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~ Third paper assignment: Argument ~
In the third assignment, you will put together two or more texts you have read this semester to construct your own argument. You may bring in additional sources, if you wish, but the paper should substantially engage assigned sources. For your paper, choose one of the following options:
- How is copyright different from plagiarism, how is it similar, and why does it matter? (You might approach this by critiquing sources that get them confused.) Attack the definitions for both of them, pick out why they are different, give generalizations for why they are different, find texts to support use the text with the frog (aka the Simmons text); talk about the history of plagiarism
- Define and describe copyright law and explain whether and how it should be changed and why. The group working on this question suggested these approaches:
If you think it should be changed:
a. Identify problems with copyright laws
b. Analyze references where others have suggested possible methods for changing these laws
c. Write a thesis
d. Provide solutions to the problems
If you think it should not be changed:
a. Provide instances where copyright laws have benefited the author, publisher, and audience (example: regulating plagiarism.
b. Be specific , use quotations from the law its self, and it can be taken from other scholars whom have already quoted the section.
- Is it considered violation of copyright if there is no profit at stake? Find an example on the internet and--? How would this question be approached? Maybe by looking at Creative Commons and how people publish stuff with a CC license that they make no money from. (e.g., Lessig's making his book available free online).
- Compare and contrast Atkins and Nelson's pro-Turnitin argument with a text that argues against Turnitin. Possible approaches: (a) Identify and discuss claims by Atkins & Nelson, used to support the use of Turnitin. Using another text, compare and contrast. (b) Using Atkins and Nelson's text along with another article, state the pros and cons of Turnitin.com. Then give your personal opinions about whether or not it should be used in the academic setting.
While you are working on the paper
Whether you want to talk about how to get started, how to develop your material, or how to revise your work, there are resources available:
- Take advantage of the free services at the Writing Center. You can make an appointment online or in person; they're located on the ground floor of HB Crouse. This is not a requirement but rather a recommendation.
- Make an appointment to meet with me during office hours, or send me an email, an IM (AIM = "ProfBfromWV"), or a Facebook message (I'm "Rebecca Moore Howard"). Don't send me whole papers with questions like "How good is this paper?" Instead, ask me specific questions, such as "Should I give page citations for my paraphrases?" or "Is this an analytic thesis?"
What should go in the paper
- The introduction should include your thesis statement. The best places for positioning the thesis are at the end of the introduction or perhaps at the beginning.
- Your paper will also need to include a brief summaries of the texts you are analyzing; otherwise, it might be hard for a reader to follow your argument. The summary might be a sentence or a paragraph; do what works for you.
- The body of your paper should focus on the evidence for your thesis.
- Throughout the paper, you should make it clear who is speaking, and you should provide context for and explanations of quotations. (Follow suggestions in Chs. 3 & 5 of They Say/I Say.
- And you'll need a conclusion. Look in your Thomson Brief Handbook, sects. 2f and 7g, and see if you get some useful ideas there.
- Manuscript preparation: When you have produced a final draft, follow the specifications here.
Length
1000 to 1500 words.
How I will grade the paper
As I grade the final draft, my primary concerns will be whether you have accurately represented your sources; whether you have brought fresh insight to your analysis of them; whether you have a clear thesis that is supported by evidence; how well you have introduced and explained quotations; and whether it is always clear who is speaking. I care, too, about the precision with which the manuscript has been edited and proofread, and the extent to which the paper is formatted and transmitted according to the manuscript specifications. If you do the assignment as requested and hand it in on time, you'll get a "C." If you do it especially well, you'll get a "B." If you do it exceptionally well, you'll get an "A." This assignment counts as 20% of your final course grade.
Due date
Send final draft of the paper to me by 12:45 p.m. November 5. Send it as an email attachment; the manuscript specifications tell you how. After 12:45 November 5, it becomes a late paper, which means the grade begins to slide.
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WRT 105, sect. 080
Practices of Academic Writing:
Owning Words
Fall 2007
Syracuse University
MW 12:30-2:05
323 HBCrouse
Rebecca Moore Howard
Office: 237 HB Crouse
Office hours
Phone 315-443-1620
FAX: 315-691-9821
rehoward@syr.edu
AIM: ProfBfromWV
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