Here are the peer editing groups for the second paper:
Here are the peer editing groups for the first paper:
Each draft you hand in must clearly indicate what it is: Who wrote it, when you wrote it, which assignment it is, which draft it is. Be sure to also indicate the word count (see below). All drafts must be typed or word-processed, unless you speak to me first. (And yes, there's a good reason for that.)
In accordance with College policy, note that it is your responsibility to keep all materials (notes, jottings, index cards, intermediate drafts, etc.) for all assignments in this course until you receive a final grade. It is especially important that those of you writing with a word-processor be sure to save intermediate drafts as separate documents!
Review. We'll review (heh.) the structure of a scientific review article on Friday, September 21, but in short they synthesize a number of papers in a particular area into a coherent and fluid whole. The author may choose to extend the content beyond what is known by adding his or her own speculations, but this isn't a requirement.
I want to see a minimum of 10 primary sources used for this paper. (The notion of a peer-reviewed journal is absolutely critical: be certain you understand what is meant by this term!)
I expect a certain minimum length for each draft:
| Draft | Minimum length |
|---|---|
| First | 2000 words |
| Second | 2400 words |
| Third | 2700 words |
| Final | 3000 words |
And don't forget to schedule time with the staff at the Writing Center — getting a real outsider's perspective (by which I mean a non-scientist, or one who isn't very familiar with your subject) can be an invaluable asset to your writing.
Each of you will give two oral presentations over the course of the semester. You will also be responsible for evaluating the presentations of your classmates. We'll discuss and develop criteria for evaluating these presentations late in September, but here are a few ground rules:
Beyond your written and oral presentations, I also expect you all to participate in editing your classmates' written drafts and evaluating their presentations. You can see by the point distribution I use for grading that I take these aspects of the course very seriously.
When editing, keep in mind the purpose and audience of the piece. We'll discuss our goals and criteria further in class, but as is so often the case, the golden rule is a pretty good guide.
In addition, I expect you to give me evaluations of each talk. We'll discuss the format later in the semester.