21W.036                                                                                                                                                                       Cynthia Taft

Scientific American Update (a research-based essay)

Imagine that the editors of Scientific American have contacted you and asked you to bring their readers up to date on research on a major environmental issue.   The magazine published an article on this topic some time ago, but a lot has happened in the intervening years.  The editors are hoping for an article that is both engaging and enlightening.

They know that you have expressed interest in this topic and that you may have personal reasons for pursuing it, so they are willing to give you some latitude in defining the focus for your article.  As long as you are able to accomplish your basic mission—to provide an update on recent research—they are open to different approaches.

The first version of the article should be at least 1800 words long.  The final version should be between 2000 and 2200 words long.  Both versions should include a separate source list, which will be available online for Scientific American readers.   As is typical of Scientific American articles, the final version of your update will not include any form of citation, so you will need to acknowledge your sources in the article itself.

This is your chance to educate readers on a vital topic.  Help them understand its significance.  Make it lively and informative.  Highlight the roles of key researchers.  Explain technical terms.  Double-check your data; the editors do not want any embarrassing mail from readers.

The first version of your Scientific American update will look different from the final version in a couple of ways.  It should include MLA in-text citations (with page #s), even if you mention the source in the preceding sentence.

Do not hand in this version of your SA update without a final works cited list!

As usual, this 1st version should be accompanied by a letter to your readers.

The final version of your Scientific American update should look very much like the Scientific American article “Down Go the Dams” by Jane Marks.  It should include a list of sources at the end (described as “Further Reading”). Since Jane Marks is herself a prominent researcher in this field, she draws heavily on her own studies.

• Since you will be describing the work of other scientists, you should identify key researchers and major sources in the body of your article, but you should not include footnotes or in-text citations.
• You should refer explicitly to the earlier Scientific American article on your topic.
• Your finished article may include images, but the text takes priority.