Online English 2020 Report #4

Online English 2020 Report #4

With this assignment, you will bring together all of your previous work in the course to produce an argumentative research paper on a topic related to the fields of science and/or technology. Obviously, this paper will require significant time to research and write. Consequently, your course grade will depend heavily on the quality of this paper.

Major Requirements

• Argumentative in Nature

Your topic treatment should be focused very strongly around your argumentative thesis statement. Approximately one third of your report should be devoted to introducing your topic matter, one third of your material should argue FOR your thesis statement, and one third of the report should present sources that directly DISAGREE with your thesis statement and include direct rebuttals against these sources. Obviously, the thesis statement needs to be argumentative in nature. I define this to mean that at least a few experts in the topic of study could reasonably disagree with the thesis statement.

For your report to be passing, you will need to fulfill the “argumentative requirement” of the Final Report. Basically, this means that you cite at least three contrary sources in your Argumentative Requirement Fulfillment Statement (see below) followed by a detailed discussion of these contrary sources in the main body of your report. You should fairly introduce the main points or arguments made by the contrary authors and then attempt to rebut them with your own logic and information from sources in favor of your thesis statement. Note that the authors of these contrary sources MUST clearly disagree with your thesis statement. In other words, the authors themselves must be arguing against some aspect of your thesis statement in their introduction or conclusion section of their article. If a paper merely brings up a few dissenting point to the thesis statement in the paper, this may not be sufficient if the authors are either neutral or agree in spirit with your thesis statement. Finding suitable contrary sources is one of the primary purposes of this course (c.f., Report #2).

 

Addressing and refuting contrary sources should be your main guiding principle when you write the Final Report. As much as possible, please refrain from presenting information that does not directly relate to fulfilling the argumentative requirement or your thesis statement in general. This will help keep your topic treatment focused, specific, and in-depth. The third report was geared towards helping you have a sufficiently argumentative topic treatment.

 

The argumentative requirement is the MAIN thing I look for in the Final Report when I grade it. When I look over a report, the first thing I do is quickly look over the references list to see the general quality of the sources. The very next thing I do is look at the Argumentative Requirement Fulfillment Statement and identify the listed contrary sources. I then search with my word processor for those sources in the report to confirm that they are adequately discussed and contrary in nature. In addition, if I have any doubt about whether or not a source clearly disagrees with your thesis statement, I may obtain the article for myself and check the content to confirm.

 

• Heavily Research Based

I expect students to have spent significant time researching their topic and to be very knowledgeable of the main debatable issues as a result. To this end, your report will need to contain at least 10 authored sources. A majority of these sources need to be obtained through Google Scholar or the UVU Library databases (c.f., Report #1). At least half your articles need to be from peer-reviewed academic journals. In addition, a significant portion of your sources should be published in the last few years so that your report is fully up-to-date. It is perfectly okay to include some website articles, magazine or newspaper articles, books, or technical reports into your Final Report but the bulk of your articles need to be scholarly articles. There should be a clear progression of the topic treatment and research from the second and third reports carried over into the research report (i.e., do not adopt an entirely new set of sources which is often indicative of a plagiarized report). In addition, I expect students to follow up on and use any articles that I prescribed in preliminary report feedback. I also expect students to be aware of who some of the seminal researchers are with regards to the topic and cite a few of their articles. Note that most good student reports have around 15-20 sources on average.

• Scientifically Based

In arguing for your thesis statement, you will need to use scientific principles and observable evidence. Arguments based on ethical, moral, religious, or political values are unacceptable. (You can point out moral and ethical concerns in the introduction or conclusion sections of your report should they exist for your topic but you cannot rely on them to make your main arguments.)

• Broken into Two Major Sections

Your report will be broken down into two different sections, the front material and the main body. The front material will contain the title page, table of contents (page and possibly a list of illustrations), a glossary, and general information page which includes the all-important Argumentative Requirement Fulfillment Statement. The main body will include your main essay and references. This main body of the paper, not including the front material (the pages numbered with Roman numerals), should be 10-16 double-spaced pages in length. More precisely, the main body should contain between 2,500 and 4,000 words. Note that figures, graphs, or tables obtained from other sources do not count toward the minimum and maximum word length limits.

• American Psychological Style (APA) Style Citations and References

Your report will need to incorporate APA style citations and references as specified in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th edition). Do not incorporate another formatting style or styles from earlier editions of the APA Manual. I expect citations and references to be in the correct APA format. Admittedly, this is a difficult requirement to fulfill 100 percent correctly and I rarely see a student get all of the citations and references perfectly correct. Still, the formatting should be mostly correct without gross, systematic errors.

IMPORTANT: Do not deviate from ANY of the requirements listed above as these are key elements that distinguish your report from any old research report. Your research report must be original in nature and written specifically for this class. I will fail without hesitation any report which deviates from the requirements listed above. Please contact me if you believe you will have difficulty fulfilling any of the requirements before submission of your report.

Front Matter

o             Title Page

 

The title page should include a centered title that concisely describes the content of the report. The title can occupy more than one line. Avoid titles that are humorous or cryptic. Consult page 23 of the APA Manual for directions on how to write a good title. Just below the title, include centered your name, school (Utah Valley University), course (Online English 2020), and name of the instructor (Dr. Robert Crane).

Below this, include the abstract of your paper, single-spaced. The abstract should concisely summarize the content of the report, state the purpose of the report (i.e., the argument you are trying to prove), and not exceed 120 words in length. Please see pages 25-27 of the APA Manual for guidelines on writing an effective abstract. (Note that placing the abstract on the title page, using single spacing, is not strictly in accordance with APA style rules.)

Each page of your report will need to include the page number and the running head at the top of each page. The front material will be numbered using Roman numerals (i.e., i, ii, iii, iv, etc.) and the main body will be numbered using Arabic numerals (i.e., 1, 2, 3, etc.). The running head is discussed on page 229 of the APA Manual. On the title page, preface the running head with the identifier, “Running head:” followed by the running title given in all capital letters. See the student report example and the sample report on pages 41-42 of the APA Manual for how to do the running head. I encourage you to set up the headings and page numbers automatically in your document instead of doing them manually. You can use a “section break” to start a new numbering scheme in the main body.

o             Table of Contents

The Table of Contents provides the reader with page numbers of all of the different headings used in the report. The format of the headings should correspond with the appropriate level of the heading (e.g., level 1, 2, etc.). This includes some form of indentation, capitalization, and italics depending on the type of headings you use in your paper. Use your Table of Contents function of your word processor to create your table. Do not attempt to create the table manually. You may need to consult your word processor’s documentation to accomplish this goal.

o             List of Figures and Tables

If your report contains figures or tables (recommended) then you will need to include a table of contents page for these items. Include the page numbers of figures and tables separately. Note: A figure contains graphics of some sort whereas a table simply presents words or numbers.

o             Glossary of Terms

Include a glossary to define the most important technical terms of the report. That is, the terms that are most central to the understanding of the topic matter for the intended audience. When I read a report, I check to see if a few of the important technical terms I come across are contained in the glossary and that the student has defined them in the appropriate context of the subject matter. Please limit its length to 750 words maximum. The most effective way to format the glossary is as a two column table (without borders) in your word processor.

o             General Information Page

On this page, include your thesis statement, the audience of the report, the purpose of the report, and a statement telling how you will fulfill the argumentative requirement of the report. Under the heading Thesis Statement, write your thesis statement. Note that it should only be one sentence long and be the guiding argumentative principle of your report. Note that the thesis statement needs to appear TWICE in your Final Report–once on this page and then somewhere in the main body of your report (usually somewhere in the introduction section). If you modify your thesis statement during the course of the term, I encourage you to email me to ensure that your thesis statement is clearly argumentative in nature. Reports with thesis statements that are not argumentative in nature will most likely be failed since this is something I had students work on all term long.

Next, under the heading of Report Audience, identify your intended audience of your report. Identify one or more specific populations and make sure that you state what educational level you expect your audience to possess (e.g., high school, undergraduate in college, etc.). Also, include me, Dr. Robert Crane, in your audience statement since I will be reading and grading your report.

Next, under the heading of Author’s Purpose, detail the purpose of your report. That is, why are you writing this report? What are the major issues you hope to resolve in the report?

Finally, under the heading of Argumentative Requirement Fulfillment Statement, state briefly how you will fulfill the argumentative requirement of the Final Report. That is, state specifically at least three sources that disagree directly with your thesis statement. You will need to do this by citing in APA style format specific authors found in your references section who disagree with your thesis statement. In more plain terms, I need to see surnames of authors and the year of publication of each source according to the APA listing rules (c.f., Table 6.1, p. 177, of the APA Manual). Vague references to classes of people are unacceptable. I will examine the use of these sources in the main body of the report to evaluate whether or not the student fulfilled the argumentative requirement. Giving a sentence or two for each source explaining how the authors disagree with your thesis statement will also be very helpful here.

Note: Turning in a Final Report without all of the front material specified exactly above will result in failure of the report.

Main Body

o             Introduction Chapter

First, in the upper-right part of the page, start numbering your pages using Arabic numerals. (You will want to use a “section break” in your word processor to allow you to start the different numbering.”) In the introduction, you should gradually introduce your topic to the reader. The introduction should provide general background information to your topic and also include your thesis statement, preferably near the end of the Introduction. Your introduction chapter should be centered on setting up your thesis statement. That is, when you place your thesis statement, the reader should have a basic understanding of all of the concepts included in the thesis statement itself. One problem I frequently see from students is an abrupt placement of the thesis statement where each aspect of the statement is not adequately introduced to the reader.

o             Other Body Chapters

In these chapters, you should discuss the major debatable issues related to your topic and thesis statement. As stated above, you will need to discuss sources that disagree with your thesis statement and then attempt to rebut those sources.

o             Conclusion Chapter

Here, you sum up your argument. You can also point to other issues related to your topic not specifically addressed in your paper. For example, you can discuss what might happen in the near future and/or discuss the relevance of your report. Here, you may also briefly mention any social or ethical ramifications of your topic.

o             References Section

List your references in APA format. Use the “hanging indent” feature of your word processor to format your references. Each citation in your report should have a corresponding reference. Each reference should have at least one corresponding citation in the main body of the report.

Back Matter (optional)

o             Any Appendices

Most students do not need to include an appendix in their reports. However, it is sometimes desirable to include information relegated to the report that is too bulky to include in the main body. Any appendix will not count towards the 10-16 page length requirement.

o             Acknowledgements

The Acknowledgements is a section where you credit people or institutions that aided you in writing your report. This section is optional and also does not count towards the page length requirement.

Other Final Report Requirements

o             Headings

 

The Final Report requires you to correctly employ different levels of headings. Headings are the titles you use to demarcate the different sections of your report. I encourage you to read pages 62-63 in the APA Manual so that you can fully educate yourself in the correct usage of headings. The headings in your table of contents should be formatted in exactly the same matter as the headings in the main body of the report.

 

o             Voice and Quotations

 

I feel it is very important that the Final Report contains a strong voice from the author. That is, I need to get a strong sense that you are personally telling the story in the report and not simply stringing together ideas and quotes you have found in your references. I need to feel that you personally have a command of understanding your topic in a similar way that an expert would lecture on a topic.

 

Related to this is the usage of quotations in the paper. In the past, I have noticed that students tend to use too many quotes in their papers making for very difficult reads. Consequently, I strongly discourage the usage of quotes overall. Inserting a quote frequently disrupts the flow of the paper and takes away from the author’s own voice. In almost all cases for scientific reports, it is much better to paraphrase another person’s writing in your own words. For the most part, your report should contain only one or two quotes at the very maximum. Reports replete with quotes will be severely docked.

 

o             Typeface and Spacing

 

Use Times New Roman font in size 12. Do not use bold lettering in your report except for headings. Double space the lines in your paragraphs containing sentences or use 1.5 line spacing (preferred). See the student report sample to see get a strong idea of a decent line spacing style for different sections and elements.

 

o             Technical Writing Style and Grammar

 

The report should contain a professional and polished writing style as would be expected from a published article. This includes the following principles:

             The Report is written solely in the 3rd person (No 1st person like “I,” “we,” “us,” “our,” or 2nd person like “you” or “your”). That is, the Final Report needs to be impersonal without directly relating to one’s own personal experiences and/or beliefs.

             The report contains no sexist or discriminatory language.

             Technical terms are defined as necessary.

             The report contains no contractions (“it is,” instead of “it’s”)

             Sentences are varied and have appropriate length for the subject matter.

             Paragraphs include both general and specific support and they cover only one subtopic.

             The report contains smooth transitions between paragraphs and sections. Each sentence logically follows from the previous sentence.

             Etc.

o             Tables and Figures

Tables and figures can be a nice addition to a report. They are particularly useful in clarifying some issues. Tables and figures are optional in the Final Report.

All tables and figures included in the Final Report must contain the following:

1. Make reference to the figure in the main text (e.g., “Figure 1 shows the fatalities involving…”). That is, talk a bit about the figure or table you are including in the report.
2. Include a caption and/or title for each figure or table. The caption includes (a) the figure or table item number (e.g., “Figure 1.”); (b) a brief description of the item (e.g., “Percentage of highway fatalities involving alcohol.”); and (c) a citation where the source was adapted from (e.g., “Adapted from Smith (1998, p. 12).”). If the item is from adapted from a particular source then include the source in the reference section.

How I Will Grade the Final Report

Everybody’s writing experience before taking English 2020 is different. Some people were blessed with excellent writing teachers, others learned in spite of the educational system they were exposed to, and some have never had to write anything longer than a three to five page essay. Everyone comes to this class, however, with an equal opportunity to succeed. Some will just have to work harder than others to achieve the same level of excellence. So, please, let’s make a few things clear:

 

The Final Report is the product of the course. It is what you use to demonstrate to me what you have learned and at what level of excellence you have learned it. If your Final Report shows that you have learned the concepts of the course, including a strong knowledge of your research topic, and are able to apply them to the production of your written work, you will receive a passing grade for the paper. Your score reflects the depth of that learning and the degree to which you have achieved the course objectives. Accordingly, I grade the Final Report primarily on its overall value as a document that achieves its purpose. Also, I compare your document to the hundreds of similar reports that I have received from students in the past. Your grade on your Final Report is therefore an indication of the general state of your preparation for writing similar documents in your employment or in future college classes. I cannot assign the report a score based on other, extracurricular factors.

An “A” grade (90%-100%) indicates superior work. Your written communication skills are superior and you have done a nice job of fulfilling all the requirements of the report. The report has little or no minor problems.

A “B” grade (80%-89%) indicates average to above-average work. The report does a good job of fulfilling the report requirements but there are one or two major problems and/or there are numerous minor problems.

A “C” grade (70%-79%) indicates average to below-average work, meaning that the report contains problems that should have been caught and fixed. Many of the final reports receive “C” grades because things are left until the last minute or because students did not seek my help for questions or difficulties encountered.

An “E” or “D” grades (69% or below) indicates that the minimum standards were not met. The problem is usually inadequate control of the English language or insufficient research and time put into the report. It may also mean a failure to understand the principles of academic research and writing. For example, the report may not be sufficiently logical or argumentative in nature. Please note that very incomplete reports or reports that fail to fulfill the major requirements listed at the beginning of this document will be assigned a score of zero. More specifically, I will assign a score of zero if you do not provide a thesis statement, do not provide an Argumentative Requirement Fulfillment Statement with three cited sources, list at least 10 sources in the references (five of which are from scholarly journals), and do not format the citations and references in APA style.

 

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