Purpose

Course Outline

Course Mechanics

Warmups

Preparation for Exams

Summary Papers

Research Paper Grading Criteria

Research Paper Schedule of Completion

Format for Field Description of Sedimentary Rocks

Preparation of Abstracts

Format for Giving Reference

USGS Report Standards

The fundamental purpose of the course is understanding and application of principles by which we:

(1) interpret source, depositional processes, environment of deposition and diagenesis of sediment and sedimentary rocks.

(2) interpret the stratigraphic record in terms of the tectonic, climatic and depositional history of sedimentary basins

and

(3) to fulfill a writing flag requirement in the University Studies Program, by reinforcing outcomes specified for the basic skills area of writing. This course will provide contexts, opportunities, and feedback for students writing with discipline-specific texts, tools, and strategies. The course will emphasize writing as essential to academic learning and intellectual development.

Courses can merit the Writing Flag by demonstrating that section enrollment will allow for clear guidance, criteria, and feedback for the writing assignments; that the course will require a significant amount of writing to be distributed throughout the semester; that writing will comprise a significant portion of the students' final course grade; and that students will have opportunities to incorporate readers' critiques of their writing.

The course will enable students to

a. practice the processes and procedures for creating and completing successful writing in their fields;
b. understand the main features and uses of writing in their fields;
c. adapt their writing to the general expectations of readers in their fields;
d. make use of the technologies commonly used for research and writing in their fields;
e. learn the conventions of evidence, format, usage, and documentation in their fields.

These outcomes will be noted by letter at appropriate points in the syllabus where specific requirements of the course accomplish those goals.

I. Attendance

a. You are expected to attend all lecture sessions. Exams will draw upon lecture material as well as readings from the text and outside sources.

b. Attendance in laboratory is required. Missing a lab session without prior approval of the instructor will result in a zero for that particular exercise.

II. Assignments

a. Readings in each topic should be read for general content in advance of the class during which that topic is being considered, and reread with greater care following each class, in conjunction with your notes. If you follow this guideline, lectures will be more meaningful, discussion will be possible, and material in the text will be ultimately more comprehensible.

b. Prior to about half of our class periods, warm-up questions will be posted on the course web page. These questions will be based on the reading for the next class period, and must be answered by each student via e-mail, no later than 10:00 of the day the class meets. Credit will be given to each student for answering the questions. Student answers will be reviewed by the instructor, and will form the basis for the classroom discussion/lecture session. Feedback will also be provided to students and example peer and instructor essays will be posted on the web so that students can benefit from review. (outcomes a, b and d). More information on warm-ups is included in the appendix of the syllabus.

c. In addition to the reading in the text, outside readings will be assigned from time to time. These readings will serve as a means of supplementing and expanding your knowledge and will be considered in classroom discussions and on exams. The readings will also introduce you to the main features and uses of writing in your field, general expectations of readers in your field, and the conventions of evidence, format, usage, and documentation in your field (outcomes b, c and e). Questions regarding these readings will also appear on the course web page.

III. Field and laboratory work - You are required to complete field and lab work as assigned. Our laboratory work will not follow a "cookbook" approach to learning techniques, but will emphasize student research. Field notes, including written rock descriptions and sketches, are required for all field work, and will follow a standard format (see appendix of syllabus) (outcomes a-e). Written reports will also be due as a part of field and laboratory work (outcomes a-e). Some of these reports will be relatively short, while others will be more comprehensive. Reports will follow a standard format used in the discipline of sedimentology and stratigraphy (see appendix). You must use Microsoft Word and Excel to complete these reports. Some reports will also involve the use of more specialized software for data processing (outcome d). We will also use Powerpoint to prepare posters for presentation to the department during the last week of the course. Plagiraism will result in an automatic zero for all written work.

All written work will follow the style manual found elsewhere on this course web page.

DO NOT TURN IN A FIRST DRAFT OF ANY OF YOUR WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS. IF YOU DO, YOUR PAPER WILL BE RETURNED WITHOUT EVALUATION, AND YOUR SECOND SUBMISSION WILL BE DEVALUED BECAUSE OF YOUR FAILURE TO SUBJECT YOUR WRITING TO CRITICAL REVIEW BEFORE THE INITIAL SUBMISSION. THIS STANDARD WILL BE APPLIED TO ALL FIELD AND LABORATORY PAPERS, SUMMARY PAPERS, AND TO YOUR FIRST SUBMISSION OF YOUR FINAL RESEARCH REPORT.

IV. Summaries of outside readings

Each student must complete written summaries of recent articles in sedimentology and stratigraphy as assigned (outcomes a-e). The summaries are to average two to three pages apiece and are to be turned in on the date assigned. The summaries will be evaluated on the basis of grammar, organization and conciseness, and the communication of the essence of the article. Your choice of papers will also be taken into account in the evaluation of this component of your grade. Use GEOREF (library website) to search the literature for appropriate papers (outcome d). Each summary must be prepared using Microsoft Word (outcome d). BEWARE OF PLAGIARISM - plagiraism will result in an automatic zero for the assignment. There is no appeal, and this policy is non-negotiable.

You must choose papers published between summer, 2004, and the present, unless otherwises assigned or approved by the instructor. Once a paper has been chosen by a student, no other student may report on that same paper. Here are some journals that are most likely to contain appropriate papers. "Journal of Sedimentary Research," "Sedimentology," "Palios," "Bulletin of the Geological Society of America," "Geology," "Journal of Geology."

In addition to the instructor's review of each paper, your work will sometimes undergo peer review. The peer review will be "double blind" (that is, neither the writer nor the reviewer will be known to students). You must rewrite and resubmit each summary paper based upon the reviews.

V. Research report

Each student will complete a research report based upon the field, laboratory, and library research conducted throughout the course (outcomes a-e). The report will be in the form of a 4'x8' poster, which can either be prepared using Powerpoint, or Adobe Illustrator. Elementary data processing, and preparation of graphs and tables will be done using Microsoft Excel. Some of you may also need to use more specialized software to process directional data, and drawing software will also be used to prepare diagrams, including stratigraphic sections. Digital images from the field or lab work may also be inserted into the text to provide documentation. Our course style manual will be used as a guide for the written work.

Students will follow a schedule of completion of the report. And as each component of the report is finished, the instructor will provide feedback and the student must revise the work, based on those editorial comments. The final draft will also be rewritten from an earlier draft (not the first draft!!!), based on instructor's feedback.
Criteria for grading this report are given in the appendix of the syllabus. Each student must be aware of these criteria at the start of the project to enable maximum learning.

Finally, suggestions for writing a good abstract and a good scientific paper are also given in the appendix. While these suggestions are addressed to graduate students and professionals, most all of the suggestions are entirely appropriate for advanced undergraduates students.

Your poster will be graded on the quality of its content and evidence of scientific thinking, organization, quality and clarity of writing, quality of illustrations and their relationship to the text, your use of citations of the scientific literature in the text, and the quality of the references.

BEWARE OF PLAGIARISM - plagiraism will result in an automatic zero for the assignment. There is no appeal, and this policy is non-negotiable

VI. Completion of assignments

Assignments may not be turned in after the announced due date. Work not completed by the class period on the due date will receive a zero.

VII. Examinations

Three exams will be given, including the final exam. Up to 50 % of the final exam may be comprehensive. The instructor will not give makeup exams without prior approval. Excuses for illness will require substantiation from a physician or the university health services. Exams will make substantial use of essay questions (outcomes a-c). Suggestions for preparation for exams and for writing successful essay answers are given in the appendix of the syllabus.

VII. Grading:

Exams 35%

Specific Writing components and research 65%

Warm-ups (on web page) 10%
Field notes and quality of field work 10%
Literature summaries 10%
Final paper 35%

No student will pass the course without completing all exams and laboratory projects, and achieving a passing average grade for all aspects of the course.

VIII. Consultation

I will be available for consultation throughout the semester. You are strongly encouraged to keep in touch, especially if you are having difficulty. Stop by during office hours (posted on my office door) or make arrangements with me for an appointment. Of course, feel free to drop by any time you can catch me for whatever.

Textbook

Prothero, D.R., and Schwab, F., 2004, Sedimentary Geology: W.H. Freeman and Company, New York, 557 p.

References

Ager, D.V., 1981, The Nature of the Stratigraphical Record: Macmillan, London, 166p.

Allen, J.R.L., 1977, Physical Processes of Sedimentation: Allen and Unwin, London, 248p.

Allen, P.A., and Allen, J.R., 1990, Basin Analysis - Principles and Applications: Blackwell Scientific Publ., Oxford, England, 451p.

Basan, Paul, and others, 1978, Trace Fossil Concepts: Soc. Econ. Paleontologists and Mineralogists Short Course No., 5, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 201 p.

Bathurst, R.G.C., 1975, Carbonate Sediments and their Diagenesis: Elsevier, Amsterdam, 658p.

Blatt, H., Berry, W.B.N., and Brande, S., 1990, Principles of Stratigraphic Analysis: Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, England, 512p.

Blatt, Harvey, Middleton, G.V., and Murray, Raymond, 1980, Origin of Sedimentary Rocks: Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 782 p.

Boggs, Sam, Jr., 1995, Principles of Sedimentology and Stratigraphy: Merrill Publishing Co., Columbus, Ohio, 784 p.

Coe, Angela, Ed., 2003, The Sedimentary Record of Sea-Level Chage: Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 288 p.

Collinson, J.D., and Thompson, D.B., 1982, Sedimentary Structures: Allen and Unwin, Boston, 194 p.

Davis, R.A., Jr., 1983, Depositional Systems: Prentice Hall, Inc. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 669 p.

Einsele, G., 1992, Sedimentary Basins: Springer-Verlag, New York, 628p.

Friedman, G.M., Sanders, J.E., and Kopaska-Merkel, D.C., 1992, Principles of Sedimentary Deposits: MacMillan, New York, 717p.

Hallam, A., 1992, Phanerozoic Sea-level Changes: Columbia University Press, New York, 266 p.

Hallam, A., 1981, Facies Interpretation and the Stratigraphic Record: W.H. Freeman and Co., San Francisco, 291p.

Harms, J.C., Southard, J.B., and Walker, R.G., 1982, Structures and Sequences in Clastic Rocks: Soc. Econ. Paleontologists and Mineralogists Short Course No. 9, Calgary, Canada.

Krumbein, W.C., and Sloss, L.L., 1963, Stratigraphy and Sedimentation: W.H. Freeman and Co., San Francisco, 660p.

Leeder, M.R., 1982, Sedimentology: Process and Product: Allen and Unwin, London, 344p.

Lemon, R.R., 1990, Principles of Stratigraphy: Merrill Publ. Co., Columbus, Ohio, 559p.

Matthews, R.K., 1984, Dynamic Stratigraphy: Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 489p.

Miall, A.D., 1984, Principles of Sedimentary Basin Analysis: Springer-Verlag, New York, 490p.

Middleton, G.V., and Southard, J.B., 1984, Mechanics of Sediment Movement: Soc. Econ. Paleontologists and Mineralogists Short Course No. 3, second edition, Providence, Rhode Island.

Nichols, G., 1999, Sedimentology and Stratigraphy: Blackwell Science, Oxford, England, 355 p.

Prothero, D.R., 1989, Interpreting the Stratigraphic Record: Freeman and Co., San Francisco, 410 p.

Reading, H.G., ed., 1986, Sedimentary Environments and Facies: Elsevier, New York, 615 p.

Reineck, H.E., and Singh, I.B., 1980, Depositional Sedimentary Environments: Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 549p.

Schlee, J.S., ed., 1984, Interregional Unconformities and Hydrocarbon Accumulation: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Memoir 36, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 184 p.

Shaw, A.B., 1964, Time in Stratigraphy: McGraw-Hill, New York.

VanWagoner, J.C., and others, 1990, Siliciclastic Sequence Stratigraphy in Well Logs, Cores and Outcrops: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Methods in Exploration Series, No. 7, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 55 p.

Walker, R.G., and James, N.P., eds., 1992, Facies Models-Response to Sea Level Change: Geological Association of Canada, 409p.

Web assignments will be a significant part of the course. I like to use the "warm-up" concept. Prior to about half of our class sessions, questions will be posted on our course web page. These warm-up questions will be based on the reading for the next class period, and must be submitted by each student via e-mail, no later than 10:00 of the day the class meets.

Course credit will be given to each student for making an honest attempt at answering the questions. The statement on academic honesty and cheating, explained in the syllabus, will apply to these assignments. BEWARE OF PLAGIARISM - plagiraism will result in an automatic zero for the assignment. There is no appeal, and this policy is non-negotiable.

Student answers will be reviewed by the instructor, and will form the basis for the classroom discussion/lecture session. Oftentimes, answers reveal misconceptions that can be dealt with during the next class.

Warm-ups will be completed using our course web page. Submit your responses via e-mail to jmeyers@winona.edu

1. When preparing, try to understand how things work, instead of memorizing ideas or phrases. You need a certain amount of terminology, of course, but being able to recall things doesn't come from memorizing lists of stuff, but rather comes through working with ideas, trying to fight through the how's and whys of things instead of just focusing on the what's.

2. Don't just try to memorize things I mention in class, or things that I focus on in warm-ups, but try to relate an entire reading assignment to the key ideas. So often, students want the instructor to tell them everything, rather than to have the instructor assist them with understanding how things work, then expecting them to use that to synthesize a broader set of information from their reading.

3. The authors of the text have enriched your understanding through the inclusion of discussion about stratigraphic units where the principles you are learning can be applied. You were asked to be certain to read this material in order to come to a better understanding of the concepts of facies and depositional systems. It should have been no surprise that questions on this material were on the exam. Hereafter, be more diligent in your preparation.

4. Just doing the reading never cuts it in a course of any substance. You have to understand the concepts, how one thing, one idea, relates to another. And that often requires reading and rereading the material for deeper understanding. It means going back over things several times until you have it, it means going back over things so that interrelationships can be established, it means paying very close attention to diagrammatic material, because visual learning is often easier than the verbal learning from reading the printed words.

5. When taking a written exam such as the ones we do in this course, be certain to strive for completeness in your responses. If asked to answer something in two sentences, construct your response in such a way that all the pertinent information required is included in your answer. Concise doesn't mean incomplete.

6. My exams tend to leave few stones unturned. They are really a record of what we did in class, and they are built so that they follow the material in the same sequence that it was considered in class. Look at them as a walk through the course, and prepare accordingly. When you reread one of these exams, and your responses to it, the exam will essentially be a recap of the course, not just little snippets that tested you at random.

7. My expectations are high, and I won't insult your intelligence by dumbing down the material. Remember that you are mature undergraduate students, that some of you are at the end of your formal education, and that you are about to become professionals. And others of you are preparing to enter graduate school, where the learning that you accomplish here will stand you in good stead.

8. Please bring questions to me as they arise. Consultation may be able to solve some problems that independent study, or collaborative study with peers, might not be able to do.

9. Exam #1

One of the things you should begin working on is the interpretation of the various diagrams in the text. It is very likely that the first exam will include diagrams similar to key diagrams in the textbook, and you will be required to answer questions based on them.

Another helpful hint is to read the examples in the boxes in the text. These boxes provide illustrations of how the principles discussed in any particular section can be applied to real sedimentologic and/or stratigraphic situations. I may focus on one or more of these boxes on the exam in order to see if you can apply the principles.

You can expect some questions on the exam, which will deal with faulty geologic statements. In questions such as these, you will be asked not only to identify which statements show faulty reasoning, but why do they show faulty reasoning. Identify the problem with the statement and discuss why it is wrong, don't just fix it.

You will be required to answer some questions on the exam in two sentences or less. This is because only a short answer is required, and also because you need to learn to state things in a clear and concise way - get right to the point and provide the necessary documentation in a brief and concise manner.

I will try to build some choices into the exam, so that you can pick and choose what you want to answer within a given topic. For example, I might ask a series of questions all dealing with, let's say, textures of sandstones, and require you to answer 3 of 4, or something like that.

Although multiple-choice questions have been used for warm-up purposes, I don't normally ask many multiple choice questions on my exams Sometimes I'll put a section of matching on the exam, but multiple choice questions will not appear in any abundance, so don't expect a lot of them.

Often I will ask a series of questions based on a relatively lengthy description of a rock unit in the field, supplemented with some data from the lab (usually thin section data). I might give a two or three-paragraph description of a rock unit or formation, then ask a bunch of questions based on that description. Most of these questions are interpretive, but occasionally some are observation-based and deal with "what's this, what's that."

Summary papers of recent (summer of 2004 and later) articles in the literature on sedimentology, sedimentary petrology, and stratigraphy, should conform to the following format.

1. completed using Microsoft Word, 10 point, Times font

2. double-spaced

3. 2-3 pages in length

4. give your name in the upper left margin of the first page

5. give the reference next, left justified, single spaced, according to the format given later in this appendix

6. be written in your own words. Be certain not to plagiarize (see statement in syllabus about academic honesty)

7. at a minimum, include paragraphs that address:

a. objective or purpose of the paper on which you report

b. how the research was conducted

c. pertinent data (not necessarily numerical)

d. interpretation based on the data

8. If you use a reference in addition to the one on which you are reporting, be certain to include the citation in the body of the text, and include the reference at the end of your summary, using the appropriate format.

For other guidelines to writing, use the style manual for the course.

(Explanation: 1 = excellent 2 = good 3 = satisfactory 4 = poor 5 = unsatisfactory)

Quality of field work (x2)

Quality of Laboratory work

Quality of Abstract

Organization

major/minor headings (outline)

body of paper including paragraph construction

separation of data and interpretation

Writing

Evidence of proof reading and several rewrites (do not turn in a first draft!)

spelling

grammar

word usage

sentence structure

use of quotations

Content

depth of treatment

presentation of ideas or information representing a variety of viewpoints

synthesis of ideas and information

connection between data and interpretation

quality of interpretations

Use of References

documentation in body of paper

form of "references cited" section

quality of references cited

Illustrations

Stratigraphic sections and correlation diagrams

Graphic display of data

Well-written and complete captions

Proper attribution of figures taken from other work

Use of tables

Overall effectiveness of figures and captions in conveying data and interpretations

Overall Evaluation

The major objectives in preparing megascopic descriptions of sedimentary rocks include: (1) conveying information in field notes that enable other geologists to recognize the lithologies; (2) providing information that will enable one to map facies; and (3) serving as a basis for making interpretations of processes and environments of deposition.

Descriptions are made at two levels of observation: (1) outcrop scale; and (2) hand specimen scale. These two levels of observation require different approaches to rock description. This exercise considers only that approach used in the description of hand specimens.

Preparation of concise yet complete hand specimen descriptions requires the geologist to make repeated, organized sets of observations. These observations should be made in the same manner each time a sample is described, so that the repetition promotes consistency and completeness. While obvious differences exist between sandstones and carbonate rocks, significant fundamental similarities are shared by these two rock groups, so that a similar approach to description can be undertaken. Data should be assembled in brief paragraph form, with punctuation carefully chosen to separate different categories of data.

Description of siliciclastic and carbonate rocks should begin with weathering characteristics and fresh colors, and progress through composition, texture, fabric, stratification, and trace and body fossils.

For sandstones, the following format is appropriate.

Name of sandstone (quartz sandstone, feldspathic sandstone, lithic sandstone); Weathering characteristics, colors, fresh colors; Composition of framework, cement; Size of framework constituents (median, range, vertical variations; (FOR COARSE-GRAINED ROCKS ONLY) - sorting of framework constituents, rounding of framework constituents, composition and texture of matrix; Fabric (grain distribution and orientation); Bedding and lamination (how manifested, form, thickness - includes cross bedding and bedforms); Organic structures; Body fossils.

For limestones, the following format is appropriate

Name of limestone (Dunham) - if dolomitic, or with terrigenous admixture, name should reflect this; Weathering characteristics, colors, fresh colors; Allochems (grain support vs. mud support, description and size of allochems, if current transport is apparent describe grain sorting and effects of abrasion; cement, if visible; recrystallization fabrics; Bedding and lamination (how manifested, form, thickness - includes cross bedding and bedforms); Organic structures, including stromatolites and their geometry (an aspect of bedding).

For Dolostones, use the following format:

Name of rock type; Weathering characteristics, colors, any vugs or cavities; fresh colors; Texture, including crystal size and degree of "granularity" (whether sugary in appearance, or simply interlocking crystals with little porosity between them), crystal shape if visible; any visible allochems, such as fossil fragments, oolites, or intraclasts; Bedding and lamination (how manifested, form, thickness - includes cross bedding and bedforms); Organic structures, including stromatolites and their geometry (an aspect of bedding)

For Shales, use the following format

Rock Name; weathered color, weathering characteristics such as fissile (breaks into thin chips) or blocky; fresh color; calcareous or non-calcareous; silty or clayey (determined by chewing); trace or body fossils

Abstracts are useful

(1) as a basis for selecting papers
(2) to aid people in deciding which papers they wish to hear at a meeting, and
(3) as a published document for reference.

Each abstract should, therefore, not only be well presented but also should be informative. Abstracts that contain such statements as "A new model will be presented," "the problem of . . . will be considered," " . . . will be discussed," or "the . . . is described," are inadequate. Such abstracts outline what papers are about, but do not tell what they contributed. They are not informative.

One dictionary (Webster's unabr. 2nd ed.) defines an abstract as "That which comprises or concentrates in itself the essential qualities of a larger thing. . . " Our abstracts must contain essential information, without added commentary or interpretation. An Abstract differs from a summary in that the latter is usually a restatement, generally at the end of a paper, only of salient findings and conclusions. The abstract, on the other hand, also includes other vital portions of a paper, such as purpose and methods.

The importance of the abstract is stated by K. K. Landes in "The Scrutiny of the Abstract, 11" (in Cochran, W., and others, eds., 1973, Geowriting: Washington, D.C., Am. Geol. Inst., 80 p.):

"To many writers the preparation of an abstract 'is an unwanted chore required at the last minute by an editor or insisted upon even before the paper has been written by a deadline-bedeviled program chairman. However, in terms of market reached, the abstract is the most important part of the paper. For every individual who reads or listens to your entire paper, from 10 to 500 will read the abstract.

"If you are presenting a paper before a learned society, the abstract alone may appear in a pre-convention issue of the society journal as well as in the convention program; it may also be run by trade journals. The abstract, which accompanies a published paper will most certainly reappear in abstract journals in various languages, and perhaps in company internal circulars as well. It is much better to please than to antagonize this great audience. Papers written for oral presentation should be completed prior to the deadline for the abstract, so that the abstract can be prepared from the written paper and not from raw ideas gestating in the writer's mind." [p. 34]

B. H. Weil, in "Standards for Writing Abstracts" (in Cochran and others), noted the following on the purpose and importance of abstracts:

"A well-prepared abstract enables readers to identify the basic content of a document quickly and accurately, to determine its relevance to their interests, and thus to decide whether they need to read the document in its entirety. Readers for whom the document is of fringe interest often obtain enough information from the abstract to make their reading of the whole document unnecessary. Therefore, every primary document should include a good abstract. Secondary publications and services that provide bibliographic citations of pertinent documents should also include good abstracts if at all possible." [p. 361]

"For various reasons, it is desirable that the author write an abstract that the secondary services can reproduce with little or no change. These reasons include the economic pressures on the secondary services caused by continuing increases in the volume of scholarly publication; the need for greater promptness on the part of the secondary services in publishing information about the primary literature; and the growing value of good authors' abstracts in computerized full-text searching for alerting and information retrieval." [p. 351]

Weil (ibid.) offers the following recommendations for writing good abstracts:

"Make the abstract as informative as the document will permit, so that readers may decide whether they need to read the entire document. State the purpose, methods, results, and conclusions presented in the document, either in that order or with initial emphasis on findings," [p. 35]

"For most papers and portions of monographs, an abstract of fewer than 250 words will be adequate. For notes and short communications, fewer than 100 words should suffice. Editorials and Letters to the Editor often will require only a single-sentence abstract. For long documents such as reports and theses, an abstract generally should not exceed 500 words and preferably should appear on a single page.

"Begin the abstract with a topic sentence that is a central statement of the document's major thesis, but avoid repeating the words of the document's title if that is nearby.

"Write a short abstract as a single, unified paragraph, but use more than one paragraph for long abs tracts, e.g., those in reports and theses. Write the abstract in complete sentences, and use transitional words and phrases for coherence.

"Use verbs in the active voice whenever possible; they contribute to clear, brief, forceful writing. The passive voice, however, may be used for indicative statements and even for informative statements in which the receiver of the action should be stressed.

"Avoid unfamiliar terms, acronyms, abbreviations, or symbols; or define them the first time they occur in the abstract.

"Include short tables, equations, structural formulas ' and diagrams only when necessary for brevity and clarity." [p. 371]

Whereas an abstract should present the quantitative and (or) qualitative information in a paper, Weil (ibid.) points out that this is sometimes impractical.

"However, some discursive or lengthy texts, such as broad overviews, review papers, and entire monographs, may permit the preparation of an abstract that is only an indicative or descriptive guide to the type of document and what it is about. A combined informative-indicative abstract must often be prepared when limitations on the length of the abstract or the type and style of the document make it necessary to confine informative statements to the primary elements of the document and to relegate other aspects to indicative statements

For a journal article:

Purkait, Barendra, 2002, Patterns of grain-size distribution in some point bars of the Usri River, India: Journal of Sedimentary Research, v. 72, p. 367-375,

If both the first name and middle initial of the author are known, then give the initials only for the first and middle names.

Note that only proper nouns are capitalized in the title of a journal article, in addition to the first letter of the title.

Always put a colon after the title of the article but before the name of the journal.

Do not abbreviate the name of the journal.

Do not give the number of the issue following the volume. Give volume only, and abbreviate with a lower case "v."

Use "p" for page numbers, not "pp."

A period always follows the completed reference.

The format for citing a paper in a monograph of collected papers is different. The format for citing a monograph is also different. See the "Suggestions to Authors" section at the end of the appendix for additional information on format of references.

From "Suggestions to Authors of the reports of the United States Geological Survey," sixth edition)

A. Page setup, font, and spacing specifications

1. Paper: 8 1/2" x 11" with 6 1-2" x 9" image area
2. Microsoft Word, font size 10 pt., font Times New Roman
3. Spacing: Drafts should be double-spaced, final reports single-spaced on one side of page. Leave two lines of space between paragraphs.

B. Title Page

1. The title should be brief and stated with clarity. However, do not use a pyramid of prefixes or several adjectives in an attempt to shorten the title. For example, "Neogene geochronobioclimato paleomagneto stratigraphy" is inappropriate.

2. The title is centered on the title page just above the middle, followed by two spaces and then the name of the author, also centered on the page.

C. "Contents", "Illustrations", and "Tables" - The paper should include lists of contents, illustrations and tables.

1. "Contents" (The word "Contents" is upper case and centered on the page.)

a. Consists of headings appearing in the paper, beginning four spaces beneath the word "contents".
b. Rank of the headings should be indicated by appropriate in-dentation under the preceding related headings. (Indent each rank four spaces.)
c. The heading should be followed by a series of periods ex-tending to the "page" column where the appropriate page numbers of each heading are given.

2. "Illustrations"

a. The word "illustration" is typed in upper case letters and centered on the page four spaces below the last item listed under contents.
b. Type the word "Figure" flush with the left margin, followed by the figure number and a period, followed by the figure title (upper and lower case letters).
c. Follow the figure title by a series of periods, extending to the page column.

3. "Tables" - Directly analogous to "Illustrations".

D. Headings - OBS reports use only four levels of headings.

1. First level headings: Include titles of each of the major parts
of the report. It should be centered between the margins, typed
in capitals, not underlined.

2. Second level headings: Used to indicate subordinate topics within major parts of the report. Typed in all capital letters set-flush with left margin. Leave 3 lines of space above this heading and two lines of space between it and the following paragraph.

3. Third level headings: Used to subdivide material. appearing under a second level heading. Typed in capital and lowercase letters, under-lined, and set flush with left margins; leave two lines of space above and two between it and the following paragraph.

4. Fourth level headings: Paragraph headings indented the same number of spaces as ordinary paragraphs (five-space indent). Initial capital letter only; underlined, followed by a period.

5. Example

CURRENT PATTERNS

Winter Patterns

Methods. (text starts here)

E. Illustrations

1. All figures should be made to fit the 6 1/2" x 9" image area.
2. Figure caption should be centered below each figure with only the first letter of first word capitalized.
3. Example: Figure 1. Location of channel sample sites.

F. Tables

1. All numbered and given a descriptive title.
2. Size: all tables should fit within 6 1/2" x 9" image area.
3. Capitalize the first letter of each word in table title.
4. Example: Table 4. Channel Lengths for Iowa Rivers

G. Abstract

1. The abstract should be the initial first-order heading and should typed on the first page of the body of the report.

2. For most reports, the abstract should specify the problem; the method of attack, the type of data used, and should briefly state the conclusions. It should be informative rather than descriptive, and should be a complete unit, independent from the text. See suggestions for preparation of abstracts, given earlier in this syllabus.

3. Read abstracts from a variety of papers to become familiar with the writing of this very important part of your report.

H. Appendices

1. Designated by capital letters.

2. Requirements for tables and illustrations in the main text also
applicable to appendix tables and illustrations.

I. Footnotes break the reader's train of thought and are seldom needed in scientific writing. A well-constructed paragraph should need no explana-tory (in effect, parenthetical) footnote.

A. References

1. For documentation in the text, references are cited by giving author's surname and year of publication. For quotes and specific reference to data, a page number is also given.

a. If the reference pertains to only one text sentence, the in-formation is given in parentheses at the end of the sentence unless the reference is not pertinent to some part of the sentence, as in: Anchorage was severely damaged by landslides around subsidence and fissures during the 1964 earthquake (Hansen and others 1966), but little effect of this damage is now visible.

b. If the author's name naturally falls in the sentence, only the date and page reference are included within the parentheses, as in: Scholler (1911, p. 49) reported that the type specimen of this material contained 3.21 percent Li2O.

c. If the reference pertains to more than one preceding sentence it may be identified in a separate sentence, as (See Hansen and others, 1966).

d. See pages 714-75, "Suggestions to Authors of Reports of the U.S. Geological Survey, 6th ed., for more details.

2. The list of references cited (alphabetized by surnames) should follow the last page of the text and should be titled "References Cited" (upper case letters, centered at the top of the page). Use the following format (See P. 76-81, "Suggestions to Authors, 6th ed., for additional examples). Repetition of a name or group of names is avoided by use of dashes.

a. Articles in journals

Handin, J. W., and Griggs, David, 1951, Predicted fabric changes, pt. 2 of Deformation of Yule Marble: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 62, p. 863-886.

Note that modern style requires no abbreviations in the journal name, and the number of the volume is not given.

b. Books

Ritter, D. F., 1978, Process Geomorphology: Dubuque, Iowa, Wm. C. Brown, 603 P.

Note that the first letter of all essential words in the title is upper case (excluding conjunctions, prepositions, etc.)

c. Articles or chapters in book which represent a compilation

Thayer, T. P., 1967, Chemical and structural relation of ultramafic and feldspar rocks in Alpine intrusive complexes, in Wyllie, P. J., ed., Ultramafic and Related Rocks: New York, John Wiley, p. 222-239.

Note: Individual journals have their own style of listing references and the author should confirm the appropriate usage when submitting papers.

B. Capitalization: see CBE Style Manual

C. Prefixes, Suffixes, Combining Forms

1. All words formed by adding a prefix or combining form to a base element are written solid. e.g. nondegrading, preimpoundment, semistable

2. Except after co, de, pre, pro, an(l re, use a. hyphen to avoid doubling a vowel or consonant (e.g. hull-ess).

3. Use a hyphen before like (e.g. lake-like environment).

4. Compound adjectives should be hyphenated.

D. Numerals

1. Use numerals for a single number of 10 or more (50 books, 10 samples).

2. Use numerals for numbers under 10 that are fractional (1.5 points).

3. Use numerals for standard units of measure (19 mm, 10 km), time
(5 hours, 12 years), dates, mathematical expressions (a factor of 5)
and age.

E. Metric and Decimal Systems

1. Use a metric system of measurements with equivalent units expressed parenthetically if desired.

2. Use decimal system, not fractions (0.25, not 1/4).

F. Quotations

1. The author is obligated to quote only the exact words of the reference, not the typographical or compositional style.

2. There is no obligation to reproduce antiquated or incorrect spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar.

3. Omissions in quoted matter are indicated by three asterisks.

G. Writing Checklist

1. Avoid strange or rare words, foreign words or phrases.

2. Use simple sentence structure, minimum of punctuation.

3. Use the active voice rather than passive voice.

4. Use past tense to describe what was done and what was found. Use present and future tenses to express facts, laws and conclusions. Never use first person writing in a report! Example: I found a great deal of information

H. BEWARE OF PLAGIARISM - plagiraism will result in an automatic zero for the assignment. There is no appeal, and this policy is non-negotiable