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Copying/Pasting | MLA and Research| Criteria |
When submitting papers and outlines to me, you must send them via the course email. This is the only way that I can determine which course you are enrolled in.
When writing papers in this class, choose one of the topics provided (or submit an alternate topic for approval).
Before you begin drafting, please send me an outline (and thesis statement) for your paper to me via email two weeks before the paper is due (Thursday). The outline should be no longer than one page and you do not have to use Roman numerals. Also, do not type the outline into a word processing program like Word. Instead, type your outline directly into the message box with no attachments. The purpose of the outline is for me to look at your thesis statement and the organization of your paper and make sure that you are on the right track. After your outline has been approved, you can begin writing the paper.
Click this link for instructions about effective outline writing.
Note: ALL PAPERS (for English 1302 and literature classes) must include analysis of at least one required work from our reading list. Even if I approve your outline and fail to see that you have not chosen a work from the reading list, this rule stands firm.
Once your outline has been approved, you can begin writing your rough draft. Even though you must refer to your outline, don't feel restricted by it. When drafting, don't worry about spelling, grammar, or punctuation-- just make sure that you are focused on the thesis. Let the ideas flow.
You will submit the rough draft of the paper to the appropriate discussion board thread (for peer editing) by the Thursday of the week the paper is due. Do not submit the final version to me until your outline has been approved, at least two other students have critiqued your paper (and vice versa), and you have made modifications. If you encounter difficulty getting your classmates to peer edit your paper, you may email your classmates and appeal for assistance (ACC English students can use Smarthinking.com-- see Announcements in Blackboard for more information).
Introductions and Conclusions: Make sure you state the thesis in the last sentence of your introduction. Your conclusion should wrap up your paper and reinforce your thesis.
Literary Analysis: Mention the works and author(s) in your introduction. Incorporate literary terminology; the focus of your paper should be on analysis, not summary. Use present tense when discussing literature, past tense for bio and history. Don't attempt to analyze more than 3-4 works of literature in a single paper.
Body Paragraphs: The first sentence of each body paragraph must have a tight connection to your thesis and tell the reader what the paragraph is about. Include examples to support your main points. There should be a smooth transition between paragraphs. Check to make sure your paragraphs and sentences are in logical order and that you are not repeating yourself or leaving something out.
Point of view: Avoid first and second person point of view in academic writing. Don't make announcements about your intent or objectives for the paper in the introduction or anywhere else.
MLA: You need a heading. Margins should be one-inch around the page; you need to indent before each new paragraph and double space throughout (even in the works cited). Document all sources, whether quoted from, summarized, or paraphrased. Make sure that you are using the proper format for parenthetical documentation. Use hanging indentation and alphabetize your Works Cited. Long works (like novels, periodicals, and TV programs are italicized; short works like poetry, short stories, articles, and TV episodes are enclosed in quotation marks. Commas and periods always precede quotation marks.
Quotes: Introduce your quotes properly; the quotes and the surrounding words must come together to form a complete sentence.
Research: Check for quality of sources; Avoid sources that cannot be retrieved from the library.
Once your content is solid, proofread. Check to see that you are using commas, colons, apostrophes, and semi-colons properly throughout your paper. Correct comma splices, run-ons and fragments. Check for better word choices, misspelled words, capitalization mistakes, and subject-verb agreement errors throughout your paper. Spell out numbers less than 10 and do not use abbreviations in a formal paper. Omit wordy and awkward constructions and make sure that all of your sentences demonstrate parallelism.
Click this link below for further instruction about revising and proofreading your papers.
http://www.austincc.edu/bvillarr/revisions
Please follow these guidelines once you are ready to submit your paper for grading:
The final version of your paper (including the works cited when included) must be submitted as a single Word document file to your instructor by the date noted on the schedule. Please note in your email (not the attachment), the names of the students who peer edited your paper and vice versa.
For example, when you submit Paper 1, you will type "Paper 1" and NOTHING ELSE in the subject line upon first submission. Save your attached paper to your hard drive and flash drive as "Paper 1." Just make sure that you will be able to identify your paper. In the body of the email, you must include the names of the students you helped and vice versa. Again, you must submit the paper via the course email. If you are an ACC English student and you have received help from Smarthinking.com, please attach the marked up file so that I can award extra credit points.
http://www.austincc.edu/bvillarr/tutor.htm
If I return your paper and I do not give you a grade, you will need to make the necessary revisions. Once you have revised your paper, make sure that you save the it to your hard drive and flash drive with something like "Paper 1 revised." The word revised must be included in the name of the attachment. You will then type something like "Paper 1 REVISED" and NOTHING ELSE in the subject line of the email, attach your file to the email, and then send it to me.
After I grade your paper and mark it up, you will be able to make corrections IF YOU HAVE SUBMITTED IT WITHIN THE ONE-WEEK GRACE PERIOD. Once you make the needed corrections, please forward the marked up paper that I graded, saving the corrected file with something like "Paper 1 corrected." Also, you will type something like "Paper 1 corrected" and NOTHING ELSE in the subject line of your email to me (you may need to edit the subject line). The word CORRECTED must be included in the name of the attachment.
The final paper in this class cannot be corrected and there is no grace period. However, you can submit it for review a few days before it is due. When you send it to me to review (and make general comments about how the paper can be improved), you will type something like "Paper 5 review" and NOTHING ELSE in the subject line of your email to me (you may need to edit the subject line). The word REVIEW must be included in the name of the attachment.
Once you are ready to submit your final paper for grading, type something like "Paper 5 final" and NOTHING ELSE in the subject line of your email to me (you may need to edit the subject line). The word FINAL must be included in the name of the attachment.
If you do not follow the directions above, I will send back your paper ungraded and you will lose your place in line for grading.
If you choose to make corrections (not allowed on the final paper), you can earn back no more than 10 points and your grade cannot exceed 100 percent. For example, if you receive 93 points on your paper, the most you can earn back is a total of seven points. You will need to forward the paper I graded (with the markings) and attach your corrected paper, so that I can make comparisons. When I am regrading your papers, I may find additional errors for which you may be penalized. I am not required to award extra credit, so I do not want to hear any complaints about the number of points you get back. Earning extra credit is a privilege, not a right. Most students earn less than five points back because they fail to make the necessary corrections.
Please note that there are no revisions for the last paper. However, if your final grade in the course is "borderline" or if you are in danger of receiving a D or an F, I sometimes allow revisions, depending on your performance in the class. Therefore, if you meet this criteria, check your email often after submitting your paper to see if I am willing to give you another chance.
Any assignment that takes more than two weeks to complete is subjected to receiving a grade of zero.
In this class, I give all students a one-week grace period to complete all assignments, except for the final paper.
Please remember to use literary terms when writing papers in this class.
When writing about fiction, use terms such as plot, climax, theme, epiphany, setting, tone , character (protagonist, antagonist, flat, round, dynamic, static), point of view (third person, first person, omniscient), language (metaphor, simile, personification, symbolism, allusion, diction, etc.), irony (external, internal), and conflict (external and internal).
When writing about poetry, please remember to use poetic terminology, such as imagery, metaphor, simile, tone, symbolism, personification, allusion, figurative language, and rhythm.
For drama, use terminology such as tragedy, chatharsis, falling action, denouement, etc.
For more detailed information on literary terminology and sample papers, see the handouts in the link below:
In your essays, you should support your thesis and main points with specific examples from the stories and poems. You will also need to take a critical stance or approach, such as: formalist, biographical, historical, feminist, psychological, etc.
As for organizing the papers, here is a good basic structure:
Introduction: In the first paragraph, name the title of the work(s) and the author(s), summarize the work briefly, and state your thesis.Main Body: Lay out the analysis of the work(s) you are discussing: (a) You might want to organize the paper around main points that support your thesis, then use the text(s) to support your main points and thesis; or (b) you might discuss each work separately and make connections to your thesis throughout the paper.
Conclusion: This should not be just a short paragraph or sentence that abruptly ends the paper. Instead, it draws together or summarizes the crucial evidence or points you've laid out above. In other words, it synthesizes what the evidence reveals.
Plagiarism
CHEATING IS NOT TOLERATED IN THIS CLASS.
Academic honesty is highly valued at this college. You must always submit work that represents your original words or ideas. If any words or ideas used in an exam, assignment, or paper submission do not represent your original words or ideas, you must cite all relevant sources and make clear the extent to which such sources were used. Words or ideas that require citation include, but are not limited to, all hard copy or electronic publications, whether copyrighted or not, and all verbal or visual communication when the content of such communication clearly originates from an identifiable source. All of the acts below are prohibited in this course:
Academic dishonesty can also involve:
Note: Any act of plagiarism may result in an "F" on the assignment and/or the course.
Library Research and MLA Documentation
Click here for the MLA documentation lecture
Please use scholarly, library sources (don't Google and use unacceptable sources like SparkNotes, Wikipedia, Shmoop, Bookrags, or other Content Farms). Utilize the library to find these sources. To access online literary databases for ACC, go to the ACC Library. Next, click "Articles and Research" then go to Articles and More. At some point, you will be prompted to type in your ACCeID and password. If you need help, Ask a Librarian. To learn about accessing the databases, see your paper guidelines.
Please read the syllabus to learn more about the grading system in this course.
A Papers: Superior
A papers set the standard of excellence. An A paper will show all the following characteristics:
1. The paper has a well-defined thesis, strong topic sentences, and smooth transitions.
2. Organization is entirely logical; there is a clear beginning, middle, and end.
3. The paper has been written in a clear, literate, and scholarly fashion. Analytical skills are superior.
4. The paper displays insight, originality, and a thorough understanding of the subject under discussion.
6. In research papers, documentation is ample and in the correct form, and indicates that the writer has examined the most important available sources.
A papers are engaging and say something interesting. Most of all, they teach me something new, or show me something I have not seen before.
B papers have most of the following characteristics:
1. There is a well-defined thesis.
2. The argument is clear and logical, with little irrelevant material, but there may be minor problems in organization. Analytical skills are evident.
3. The subject matter is thoroughly understood, and there is some evidence of original thought.
4. Research papers are correctly documented and are based upon an adequate number of sources of good quality.
A "B" paper makes no major errors in style, mechanics, grammar, punctuation, and spelling. It has a clear thesis and contains good topic sentences and transitions. B papers are generally well-written, and not marred by any serious problems.
C papers have most of the following characteristics:
1. While there is a definite thesis, it may not always be made clear to the reader.
2. A person writing a C paper has difficulty in developing, supporting, or illustrating the thesis in the body of the paper. Analytical skills are weak.
3. A "C" paper has weak topic sentences and lacks transition.
4. The paper contains minor errors in style, mechanics, grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
5. While understanding of the subject is adequate, there is little originality.
6. In research, documentation is adequate and in the correct form, but there may be reliance on sources of lesser quality.
One or more of the following characteristics may result in a D grade:
1. The thesis is poorly defined and supported.
2. The argument is illogical or unclear, and there may be unresolved contradictions and/or irrelevancies. Analytical skills are absent.
3. There are stylistic, grammatical, mechanical, and/or spelling errors.
4. There is some doubt that the writer fully understands the subject matter of the paper.
5. C papers fail to complete the assignment fully (i.e., inadequate paper length, failure to address assigned topic, etc.).
6. In research papers, documentation is adequate, but there may be some deviation from the correct form, and the sources may be poorly chosen and/or limited in number.
The following types of papers will be given failing grades:
1. Papers which do not meet university standards of English literacy and contain many stylistic, mechanical, grammatical, and/or spelling errors. Analytical skills are absent.
2. Papers not based on the assigned topic. Even a brilliant paper can earn an F if it is completely off the topic you were assigned to do.
3. Papers that fail to complete the assignment fully (i.e., inadequate paper length, failure to address assigned topic, etc.).
4. Papers written by students with a clear intent to cheat. In general, cheating includes plagiarism from another source such as the Internet; copying from another student is a form of plagiarism. Plagiarism will always earn you an F not only for the paper but for the course, and might even result in disciplinary action like suspension or expulsion: it's serious stuff.
5. Research papers which consist of little more than a series of facts or quotes, with little or no attempt at interpretation.
6. Research papers based on a single source (unless the assignment calls for the use of a single source).
7. Research papers with insufficient and/or incorrect documentation.
I won't fail any paper that shows honest effort. That means F's are reserved for students that show no effort (a paper written two hours before it is due, for instance), and for those who aren't honest.
If you write a paper with a clear intent to cheat, disciplinary action will be taken. In general, cheating includes plagiarism from another source such as the Internet; copying from another student is a form of plagiarism.