1. Introducing Writing in Geography and the Environmental ScienceKey TopicsWhy Write?Keys to Good Writing- Write for your audience- Avoid plagiarism- Get help with writingHow to Improve the Quality of Your Written Expression- Write fluently and succinctly- Pay attention to paragraph structure- Use correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling- Keep your assignment to a reasonable lengthHow to Improve the Presentation of Your Work- Select a brief and informative title- Make sure your work is legible and well-presented- Use headings to show structure- Format source citations and references properly- Demonstrate a level of individual scholarshipHow to Use Supplementary Materials Correctly- Make effective use of figures and tables- Present the supplementary materials correctlyFurther Reading2. Finding, Evaluating, and Using SourcesKey TopicsWhy Are Sources Important in Scholarly Writing?Differentiating Academic from Non-Academic SourcesFinding Sources with Useful and Relevant Information- Ensure you have enough sources- Types of sourcesEvaluating the Credibility of Sources- Questions to help you evaluate the of credibility of sourcesIncorporating Reference Material into Your Writing- Acknowledge your sources- Paraphrase and quote your source materia- Common knowledge does not need to be citedSteering Clear of Academic Dishonesty, Including PlagiarismPreparing a Research Ethics Application or Environmental Impact StatementFurther Reading3. Writing an EssayKey TopicsQuality of Argument- Ensure that the essay addresses the question fully- Be sure that your essay is developed logically- Write a thesis statement- Create a structure for your essay- Review and revise your essay draftsQuality of evidence- Ensure your essay is well supported by evidence and examplesA Self-Assessment Form for Your EssayFurther Reading4. Writing a Research ReportKey TopicsWhy Write a Research Report?What Are Readers Looking For in a Report?Writing a Research Report- Preliminary material- Introduction- Literature review- Materials and methods- Results- Discussion and conclusion- Recommendations- Reference List- Appendices- Written expression and presentationWriting a Laboratory ReportWriting a Research Proposal- Purpose- CharacteristicsFurther Reading5. Writing an Annotated Bibliography, Summary, or ReviewKey TopicsPreparing an Annotated Bibliography- What is the purpose of an annotated bibliography?- What is the reader looking for in an annotated bibliography?Writing a Summary or Precis- What is the reader of a summary looking for?Writing a Review- Summary: What is this work about?- Analysis: What are the strengths and weaknesses of this work?- Evaluation: What is this work''s contribution to the discipline?- Written expression and presentation of the review- Examples of published reviewsFurther Reading6. Referencing and Language MattersKey TopicsWhat Are Citations and References? Why Do We Need Them?Principal Reference Systems: Author-Date and Note Systems- Variants of reference systems: Reference styles- The author-date (Harvard) System- The note systemAvoiding Biased Language and Stereotyping- Sexual bias and stereotyping- Other biases and stereotypingSalient Notes on Punctuation and Spelling- Comma [ , ]- Period [ . ]- Ellipsis points [ .
]- Semicolon [ ; ]- Colon [ : ]- Quotation marks (double or single) [ " "or '' '' ]- Apostrophe [ '' ]- Uppercase letters- NumeralsFurther Reading7. Making a PosterKey TopicsWhy Make a Poster?How Are Posters Produced?What Are Your Markers Looking For in a Poster?Guidelines for Designing a Poster- Preliminary layout- Organization- Text- Colour- Tables, figures, and photographs- List of sourcesFurther Reading8. Communicating with Graphs and TablesKey TopicsWhy Communicate with Graphs and Tables?General Guidelines for Communicating Clearly with GraphsComputerized versus Manual Production of GraphsDifferent Types of Graphs- Scatter plots- Line graphs- Bar graphs- Histograms- Population pyramids or age-sex pyramids- Pie graphs- Graphs with logarithmic axesTables- Elements of a table- Designing a tableFurther Reading9. Communicating with MapsWhat Is the Purpose of a Map?What Are the Different Types of Maps?- Dot maps- Proportional dot maps- Choropleth maps- Isoline maps- Other thematic maps- Topographic maps- Orthophoto mapsHow Is Map Scale Related to Detail?- Cartographic scale- How to display the scale of map- Scale and map generalizationWhat are the Characteristics of a Good Map?- Standard map elements- Map design elementsFurther Reading10. Preparing and Delivering an Oral PresentationKey TopicsWhy Is Public Speaking Important?How to Prepare for an Oral Presentation- Establish the context and goals- Organize the material for presentation- Structure your presentation- Prepare your text and aids to delivery- Rehearse- Final points of preparationHow to Deliver a Successful Oral PresentationHow to Cope with Questions from the AudienceFurther Reading11. Writing for the Media and Public AudiencesKey TopicsCommunicating with Public Audiences through the Media- Types of mediaUsing Media Releases to Disseminate Information- How to write a media release- How to format a media release- How to enhance a media release for the digital environment- How to follow up on a media releaseDisseminating Information by Self-Publishing on the Internet- Opportunity comes with responsibility- Is self-publishing effective?- Content and presentationConclusionFurther Reading12. Succeeding in ExaminationsKey TopicsPurposes of ExaminationsTypes of Examinations- How to Prepare for an Examination- Ongoing preparatory activities during the term- Activities for successful exam preparation during review period- Preparations on the day of the examinationTechniques for Success in Examinations- Steps to take before answering your first question- Advice for questions requiring written answers- Advice for multiple-choice examinations- Advice for oral examinations- Advice for open-book examinations- Advice for take-home examinations- Advice for online examinationsFurther ReadingAppendix: Sample Paper for a Short Written AssignmentGlossaryReferencesCreditsIndex.