You MUST prepare your paper and its sections as a scientific article.  Here is formatting and style information:
Do not prepare your paper in columns
Use a serif font (Times New Roman) at 11 or 12 point
Do not worry about the number of pages your research paper must be.  It depends on your topic and thoroughness of presentation.  Obviously, you will have multiple pages.
Single space or Double space your sentences
Indent paragraphs
Proofread your papers- pay attention to commas in prepositional phrases
Provide page numbers- just put them on the bottom of the page, centered
Your paper should have a title (boldfaced) and your name centered
Cite referneces in-text properly (you may loose an entire grade for not doing this correctly)
Provide your references in the References Cited section of your paper properly formatted after the Southwestern Naturalist (you may loose an entire grade for not doing this correctly).  Anytime you cite references in-text, provide a References Cited section
Figures and Tables should be on separate pages at the end of your paper
All scientific names must be in intalics.  This includes references cited.
Pay attention to the Compendium of Corrections I have provided.  These are the most common mistakes and things that students need to know.  For example, do not use any contractions in your writing.  Doesn’t= Does not
Format your references- do not just attach or cut and paste your annotated bilbliography.  List only those references that you cite in-text.

REVIEW journals for Sentence Templates.  Here are just some examples of sentence templates that you could adopt in the introduction section of your paper:
Paragraph 1 & 2 General to the Specific
Previous studies found/report/suggest/demonstrate…(Read and Smith 1998; Smith 2001; Smith et al. 2003) [these references will refer to studies that stated what you report in your paper or are exemplary studies]
Similar studies involving…
Few studies have….
Davis (2009) reported…
Davis and Smith (2009) reported…
Davis et al. (2009) reported…
Studies of XXXX demonstrate…
Recent research demonstrates…
Results from…
Studies/Data indicate…
Historically, ….
Research/studies suggest…
Investigators/research suggest…
Additionally,… [transition word]
Paragraph 3 About your Study

This study…
The objective of this study was…
In the present study, I …[“I” is the first-person, singular which is fine to use in my class]
The purpose of my study/this paper was to analyze/describe/examine/investigate/test/observe/document/…
My study focused on…
My study addresses: 1)….., 2)….., and 3)……
My study addresses three factors affecting XXXXX. First, …… Second, …. Lastly/Finally,… [where instead of listing the factors, the writer provides separate sentences about the study]
My primary objectives were to…
One objective of this research was to…
In my study, I hypothesize…
My study aimed to examine…
The present investigation…
I report the results…
This study determines/reports/provides…
I predict…
The goals of this study…
NOTE: There are many more that you can find through examining and reviewing journal articles.