Updated appendices with tips for using Microsoft Office 2007 and instructions for making bar graphs and pie charts and adding error bars in Excel 2007.
Reorganized sections on designing an experiment and recording and summarizing data in Chapter 1
Chapter 2 shifts its emphasis from finding primary references to developing a literature search strategy, including:
Criteria for choosing a database or search engine to find scholarly information
Strategies for defining effective keywords
Ways to expand or limit a search
Tips on evaluating hits and finding related articles
Options for retrieving full-text articles
and an introduction to RefWorks as an example of references management software that reduces the tediousness of formatting citations and end references in scientific papers.
Expanded section on plagiarism in Chapter 3, to help students recognize what kinds of information must be acknowledged and how to do so appropriately.
More guidance on selecting and preparing graphs in Chapter 4, based on the types of variables and the purpose of the figure. In addition, the section on citing Internet sources has been updated to include examples of online journal articles, databases, and websites.
he guidelines for preparing effective posters in Chapter 7 are augmented by examples of posters on the Sinauer Associates Web page. Each poster is accompanied by a short evaluation of the positive and negative aspects of the layout and content.