ECOL201 Ecology Essay

This is a semester-long, semi-independent course in which students write a scientific review paper on a topic of their choice in ecology. In this class, students will gain skills in literature search, scientific literature reading and comprehension, and writing in a scientific style. For students who will do a master’s degree in Ecology or Natural resource management, ECOL201 is an opportunity to explore and write about potential thesis topics.

Knowledge:

Students will gain a complete understanding of how to write a scientific review paper from existing scientific literature. In addition, students will gain specific knowledge on a topic in ecology, including previous research studies and methods.

Skills:

After the course, students will have the skills necessary to:

Perform searches for scientific journal articles using Google Scholar and Web of Science

Read and understand scientific literature

Write in a scientific style

Assemble a scientific paper following journal guidelines

Use EndNote to organize literature and format references and citations

Competence:

The course will develop the student’s ability to read, understand and synthesize scientific literature in ecology. In addition, students will expand their understanding of the natural world, ecological processes, and ecosystems. This competence will serve as the basis for writing scientific documents in the future, such as master’s and Ph.D. theses.