Format | Topics | Procedure | Editing | Grading
Format. Each paper is 2-5 pages long, double-spaced, typed or computer
printed, with margins of 1.5in (for the editor's comments). The paper should
have a title page in the following format:
[title]
Date received from editor: Thu, [date], 1995.
Editor: [complete Student ID--no name]
Credit points for author as editor of another paper:
Once you have an idea for a topic, you choose the type of paper you want to
write. You may start with your own everyday observations and develop a
theoretical prediction; or you may start with a theoretical prediction and
apply it to your own life. You may critique an article you read; propose a new
experiment that would clarify open questions; or challenge claims that I made
in lecture. You may also analyze any kind of decision--from the personal to
the political level--with the help of a theory or a concept we discussed.
No matter what type of paper you choose to write, you must clearly go beyond
summarizing other people's thoughts. But of course, when expressing your own
intellectual reaction, you must back up your claims (e.g., with
arguments, compelling examples, or literature you read). In particular, when
you critique an idea, article or claim, be sure to be fair in your
criticism--anticipate your opponent's arguments and try to refute them. Also,
when you apply a theoretical principle to an everyday situation, explain
exactly how the principle helps us understand the everyday situation you
selected.
For your empirical paper, you will collect data to back up your argument or
simply find out what people think or do. For this paper, you could interview
people on the street or students in your dorm; conduct a systematic observation
of your own or your friends' behavior; hand out a questionnaire to your fellow
students at the beginning of class; or analyze archival data such as
newspapers, Congress transcripts, legal cases. Do not merely replicate
a study that you read. Instead, try to find a variation on an existing method,
apply the existing method to a new domain or to a new subject population, or
find out whether a particular effect still holds if you change the wording of
an instruction. The empirical paper might need some help from my side, so feel
free to come to my office hours to talk about your idea
All papers must be short and to the point. So tell your reader what you are
going to do in the first paragraph. Then, in the remaining two or three
pages, fulfill this promise. Also, make your paper interesting--your editor
wants to learn from you, and so do I.
Procedure. Every other Tuesday (10/10, 10/24, 11/7, 11/21), a paper is
due. On those days, you need to come to class at least 5 minutes before it
starts. You turn in a copy of you paper and check off your name on a
"tracking list." Then, after class, you switch into the editor role and pick
up somebody else's paper. On the tracking list, you specify the person's ID
whose paper you are going to edit. You then have two days to edit the paper
(see below for details), returning it on Thursday (2 days later) at the
beginning of class. (Again, you check off your name on the tracking list.) At
the end of Thursday's class you switch back into the author role and take your
edited paper home with you. You then have five days to revise your paper: You
turn in the final version to me on the following Tuesday. That is, final
versions are due 10/17, 10/31, 11/14, 11/28
Editing. As the editor of a paper,
you will read the paper carefully and look for ways to improve it on
the following levels:
1. Spelling, punctuation, grammar.
2. Sentence length and structure: Is the sentence too long? redundant? would
regrouping of words or clauses help?
3. Word choice: The goal is to find the simplest word that best describes the
writer's idea. Pay close attention to the use of technical terms: is the term
necessary, would a commonly used word be more suitable? Is the term used
correctly?
4. Logic of thought: Are the arguments clearly presented and convincing? Do
conclusions follow from their premises? Are too many assumptions left
unjustified?
5. Idea: Does the paper have a clear topic, a point, a message? Or is the
author just rambling? Do the paragraphs speak to the general topic and do they
form a coherent and logical order? Does the paper express an intellectual
reaction or is it just a summary?
You need to write legible comments into the margins of the paper. At
the end of the paper, you should summarize your thoughts about the paper and
give constructive suggestions how to improve it on each of the five levels. As
an editor, you need to be critical but constructive. That means, you
should be neither harsh nor flattering.
Grading. You can earn up to 5 points for writing and up to 5 points for
editing a paper. You cannot earn any points, however, by merely writing (or
merely editing) a paper--you must do both the same week.
I will assess your writing on the basis of both your initial draft
and your revised version. The initial draft need not be perfect, but it
must demonstrate considerable efforts. The revised draft must be a definite
improvement over the initial draft--you must incorporate your editor's comments
and/or improve the paper in other ways.
I will assess your editing by the diligence and care of your work and by
the usefulness of you comments. Your feedback must be
constructive--your comments should help the writer improve the initial
draft; and it must be comprehensive--you need to address all five levels
described above. Occasionally, you will edit a very good initial draft; in
this case, try to work on details to perfect the paper's flow and elegance.
Please send email if you have any further
questions.
Author's SS# last 4 digits
Paper # [1-4]
Credit points for author:
Comments:
[leave 10 lines blank]
Comments:
[leave 10 lines blank]
Topics. A reaction paper features your intellectual reaction to a topic
covered in class or in the course reader. A "topic" can be a phenomenon, a
theory, a concept, an experiment, and so forth. The ideal start is to think
about which issues in class or the reader have grabbed, bothered, or puzzled
you.