Neuroscience 1801: Class # 22894

Neuroscience Writing Practicum, Proseminar- Spring 2012

Lecture: Mondays 3-3:50pm Langley A202

Instructor: Patty Reagan Email: plr5@pitt.edu

Office Hours: By appointment Office Location: A206 Langley
Mailbox: A210 Langley Hall Phone: 412-624-5156

Course Description: This course will outline how to research and write a scientific literature review. Students
will be able to: Research a broad scientific topic, use Matrix Method to record research, summarize findings,
and draw conclusions based on the scientific evidence, review peer’s work, write and revise drafts for final
submission to Turnitin.com.

Course Text: Health Sciences Literature Review Made Easy, by Judith Garrard (required)
ebook rental: http://www.coursesmart.com/IR/3705475/9781449616182/20

Writing Papers in the Biological Sciences, 4th Edition, McMillan, Victoria, E. (recommended)

Additional Help: Pitt writing center: http://www.english.pitt.edu/writingcenter/

Courseweb: Courseweb (Blackboard) will be used in conjunction with this course (http://courseweb.pitt.edu).
Please check Courseweb for: announcements, reading assignments, and discussion board links.

Course Assessment:
Class Participation:
Peer Review:
Master Matrix Folder:
Final Paper:
Total points:
75 (courseweb posts)
55 (based on rubric, divided by 2)
60 (completed version)
110 (based on rubric)
300

Grading Scale:
The grading scale will be as follows:

Letter Grade Percentage Range Letter Grade Percentage Range

A+ 98-100 C+ 78-79
A 93-97 C 72-77
A- 90-92 C- 70-71
B+ 88-89 D 60-69
B 82-87 F Below 60
B- 80-81

Academic integrity:
Students are required to adhere to the College of Arts and Sciences academic integrity standards. See
http://www.as.pitt.edu/undergraduate/expectations/index.html for details.

Disabilities and Special Needs:

If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation, you are encouraged to
contact both me and Disability Resources and Services, 216 William Pitt Union, 412-648-7890 or 412-383-7355
(TTY) as early as possible in the term. Please go to the Student Affairs website at http://www.drs.pitt.edu/ for
more information.

Turnitin.com: To enroll in this class, you will need both the enrollment password and the unique class ID generated by
Turnitin.com The class name is Neuroscience ProSeminar Writing Practicum. The class ID is 4704609 and the enrollment
password is classof2012.
 Course Schedule: Spring 2012 / Term 2124
Date
Week 1- January 9, 2012
Week 2 - January 16, 2012
January 17, 2012
Week 3 - January 23, 2012
Week 4 - January 30, 2012
Week 5 - February 6, 2012
Week 6 - February 13, 2012
Week 7 - February 20, 2012
Week 8 - February 27, 2012
March 2, 2012
Week 9 - March 5, 2012
Week 10 - March 12, 2012
Week 11 - March 19, 2012
Week 12 - March 26, 2012
Week 13 - April 2, 2012
Week 14 - April 9, 2012
Week 15 - April 16, 2012
Finals Week April 23, 2012
April 27, 2012
In-Class
Introduction/rubric/mentors/peer
review
MLK Jr. Day, No classes
Meet in Langley Library
Librarian Presentation
Meet in Langley Library
Research/Show master matrix
folder set-up in class.
Turnitin.com, rubrics for peer
review, review of Master Matrix
and Final Draft.
Citations
Individual Appointments
3:00 – Shawn 3:20 – Ciera
Individual Appointments
3:00 – Raphael 3:20 – Erika
Spring Break – No Classes
Individual Appointments
3:00 – Jared 3:20 - Peter
Individual Appointments
3:00 – Dan 3:20 - Sarah
Individual Appointments
3:00 – Emily 3:20 - Caleb
3:00/3:30 Course Evaluation
Individual Appointments
Individual Appointments
Individual Appointments
Assignment
Introduction essay- post to discussion board by 1/16,
comment on at least one other student’s intro (5pts)
Read Ch. 1, Post your neuroscience topic from the
list of topics covered in the Pro-Seminar
Email Reviewer/cc: plr5@pitt.edu due 1/23 (5pts)
ADD/DROP PERIOD ENDS
Read Ch. 2, Create Master Folder due in class 1/30
(5pts)
Read Ch. 3, Collect primary sources. Begin entering
records in paper trail folder. Post one question or
comment about Chapter 3 to courseweb discussion
board (5pts)
Read Ch. 4, Manage Docs folder. Select docs to
include in your review. Post one question or
comment about Chapter 4 (5pts)
Read Ch. 5, Abstract the research literature. Post one
question or comment about Ch 5 (5pts)
Continue to abstract the research literature. Respond
to one question or comment from Ch 5 (5pts)
Read Ch. 6, Post one question/comment to
courseweb (5pts) Begin writing first draft due on CW
Discussion Board 3/19
MONITORED WITHDRAWAL DEADLINE
Continue working on first draft due on CW
Discussion Board 3/19
Continue working on first draft due on CW
Discussion Board 3/19 by midnight
First Drafts due to courseweb discussion board by
midnight! (15 pts)
Post Peer Reviews on CW by 4/02, all students in
class for evaluation 4/02
Peer Reviews posted on discussion board and
submitted to assignment link in CW (10 pts)
Revise First Draft, write second draft. Master Matrix
Folder to assignment link. (5 pts)
Second draft to reviewer by midnight (5 pts)
cc: plr5@pitt.edu (10 pts)
Write Third Draft submit to Turnitin.com by 4:00pm
4/23/2012
FINAL PAPER DUE
to Turnitin.com by 4:00 pm
 Literature Review Rubric:
Rating score
10 - 8 7-5 4-2 2-0
ASSIGNMENT BASICS
Articles Information is Information is Information is Information is
gathered from at least gathered from 3 gathered from 2 gathered from a
4 peer reviewed peer rev journal peer rev journal single peer rev
journal articles. articles articles journal article
SUMMARY
Theme Well organized, Well org, but Weakly org No organization,
demonstrates logical demonstrates with no logical sequencing, or
sequencing and illogical seq or seq or structure. structure.
structure. structure.

Title Page Includes title, author, Omits one of Omits two of Omits three of
course and date. previous previous previous
Abstract Clearly states aim and Aim and scope are Aim and scope Aim and scope are
scope; concisely stated clearly, are not stated, not clearly stated,
summarizes major major points are major points are major points are
points. not summarized. summarized. not summarized.
Introduction Aim and scope are Aim and scope are Aim and scope Aim and scope are
repeated and topic is repeated and topic are not not repeated, topic
introduced, rationale is is introduced, repeated, topic is introduced, and
explained. rationale is not is introduced, rationale is not
explained. and rationale is explained.
explained.
Bckgrnd/Found Detailed conclusions Conclusions are Some No conclusions are
are reached from the reached from conclusions made from the
evidence offered. evidence offered. from evidence evidence offered.
offered.
Research Question Research question(s) Research Research Research
are formed through the question(s) are question(s) question(s) were
literature review and formed through the were not not formed and are
clearly stated. literature review. formed but not apparent from
could be the literature
through lit rev review.
Reference Sheet Information is cited Information is Information is Information is not
properly and in MLA cited properly. cited, but has cited or is cited
format. errors. incorrectly.
PRESENTATION
Length Adheres to 10 page Does not meet 10 Does not meet Does not meet 10
minimum criteria. page criteria by ½ 10 page criteria page criteria by
page or less. by ½ to 1 page. more than 1 page.
Format Font, spacing, and Font and sp, font Font, spacing, Font, spacing, and
MLA format are and MLA, or sp or MLA format MLA format are
correct. and MLA are is correct. incorrect.
correct.
Grammar There are 2 or less There are 3-4 There are 4-5 There are 6 or
grammatical errors. grammatical grammatical more gram errors.
errors. errors.
TOTAL POINTS