Biology 334: Fall 2009

CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Introduction:

Learning how to critically read scientific literature is an important aspect of this course. I have selected a group of research papers dealing with a variety of issues in behavioral ecology. I have tried to choose papers that are interesting, fairly easy to read, not too lengthy, and not too difficult to comprehend. The point is not to get bogged down in statistics but to come away with a good idea of the main objectives, results and conclusions. Periodically, throughout the term, you will read several of the papers, critically evaluate them and fill out a critical evaluation form for each paper. The purpose of these forms is to help you structure your thoughts and ideas about the paper. Then, in class we will discuss the research papers.