FAQ for the CONS scholarly paper requirement

If you have suggestions for additions to this list, please pass them on to David. Thanks!

Q: Why this requirement?
A: This is your opportunity to demonstrate to a committee of readers that you have the ability to analyze a complex issue in development or conservation from the perspectives of economics, policy, and ecology, and propose a solution. We expect that your paper will be publishable in a peer-reviewed journal, or serve as a policy document for a target audience such as the organization where you did your internship.

Q: How much flexibility is there in choice of topic? Who has to approve it?
A: A lot of flexibility. You should discuss your preliminary ideas with either David or Jim and get their approval to pursue the topic.

Q: Who will read this paper?
A: Jim or David as inside faculty reader, an anonymous student reader, and an outside reader you choose.

Q: How is the student reader chosen?
A: You send a message to the biol-cons e-mail list, with a description of your paper topic and a request for potential student readers to contact David. He’ll pick one.

Q: How is the outside reader chosen?
A: You will identify a suitable reader who is knowledgeable about the topic of your paper. This person is often an internship supervisor if you have picked a topic derived from your internship, sometimes another faculty member on campus from a course you took, sometimes someone working in the discipline elsewhere in the world. When you identify this person, David will send them a letter describing the scholarly paper requirement and outlining the kind of review we hope they will provide.

Q: How long should the paper be?
A: There is no requirement, but as a rough guide, maybe 30 double-spaced pages. See examples of papers in the CONS office or online.

Q: When should I give my paper to my readers?
A: Look up when the date is for turning in the Certificate of Completion of Master's Degree Without Thesis (listed in the Schedule of Classes - for Spring 2005 it's 3 May). You'll need to turn in the final version of your paper by that date. Working backwards, you'll probably want a week to make any revisions required by your readers, and you'll need to leave them at least 10-14 days to read the paper and get comments to you. So you should probably plan on distributing your paper to readers three weeks before the date.