Environmental Science & Policy Majors Research Skills

Environmental Science and Policy majors should be able to

• Find research articles using standard databases in both environmental natural and social sciences.
• Draw on a range of sources that reflect the integration of environmental science and policy in real world problem solving. 
• Recognize the differences between research articles and popular articles.
• Present information in graphical and spatial form in a clear and accurate manner (including basic statistical analysis).
• Understand graphical and spatial information in both quantitative and qualitative forms.
• Give an oral presentation or a poster using a clear outline, good speaking skills, and good use of visual aids as appropriate.
• Write an article in proper scientific format or a position paper with appropriate documentation.
• Cite sources appropriately.
• Identify (and avoid using) plagiarism.

Writing Intensive Classes

Students who have taken writing intensive classes should be able to:

• Characterize problems and draw on integrated sources from a range of natural and social sciences for research papers or problem solving.
• Define and articulate the need for information and identify a variety of types and formats of potential sources for information beyond the web search engine.
• Identify the kinds of information needed – typically writing intensive courses focus on non-scientific types of information such as biographical, historical, or literary -- and know where to find information. In other words, students should be familiar with various electronic resources and some reference books. They should also be aware that web search engines are often inadequate for scholarly research.
• Articulate and apply initial criteria for evaluating both the information and its sources – what is a source’s reliability? Who wrote it? When? Who published it? Students should be able to distinguish between popular and scholarly materials in a variety of formats such as books, periodical literature, and websites.
• Acknowledge and cite sources used in conducting research for an assignment using an acceptable style guide.  Discern when citing sources is necessary and cite sources in an appropriate and consistent format.  Identify ethical and unethical citations, per the online plagiarism quiz.

These skills are a base for further study. Help is available through the Smith College Libraries’ Ask a Librarian options.

Beginning Students

After taking Environmental Integration I and II and introductory courses in the categories of natural sciences and social sciences, humanities, and policy, students should be able to:

• Appropriately cite sources.
• Identify (and avoid using) plagiarism.
• Present graphical and spatial information in a clear and accurate manner (including basic statistical analysis, where appropriate).
• Understand graphical and spatial information in both quantitative and qualitative forms.
• Describe through examples how real world problem solving often draws on frameworks, tools, and knowledge from a range of environmental disciplines.

Advanced Students

Advanced students should be able to:

• Analyze critically the validity of different sources, in particular websites.
• Be familiar with diverse sources of information (including primary research literature, review articles, databases, archival sources, surveys, interviews, popular publications, web resources, etc.), understand the nature and scope of different kinds of information sources, and understand their appropriate uses.
• Understand the fundamental difference between peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed sources of information.
• Be able to present information coherently via posters, maps, oral talks, essays, position papers, short documentary-style films, or scientific reports.
• Create and use spatial data in a geographic information system or other visualization programs such as virtual globes to communicate basic and advanced arguments and background.
• Combine analytical and communication skills with a well rounded understanding of the environment to translate this knowledge into meaningful action and solutions.

Assessment

Fulfilling the requirements of the major will enable students to acquire important research skills.  Individual instructors in each of the courses assess skills on a class-by-class and case-by-case basis.

Ethical Issues

A primary ethical concern in students’ use of information is the avoidance of plagiarism. Students will learn in introductory courses how to properly cite sources, and even more importantly when information needs to be cited. The need for giving proper credit to one’s sources will be emphasized and enforced throughout the curriculum.

Information Resources for Environmental Science & Policy

In Which Classes Should Students Learn These Skills?

For the introductory course, ENV 101: Environmental Integration I: Perspectives, students learn about how humans have changed Earth's biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere, particularly over the last century, and the social, scientific, and political challenges posed by these alterations.  Students also learn how to research, organize, and present basic environmental information, cite sources and avoid plagiarism.  In the methods course, ENV 201/202 Environmental Integration II: Collecting and Analyzing Information, students learn how to gather, analyze and present data using methods from the natural and social sciences. Students draw on and cite data from multiple sources, including laboratory experiments, fieldwork, maps, databases, archival sources, surveys, and interviews.  In the third integration course, ENV 311: Environmental Integration III: Interpreting and Communicating Information, students focus on the interpretation and communication of environmental issues and solutions.  Students develop the ability to interpret environmental information from multiple sources, to synthesize that information for their own understanding, and to communicate that knowledge in ways appropriate to the particular objective and audience.  The capstone course, ENV 312: Environmental Integration: IV: Sustainable Solutions, gives students direct experience with the range and complexity of activities required to address a real-world environmental project.  Additional introductory courses provide breadth in the natural and social sciences and introduce students to literary skills in contributing disciplines.  In other required courses, students learn quantitative analyses through Statistics and a range of specific literary skills to support a coherent environmental focus through their chosen electives.