There are generally three kinds of papers, thought papers, research papers, and creative papers. There can be elements of all three present, but papers largely belong to one of several three categories. The main focus on REL 303 may be the thought paper; no research that is outside required. The main focus on REL 407 in the shorter papers is the thought paper; no research that is outside required. The main focus on REL 407 within the paper that is final be either a thought paper, which requires no outside research, or an investigation paper involving utilization of outside sources.
- a) Thought papers can make utilization of materials beyond the required reading but will not need to do this. Rather, the main focus is on careful study, analysis, and elaboration of ideas presented within a context that is limited such as for example an individual article or book with a few support from assigned secondary readings. It is helpful to concentrate on one or two ideas, passages, or paragraphs and look at the ramifications thereof.
- b) Research papers deal with a careful study of objective evidence accessible to support and refute arguments. You are not necessary to go to outside material, however it is often helpful to obtain supporting evidence beyond what is based in the required texts to back up your assertions.
- c) Creative papers can include forms such as for example fictional narrative, personal narrative, poetry, and illustrations as a key part or all of the product that is finished. You will need to work closely using the instructor should you want to do a far more project that is creative.
- d) you may possibly write on a single associated with the suggested topics, or perhaps you may formulate your own topic; in the latter case you will need to write out a paragraph-length topic and submit it by email towards the instructor for approval.
- e) Sometimes it may happen that a more narrative that is personal will soon be incorporated into your writing, one which includes personal experiences, fictional narrative, or reflections about the writing process. A number of the suggested paper topics will elicit styles that are different genres of writing. However, it could be more challenging to adopt styles that are alternative genres. If you wish to follow different avenues of writing but they are unsure about how to try this, samples are offered for your perusal.
Peer review drafts should be necessary for some papers. Guidelines for peer review will separately be made available.
Although grading is an imprecise art, you are able to attain a large level of consistency. Generally speaking, the important thing points are: Represent ideas fairly and accurately, raise critical questions and doubts, explore theses questions and doubts to present a sophisticated account of this ideas and issues under consideration, and write clearly. I look for the following when reading papers:
- a) Writing. You will think clearly and in an organized fashion if you write clearly and grammatically. If you believe clearly, this is reflected in your writing.
- b) Accuracy. Have you represented the ideas that are relevant?
- c) Focus and balance that is coverage-a of two. From the one hand, perhaps you have covered the ideas that are main to your topic? On the other side, are you currently focused enough? A feeling of the larger picture should really be present, but pursuing a lot of themes or ideas leads to confusion.
- D) depth and sophistication. Perhaps you have taken into consideration various areas of a problem or idea? You will be accurate at a level that is general”The Buddha was a seeker of truth.”), or you can be accurate at a level that is sophisticated”The Buddha was a seeker of truth who formulated his understanding with regards to the four noble truths.”). Have possible questions and objections been taken into account?
- e) Creativity. Will you be ready to accept unexpected insights and a sense of adventure?
Although there are no cast in stone rules, if you cover criteria a) through c), you need to get a B. Provided you have got gone that far, you can add further dimensions to your paper. I have made on your paper or your grade, please come and see me if you have any questions about comments. It is necessary for me personally to learn of every doubts or problems.
In Closing
By monitoring these guidelines, i really hope that your learning experience will become more pleasurable and rewarding for both you and me. These guidelines are supposed to assist you to polish an art, academic writing, that you are developing as you progress. Aren’t getting so hung up about them that you feel your creative processes hindered. If anything, they need to provide just enough of a framework to state your analytical and creative skills. The essay that is accompanying the creative facet of paper writing.
I prefer writing. Me before can pop up in my mind, or once confused and fragmentary information and thought can be spontaneously organized and become clear when I am totally absorbed in writing, many ideas which have never occurred to. It is one of the more satisfactory moments for me.
Yet, I often struggle for very long periods trying to organize ideas in front of the cruel paper that is white. This is especially true once I am wanting to be systematic and logical, starting with a plan. The paper turns out to be organized, clear essay writer, and compact, but I rarely have a sense of satisfaction since anything unclear or vague is eliminated in the process of making an outline.
What’s the difference between a paper which emerges spontaneously and one that begins with a problem for logical consistency? I’ve been wondering how I can bridge the gap between both of these types of writing plus the attitudes they represent. I’ve found some clues to those problems in three articles compiled by Donald Murray, Peter Elbow, and William Stafford.
Whatever they emphasize in accordance is the procedure; writing isn’t the description of a result; in reality, writing itself can create the result. What this means is before we begin that we should not worry too much about how the last draft will turn out, or how we can organize all of our ideas. Relating to Murray, everything we need for writing is enough information and a clear purpose: logic or order can appear later in the act. Elbow even denies the need for coherence within the initial stages of producing writing. He suggests “freewriting,” which activates the writing process by getting rid of any concern about correction. Also, Stafford remarks that the most crucial things for his writing are receptivity and a willingness to quit standards that are high. For many of these writers, logic and organization, which has restricted me in some ways, are secondary in the initial stage of production. It is true that logical rigor is important, but we can worry about that as much as we like after everything has been in writing that we like to say.
What is important in writing is, since the three writers agree, the productivity of writing. In accordance with Murray, for instance, writing is the method of “making a thing that was not there before, finding significance where others find confusion and bringing order to chaos.”By writing you will find new things, which might be a new thought, a new feeling, a brand new idea, and sometimes even a fresh self which you would not have found without writing.
In order to promote this variety of productivity, Murray, Elbow, and Stafford agree with the necessity of opening our minds. Murray points out that writing gives us a chance to capture, during the conscious level, unconscious feelings and ideas we had not noticed or had forgotten. Elbow says freewriting is a solution to make our consciousness empty to ensure we could pick out something unconscious from deep in your hearts. Stafford remarks that the ability letting him write is not a device that is conscious his “own weak, wandering, diffident impulses” along with his “confident reliance” upon these impulses.
Writing may be when compared with a piece of cake blowing towards the small window between consciousness and unconsciousness. The window is usually closed because consciousness is just too strong to allow the window open, and another ultimately ends up surviving in only half of your home, that is, the world that is entire of’s existence. But when writing occurs utilizing the mind open, a breeze opens the window and another can encounter other facets of the self, as well as another self and fully become more integrated: the sweetness for the writing process may even be the act of another self.