How to Write/Type your Unknown Report - IN REVISION

COMPOSING, ORGANIZING, & COMPLETING YOUR FORMAL UNKNOWN REPORT!


MicroDropbox Link (CLICK HERE)Virtual Unknown Lab Paper Spring 2020

Here is an EXAMPLE of a Very Good (91% which means "A") Unknown Paper that has correction comments and is 10 pages.

- YOU MAY USE IT AS A GUIDE; YOU MAY NOT COPY ANYTHING = CHEATING!

WRITING/Typing your Unknown Paper - here is  GREAT GUIDE WITH COMMENTS (click here)!

Unknown Example (91%) Paper (Click here)

PDF Unknown Report

GREAT Unknown Report (read/click here)  Except for its Data Table which has "fake news - made-up info" NOT actually in the reference. DO NOT MAKE-UP DATA - IF YOUR REF DOESN'T HAVE INFO leave the cell or ENTRY blank!

You may reference ONLINE EDITIONS OF BERGEY'S Determinative or Systematic:

BERGEY'S Manual of Determinative Bacteriology  6th Ed (1948) which is online CLICK HERE!

BERGEY'S Manual of Determinative Bacteriology 7th Ed (1957) which is online CLICK HERE!

Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology part 1 (paper reference for data sheet) Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology part 2 (paper reference for data sheet)

Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology part 3 (paper reference for data sheet)

WRITING THE APA-STYLE FORMAL UNKNOWN REPORT: (...you may see a copy of a good paper by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page - please staple your paper ONLY - NO PLASTIC COVERS!)
This typed FORMAL UNKNOWN laboratory report is done in a modified APA-style. We are attempting to have you utilize our "modification" of the American Psychological Association Publication (APA) Manual style. If you want to utilize the EXACT APA-style manual, please refer to the APA LINK below or check the bookcase in AD-310 at LACC for the newest edition of the manual or you may also find this reference book in almost ANY library.

OPTIONS TO SUBMIT THE FORMAL UNKNOWN REPORT:
The Pre-grade Formal Unknown Report is NOT a Draft Paper; it is a graded report submitted to meet minimum requirements and subject to minor corrections to achieved the assigned (PRE-GRADE) as the recorded Unknown Report Grade.  You may not submit a paper for PRE-grading and then significantly change your recorded grade by re-writing the paper and asking for re-grading.  Your Pre-grade is guaranteed but also FINAL if you meet the minimum requirements stated in this description of the paper.

1)  The typed formal Unknown Report is to be submitted for a pre-grade on the last day of class.  This assumes that you are submitting a perfectly done paper and that you are submitting it to me in class on the last day of class for a "Pre-grade."  If you agree to pre-grading, this means that you are submitting the paper for FINAL GRADING and that the paper was done according to our minimum guidelines and was done to the best of your abilities.  If the paper meets minimum standards, I will then accept the paper as FINAL (and these usually score around 90%) and I will give you your final grade with minor corrections required.  You must do the corrections and print-out a perfect copy and put BOTH in your Final Exam Packet to have the pre-grade recorded as your Unknown Paper grade. You may not re-do and resubmit your paper for a totally new grade.* 

2) A BAD option, is to take extra time on your typed Unknown Paper and put it in your Final Exam Packet knowing that you could receive any grade from "F to A."  A paper submitted for me to view from the final exam packet for the first time is submitted for Final Grading and any grade may apply.  If the paper is submitted AFTER the deadline a 25% penalty per day is applied to the final paper grade.

*Those papers submitted for Pre-grade but rejected in Pre-grading must be re-submitted within a certain number of hours as they did not meet minimum requirements (they were  missing a section or were not done according to our guidelines).  These re-submitted papers will receive a grade  less than a minimum paper submitted on time.

3) If you are taking a deduction for a late paper submission (-25% per day on the second day after the last day of class; -10% on the day but after class)... or you are "fixing" a disastrous paper, you may email the paper to me as a WORD attachment... I will return a response with the corrections and the grade... please print and attach this email to the Final Draft placed in your Final Exam Packet turned-in on final exam day.

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PRE-GRADING OF YOUR UNKNOWN REPORT almost guarantees a "90%."  IT IS BEST TO BRING A HARD COPY TO ANY OF MY CLASSES. LATE PAPERS (-25% per day) may be Emailed  to me at hicksmicro@gmail.com​

***YOU MAY NOT SEE ANY OLD PAPERS AS I NOW HAVE AN EXAMPLE PAPER ONLINE --- PLEASE DO NOT FAIL TO ATTRIBUTE ANY QUOTES AS THIS IS CHEATING!  CHEATING WILL RESULT IN SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES INCLUDING BEING DROPPED FROM THE COURSE IMMEDIATELY WITH A "WF."

DO NOT COPY OR PASTE ANYTHING FROM THESE PAPERS, DO NOT "ADD" TESTS YOU DID NOT DO AND DO NOT INCLUDE ANY TEST YOU DID NOT PERFORM IN YOUR CLASS BY YOU!

****USE the Bergey's Manual ONLINE links below or the other Microbiology Links... 
 
IN MY LACC OFFICE I HAVE COPIES OF THE 6TH, 7TH, AND 8TH EDITIONS OF THE BERGEY'S MANUAL OF DETERMINATIVE BACTERIOLOGY... YOU MAY CHECK IT OUT TO COPY WITH A DRIVER'S LICENSE OR COLLEGE ID CARD... THE 9TH EDITION IS IN EACH COLLEGE LIBRARY ON RESERVE UNDER MY NAME...
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The Typed Formal Unknown Report - HELP by Section:

Section 1 - The Title Page

Use your unknown number and then say it was identified as... Please always capitalize the Genus name and NEVER capitalize the species name. Both the Genus name and species name should be UNDERLINED. Also, be sure to place your legal name, College, Term, Class, Date, and ID number as well as a "call-back" telephone number with an area code on the title page...

Section 2 - The Abstract

Write a short paragraph stating your unknown number and when you received it... also, mention your isolation technique. List each test performed on the unknown with the results in ( ). The last sentence should state what major reference you used to identify "unknown #? as Genus and species. Don't forget that the abstract is NOT titled unless it is on a page by itself. It is typed in a "square" and is always single-spaced. Genus and species are underlined... THE ABSTRACT IS LIMITED TO 300 words!

Section 3 - (The Introduction)

The introduction is NEVER titled. It is typed double-spaced either just below the abstract or on the next page. The introduction does NOT discuss your GENUS and species specifically but only "doing unknowns properly or generally." Information used from a text in the introduction is referenced by using the last name of the author and the publication date (Hicks, 2010).
Things important to and introduction include discussions of: (1) why we do unknowns (2) Koch's Postulates (3) Isolation techniques (4) Maintaining good technique such as the Universal Precautions and Asepsis (5) Performing all tests while the microbe is in Log growth. The introduction should not be too long or too short. A good introduction runs 2-3 pages.

Section 4 - The Methods

Please use a ALPHABETIZED TABLE for the Methods section. List all the tests performed in column 1. List the referenced source for your procedure in column 2. Note any deviations in procedure in column 3. YOU WILL NEED A MINIMUM OF 21-30 TESTS (30) during most terms -- ADDITIONAL TESTS = BONUS POINTS...  USE THE WEBSITE as your source and use the page .htm as the reference... DO NOT USE THE ATLAS as it does not tell you "how" to do the experiments!  Please alphabetize your Methods/Data Tests on the page...

Section 5 - The Data

Please use a TABLE for the Data section. Your first column should be the exact same column 1 that you made for the Methods column 1 - your list of tests. Column 2 is YOUR results for each test performed. Columns 3,4, and 5 are your REFERENCE TEXTS results for the tests listed. If your reference does NOT list a result for a particular test, leave the space BLANK (DO NOT USE "NONE" or "NOT REPORTED" --- just leave the space BLANK. If your results VARY from ALL text references place a (*) by that test in column 1 and explain this concern in the 3rd paragraph of your conclusion. For every symbol used in this TABLE please place a box defining the "symbols used."

Please alphabetize your Methods/Data Tests on the page...

 Section 6 - The Conclusion

The conclusion section should be typed double-spaced. The first paragraph is a "word story" of how you determined your Genus - referenced to the key on the microwebsite. For example, A gram negative rod that is glucose positive, citrate negative, hydrogen sulfide negative, mixed acid positive, 2,3 butanediol negative, oxidase negative, motile and lactose positive was found to be the genus Escherichia (Hicks, 2013). Likewise the second paragraph should trace your discovery of the species - & be referenced.  The third paragraph should discuss/explain any "weird" results you may have gotten (contamination, poor reagents, mutation) that were indicated by a (*)in the data table. Later paragraphs are for "interesting" facts about your unknown. Don't forget to reference and underline the Genus and species names!

Section 7 - The References

References are typed "strangely!" They are listed by first author's last name alphabetically followed by the title, publishing date, publisher, and place published in microbiology we also add a list of pages quoted in the order quoted in the paper separated by commas. References are typed single-spaced WITHIN and double-spaced BETWEEN references. Within a reference remember to INDENT any line after the first 5 spaces. Don't forget to list the page numbers in the order quoted after each reference. NEVER NUMBER THE REFERENCES and you need at least 6!  You must correctly reference any website/internet information with the author (if available), web address and the date and time of date accessed.

NOTE: Books that you may need for references may be utilized from the online links below or from the college library. At LACC we have the 6th, 7th, and 8th (9th in the LACC Library on reserve) Editions of the Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology as well as the latest edition of Jean MacFaddin's "Biochemical Tests for the Identification of Medical Bacteria" in the classroom... you may take them to the LACC Library to make copies if you leave your CA Driver's License as security...
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COMMENTS on "DOING" the UNKNOWN PAPER!

CLICK HERE to see a good UNKNOWN REPORT!

The TYPED Formal Unknown Report is due for pre-grading in class on the last day of class while you are taking your last chapter test.  

EXTREMELY BAD Papers that require a re-write and LATE PAPERS (-25%/day) may be sent to me by email (as a Word Attachment to hicksmicro@gmail.com​) or by Fax (323-372-3654) on or before the final date listed in the Course Calendar at midnight... 

After this time limit no more papers will be accepted! 

PLEASE JUST STAPLE the pages - DO NOT use a PLASTIC COVER!!!!!!!!!!

IF YOU EMAIL YOUR PAPER LATE or as a RE-WRITE AND you have not received a return email with a GRADE on your Unknown Paper, please contact me immediately bring me a HARD COPY - ASAP

The Unknowns paper is due for pre-grading on the last day of class - BEFORE FINAL EXAMS!! 

Papers will significant problems MUST BE FIXED AND RE-SUBMITTED!  All other papers are to be corrected by you and the  GRADE  paged attached to your Final Draft which is submitted in your  Final Exam Packet on your selected Final Exam Day.

Common errors in the papers include:

1) using the Handbook for a Methods reference  - use exact webpage address or absent that - the Atlas

2) failing to underline all Scientific names

3) using the same paragraph for describing how you identified the Genus and species in the Conclusion and failing to reference paragraphs 1 and 2 in the  Conclusion... P#1 should include only the tests used to determine your Genus.  P#2  should include the OTHER tests used to determine ONLY  the species!

4) type the references single-spaced within a reference and double-spaced between references... use the pages in order of the quotes... indent all lines after the first by  five spaces...

5) not "blocking-in" the abstract enough...

GOOD PAPER to Look at click here...

GOOD LUCK!