Poster Presentation and the Term Paper

The topic of the poster and the term paper should be identical. Each student will prepare a poster based on the term paper.

See Library Resources for Earth Systems for guidance on literature search.

Term Paper:

1. The anatomy of the paper:
   1. must be “typed” using a 12-point easy-to-read font (Times, Times New Roman, Garamond)
   2. double-spaced with 1-inch margins
   3. numbered pages
   4. separate title page, author name goes on the title page
   5. one page for abstract (about 500 words)
   6. the body of the paper consists of
      1. introduction - what the paper is about, why the topic is important
      2. background - review of existing data
      3. discussion - this is where existing interpretations, theories are reviewed and where the author weighs in with his/her interpretation
      4. conclusion - summarize the topic, highlight key considerations, and close the paper
      5. reference list - choose a format used by an academic journal (such as GSA Bulletin, Geology, Journal of Geophysical Research) and stick to that format. Do not use the numbered references (such as in Science, Nature, and Earth and Planetary Science Letters). Consult at least 5 sources -journal articles are preferred, followed by books. No more than 2 URLs. You can pull off legitimate refereed journal articles from a Website, in which case you cite the journal, not the URL.
2. The topic for the term paper should be chosen by Monday, October 11. Paper topic must be approved, at the latest, at the end of the class on Friday, October 15.
3. A detailed outline with reference list is due in class on Monday, November 1. Comments will be returned to students the following Wednesday (11/08).
4. A draft of the paper is due in class on Monday, November 22. The draft will be critiqued and returned to students the following Wednesday (December 1)
5. The final version of the paper is due at the start of class on Friday, December 10.
6. The paper will be graded on
   • Content
   • Grammar and Style
   • Adherence to proper format

Poster presentation based on the term paper has been eliminated – counted as 10% of the grade – added to the term paper which now counts as 30% of your grade. See announcements for more info.

Poster: The poster should be approximately 30” x 48” in size. It should have the same title and the abstract as the term paper, and highlight the key points of the paper using both words and figures. Very complex figures, lengthy tables, or anything else that cannot be deciphered from at least 2 feet away are discouraged. Lettering should be neat (if a word processor is used, use at least 20 point font). Diagrams should be carefully planned to include just the information intended. Avoid cluttering the diagrams or the poster itself with extraneous information. Pay attention to the arrangement of the information so the eye can follow the presented material in a logical fashion.