Further paper instructions:

     Format:

          9 to 13 pages, double spaced typed.  1 inch margins on all sides.  Use a proportional font, and
          stick with 12 point font size (folks really like to play around with this stuff!)

          The above does not include tables, figures or bibliography.

          You should provide a minimum of 10 references, preferably more.  These should be mostly
          journal articles and/or books**.  If you use web-based resources, cite these as you would an
          article, and make sure you provide the URL.  Try to provide a date if possible (you should
          consider date-less and author-less sources with suspicion) and limit web references to 4.  

     Topic:

           As stated before, the paper should address:

               - the basic biology of the organism (a thorough natural history)
               - the reason the organism is endangered (what happened)
               - what is being done about it (this includes a thorough critique.  You should try to come
                                             up with your own suggestions as to what else can be done.)
               - past successes and failures
               - comparisons with other similar organisms

     Presentation:

          For those of you giving presentations, you should allow for about 20 minutes to cover the
          highlights of your paper.  I'm not sure we can arrange equipment for visuals other than overheads
          (e.g., a computer projector may not be available, though I can try).

     
     ** If you're using books, they should be topical and at a more advanced level.  Preferably no
     "encyclopedias", though if you're desperate limit it to one.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Some suggestions:

          1) Pick a couple of different organisms, then do some initial background work to see how much
          information is out there.  Biological Abstracts is an excellent place to start and is available
          through the GMU library system.

          2) Be persistent with your web searches.  The web is not the best when it comes to accuracy, but
          it is often invaluable in pointing you in the right direction.

          3) Make sure you use the scientific name of your organisms - it's much more likely you'll be able
          to get more relevant sources that way.

          4) Feel free to ask me for help.