These papers will be graded both on CONTENT and on STYLE (see below for more information about this). If you have questions about matters of style, please consult a style manual (any commonly accepted reference style is acceptable, but for your information I prefer Chicago Style).
Students are asked to keep in mind that this is an argumentative essay. You should have a clear thesis, and make clear points supporting your thesis in each paragraph.
• You can use 1st person perspective (ie: ‘I’) but be wary of resorting to simple opinion to prove/substantiate your premises.
• As mentioned above, style is important, as is correct spelling and grammar/syntax. These things are always important in any situation, but especially so in the context of an academic paper. There are many style manuals available for free online (or in print from the Library) that can help you with these matters.
A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS A NECESSARY: a bibliography that clearly references all of the print and electronic sources you’ve looked at in order to write your paper. You may use both primary and secondary sources in this paper.
• You should use at least three (3) different sources to gain a balanced sense of the topic at hand. All sources (including the course readings, if you decide to use them) should appear in your bibliography. Use the library’s resources. A quick note: I would avoid non-peer-reviewed, Internet-website sources, as they are notoriously unreliable. Having mentioned this, peer-reviewed journal articles found online through the Library’s electronic resources are acceptable.
ADEQUATE REFERENCING IS REQUIRED: If you use another person’s words (or their ideas) you need to reference that by either an endnote or a footnote, or an in-text citation. Your referencing format (ie: APA, MLA, Turabian, Chicago, etc…) is up to you provided that you are consistent throughout and that it is a commonly-accepted method. I will discuss this in class, but please feel free to ask me if you have questions about this.
A few incidentals and tips to keep in mind when writing your paper:
• This is YOUR paper: I’m not looking for you to simply regurgitate information from other people! Make your own arguments and support them with your sources. Very few things are more annoying than an essay that has referenced every single word in the darned thing!
• If you want to quote/reference/cite my online lectures, please provide the appropriate referencing for that (again, this information should be available in any decent style guide).
• Please make sure you keep a copy of your completed paper on your computer, in the event that it gets misplaced for whatever reason.
Please write your essay on one of the following topics:
1) Science is the only way to discover truth (or not). Explain why you agree or disagree with this statement.
2) The development of technology is determinative; its expansion occurs beyond the ability of human freedom to control it.
3) Recently-developed social networking websites (such as Facebook) are corrosive to ‘real’ community.
Grading Breakdown for Major Essay for Impacts of Science and Technology on Society:
The essay is graded out of 25 possible marks.
750-1000 words in length (please note: essays will be deducted 5% per 150 words over the limit (not including Bibliography)
Please find below a rough guideline of the grading criteria that will be used to evaluate your paper.
Please submit papers electronically in the bin created for this purpose on the course website.
Papers submitted .it will be docked grades accordingly (5% per business day—please refer to syllabus pg. 2 for more details).
Content: (12 points)
*Quality of discussion (12 points)
*Topic/subject/thesis is very clearly stated in the Introductory paragraph
*Maintains appropriate, clear focus on the topic throughout the paper
*Arguments and ideas unfold in a logical manner
*Arguments are substantiated both with adequate discussion and adequate (and appropriate) sources from course material(s) and/or secondary materials
-Does not bring in unrelated or unexplained/unsubstantiated points
*Adequate engagement/depth with topic
-Does not make major assumptions or dismissals of alternate views without adequate logical evidence/discussion
-Does not simply regurgitate quotes in order to prove premises but engages topic on a mature level
Style (8 points)
*Spelling/grammar/punctuation (4 points)
*No spelling mistakes
*No grammatical/punctuation/copy editing errors—(will be deducted as they occur)
*Clarity (4 points)
*Flow and written expression exhibits balance, clarity, and style
*Prose exhibits mature, university-level language skills and expression of ideas
*Avoids vague or generalizing or stereotyping or inconsistent or unintelligible or needlessly technical/verbose gibberish
*Gets to the point in a clear and concise way without resorting to the stuff mentioned in the previous point
Structure (5 points)
Length/Structure/Referencing/Bibliography (5 points)
*Paper must include adequate Bibliography that sets out any sources that have been used (including textbook, lecture notes, etc…)
*Makes use of adequate sources to substantiate premises
*Where sources are used, they MUST be adequately referenced and the paper must include a Bibliography
-Any consistent, the major referencing model will suffice—APA, MLA, Turabian, etc…
-Consistency of model is imperative throughout
*No more than 1000 words and no less than 750 words or marks will be deducted
-please note: essays will be deducted 5% per 150 words over the limit (not including Bibliography)
*organized into clear paragraphs that follow logical progression
