MIDS 400 requires 3 key writing assignments of varying length:  a critical review essay on a book of your choosing (5-6pp); a systematic source analysis which compares and contrasts two academic articles in your field(s) (5-6pp); and a detailed research proposal describing a possible research path for your MIDS thesis/project (8-12pp).  Directions for the assignments can be accessed from the above links.  All writing assignments should be submitted via the Digital Dropbox in RUOnline on the posted due date.  Alternatively, they may be faxed to me at 773.764.7149 (home fax).   

Late papers will be docked 5% the 1st week they are late, 10% the second week, etc. up to a 20% penalty.  However, you have a 24-hr. grace period on all assignments, during which they can be turned in without a late penalty.  The critique essay and the source analysis may be revised after the initial grade and resubmitted, if you wish, for further consideration.  Make sure you submit the original essay with my comments along with your revision.  Note that the research paper has a built-in rough draft. Revision due dates will be posted on the Schedule page.

A Note on Academic Honesty -- Very Important!

All of your work in MIDS 400 and every other university class must be your own.  The Roosevelt Student Handbook, which is available from the advising center as well as online, states that "It is unethical to present as one's own work, the ideas, representations, or words of another, or to permit another to present one's own work without customary and proper acknowledgment of sources" (45).  Also see pp. 201-4 of Booth, et al.'s The Craft of Research. 

Plagiarism is a serious academic offense and is unacceptable in any form.  It can take many shapes in academic writing assignments:  putting one's name on another person's paper and presenting it as one's own work (an egregious example!); failing to properly cite information from another source (i.e., not giving credit where it's due); failing to put a direct quote in quotation marks (even if it's cited properly); or not adequately paraphrasing the language of an outside source (again, even if it's cited properly).  The latter two examples are the most common forms of plagiarism, and even though in many case they are unintentional mistakes, they're still wrong--and unethical. 

The following is a summary of the criteria I use to evaluate most kinds of academic writing assignments. Please bear in mind that no list is universal--each assignment usually demands a few special categories of consideration, and I always make the appropriate adjustments depending on the assignment. For example: in-class writing is graded more loosely in terms of grammar and spelling than is out-of-class writing; likewise, a creative piece must be evaluated differently than a research paper. Makes sense, right?  Moreover, not every B paper will be characterized by all the B criteria; it may contain some elements of an A paper and some of a C paper.  In the end, I assess the overall strengths and weaknesses of a given draft, keeping in mind key criteria such as focus, analysis, organization, research (when applicable), integration of sources (ditto), documentation, and mechanics (i.e., grammar, spelling, style).

"A" paper: Excellent

• Fulfills and successfully pushes beyond the minimum requirements of the assignment in terms of thoroughness and level of detail
• Defines its purpose/thesis very clearly and addresses a defined audience
• Exemplifies a high level of sophistication in terms of content and style (i.e., goes beyond obvious points, shows originality of thought, tackles a difficult subject, flows logically and coherently, uses mature sentence structure and diction, etc.)
• Demonstrates evidence of careful and thoughtful revision
• Displays excellent overall organization and nearly flawless mechanics
• Makes effective and judicious use of other sources (if required), and documents them correctly
• Is readable, clear, and free from needless ambiguity

"B" paper: Very Good

• Fulfills the minimum requirements of the assignment, and attempts (not always successfully) to go further in terms of development
• Defines its purpose/thesis adequately and addresses a particular audience (with perhaps an occasional lapse)
• Displays coherent organization, with room for possible adjustment
• Demonstrates some degree of thoughtful revision
• Employs reasonably sound writing mechanics
• Uses and documents sources competently
• Is reasonably free from logical flaws and ambiguity (though minor lapses may occur)

"C" paper: Fair

• Fulfills the bare minimum of the assignment; makes no attempt to go beyond what's easy or obvious
• Defines an audience, but does not address it adequately or consistently
• Defines a purpose, but in an unclear or confusing manner--thesis is ineffective and unclear
• Presents material in a somewhat unorganized fashion
• Demonstrates little thoughtful revision--changes are made only on the surface (e.g., spelling and grammar)
• Documents sources and/or uses visuals, but not effectively
• Lacks clarity--the thought process is obscured and the prose is difficult to read
• Contains a number of stylistic and mechanical weaknesses (e.g., sentence structure may be simplistic and/or repetitive)

"D" paper: Needs a Major Overhaul

• Makes a minimal effort to fulfill the assignment, but fails to do an adequate job
• Lacks a clear purpose/focus
• Is seriously deficient in terms of audience awareness, organization, mechanics, documentation, etc.
• Is difficult to follow--fundamental errors or lack of thoughtful development make reading a chore