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BIOL 483: Senior Thesis

Helpful Writing Resources

Specific details regarding scientific writing from Vanderbilt Library: provides examples of scientific grammar, including a style guide for correctly formatting scientific names. 

Ten Simple Rules to Reading a Scientific Paper from PLoS Computation Biology: provides a framework of questions to consider when reading scientific research.

Anatomy of a Scholarly Source by North Carolina State University Libraries: provides a breakdown of what information you should include in each section of your paper.

There's a Dictionary for That!

Cover of Oxford Dictionary of Ecology

Oxford Dictionary of Ecology

Subjects include plant and animal physiology, animal behaviour, evolution, environmental pollution and conservation, climatology and meteorology, geomorphology, and oceanography. 

Cover of Dictionary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Dictionary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

A comprehensive survey of modern biochemistry and molecular biology including definitions of terms from the fields of Bioinformatics, Biophysics, Cell Biology, Chemistry, Genetics, Immunology, Microbiology among others.

Cover of Oxford Dictionary of Biology

Oxford Dictionary of Biology

"This new eighth edition has been fully revised and updated to reflect recent progress in the fields of biology, biophysics, and biochemistry, with particular expansion to the areas of ecology, cell biology, and plant and animal development. Over 150 new entries include de-extinction, ecological footprint, rewilding, and Zika virus. Numerous appendices include classifications of the animal and plant kingdoms, SI units, Nobel prizewinners, and a new appendix on anatomical terms"--Publisher.

Cover of Oxford Dictionary of Plant Sciences

Oxford Dictionary of Plant Sciences

This new fourth edition has been completely revised and updated, covering all aspects in the field of plant sciences including biochemistry, plant physiology, cytology, ecology, genetics, evolution, biogeography, earth history, and earth sciences. Over 600 new entries, including Rosales, physical dormancy, menthol, and codeine, enhance the dictionary's coverage of botanical terms, key drugs and medicines derived from plants, and plant orders, families, and genera. It also explains many ecological terms, and expands beyond plants to describe fungi and bacteria and how they affect plants.

CMU Writing Help

Here are some writing resources at CMU that you may find helpful:

  • CMU's Writing Center - The Writing Center is located on the third floor of Tomlinson Library (room 305), and you can either drop in or upload your assignment on their website for review.
  • CMU's Tutoring Center - The Tutoring Center is on the third floor of Tomlinson Library, and provides in-person tutoring, online tutoring, group tutoring and more.
  • The Biology liaison librarian can be a great resource to help with research assistance, citations, paper structure, and formatting.