Library and more context / lab results

How did you set up your initial search? Snails – locality - Nucella.

How many articles did you find in this initial search: Five

What criteria did you use to determine whether an article was useful?

1. The number of citations. 2. Reading the abstracts.

"Ed" Abstract by Gary Coleman, Gary Colman Gallery

Citation #1: Biggs, P.E. 1993. Phenotypic changes in the progeny of Nucella lapillus (Gastropoda) transplanted from an exposed shore to sheltered inlets. Journal of Molluscan59: 187-194. Studies

Why is the article useful? The study was looking at shell plasticity for snails transplanted.

What’s the gap? Was there genetic mutation?

What’s the main point? The snail’s progeny differed markedly from that of their parents.

What’s the relevance? Does location matter in total snail mass depends on the site conditions.

Citation #2: Marko, Peter B. 1998. Historical allopatry and the biogeography of speciation in the prosobranch snail genus Nucella. Evolution 52.n3: 757-785.

Why is the article useful? The study was looking at the colonization of dispersal events based on geographic shell sculpture.

What’s the gap? Why did the species recently migrate?

What’s the main point? Climatic vicariance likely plays important roles in determining geographic patterns.

What’s the relevance? Does location matter in total snail mass depend on gene flow, mutation, selection, and drift causing characteristic signatures.

Citation #3: Rolan, E; Guerra-Varela, J.; Colson, I.; Hughes, R.N.; Rolan-Alvarrez, E. 2004. Morphological and genetic analysis of two sympatric morphs of the dogwhelk Nucella Lapillus (Gastropoda: Muricidae) from Galicia (Northwestern Spain). The Malacological Society of London: J. Moll. Stud. 70: 179-185.

Why is the article useful? The study was looking at morphological differentiation due to different degrees of exposure from different localities.

What’s the gap? The relative contributions of classical genetic variation and phenotypic plasticity to variation in shell morphology remains unknown.

What’s the main point? Ecotypes adapted to contrasted habitats.

What’s the relevance? There was a large difference in shell mass depending on whether the snail was exposed or sheltered, and whether they ate mussels or barnacles.

_____________________________________________________________________________

My group members are studying shell mass in relation to crab attacks, so there was no collaboration in our data searches.

My study: Will the Dogwhelk snail grow differently depending on location?

My results: The statistical null hypothesis is that there is not a significant total mass change in Nucella Lamellosa based on location, if their shelter, forging ability, and predator attacks were similar.

Cited examples discussed differences based on genetic adaption if the a new location varied from the initial locations. If there were no variation in location, the total mass change was insignificant. In my own experiment, I would be interested in fully replicating site conditions with Materials and Methods including food type, quantity, and wave pressure.

Second letter to editor.

February 13, 2010

Dr. Rebeca Price

BES 301 Science Editor

University of Washington Bothell

Bothell, WA

Dear Dr. Price:

Recently my paper, “Will the Dogwelk snail grow differently depending on location?” was reviewed by two peers, and their suggestions were incorporated. Your comments back on the second draft were appreciated, but some of the items were unclear.

Regarding the feedback that you forwarded via email dated February 12, 2010, could you clarify some of the comments given:

1. What does, “re-label categories so they make sense…” imply?

2. Could you let me know why a legend is necessary?

3. My question presented was, “Will snails grow significantly differently based on their location?” You wrote, “Is there enough background to understand the question?” Did you want me to research more information about the particular locations?

4. Where would I find information about methods to understand the experimental test? Was there more data supplied somewhere that I just missed? It would be nice to know if the experiments had the same current pressure, and that food was used from the localities, etc.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Teresa Bower

Library lab notes / Feb. 10th

Contextualize the research...

On the library page, choose "Database A-Z" then "Web of Science."

Check for the amount of times an article is cited. If it is over 100 times, then the article is a success (and probably old). One year is a minimum for review and publishing. Check the most updated reference list, and note the keywords. The keywords open the gate, and then use articles to surf. You can jump through sites to see the history of the field that champions your cause.

Thoroughly read the abstract and find the main point.

Check for US holdings. Sometimes check the author's personal website, or try Google scholar.

Feb 8 / Letter to Editor

February 8, 2010

Dr. Rebeca Price

BES 301 Science Editor

University of Washington Bothell

Bothell, WA

Dear Dr. Price:

Recently my paper, “Will the Dogwelk snail grow differently depending on location?” was reviewed by two peers. All points of view have been very interesting, and were instrumental in clarifying for me the best presentation of the piece.

The alterations that were made include:

1. Presentation of an essay instead of a response to questions posed. The addition of an image to be more conversational, and also the use of columns to better replicate the final product.
2. The textbox was included under the graphs.
3. The citing by Price was adjusted to the correct information.
4. The units were added on the sidebar for weight percentage.

I feel confident that you will find the alterations make for a more substantial paper, but please let me know if there are any other suggestions that you might find. Thank you.

Teresa Bower

Feb 8 / Keywords and finding similar studies

Does what I am researching interest others in the broad sense?
What's the gap in knowledge?
What's the main point?
What's the relevance?

Really, how do papers relate to my results?

Keys words that I might use when searching for more info: Dogwelk locations, Nucella Lamellosa mass weight studies, Washington state snails by mass, plastic phenotypic response, predator-induced shell thickening in the intertidal gastropod, marine biologists, etc.

Use my abstract to visualize all the pieces, then target other sections.
1. Are the hypothesis similiar?
2. Are the experimental setups comparable to mine?
3. What method and materials are common?
4. Are the species the same?
5. How doe the results compare?
6. How does it relate to the experiment that I am conducting?

"The exercise of contextualizing literature sets the stage for the discussion."

Peer reviews / Feb. 1

Peer review is common throughout academia. This provides a new perspective, accuracy, a way to check an interpretation missed, to receive constructive criticism from experts, and to make sure that nothing was missed. Experts are offering an opinion, and checking validity: has your claim been tested? Are the conclusions reasonable given your experimental design and statistical analysis?

The down side is that it takes a long time which slows down who can benefit form the research. An editor sends your review to colleagues. If there is a conflict of interest, it is forwarded to another editor. Blind review is where the reviewer is not exposed. Sometimes the paper is send as a "blind" author to the reviewer. Sometimes there is competition: politics and ego play into the process.

The paper is: Approved, Revise and Resubmit (common), or Rejected. As far as publishing one's manuscript, it's evaluated before it's published or before it becomes part of a grant application. Publishers send a conditional acceptance. Remember, the first writing is merely to understand yourself.

T-testing for nucella lamellosa