English

Paper One (Analysis) Guidelines

You've read "Wrong" by David H. Freedman, which criticizes the academic world for putting out so much information that is misleading, misinformed, or false.  You should read the Freedman article carefully before undertaking this assignment.

In this paper, you will discuss how knowledge is "constructed" in your field.   How do professionals gather information in your major field?   What process does information or theory undergo before it is considered truthful and fit for wider dissemination?   How do people know whether something is accurate?   How is knowledge tested?

I encourage you to use real world examples and specific instances whenever possible.   Remember that you are writing this paper for an audience of non-specialists, so use jargon sparingly.  The essay can be organized in any manner you choose.  It should follow general precepts developed by Zinsser in the opening four chapters of his book.

You must use a minimum of three reliable sources, two of which must be books (or e-books).  By "reliable," I mean recognized news sources, organizations, or publishers. These should be alphabetized by author's name on a final page entitled "References." You may use general reference sources like Wikipedia, but they don't count towards the minimum.  If you use Freedman's own article or book, they do not count as sources (I want you to explore!)  You may use a textbook, but only for one of your required sources. 

You will be using American Psychological Association (APA) style in all papers this semester. For examples on how to format an alphabetized APA References page, see Easy Writer or Online Writing Lab (OWL), both accessible on Blackboard.  

Formal in-text citations, while not required on this assignment, are encouraged.  (Future papers will require them.)   How to cite sources in-text is amply explained on Easy Writer or OWL.  If you do not use citations on this assignment, the reader should be able to tell where your information came from through the use of signal phrases in the text that identify sources:  ("Historian Peter Forbes states that....." or  "Scholar Barbara Hernandez published the results of a study....")  A reader should be able to easily link these phrases, and the information they introduce, to your References list. 

Quoting: No paper in this class should consist of more than 10-15% quoted material. 

Length:  750 words minimum; 1200 words maximum (excluding References).

Please note: I'm serious about length requirements-both minimum and maximum--on formal essays.