HNS 375W: Env. Honors Seminar, Col. Timmes

Over the course of the semester you will be tasked with writing:

• Three short papers
  • 3-4 pages in length
  • Optional graphic (1/4 page max)
  • 4-8 sources (approximately 1.5 citations per page)
• One long paper
  • 10-12 pages in length
  • 10-20 sources (approximately 1.5 citations per page)

For all papers, use the citation methodology most commonly used in your discipline and be consistent with your citation format.

Some tips for citing your sources in ASCE style include:

• Do not include “EBSCO host,” “vmiexproxy,” or web addresses that contain “research.ebsco.com” in your citations.
  • If the source is a journal article, use the page numbers or DOI instead.
• When citing a website, trim off the extra parts of the website address.
  • These extra parts come directly after the .com, .edu, or .gov in a website address.   
  • For example, use https://infoweb.newsbank.com not https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/documentview?p=AQM.

A majority of your sources should come from original/empirical articles in peer-reviewed, scholarly journals. Typically, the articles you use will contain an introduction, methodology, results, discussion, conclusion, and references. If your article does not have these elements, more than likely it is not original research. Additionally, you may need to update your research with current or local information from credible news sources.

Use the tabs on the left-hand side of the page to find relevant scholarly journal articles and current news.

Short Paper #3 (Due LSN 20, Nov. 7)

Writing prompt: Present your views and concerns on an "Energy and Pollution" themed topic. Draw from the Taking Sides readings in Modules 3, 4, & 5 and make use of current news articles AND scholarly journals. You are strongly encouraged to make use of the Preston Library Engineering Databases. Identify what you have strong belief/confidence in now and what aspects of the topics you feel you need more data before holding a stronger position.

Term Paper (Due LSN 28, Dec. 14)

Writing prompt: Prepare a research (term) paper concerning a relevant environmental issue or problem that you wish to explore. To the extent possible, the paper should demonstrate the multi-disciplinary nature of the issue; considering at least two or more of the following contexts:

• Historical
• Biological/ecological
• Policy
• Legal
• Economic
• Technical/engineering

The research paper and topic may have a local, national, or international focus.