Term Paper for Astronomy

VISIT THE CSI ASTRONOMY WEBSITE( supernova7.apsc.csi.cuny.edu) TO FIND detailed  instructions  ON AHOW TO WRITE A TERM PAPER@   General notes follow.

1. The term paper must be based on some appropriate (ask instructor) subject dealt with in your lecture course. (There are no black holes in the solar system and the earth is not appropriate for the galactic course).  It should be in your own words, copied world wide web stuff is not acceptable. All duplicated papers get a zero including the original.

WARNING IT IS VERY EASY TO KNOW THAT YOU COPIED VERBATIM WEB MATERIAL! RESIST THE TEMPTATION BUT DO USE WEB MATERIAL AS RESOURCES (PUT IN THE BIBLIOGRAPHY THE SOURCES) BUT USE YOUR OWN WORDS IN THIS REPORT!   

2. The term paper is to be typed, double spaced ( use the word processors in the computer center( or elsewhere) in the library. Not counting any diagrams, footnotes or bibliography the length of the paper is about 10 pages  In any event extra credit can be rewarded based on the quality of this paper.

 3. The textbook for this course in NOT an acceptable source for your term paper.

4. No encyclopedia is acceptable as a source for college work. (Good for junior high school level)

5. You may use books (avoid obsolete material) or appropriate astronomy journals or magazines. Visit the library and/or a good bookstore (Science section) For example Astronomy; Sky and Telescope; Scientific American; Science: GOOD WEB SOURCES ARE PERMITTED as mentioned above!

 6. General format and Outline should follow this guide whenever possible.

   I  -  Title Page   (Your Name and Title of Report)

   II  - Table of Contents (optional)

   III   Introduction

              a. What are you going to talk about

              b. A general overview of the issue

              c. What the reader should expect

   IV -  Body of the Report

              a. Discussion

                   i)   Description of the phenomena; Facts known

                   ii)  Scientific Definitions of terms

                   iii) Illustrations as figures, graphs, tables

              b. Analysis

       i)   Inductive thinking used by author(s); i.e. the intuitive concepts that ultimately give rise to hypotheses from the information.

                   ii)  Deductive thinking used by author(s); i.e. the rigorous logical (verbal and/or mathematical) reasoning and where it leads from part a.

                   iii)  Generalizations: This is the probable conclusions drawn from the info of part a.

              c. Conclusion

                    i)   Summarize

                    ii)  Potential applications of results

                    iii) Final impressive statement(s)

V -Bibliography   (THESE ITEMS SHOULD BE REFERRED BY NUMBER IN THE REPORT)

               a. References (Works you used)