"Mixing" vs. Plagiarism

Check out this article about Helene Hegemann, a young author fighting allegations of plagiarism. What do you think of her ideas about utilizing the works of others in her book?

Syllabus

This is the same as the hard copy I gave you last week, except I've added the location of my office hours and the Writing Center, as well as a link to the "Introduction to English 103" sheet:

ENG103.0865

Preparing and Writing the Research Paper

LaGuardia Community College

Fall I 2011

Thursday, 8-10am

Room E-141

Ms. Uzzilia

Office hours: Thursday, 10:30-11:30am (MB14, office A), 11:45am-12:45pm (MB14)  

E-mail: suzzilia@lagcc.cuny.edu

Class Blog: suzzilia.blogspot.com

Course Description:

The LaGuardia Community College catalog describes ENG103 in this way:

This course takes up the skills needed to prepare and write a formal research paper. The students learn and practice the skills involved in research reports for such major disciplines as the social sciences, humanities, human services, and English. These include: choosing an appropriate topic and limiting its focus; using library reference materials; outlining and taking notes; using quotations and paraphrases; preparing footnotes and bibliography; and, finally, incorporating these skills in the development of a typed manuscript.

Prerequisite: ENG101

Please see the Introduction to English 103 sheet for more information.

Declaration of Pluralism:

 The LaGuardia Community College catalogue states the following:

We are a diverse community at LaGuardia Community College. We strive to become a pluralistic community. We respect diversity as reflected in such areas as race, culture, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, disability, and social class.

As a pluralistic community we will:

• Celebrate: individual and group diversity.

• Honor: the rights of people to speak and be heard on behalf of pluralism.

• Promote: inter-group cooperation, understanding, and communication.

• Acknowledge: each other’s contributions to the community.

• Share: beliefs, customs, and experiences which enlighten us about members of our community.

• Affirm: each other’s dignity.

• Seek: further ways to learn about and appreciate one another.

• Confront: the expression of dehumanizing stereotypes, incidents where individuals or groups are excluded because of difference, the intolerance of diversity, and the forces of racism, sexism, heterosexism, homophobia, disability discrimination, ageism, classism, and ethnocentrism that fragment the community into antagonistic individuals and groups.

We believe by carrying out these actions we, as students, faculty, and staff can achieve social change and the development of a society in which each individual can achieve her or his maximum potential.

 Classroom Expectations:

Every student in this class has the right to learn in a positive and respectful environment. When you come to class, please come ready to work. This includes turning off the ringer on your cell phone, bringing all required materials to class (a flash drive, the textbook, and any additional handouts), and making your best effort. Please treat others as you would have them treat you, and do your best to contribute to group work and class discussions in a positive manner.  

Attendance Policy:

Good attendance is crucial to your success in this class. You may have no more than two hours of absence through September 27^th. After two hours of absence, you will automatically receive an F, unless you are able to withdraw from the course on or before September 27^th. After September 27^th, you are allowed no more than two additional hours of absence.

You must also be punctual. Being late two times equals one absence. If you are late, please see me at the end of class.

In case you have to miss a class or be late, please have the phone numbers and/or email addresses of at least two classmates so that you can find out what you missed.

Plagiarism Policy:

It is very important that you do your own work, so plagiarism will not be tolerated.

If a paper exhibits plagiarism, it will automatically receive an F, regardless of whether the writer intended to plagiarize or not. Students are expected to understand what constitutes plagiarism. When the plagiarism is eliminated, the paper will receive no higher than a C. If there is a second case of plagiarism, the student will either automatically be required to withdraw from the course, or, if it is past the withdrawal date, the student will automatically fail ENG103.

Please see the “Statement about Plagiarism” sheet for more information.

Required Texts:

Research Papers: A Guide and Workbook, 2^nd ed. by Marian Arkin and Cecilia Macheski

Course Requirements:  

Classwork / Homework / Research Journal / Source Folder: 40%

“Guinea Pig” Day / Final Paper Presentation: 10%

Rough Draft of Research Paper (minimum 1,000 words, or about 4 pages): 20%

Final Draft of Research Paper (minimum 1,800 words, or about 7 pages): 30%

Because this class emphasizes the research process, it is important that work is completed in sequence and on time. You may not move to the next step in the process until you have completed all previous work.

All work is due upon request on the date it is due. Late work will be deducted.

Please type your work and make sure to proofread before you turn it in. Your research paper will be written in MLA format (we will discuss this later).  

Please come see me during my office hours for additional help. You can also visit the Writing Center (Room B-200).

Schedule:

9/8: Introductions, Diagnostic Essay

9/15: Ch. 1: What is Research?
9/22: Ch. 2: Synopsis of a Model Research Paper

Tuesday, 9/27: Last day to officially withdraw from a course with a “W” grade

9/29: no class

10/6: Ch. 3: Choosing a Subject and Narrowing to a Topic
10/13: Ch. 4: Finding and Retrieving Sources
10/20: Ch. 5: Evaluating and Recording Information from Sources
10/27: Ch. 6: Organizing and Outlining Research Material
11/3: Ch. 7: Writing the Paper
11/10: Ch. 8: Documenting Your Sources Using MLA Style
11/17: Ch. 10: Preparing and Proofreading the Final Draft

11/24: no class

12/1: Final Paper Presentations

12/8: Final Paper Presentations, continued
12/15: Individual Meetings re: grades

*Subject to Change

Academic Calendar

Here is LaGuardia's academic calendar, just in case you need to know about holidays, add/drop dates, etc.

31st Annual Library Research Review Competition

The Library and Faculty Council are co-sponsoring the 31st Annual Library Research Review Competition. Research papers written for courses taken at LaGuardia during the 2010-11 academic year may be entered into the competition by students or faculty. The deadline is June 25, 2011.


Please Note : Research papers for courses taken during the 2010 Spring Semester-- Session II may be entered into the 2010-11 Competition.

Additional Prizes!!!
First Place : iPod Nano
Second and Third Place: iPod Shuffle

For additional information, please review the flyer and application form. 

Students and faculty who are interested in the Research Review Competition are also invited to visit the Research Review Competition website. 


This website includes: 1) the history of the Competition, 2) links to MLA and APA online research tools, 3) promotional flyers, 4) links to previous winning research papers, 5) a search function, which includes searching by research topics, and much more!

Class Today: Research Paper Checklist

By now, most of you should have written your rough drafts and received my comments on them. During today's class, I would like you to take this time to review and revise your paper. Your final draft is due next Saturday, December 11, 2010 (both emailed and hard copies, please).

Below, please find a checklist of things to look for in your paper. This is only a tool. You do not need to do this in order; you do not need to email me your results. Figure out what works for you, and that's what I want you to be doing. If you find it helpful to read your paper to a classmate, do that. If you would prefer to focus on your conclusion on your own, that is fine, too. I just want you to spend your classtime improving your rough draft so that the final draft you give me next week is the very best research paper you can give me.

Research Paper Checklist (courtesy of the authors of your textbook):


Voice and Tone
The language used in your essay, your “voice,” is another facet of your paper that is determined by your audience and purpose. (See pages 266–267.) Following are some things to ask yourself when you revise your paper:

❐ Does the tone that I use relate to the audience and purpose of this paper?

❐ Did I use active voice?

❐ Did I eliminate the use of such words as “I” and “in my opinion”?

❐ Did I eliminate the use of slang, jargon, or inflated, overly formal language?

❐ Do I explain the use of all specific terminology or subject-specific references?

❐ Do I write with authority?

❐ Do I eliminate the use of sexist or other discriminatory language?

Introduction

Good introductions set the tone for your paper. Unfairly or not, since they are the first your reader sees of your writing, they may influence your reader more than anything else you say in the paper. Many readers, you, I am sure, included, have put aside reading very worthy essays because the introduction didn’t interest them or misinformed them about the content of the paper. Thus, it is especially important that you now review your introduction and ask yourself some questions about it. For more information about introductions, see page 203 and page 268.

❐ Is my introduction clearly written?

❐ Does my introduction serve to interest or excite my reader?

❐ Is my introduction written in a lively style?

❐ Does my introduction give the reader an accurate idea of what I will be doing?

❐ Does my introduction end with a clearly focused thesis?

Conclusion

Conclusions are your last moment alone with your reader, be he or she your teacher, a stranger, or your best friend. Thus, you want the conclusion to leave the reader thinking about your essay and the points you have made. Don’t introduce any new material in your conclusion. You have no space to develop it, and you will just confuse your reader. Use the conclusion to sum up and put what you have written in a larger context—for example, if you have written about your school, the conclusion may take the reader to the city’s schools, to the nations, and so on. For more information, see pages 207 and 271.

❐ Is the main idea of your essay clear in the conclusion?

❐ Have you succeeded in summarizing your main points?

❐ Is there a sense of completion in your conclusion?

❐ Have you checked to see that there is not any new information in your conclusion?

Evaluating Sources

As we discussed in Chapters 5 and 7, it is not enough to locate and copy sources. They must be used appropriately, punctuated correctly, and linked to the topic sentence of the paragraph through the use of transitional introductions (“sandwiching”). Check over your quotations by asking yourself the following questions:

❐ Is there a topic sentence in the paragraph?

❐ Does the writer introduce the quotation and blend it into the paragraph?

❐ Is the direct quotation put in quotation marks and punctuated correctly?

❐ Is there a clear paraphrase of the quotation?

❐ Has the writer analyzed the quoted passage and connected it to the topic sentence?

❐ Does the source have authority?

Documenting Your Sources Using MLA Style

Documenting your sources shouldn’t be difficult if you understand what you are citing and copy the form accurately. See Chapters 8 and 9 for more information on doing a Works Cited list. (Guidelines for the most recent MLA formatting can be found at http://www.mla.org.) Ask yourself the following questions to help you check your in-text documentation:

❐ Does your documentation follow all of the MLA guidelines exactly?

❐ Are the sources listed alphabetically?

❐ Are all titles correctly identified by underlining or italics or quotation marks, as shown in the appropriate model?

❐ Do you have in-text citations for all references to sources?

❐ Are all of the sources in the in-text citations listed in the Works Cited list at the end of the paper?

❐ Have you included the URLs for Internet sources?

❐ Is everything spelled correctly?

Proofreading Strategies

Here are some ways to proofread. Pick one or more when you read over your paper.

1. Take a blank piece of paper and move it slowly down the paper, from beginning to end.

2. Take a blank piece of paper and move it slowly up the paper, from the end to the beginning.

3. Read your paper aloud, slowly.

4. Read through your paper again, focusing on those areas that you know you have trouble with.

5. Read your paper to a friend.

6. Do all of the above, put your paper aside, and proofread it again a day later.

When You Get to Class: Human Subject Consent Forms

When doing research with human subjects, institutions of higher learning often require consent forms. Look at this sample consent form from the CUNY Graduate Center. Why do you think such a form might be required for certain kinds of research?

Research Opportunities: Fulbright Grants

If you have found that you enjoy research, you might want to consider applying for a Fulbright Grant after you complete your four-year degree. After I graduated from Fairfield University, I spent a year in South Korea on a Fulbright Grant (mine was a teaching grant, but many grants are for research). The grant paid for a lot of things—my salary, housing, and cell phone—and provided me with a lot of opportunities that I might not have had otherwise.


To see a sample of different fields of study and countries, check out this list of grantees from my university (scroll down to “Fulbright Scholars”).

The Fulbright website describes the different kinds of grants that are available. Click on “Country Summaries” to find out more.