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BIO 127 & 128: General Biology

The resources in this course guide are carefully selected to support students enrolled in Biology 127 and 128.

Helpful Pointers on Understanding Scientific Research Articles

Comprehending scientific articles can be challenging. However, you can save time by reading over the titles and abstracts first related to your topic or study of interest. If these are unrelated to your research topic, don't waste any more time, and move on to finding other articles. Next, after you have read through the titles/abstracts of your articles, it's always a great idea to take notes and write down the overall main purpose of each particular study.

Sample Biology Paper

Provided is a sample biology paper to serve only as a guide. Please consult your professor/instructor for additional assistance. Remember not to plagiarize, or try to re-produce this same paper. 

Helpful Pointers on Writing an Effective Paper

Different Sections of a Scientific Paper

The basic structure of a scientific paper usually contains the following:

  • Title
  • Abstract
  • Introduction
  • Methods
  • Results 
  • Discussion
  • Acknowledgements
  • References/Literature Cited (e.g. APA or MLA) 

Provided here are descriptions of each part of a scientific paper: Structure of a Scientific Paper 

Always refer to the assignment instructions related to your paper. Many peer-reviewed journal articles in biology and the sciences mostly follow this same structure or format. 

Helpful Strategies on Understanding Scientific Research Articles

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