Senior Thesis

399 External Information

This website is for Mike Bryson's BGS 399 external students to use in conjunction with the 399 external modules.  Your work in this section of 399 is primarily self-directed, but you can consult with me at various points in the process to get ideas, ask questions, and receive feedback on your work.  You'll submit three key papers in 399:  a detailed, formal research proposal (approx. 3 single-spaced pages), a rough draft of your research paper (20-25 pages plus a bibliography), and the revised draft of that paper.  The proposal is worth 25 points, the paper is worth 100.

Before you start working on your formal proposal, you should get in touch with me by email, phone, or office visit, so we can discuss your topic options and narrow your choices down.  

• Email:  mbryson@roosevelt.edu

• Phone:  312.281.3148 (DT); 847.619.8735 (Robin)

• Office:  205 Gage (DT); 633 (Robin)

BGS 399 is the capstone experience of your undergraduate program.  It's both a challenge and an opportunity to research a question, problem, controversy, or topic you're interested in and want to learn more about.  With that I exhort you to keep an open mind as you research and write, keep in touch with me as you go through the process, and have fun while you're at it!  I'm glad I'll be taking the journey with you.

How I Evaluate Assignments

The following is a summary of the criteria I use to evaluate most kinds of 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 a creative piece must be evaluated differently than a research paper. Makes sense, right?  I've also developed a more specific evaluation rubric for research papers.

"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: 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

Note: A, B, C, and D designations correspond to approximate point (or percentage) ranges: 90-100, 80-89, 70-79, etc. 

Proposal

Paper

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mb's Home Page

Last updated 
10/10/08