Prussic Acid in Livestock

Prussic Acid in Livestock (Sheep, Goats, horses and Cattle)

Term Paper Assignment

This semester you will be required to write a term paper on a nutritional or metabolic disorder that affects domestic animals. Various assignments relating to your final draft will be due throughout the semester.

General Information:
– Audience: Your paper should be written for the scientific community.
– Format: All assignments should be typed, double spaced, 12pt font, Times New Roman and 8-14 pages.
– References: You will be required to include at least 8 references in your final draft. All 8 references should come from peer reviewed journal articles. Textbooks may be used, but do not count toward your 8 references. Internet sources and brochures are not acceptable references. References should be cited throughout your paper in the format used in the Journal of Animal Science. All citations should be paraphrased from the original source. Do not include direct quotations!
– What to include: Your paper should include an introduction to your topic, causes of the disorder, symptoms, underlying metabolic/physiologic reasons resulting in the symptoms, prevention/treatment, the impact this disorder has on animals, and what the implications are for pet owners/livestock producers. See rubric for more details.

Citation Style: http://www.journalofanimalscience.org/site/misc/JAS-InstructionsToAuthors.pdf

Topic Selection (5 points)
You will select a unique topic of your choice on a nutritional or metabolic disorder. All topics should be submitted by 11:59pm on January 24th. Your topic should be unique from the topics of your classmates and must be approved by Dr. Boyd. Topics will be approved on a first come, first served basis. You will be notified if you need to reselect a topic. Reselection of topics must occur within 3 days of the due date in order to receive full credit.

Outline and References (20 points):
You will create an outline detailing the points you will cover in your final paper. You should also submit a list of 4 references that you have found on your topic. Your reference list should already be formatted for your final paper. Your outline should be detailed enough to show that you have already spent some time researching your topic.

Rough Draft (25 points):
This is a rough draft – it does not need to be complete or proofread! But the more you have done the more beneficial it will be to your final grade! This will not be graded, you will receive credit for turning in the assignment on time and I will review your paper and provide some suggestions for improvement.

Final Draft (100 points):
A rubric outlining how the final draft will be graded is included. Your final draft should be 8-14 pages (not including references, graphs, charts, or figures). 5 points will be deducted from the final paper grade for each page that the paper is short of 8 complete pages. An automatic grade of zero will be given for any paper failing to correctly use citations, since this would be plagiarism.

Abstract (30 points):
As scientists, we often need to present scientific material in a way that is very condensed. The abstract should be a summary of your paper. Maximum length is 400 words. Do not include citations in your abstract.

Spring 2020
Term Paper Assignment Rubric

1. Title
Does the title clearly and accurately reflect the topic of the paper?

2. Content
a. General background
Does the background information set the stage for the specific context and relevance of the paper?

b. Causes of the disorder/condition/situation
When is this specific disorder seen in animals? What are the contributing factors to this disorder?

c. Symptoms/Conditions
What symptoms/conditions are commonly seen associated with the disorder? Is there a progression of symptoms/conditions?

d. Metabolic/physiological/psychological reasoning
What is going on in the body that results in the symptoms? Which metabolic/physiological/psychological pathways are affected and how are they affected?

e. Treatment/prevention
How is this disorder/condition/situation treated? Is it possible to prevent this disorder/condition/situation treated? Why are the treatments/preventative measures successful?

_____/5 points

_____/5 points

_____/10 points

_____/10 points

_____/30 points

_____/10 points

f. How are animals affected by this disorder? What
implications does this disorder have for animal owners
or the animal industry?

3. References
a. Are the sources appropriate for a scientific paper? Have at least 8 peer reviewed journal article references been cited?

b. Are the references cited properly within the paper? Have references been properly paraphrased? Has the format for the Journal of Animal Science been used?

4. Overall writing style
a. Is the writing style appropriate for a scientific audience? Does the author sound like a professional or like a student new to scientific writing?

b. Do grammar, punctuation, usage, and spelling enhance the paper quality? Do mechanical errors distract from the meaning of the paper?

Total:

**Automatic 5-point deduction for each page that the paper is short of 8 complete pages

______/5 points

_____/5 points

_____/10 points

_____/5 points

_____/5 points

_____/100 points