or the debate over a particular hydroelectric dam and its impact on salmon, or the establishment and conservation of riparian buffers on forestland. If you have any questions about the appropriateness of your research topic, email questions to me directly ( dawn.anzinger@oregonstate.edu ). Send a brief description of your chosen topic by 12pm PST Sunday of Week 2. Turning in your topic on time is worth 3 points!
This is strictly a research paper assignment. Present all viewpoints as fairly and impartially as you can. Do not choose a side! Biased papers will not receive full credit.
Your writing should be concise, well organized, and formal. Correct spelling and grammar are expected, so proof read and spell/grammar check your papers before turning them in. Significant grammatical and spelling errors will result in a grade no higher than a C. If it is clear to me that you have not proofread your paper, I reserve the right to return it to you without a grade. Proofread your work. Strive to make this paper represent your highest quality work.
Required format is as follows: 12 point font, double spaced text, 1-inch margins, pages numbered, 5-7 pages text (not including the reference list). Include a title page (don't forget to write your name!) and both in-text citations and a complete reference list. The Name-Year system of the CBE is the preferred citation style for this assignment, though other citation styles are acceptable so long as they are used consistently.
Address each of the subjects posted below and provide headings for each required components of your paper (seen below in bold and all caps). Note the page number suggestions for each question. During the course of your research, try to find information that allows you to answer the questions listed below. Your paper will have five sections. Please label them accordingly.
1. History [1-1.5 pages]
What is the issue? What is the history of this issue? When was it recognized as an issue? How did we get here?
2. Politics [1-1.5 pages]
What parties/stakeholders are involved in this debate? What do they want and why? How do people get their voices heard? What laws and policies affect the management of this resource?
3. Economics [1-1.5 pages]
Is this resource publicly or privately owned and how does this affect its management? What are the costs and benefits associated with both the utilization and the conservation of this resource? Are consumers paying the true cost of resource use and how does this influence its management?
4. Ecology [1-1.5 pages]
What are the ecological relationships between human activities and the degradation and/or conservation of this resource? How does utilization of this resource affect other natural resources—air, water, species habitat, etc.?
5. Future [0.5-1 page]
What is being done to resolve this issue and conserve this resource? What solutions have been proposed and by whom? Do you think this will still be an issue in 10 years? 50 years?
Reference format is flexible but must abide by the standards of an academic journal of your choice. To avoid plagiarism (intentionally or knowingly representing the words or ideas of another person's as ones' own), thorough referencing is vital. Look at OSU Writing Center links for referencing help. Pay particularly close attention to correct citation of web sites.
Sources of information for your research paper:
Start here. Contact the research librarians for help with the on-line research databases. Good on-line sources of information available at the library include academic journals and newspapers.
Provide a good sense of local sentiment and politics, but may be misinformed and/or biased.
Citizen groups, federal and state land agencies, local government officials, industry representatives, etc.
There is an enormous amount of information on the web, not all of it trustworthy. Here are a few tips for evaluating the quality of information provided in web site articles.
• Is there an author and publication date listed? (You will need this information to cite the web site correctly!) Who are the authors? Do they have credentials in this field?
• If there is no author listed, what organization published the article on the internet? If you can’t find this information, you should not use this web site.
• In general, documents published by government agencies are reliable sources of information. (Notable exceptions to this rule are ‘position papers’ put out by political parties, elected government officials, and lobbyists.)
• If a non-profit, industry advocacy, or citizen’s organization published the article, look for the organization’s mission statement (usually found on their homepage). This will give you an idea of their bias. Read the article carefully. Don’t assume that everything you read is true or presented in the right context.
• Try to find a balance of viewpoints in your internet research. Do not simply use information from web sites that you personally agree with.
• Are sources of information used in the article referenced? Where did they get their information? Can you look at their sources? If not, this is probably not a reliable source of information for your research paper
If you are uncertain about the quality of information you are finding in a particular article or web site, DON’T USE IT!!