PB2A: Scoping Out Scholarly Sources

I cheated a bit with this PB by using a scholarly article that I have studied for the purpose of Biology Lab. The paper is Golden eagles, feral pigs, and insular carnivores: How exotic species turn native predators into prey. An interesting thing about scholarly peer reviewed papers is their lack of truly clever and inventive titles. Scholarly papers generally explain the basis of the paper in the title.

The paper I chose discusses how exotic species turn native predators into prey, as is clearly stated in the title. The exigence for most scientific papers is for the pursuit of knowledge; the desire to understand why the world works in the way it does. Papers such as this one – Scholarly, scientific, peer-reviewed papers – Have many conventions of their organization that allows a reader to glance at a few sections of the paper and know what the paper is about. Just skimming over one or two sections of a scientific paper can tell you the background of the subject in question, what questions the paper will be answering, how the experiments will be conducted, and the results of those experiments.

Golden eagles, feral pigs, and insular carnivores: How exotic species turn native predators into prey is organized according to these conventions. The title tells you the subjects involved in the experiment and the main idea of the experiment. Below the title the authors are listed and below the authors’ names are footnotes that list the authors’ credentials and their work place. The first portion of the actual paper is a small bolded section called an Abstract. The purpose of this Abstract is to give the reader background knowledge of the exigence of the experiment. In this case, the Abstract informs the reader that the introduction of a non-native species led to the presence of a different exotic species that began preying upon the island fox who had been the major predator up until that point. “The presence of exotic pigs led to major ecosystem shifts by indirectly causing predation to replace competition as the dominant force shaping these island communities.” The last sentence of the Abstract summarizes the Abstract while also acting as a bit of a thesis statement. After the Abstract is the introduction which is a more in-depth explanation of the exigence that led to the experiment. The introduction also explains the question that is to be answered in the experiment. Once the Abstract and introduction are done, the actual experiment begins.

The rest of the paper is sorted into two distinct portions; Methods and Results. Methods is sectioned into five portions that explain the various methods used to conduct the experiment. The study area, type of capture, type of analysis, competition estimates, and the model used are all discussed at length in the Method portion of the paper. Evidence is used throughout the paper in the form of graphs to show a correlation between the number of eagles and the success of researches in capturing the native fox and skunk. The graphs show that as the number of eagles over time increases, the researches’ success in capturing the native species decreases which suggests that there is a smaller population available to be captured. Results contains numerical evidence to support the conclusion it presents. The result is also combined with a discussion, making it quite lengthy. The results verify the assumption that an exotic species can turn a native predator into prey. This was devastating to the native fox population – it nearly went extinct from predation as it shown in various graphs.

This experiment was conducted on the California Channel Islands. It was primarily observational, although interference was necessary to obtain an accurate count of the indigenous species. The researchers took samples from the Golden eagles to determine the species they primarily consumed to prove that the sudden decrease in native fox population was due to the appearance of the Eagles.

I feel that the results are the most important aspect of any scholarly piece. If I am reading a paper it is likely because the question intrigued me and I wish to see how the experiment will be conducted and what results it will produce. 

Return Of The Thlog

This week was pretty educational. We discussed a lot in class pertaining to WP1 throughout the week, and began to touch on WP2. I was unfortunately really only able to use a brief amount of information from Monday’s meeting towards my WP1 because I submitted my paper shortly after class. It wasn’t until a few hours before the deadline of the paper being submitted that I received the email about the extension, which upset me a fair bit. I had forgotten to attach the feedback matrix to my paper so I had already sent out 2 drafts of my final paper, and I felt a third would be obnoxious. So, this is a bit upsetting, but I know that I will be able to improve the paper before it is resubmitted in the final portfolio. I’m a bit nervous for the final portfolio; I’ve never been huge into English – I’m a Biology major – so I am unsure about the whole portfolio. I also just like to stress about everything, so that could be it too.

As for what we actually did in class this week, I appreciated, as usual, the writing tips. I used to just use whom wherever it sounded best or where I knew it usually went, like in a letter title, “To Whom It May Concern.” Funny enough, later that night after class I was watching one of my favorite shows (NCIS) and one of the main characters, Dr. Mallard, explained the proper use of whom while correcting someone’s grammar. It was nearly word for word what we were told during class! Something else that I really enjoyed this week was the Murder! Rhetorically exercise. I really enjoyed the imagination and creativity we were able to use to make up the statements or “paperwork” and it really demonstrated our innate understanding of genres. Just one more thing to throw in – I really enjoy the chance to give feedback during class on certain activities that we do. I really enjoyed the peer review that we did and hope that the period of time for it can be extended for the next paper!

The Thlog Strikes Back

Okeydokey. This week. The thlog. It is time. So, …yeah. We had one class and used a lot of the period to do the peer review, which I really appreciated. I wish we could have had more time to work with our groups on our papers and discuss ways to make them better. I mean, since we’re on the topic of genres, it was really interesting to see how different each of our papers were even though we were all following the same prompt and have read the same material discussing this topic. Each person in my group had different approaches to this paper. I will definitely be glad when this is done, writing stresses me out. I’m never sure if I’m writing what the prompt calls for, and that makes me worry about it. I realized that I forgot to reference our text, so that’s more reviewing I need to do. I really did appreciate the peer review. I always enjoy receiving constructive criticism on my papers, it always helps to improve my paper. My group partners were able to help me see what could be added and/or taken away from my paper. They helped me figure out how to shorten some of the lengthier quotes I included without losing the meaning that I wanted them to have. I had a quote that was about a page long, and I included it because it demonstrated the imagery that is common to fantasy novels. My group gave me ideas on which parts to remove from the quote because they didn't serve much purpose. I was able to help them with some grammar and just general ideas on how to make their papers more easily readable. Time to actually go fix those things in the WP. TTFN

A New Thlog

Ah, yes. Well I hope this will still be accepted seeing as I forgot to do Thlogging Thursday and just completely forgot about it for the rest of the weekend. This week I realized that this class is actually going to be a shit-load of work (I used a hyphen there, please notice it.) I wasn’t expecting this class to be a walk in the park, but I didn’t think it would be nearly as time consuming as it is. A lot of the assignments require actually comprehending the material we are writing on which means I can’t just BS my way through this, which would have been so much more fun! Oh, well. Life will go on. I feel like I’m pretty solid on just about everything we’ve covered. I do however need to go over vocabulary words and make sure I have the meanings down completely. I’m fairly certain I can find a genre in just about anything. I was thinking about that instead of writing the WP1. I realized that food can be a genre. Like oh hey, I enjoy the Italian genre of food. And that is totally obvious to me now, but I hadn’t really processed it. Bus seats can be a genre – they all look basically the same (see that?? That was a dash right there.) I actually really appreciate the writing tips in class. Some of them are old hat, but others are nice refreshers or ideas. Thanks Z. I’m not too excited about this WP; I’m actually a bit concerned that I just wrote the rough draft completely wrong, but at least we will have next weekend to tidy it all up before the final draft! Alright. Enough thlogging. TTFN.

PB1B

“Genre Generators” are able to exist because of what a genre is. Something can fit into a genre due to its structure and conventions used. Determining genres is as simple as identifying patterns. There are patterns everywhere, and when a specific group of works follows the same patterns over and over with little deviation, you can say that that work fits into a genre. The simplicity of genres has allowed for various websites to be created that will create a work of a certain genre for you with little to no effort on your part.

The most worrying, to myself at least, of the prompted genre generators was the scientific paper generator. You don’t have to be a practiced researcher to know what a common research paper looks like. If you see a paper that contains certain conventions or styles, you might think to yourself, “Oh! That looks like a research paper!” and frequently, you would be right. That’s because you recognized the pattern in research papers. Some people decided to take this pattern recognition to a whole new level and make some software that will create and mimic the conventions of a research paper. The website prompts you to enter the “author’s” name and click “Generate”. You are then shown a very authentic looking research paper with your name at the top. This patterns that allow this program to be created are fairly obvious; there is a title front and center, bold and big, the author’s name(s) is(are) below the title in a smaller text. The paper itself is segmented into multiple sections. There is an “Abstract” section that acts as a thesis to the paper. After the “Abstract” there is a Table of Contents, followed by the Introduction. The Introduction is numbered with a 1 to begin segmenting the paper into orderly sections. From what I observed the website generates only 6 segments with the 6^th and final being the Conclusion. It is important that the conclusion is included because presenting evidence in an organized and logical manner and then drawing a conclusion from it is a must when writing a research paper. After the Conclusion there is an extensive list of resources used which lends a decent amount of ethos to the generated paper. The paper appears even more credible due to multiple graphs, charts, and diagrams that are located within the Results section. At a glance there is absolutely nothing wrong with this paper, and it includes everything that a well-planned paper should, all thanks to genres.

The generator that required the least amount of effort was the comic strip generator. You simply clicked the “Generate” button and you were presented with a new comic. These comics frequently did not make sense, which proves that the entire comic strip was randomly generated. This can be done very simply with only 3 frames to fill. The first frame generally offered and opening and/or context to the comic. The middle frame generally had some type of action happening, or an opinion being expressed. The last frame would fit into the category of resolution. It was usually the punchline to a joke or a reaction or comment. The humor in this generator was on the juvenile side because juvenile humor is easy; it’s cheap laughs. People always get a chuckle out of someone else’s awkward situations or mild pain, because we’re all pretty messed up.

The last generator was perhaps the most peculiar when you really think about it. The meme generator requires its audience to have a working understanding of memes, their function, and their components. You have to understand the connotation to certain images, and it helps to know the common phrasing that might go with some of the common images. This generator was perhaps the best representation of genre because it allows for personalization. If you so choose, you may create your own meme using your own picture. Even if you don’t want to use your own picture, you can add your own text onto a known image. The personalization that you were able to do fit within the common conventions and layout of a meme while still allowing for differentiation.

My bonus generator site that I found is not for delicate sensibilities. When you first go to the page, http://www.sickjokegenerator.com/, you are asked to confirm you are over the age of 18. If you don’t appreciate extremely juvenile and frankly disgusting humor, then this site is not for you! It generates simple jokes at the click of a button. The jokes all fit into the genre of jokes that we described in class, short, easy to follow, and, in my opinion, usually funny. Some are question and answer jokes, others are short stories or anecdotes; they’re all different while still being similar. Of course there are some just awful jokes, but they all fall in the same genre. Enjoy!

PB1A

                A Thank You card/letter is, I think, a good example of a genre. I learned a specific way to write them, and have only expanded on what I was initially taught. Whether you are thanking someone for a gift, their help in some way, or their presence at an event, the basic outline of the card is simple. You begin with addressing the recipient, followed by an expression of gratitude, and then you sign the missive: “Dear Mr. Smith, Thank you so much for healing my leg. Thank you again, Susie.”  You could add something along the lines of “It is so much better know, and I have full use of it!” to further emphasize your gratefulness.

                The audience of a Thank You card/letter is only intended to be the person(s) the card is addressed to, and perhaps their family/friends if they choose to share, therefore a Thank You card/letter can be a very personalized letter. Generally, informal writing is common in this genre, but formal writing is acceptable if you are not acquainted with the person(s) you are thanking. For example, if the Dean of your college grants you the ability to enroll in more than the maximum amount of units for a quarter, you would consider sending him/her a letter or email expressing your gratitude. This would not be a necessarily comfortable email. It would be respectful and at least mostly formal, depending on how well you know the Dean. You would address the Dean in a professional manner, “Dear Dean Smith….” You would then get right into the meat of the subject. You wouldn’t include a greeting of “Happy New Year” or “How are you?” because those are too familiar and not appropriate for such a respected audience. You would begin with “I wanted to express my gratitude that you permitted me to take the classes I’ve requested.” You may wish to include an assurance that you won’t take the privilege of extra units for granted and will do your best in all of them, but don’t elaborate on it, simply, “I will strive for excellence in these classes.” You could include another statement of appreciation because this is really a time to suck up, “I genuinely appreciate this vote of confidence.” Or something equally cheesy. Thank you notes are best kept short and sweet unless it’s to a family member or close friend, so now would be a good time to finish up and sign the bottom of the page with a “Sincerely, John Smith”.

                The purpose of writing a Thank You note is to ensure that you can adequately express your thanks to someone who has aided you or given you something. The times I most often find myself writing a Thank You note is after a gift giving occasion. In this instance, a less formal writing style is appropriate, and depending on how well you know the recipient of the note, you can elaborate on why you appreciate the gift, or how useful it is. If you received an article of clothing then state how you’ve already worn it, or are excited to have an opportunity to.

                The tone of a Thank You note is always appreciative and, you guessed it, thankful, but the formality of it depends on the recipient of the note. A Thank You note is a Thank you note or letter or card when it contains an expression of thanks in anyway shape or form. Anything else included in the letter are simply conventions that are common to the genre.

The Thlog

The topic of this first week of class has been genres. Of course I knew that genres were everywhere, but I hadn’t associated them with much else other than music, books, and movies. Shockingly, I’d never actually bothered to look up the definition of genre. The term is much broader than I’d imagined. A genre, in the way that I now understand it, is any work that follows social conventions that are expected of a certain topic or way of writing.

Take, for example, a Thank You card. Whether you are thanking someone for a gift, their help in some way, or their presence at an event, the content of the card is simple and familiar. You begin with a greeting, followed by an expression of gratitude, and then you sign the card: “Dear Mr. Smith, Thank you so much for healing my leg. It is so much better know, and I have full use of it! Thank you again, Susie.” That was obviously a simple example and is nowhere near as heartfelt as most Thank You cards are, but it fits the genre.

                Nearly everything you think of can fit into a genre. Food wrappers are a genre; Brand name, flavor/product, sell by date, nutrition information. Music obviously has different genres and each song is categorized into a genre by certain characteristics that is possesses. Everything is defined by its characteristics and that allows us to have genres. We make certain associations between genres and their most prominent characteristics. If you watch a comedy, you expect it to make you laugh. If you watch an action movie, you plan to be on the edge of your seat during parts of the movie.

                Genres are everywhere and in everything. They provide outlines for those who wish to contribute to the genre. Genres are also flexible in that you can retain a few characteristics of one popular genre and combine them with another and create an entirely new genre, like a romantic comedy.

About Me

Blog Burb it is. Hi, my name is Bronwyn. I’ve never had a blog before so all of this feels a bit silly. I’m a second year Biology major. I think I’d like to become an orthopedic surgeon or a pharmacist with this, but I’m not sure yet. I’m from the Sacramento area, Citrus Heights to be specific. What else to write…? Hmm, I have two basset hounds back home and a cat. My dogs are Jack and Jill and my cat is Simon, so you can just imagine all of the jokes my dad and I get to make with those names. I am the youngest of 3 children. My brother and sister are 12 and 16 years older than me, respectively. My sister has 2 children and lives next door to my parents. I am actually closer in age to both my niece and nephew than I am to either of my siblings. My dad went to UCSB in the 80’s, so he thought it was just the coolest that I decided to come here as well! I’ve played soccer since I was 3 years old, but in the past 6 years I’ve had a string of bad luck and various injuries that prohibited me from playing, the most recent was an ACL and meniscus tear in 2013. I was nearly recovered from that and playing when I tore my meniscus again at the beginning of last summer. I’m a bit injury prone, it’s actually quite impressive! I’m running out of ideas, therefore it’s time to talk about music. My first concert was Eric Clapton when I was 8 (I think), and my most recent concert was Pearl Jam in 2013. I gravitate towards rock and metal, but I am open to country, EDM, and just about anything else. I’m very particular about rap, but I’ll listen to it sometimes. I have conquered the word limit and will be posting this now. Hooray for first blog post.