Paper Assignment

Within the broad area discussed in class and indicated on the syllabus for the particular paper assignment ...

• Pick a subject interesting to you that might be manageably handled within the page limit (see syllabus)
• Think about/read some additional material about that subject
• Write an interesting, accessible paper about what has changed in your understandings as a result of the preceding
• The paper should make it clear at the outset what its point is, provide in the middle material that supports that point, and end by showing how the material taken together does so, and what new questions that in turn raises.
• It is courteous to make attributions to sources for ideas that were useful to you. Such attributions may also provide useful guides for readers who want to further explore related issues. It is essential to make attributions and use quotation marks in any case where you use strings of words (sentences, paragraphs) that were originally written by others. This should be restricted to situations where you explicitly wish for some reason to call attention to how some particular person said something. In general, you should say things in your own words, since the process of creating words is an important part of thinking.

Papers need to be submitted both as hard copy and electronically. To facilitate this, write your paper as you normally would using any word processing program, but avoid complicated formatting (tables, lists, elaborate fonts/styles). Citations should be in a numbered or alphabetical list at the end. Items in that list can then be cited by parenthetical references in the text.

When you have completed writing your paper as you normally would, print it to turn in as your hard copy. Then make a second version of the paper by saving the original paper as "text only" and giving it some distinctive file name on your computer. This version will have lost some formatting characteristics (hence the requirement above), and is the version you will submit electronically.

Go to the web posting area (NOT the class forum) for this paper:

• Paper #1
• Paper #2
• Paper #3
• Paper #4

Here you will be asked for email address, name, and paper title. Enter these, being sure that both your name and your paper title are as you want them to appear on the posted paper.

Below the spaces for address/name/title is a text entry window, much like that in the course forum except it appears with some normal text at the top followed by some capitalized text (repeating these instructions). Do not disturb the normal text at the top. The capitalized text should be deleted, either by selecting and deleting or by pasting over it in the course of the following:

• Copy from the text only version of your paper on your computer the text and reference list (leave out paper title and your name that have already been entered) and paste it to the text entry window in such a way as to leave intact the normal text material at the top and replace the capitalized text.

• Use the "preview" button below the text entry window to see how your paper will appear when posted. Check to be sure paragraphs are separated by an empty line and that there are no "funny" characters in your text. Make needed corrections by adding carriage returns and/or deleting and retyping in the text entry window. Repeat "preview" and correction until you are satisfied.

• Click on the "submit" button below the text entry window. You will not (as in the course forum area) be able to see your paper immediately (papers need to be further processed once they have all been received), but you will be congratulated for a successful electronic submission.