Writing
Papers for REL 3170
Each paper will receive a mark out of 30. 10 marks are given for
generic writing skills, 20 marks for skills that are particular to this
course.
Grammar: /5
Papers must be written in good English. You may ask a friend to act as
a proof-reader, that is, someone who reads your paper and points out
grammatical errors, but if so, you must acknowledge their help.
Composition: /5
Papers must be well-organized. This means that you should avoid
irrelevant material, and your material should be ordered so as to lead
the reader towards your conclusion.
Understanding: /10
Remember, that one objective of this course is that you manifest a
knowledge of different cultural perspectives. This means that you must
show that you understand more than one point of view. An essay that is
too one-sided will not receive a high mark for understanding, but it is
important to understand what this means. An essay that clearly comes
down in favor of one particular point of view is not necessarily
one-sided. A paper that is one-sided is a paper where rival positions
are not given proper consideration. To give a position proper
consideration, you must show that you have studied the reasons why
people hold such a position, and what replies they have put forward to
objections. In order to demonstrate that you really know what you are
talking about, make it apparent to me that you have done your research
properly. When I read the paper, I should be able to tell that you have
carefully read relevant material.
Evaluation: /10
Although I want you to consider a variety of points of view, you should
be decisive. Remember, in Miss Universe Competition, is it enough to
say 'I want World Peace'. In the United Nations, you need to outline
what your plan for World Peace is, and that plan is bound to upset
certain people. I do not want a Miss Universe Paper, that merely
repeats platitudes that offend nobody, but fail to propose solutions to
difficult problems. But, just stating your mind isn't enough either.
You have to give some good reasons why peope should agree with what you
say. What constitutes a 'good reason'? I hope that class discussion
will make it clear how to distinguish between good reasons and bad
reasons. Also, pay close attention to the comments I make on your
papers: I will try to explain which of your reasons are strong and
which are weak, and why.
Also, don't forget, plagiarism
is prohibited!
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