Evaluating Internet And Library Research Skills
GENERAL PAPER GUIDELINES
Government 2305-DL
Duane Emmons, InstructorTelephone # 281-998-6150, ext. 7254
Office N7.113
Objectives of the Writing Assignment
Learn about a current not historical political issue or problem
Develop your Internet and library research skills.
Evaluate your topic from the perspective of different cultures and viewpoints as well as your own.
Improve your writing and critical thinking skills.
Topic Selection
You are to choose your own topic that involves American government. If you have doubts about the topic you selected, please contact the instructor.
Writing the Bibliography Sheet
Use the Internet or library to find the sources on your topic from newspapers, journals, or books.
On a full sheet of …show more content…
paper, type your name, Government 2305, the day & time of your class, and your topic. Cite at least four (4) sources using MLA (Modern Language Association) guidelines. Additional sources may be added later. You may use the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers at the checkout desk of the library or any similar publication to help you write your citations in the correct format. There are many on-line resources on MLA format that are helpful.
Guidelines for Writing the Paper
Correct typographical errors by proofreading your final paper. Use words correctly & eliminate spelling errors by looking up definitions & spellings of words in the dictionary. Try to eliminate grammatical errors & awkward sentence structures. Use a variety of sentence patterns & lengths. Reduce wordiness by not using redundant or irrelevant words in the same sentence, e.g., if you can write a twelve & twenty word sentence expressing the same idea, use the former. Pay attention to paragraphing & organization by possibly outlining your ideas on paper before writing them in prose. Superior papers generally must be revised several times.
Be sure to do your own work. Your personal effort is better than a polished paper written by someone else. Don’t rely too heavily on the words of the authors. FAILURE TO DO YOUR OWN WORK IS CONSIDERED PLAGIARISM AND WILL RESULT IN A GRADE OF F FOR THE ASSIGNMENT.
Cite all sources. When you borrow ideas, paraphrase, or quote from someone, acknowledges your sources with footnotes. (Webster's New World Dictionary defines “paraphrase” as “a rewording of the meaning expressed in something spoken or written.”) Follow the MLA guidelines in citing your sources.
To improve your grade, confer with me throughout the writing of the paper. Don’t wait until a few days before the writing assignment is due to discuss any problems about it.
Grading Criteria
Content—If you have focused on an issue, address the various sides of the issue and conclude in your paper which one or ones are best and why. If you are writing about a problem, explain the various solutions to the problem and write about which one or ones are best and why based on your research. Compare and contrast the different viewpoints of American and/or foreign sources on your topic.
Paper length—a minimum of 1000 words of text, type-written double spaced. This excludes headings or any other non-text lines such as title page and work cited page. Everything else being equal, the longer your paper, the better.
Organization—Organize your ideas by writing from an outline.
Focus—Narrow your topic. A focused discussion is better than a broad presentation of a topic that does not cover anything very well.
Writing style—with few or no typographical errors, misspelled words, and grammatical errors. Use proper paragraphing and improve your writing style by revising the paper as many times as necessary.
Citations—anytime you borrow someone’s ideas, paraphrase or quote them, cite all sources using MLA guidelines.
Sources— At least 4 sources will be used. Sources such as Wikipedia, about.com or ask.com are not appropriate sources for an academic paper. The more you cite and use, the better. You will not be given credit for using sources from your bibliography unless you actually use and cite them in the body of your paper.
Foreign sources can add depth and interest to your paper. Next to your citations of foreign sources, specify the country from which the source was taken.
Components of the Completed Paper
A typed cover page with your name; Government 2305; day & time of the course, e.g., MWF 8:30-9:20 or TTh 10:00-11:20; & title of your topic.
The main body of the paper explaining the international significance of the issue, problem, or person.
MLA citations of sources.
A bibliography or “work cited” page
Papers that do not meet the minimum requirement for length, does not use four sources, use MLA format and citations, or fails to provide a work cited page will receive a grade of F.
Submission
All papers must be submitted on-line via Blackboard by attaching a file containing your paper and work cited page as a single document. The file must be in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format. The paper must be submitted twice – once in Turn-it-in and once in the second hyper-link. Failure to turn your paper in on both hyperlinks will give you a grade of no grade.
Late Papers
Papers will NOT be accepted after the due date
Papers must be submitted through Blackboard.
GOVT 2305
Research Paper Rubric _______Student’s Name ________________________________
Fall 2013
Required Elements
Of Paper Needs Improvement Adequate Acceptable Proficient
Format
(10 possible points) Does not follow instructions
0 points Follows some instructions
4 points Follows most instructions
6 points Follows instructions
10 points
Language and Usage
(10 possible points) Contains major grammatical and syntax errors.
Word choice is not appropriate for the topic.
0-3 points ______ Contains minor grammatical and syntax errors.
Word choice is barely adequate for the topic.
4-5 points ______ Contains few grammatical and syntax errors.
Word choice is mostly adequate for the topic.
6-8 points ______ Contains almost no grammatical and syntax errors.
Word choice is excellent
9-10 points ______
Content
(40 possible points)
20 points for Rights and Responsibilities.
20 points for Policy Demonstrates no understanding of the topic as
Response lacks accuracy and fails to integrate the political and governmental facts correctly.
0-5 points ________ Demonstrates little understanding of the topic The response contains some political and governmental facts, but fails to integrate new ideas.
6-10 points _______ Demonstrates some understanding of the topic Contains some political and governmental facts, and integrates a few new ideas.
11-15 points ________ Demonstrates substantial understanding of the topic. Response contains many political and governmental facts, and integrates several new ideas.
16-20 points ________
Personal Responsibility
(20 points) Demonstrates no understanding of personal political responsibility.
0-5 points Demonstrates some understanding of personal political responsibility.
6-10 points Demonstrates a fair amount of understanding of personal political responsibility.
11-15 points Demonstrates a great amount of understanding of personal political responsibility.
16-20 points
Critical Thinking
(20 points) Offers biased interpretations of evidence. Fails to identify or hastily dismisses strong, relevant counter-arguments.
Uses fallacious or irrelevant reasons, and unwarranted claims.
0-5 points Misinterprets evidence,
Fails to identify strong, relevant counter-arguments.
Justifies few results or procedures, seldom explains reasons.
6-10 points Accurately interprets evidence.
Offers analyses and evaluations of obvious alternative points of view.
Justifies some results or procedures, explains reasons.
11-15 points Accurately interprets evidence.Identifies the salient arguments pro and con.Thoughtfully analyzes and evaluates major alternative points of view.Justifies key results and procedures, explains assumptions and reasons.
16-20 points
GOVT 2305 & 2306
Writing Assignment Rubric _____Student’s Name ________________________________
Department 2013
Required Elements
Of Paper Needs Improvement Adequate Acceptable Proficient
Format
(10 possible points) +
Failure to have the minimum length or number of sources is an additional 30 point deduction Does not follow instructions
0 points Follows some but not all instructions
4 points Follows most but not all instructions
6 points Follows instructions completely.
10 points
Language and Usage
(30 possible points) Contains major grammatical and syntax errors.
Word choice is not appropriate for the topic.
0-20 points ______ Contains several minor grammatical and syntax errors.
Word choice is barely adequate for the topic.
21-23 points ______ Contains a few minor grammatical and syntax errors.
Word choice is mostly adequate for the topic.
24-26 points ______ Contains almost no grammatical and syntax errors.
Word choice is excellent for this topic.
27-30 points ______
Content
(60 possible points) Demonstrates no understanding of the topic as presented in the textbook or sources used.
The response lacks accuracy and fails to integrate the political and governmental facts correctly.
0-41 points ________ Demonstrates little understanding of the topic as presented in the textbook and sources.
The response contains some political and governmental facts, but fails to integrate new ideas.
42-47 points _______ Demonstrates some understanding of the topic as presented in the textbook and sources used.
The response contains some political and governmental facts, and integrates a few new ideas.
The response contains few inaccuracies.
48-53 points ________ Demonstrates substantial understanding of the topic as presented in the textbook and sources used.
The response contains many political and governmental facts, and integrates several new
ideas.
The response contains no inaccuracies.
54-60 points ________
Government 2305-DL
Duane Emmons, InstructorTelephone # 281-998-6150, ext. 7254
Office N7.113
Objectives of the Writing Assignment
Learn about a current not historical political issue or problem
Develop your Internet and library research skills.
Evaluate your topic from the perspective of different cultures and viewpoints as well as your own.
Improve your writing and critical thinking skills.
Topic Selection
You are to choose your own topic that involves American government. If you have doubts about the topic you selected, please contact the instructor.
Writing the Bibliography Sheet
Use the Internet or library to find the sources on your topic from newspapers, journals, or books.
On a full sheet of …show more content…
paper, type your name, Government 2305, the day & time of your class, and your topic. Cite at least four (4) sources using MLA (Modern Language Association) guidelines. Additional sources may be added later. You may use the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers at the checkout desk of the library or any similar publication to help you write your citations in the correct format. There are many on-line resources on MLA format that are helpful.
Guidelines for Writing the Paper
Correct typographical errors by proofreading your final paper. Use words correctly & eliminate spelling errors by looking up definitions & spellings of words in the dictionary. Try to eliminate grammatical errors & awkward sentence structures. Use a variety of sentence patterns & lengths. Reduce wordiness by not using redundant or irrelevant words in the same sentence, e.g., if you can write a twelve & twenty word sentence expressing the same idea, use the former. Pay attention to paragraphing & organization by possibly outlining your ideas on paper before writing them in prose. Superior papers generally must be revised several times.
Be sure to do your own work. Your personal effort is better than a polished paper written by someone else. Don’t rely too heavily on the words of the authors. FAILURE TO DO YOUR OWN WORK IS CONSIDERED PLAGIARISM AND WILL RESULT IN A GRADE OF F FOR THE ASSIGNMENT.
Cite all sources. When you borrow ideas, paraphrase, or quote from someone, acknowledges your sources with footnotes. (Webster's New World Dictionary defines “paraphrase” as “a rewording of the meaning expressed in something spoken or written.”) Follow the MLA guidelines in citing your sources.
To improve your grade, confer with me throughout the writing of the paper. Don’t wait until a few days before the writing assignment is due to discuss any problems about it.
Grading Criteria
Content—If you have focused on an issue, address the various sides of the issue and conclude in your paper which one or ones are best and why. If you are writing about a problem, explain the various solutions to the problem and write about which one or ones are best and why based on your research. Compare and contrast the different viewpoints of American and/or foreign sources on your topic.
Paper length—a minimum of 1000 words of text, type-written double spaced. This excludes headings or any other non-text lines such as title page and work cited page. Everything else being equal, the longer your paper, the better.
Organization—Organize your ideas by writing from an outline.
Focus—Narrow your topic. A focused discussion is better than a broad presentation of a topic that does not cover anything very well.
Writing style—with few or no typographical errors, misspelled words, and grammatical errors. Use proper paragraphing and improve your writing style by revising the paper as many times as necessary.
Citations—anytime you borrow someone’s ideas, paraphrase or quote them, cite all sources using MLA guidelines.
Sources— At least 4 sources will be used. Sources such as Wikipedia, about.com or ask.com are not appropriate sources for an academic paper. The more you cite and use, the better. You will not be given credit for using sources from your bibliography unless you actually use and cite them in the body of your paper.
Foreign sources can add depth and interest to your paper. Next to your citations of foreign sources, specify the country from which the source was taken.
Components of the Completed Paper
A typed cover page with your name; Government 2305; day & time of the course, e.g., MWF 8:30-9:20 or TTh 10:00-11:20; & title of your topic.
The main body of the paper explaining the international significance of the issue, problem, or person.
MLA citations of sources.
A bibliography or “work cited” page
Papers that do not meet the minimum requirement for length, does not use four sources, use MLA format and citations, or fails to provide a work cited page will receive a grade of F.
Submission
All papers must be submitted on-line via Blackboard by attaching a file containing your paper and work cited page as a single document. The file must be in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format. The paper must be submitted twice – once in Turn-it-in and once in the second hyper-link. Failure to turn your paper in on both hyperlinks will give you a grade of no grade.
Late Papers
Papers will NOT be accepted after the due date
Papers must be submitted through Blackboard.
GOVT 2305
Research Paper Rubric _______Student’s Name ________________________________
Fall 2013
Required Elements
Of Paper Needs Improvement Adequate Acceptable Proficient
Format
(10 possible points) Does not follow instructions
0 points Follows some instructions
4 points Follows most instructions
6 points Follows instructions
10 points
Language and Usage
(10 possible points) Contains major grammatical and syntax errors.
Word choice is not appropriate for the topic.
0-3 points ______ Contains minor grammatical and syntax errors.
Word choice is barely adequate for the topic.
4-5 points ______ Contains few grammatical and syntax errors.
Word choice is mostly adequate for the topic.
6-8 points ______ Contains almost no grammatical and syntax errors.
Word choice is excellent
9-10 points ______
Content
(40 possible points)
20 points for Rights and Responsibilities.
20 points for Policy Demonstrates no understanding of the topic as
Response lacks accuracy and fails to integrate the political and governmental facts correctly.
0-5 points ________ Demonstrates little understanding of the topic The response contains some political and governmental facts, but fails to integrate new ideas.
6-10 points _______ Demonstrates some understanding of the topic Contains some political and governmental facts, and integrates a few new ideas.
11-15 points ________ Demonstrates substantial understanding of the topic. Response contains many political and governmental facts, and integrates several new ideas.
16-20 points ________
Personal Responsibility
(20 points) Demonstrates no understanding of personal political responsibility.
0-5 points Demonstrates some understanding of personal political responsibility.
6-10 points Demonstrates a fair amount of understanding of personal political responsibility.
11-15 points Demonstrates a great amount of understanding of personal political responsibility.
16-20 points
Critical Thinking
(20 points) Offers biased interpretations of evidence. Fails to identify or hastily dismisses strong, relevant counter-arguments.
Uses fallacious or irrelevant reasons, and unwarranted claims.
0-5 points Misinterprets evidence,
Fails to identify strong, relevant counter-arguments.
Justifies few results or procedures, seldom explains reasons.
6-10 points Accurately interprets evidence.
Offers analyses and evaluations of obvious alternative points of view.
Justifies some results or procedures, explains reasons.
11-15 points Accurately interprets evidence.Identifies the salient arguments pro and con.Thoughtfully analyzes and evaluates major alternative points of view.Justifies key results and procedures, explains assumptions and reasons.
16-20 points
GOVT 2305 & 2306
Writing Assignment Rubric _____Student’s Name ________________________________
Department 2013
Required Elements
Of Paper Needs Improvement Adequate Acceptable Proficient
Format
(10 possible points) +
Failure to have the minimum length or number of sources is an additional 30 point deduction Does not follow instructions
0 points Follows some but not all instructions
4 points Follows most but not all instructions
6 points Follows instructions completely.
10 points
Language and Usage
(30 possible points) Contains major grammatical and syntax errors.
Word choice is not appropriate for the topic.
0-20 points ______ Contains several minor grammatical and syntax errors.
Word choice is barely adequate for the topic.
21-23 points ______ Contains a few minor grammatical and syntax errors.
Word choice is mostly adequate for the topic.
24-26 points ______ Contains almost no grammatical and syntax errors.
Word choice is excellent for this topic.
27-30 points ______
Content
(60 possible points) Demonstrates no understanding of the topic as presented in the textbook or sources used.
The response lacks accuracy and fails to integrate the political and governmental facts correctly.
0-41 points ________ Demonstrates little understanding of the topic as presented in the textbook and sources.
The response contains some political and governmental facts, but fails to integrate new ideas.
42-47 points _______ Demonstrates some understanding of the topic as presented in the textbook and sources used.
The response contains some political and governmental facts, and integrates a few new ideas.
The response contains few inaccuracies.
48-53 points ________ Demonstrates substantial understanding of the topic as presented in the textbook and sources used.
The response contains many political and governmental facts, and integrates several new
ideas.
The response contains no inaccuracies.
54-60 points ________