General Writing Tips & Pointers
Assignment Parameters
The word limit of the reflection paper is 1,200 words, and is worth 30% of your final grade
It should be submitted by 2359hrs on 29th November. Please email your paper to me at Leslie.Wee@georgebrown.ca
Plagiarism or academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Please consult the college’s policy outlined here: http://www.georgebrown.ca/assessment/honesty/
Since this is an academic paper, citations and a bibliography are required. (Choose a citation style of your liking. The only requirement that I have is that you use it correctly and consistently). If you are unsure about the different citation styles, please consult https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/purdue_owl.html
You must include at least four reputable/legitimate research sources
Writing Guide & Tips
Academic papers are formal in nature – use the appropriate tone and expression
Write grammatically and avoid misspellings, which should not occur given the availability of spell-checking technology
Make use of paragraphs: dedicate a paragraph to a point or argument. Paragraphs provide visual cues to your readers, serve as a transition from one point to another, and help your readers to follow the development of your train of thought
Avoid ‘big’ words. Write simply, but well. Good writing is not synonymous with verbosity or pomposity
What goes into your paper depends on its purpose: every paper you write is tailored to a specific task and a specific audience. So you have to be clear in your mind what is it that you are trying to achieve with your paper. Quick tip: answer the question before you
Structure of the Paper
Introduction
As a rule of thumb, the introduction should take up between 10 to 15% of the paper
The introduction serves as a roadmap to the paper; hence in the introduction you should give your reader a sense of what he/she can expect to see in your paper
A compelling introduction would also have something meaningful to say about the problem or question under investigation, for instance, why this problem or question is significant in its own right or is an important one to consider
Body
As you write your paper, aim for breadth and depth
You will have to use your judgement as to what you should include and exclude in your paper. On this note, I will be happy to look over a one-page outline of your paper if you need help
You must use four research sources in total as mentioned above. It is your task to ensure that these sources are reputable ones
Conclusion
The conclusion should take up between 10 to 15% of the paper
At minimum it serves as a reminder of the main ‘talking’ points of the paper
A compelling conclusion, however, is more than a simple summary or repetition of the paper – rather it synthesises what has come before and successfully draws a connection between the main talking points of the paper
Useful Resources
Writing is a craft – the more you write, you better at it you will become. Think of the writing process in terms of a diet: you are what you eat. In the same vein, it will help if you maintain a good reading diet: those who expose themselves to good examples of writing are more likely to write well. Here’s a good aggregator of well-written and thought-provoking articles: http://aldaily.com/
There are plenty of academic writing resources online. Start with these:
https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/ https://faculty.georgetown.edu/kingch/Writing_PolSci_Essay.htm
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Marking Rubric
Grade Band/
Index
A
B
C
D
F
Quality of Reflection & Analysis
(15 marks)
Evidence of critical thinking:
arguments are well-supported and substantiated, and may even be novel.
Some evidence of critical thinking: core arguments are well-supported and substantiated.
Unbalanced argumentation: core or key points require elaboration, or that arguments are not well-founded and are unconvincing.
Paper is largely descriptive, with little analysis undertaken. Assertions are unsupported by arguments.
There is no discernable thesis or line of thought. Paper is off-topic and contains material that is irrelevant to the subject matter.
Writing Skills & Organisation of Paper
(10 marks)
Paper is coherently structured throughout. The writing is flawless: the prose is clear and fluid, the tone and expression appropriate, and grammar is excellent.
There are occasional slips in structure, spelling, expression and/or grammar.
Paper is tolerably structured. The writing quality is uneven: the paper is peppered with spelling mistakes, inappropriate expression and/or poor grammar.
Paper is poorly structured and disjointed. Frequent occurrence of spelling mistakes, inappropriate expression and/or poor grammar.
Paper is unorganised and lacks structure, and is strewn with spelling mistakes, inappropriate expression and/or ungrammatical writing.
Research & Citation
(5 marks)
Broad range of reputable research sources consulted. Flawless citation and bibliography.
Good range of reputable research sources consulted. Occasional slips in citation and/or bibliography.
Minimal research undertaken and/or inappropriate research sources consulted. Obvious mistakes or omissions in citation and/or bibliography.
Inappropriate research sources consulted. Citation and/or bibliography put together inconsistently.
Paper is under- or unresearched. Citation and/or bibliography is incomplete or missing.
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