Skip to Main Content
It looks like you're using Internet Explorer 11 or older. This website works best with modern browsers such as the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. If you continue with this browser, you may see unexpected results.

Social Ecology 195W - Field Study - Winter 2021 (Garde Section): Assignments

Hints for Assignments

There are basically 7 assignments for this class.  Several are interconnected and build on each other.

1.  Summary / abstract of a journal article with APA citation.  An abstract is usually the last part of an article that is written and highlights the hypothesis and other methods of the research, introduces findings, and makes conclusions.  Reading a lot of articles and abstracts is what improves future writing.  APA citation is captured in a separate box.  Do not use the same abstract as what appears with the article, you are providing insights in value for specific applications.

2.  CV Resume and Cover letter - there are different methods of this due to how it is being submitted.  Different disciplines have various styles and inclusions as does different work or research environments.  Will it be read and detected by AI to pick up certain terms or skills?  There is a separate box that promotes resources and models of CV and accompanying correspondence.  Bottom line, is don't promise more than you can deliver. 

3-5.  Field Study paper - limited to conducting interview of supervisor, and then pivoting to detail how this allows you to apply Social Ecology content new knowledge and understandings.  Incorporate 7-10 sources of peer-reviewed scholarship.

6. Class Presentation - 10-12 minutes including leaving time for questions - consult last tab on preparing presentations - remember about opportunity for rehearsing using Zoom. 

Outline should include:

  • Introduction to placement - 2 mins
    • organization's mission & goals
    • general activities and goals of your unit within organization
    • description of your duties and tasks completed so far
  • Social Ecological aspects - 5 mins
    • two aspects of placement that related to concepts and methods of social ecology
    • best part of your learning experience
    • challenges & major problems
  • Conclusions - 2 mins
    • future expectations for the remainder of your placement
    • any thoughts about some of the likely conclusions that you will discuss in your final version of the field study paper

Writing Hints

Hints include:

  • Write from an outline - regardless of whether it is a short passage or a long detailed assignment, outline your ideas and fill the content areas so that you know what is important, and what requires research and what has been sufficiently addressed.
  • Consider using Microsoft Tracking so that you can visually edit your content
  • Consider using Bibliographic Management Software to organize your references and research outputs
  • Consider visual aids to describe content - different forms of visual literacy can be effective - visualization, data, graphics, infographics, etc

 

Assignment 2 - Resume Writing

There are many sources that will help you format a resume - you must consider different types of submission, in person via an interview; with accompanied correspondence via mail, fax, attachment, etc; or via online submission where machine learning will be seeking to sort by different words, tags or labels.  This will determine how best to format your resume - you may consider several versions.  The following resources may be helpful:

 

Research Hints

Use Subject Guides for each area of Social Ecology to direct you to specialized resources:

Hints for Specific Topics

The following search strategies, subject headings and sources will accompany each topic and serve as guidance in seeking information for each assignment.  Please reach out if you need additional information.

APA Citation Style

Consult the resources on this Guide that demonstrate APA's latest 7th edition released in late 2019.. 

Assignment 1 - Writing an Abstract

The best foundation for this assignment is to read a lot of journal articles and abstracts.  A good abstract should lead you to want to read the article.  For research summaries, you need to know the hypothesis, the methods used to study the question, the findings, the conclusions and whether hypothesis can be accepted or rejected.  Remember that science is about reproducibility and social science is about observation and full disclosure about other methods, number in study, interviews & questions used, data compilation, etc.  Read about what interests you and you will find that the best abstracts deliver what is contained in the article.  Abstracts are usually written at the conclusion of the piece or highly edited after work is completed if composed earlier.