ASHG is proud to aid National DNA Day through the yearly DNA Day Essay Contest.

30th Март , 2020

DNA Day commemorates the conclusion associated with the Human Genome venture in April 2003 as well as the finding of this dual helix of DNA in 1953.

This competition is available to students in grades 9-12 internationally and asks pupils to examine, concern, and think on crucial principles in genetics. Essays are required to be well-reasoned arguments that indicate a deep comprehension of medical ideas associated with the essay concern. They truly are examined by ASHG users through three rounds of scoring.

Ancestry assessment is a kind of direct-to-consumer testing that is genetic to see clients about their hereditary ancestry. You will find generally speaking three kinds of ancestry evaluation: Y chromosome screening, mitochondrial DNA evaluation, and autosomal DNA assessment. If somebody did all three ancestry tests, what forms of information could they read about their hereditary ancestry and exactly how performs this hereditary ancestry information compare and contrast using their social history (family members traditions, etc. )?

Essential Dates

• Early 2020: Submission site opens january
• Wednesday, March 4, 2020: Submission web web site closes
• Friday, April 24, 2020: champions and Honorable Mentions announced
• Saturday, April 25, 2020: DNA Day

First spot Winner: $1,000 for pupil $1,000 genetics materials grant

2nd destination Winner: $600 for student $600 genetics materials grant

Third destination Winner: $400 for student $400 genetics materials grant

Honorable Mentions: 10 pupil awards of $100 each

The rubric below is used by judges to judge every essay into the third and second rounds of judging.

Total points feasible:

Rules & Needs

• Essays needs to be submitted by a trained instructor or administrator and authored by senior school pupils (grades 9-12) within the U.S. And internationally. Moms and dads may submit essays in the event that learning pupil is home schooled.
• Essays needs to be published by one specific pupil; team submissions aren’t allowed.
• Essays must certanly be in English with no significantly more than 750 terms. Term count includes citations that are in-text however guide listings.
• Submissions must not through the student’s title within the essay text. It will help with unbiased judging.
• Essays must add a minumum of one guide. Sources ought to be obviously documented with both in-text citations and in the recommendations list. The guide list should really be separately entered when you look at the “References” portion of the distribution web web page.
• APA or MLA design may be used for citations. There’s absolutely no restriction on what numerous sources pupils could use, however they should avoid a lot of recommendations, as judges wish to know the student’s viewpoint from the concern and never the viewpoint regarding the resources.
• Quality of sources are going to be considered by judges whenever scoring.
• Just class room instructors meet the criteria when it comes to gear grant.

Please be aware Text from essays are utilized for research purposes to determine misconceptions, misunderstandings, and aspects of pupil curiosity about genetics. Pupil text could be posted from the ASHG internet site, publication, or perhaps in other publications that are ASHG.

Plagiarism will never be tolerated. The writing of this student’s essay must certanly be his / her words that are own quotations are clearly noted. If plagiarism is suspected during any point associated with the competition, the essay in question are going to be examined. Essays found to support the uncited work of other people will likely to be disqualified as well as the student’s teacher will likely to be notified. Plagiarism.org provides explanation that is helpful of plagiarism is. Instructors of first-place winners from 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 aren’t qualified to receive equipment funds in 2019.

How numerous essays can one pupil submit? Only 1 entry per pupil.

How essays that are many one instructor submit with respect to pupils? Each teacher might submit as much as six student essays per class, for approximately three classes.

What exactly are low-quality a top-quality sources? A low-quality supply is just the one that doesn’t guarantee information that is accurate such as for instance Wikipedia. Top-quality sources include research journals, like those available through PubMed.

What’s contained in the 750-word count, and what exactly is maybe perhaps maybe not?

• All text when you look at the essay, in-line citations/references, headings and games, and image captions are within the term count
• The reference list is the only text perhaps not contained in the term count.

Should references have split web page? The guide list will be submitted individually in the “references” portion of the distribution web web site. Every thing shall be included using one web web web page when the essay is submitted.

Will there be a font that is standard margin size chosen? No. When the essay is copied and pasted in to the distribution web site, it should be formatted to suit our standard margins and fonts.

How do you submit my essay if my instructor cannot do so for me personally? Look for just about any guidance or teacher counselor at your college who are able to submit for you personally. If that isn’t a choice, please email us at dnaday@ashg.org.

Can my guidance counselor or another educational college administrator distribute my essay for me personally? Yes.

Am I able to submit for my pupil that is presently learning abroad? Pupils needs to be their studies at the school that is same the teacher whom submits their essays.

Am I able to alter information when I have actually submitted? No, please make certain all info is proper before publishing since it is likely to be last.

So how exactly does the trained instructor attest to the originality associated with the student’s work? Your submission represents your verification that the essays would be the initial work of the pupils.

I presented later. Will my essay be judged? Later submissions will not be judged.

Where’s the confirmation e-mail? It could take some right time for the e-mail to access you. When you haven’t gotten it because of the end for the time, either look at your junk mailbox or make sure that the email target you supplied is proper. If neither of the options work, email dnaday@ashg.org.

Summarized here are a few of the most typical problems judges note in reading submitted essays.

1. Too focus that is much details. A concentrate on details to your detriment of showing an obvious knowledge of the big image. Judges are much more forgiving of mistakes in details than mistakes in fundamental ideas and bigger tips.
2. Overstating. Sweeping and grandiose overstatements of this current/future state and/or energy of biotechnology or biomedical technology. evolutionwriters
3. Inaccuracy in technical language. Judges understand that you don’t understand all of the “science jargon, ” therefore don’t feel obligated to make use of it.
4. Insufficient in-text citations in, or not enough citations for information which is not considered well known. In the event that you got the given information from someplace else, cite the foundation.
5. Making use of references that are out-of-date. Scientific understanding modifications extremely quickly, and recommendations which can be a lot more than 5 years old will likely have outdated ideas.
6. Utilizing quotes that are too many. Although periodic usage is warranted, way too many quotes lead judges to imagine mcdougal doesn’t grasp the subject.