Final Projects

Criteria for Evaluation

As long as you follow directions, put forth an honest effort, and turn in your proposal and paper on time, you can look forward to doing well on your project. Keep the following in mind to make sure you get all the possible points on your project:

I WILL NOT ACCEPT YOUR PAPER IF:

you have not turned in a proposal to me by the due date (see syllabus)
you changed your project topic without consulting me
your paper is not turned in by the due date (see syllabus)

you do not turn in all of the forms required (go to Project Forms link to make sure you have all necessary forms and instructions).
you do not have the necessary signature on your volunteer form*
you do not type your paper

GRADING CRITERIA

General Organization - 10 pts
- All sections of paper are clearly labeled
- Pages are numbered (page numbering may take up no more than one line on each page)
- Article or book reviews must contain an introduction, main body, and conclusion
Content and Readability – 90 pts
- Main point/idea(s) clearly stated
- All issues thoroughly addressed (don’t bring something up if you’re not going to explain it)
- Easy to read and understand (sentences shouldn’t go on for half a page; use direct, clear language)
- References appropriately cited within the body of the paper (article review, advocacy paper)
- Page limitation adhered to – 10 pts per page (5 pts per half page) will be deducted if your paper falls below the requirement for your project. (Note: if you attempt to adjust margins and fonts in order to make your paper appear longer than it is, you will be penalized twice—once for not following the format instructions, and once again for not meeting the page requirement).
Format & References– 15 pts
- Format
  - Typed, Double spaced
  - 1” margins
  - 12 pt Times New Roman Font
- References
  - Article Review: Please use the citation information from your article as headers for each of your summaries. Include: author names, date, title of article, name of journal, issue number, page numbers. Sources must be from academic journals only.
  - Advocacy Paper: Please cite your sources within the body of the paper. The last page of your paper must be a list of all references cited (give as complete information as possible so I can track down the source if need be). Sources of information may vary as appropriate for your topic (newspapers, press releases, or statements on issues published by appropriate organizations may be good sources of information about policy issues, but academic journals may also be helpful).
  - Book Review: Begin your paper with a complete citation of the book you have chosen (give me the author, year of publication, title, publisher, and city). No reference section is necessary unless you choose to use additional sources—if so, see me first to get my prior approval.
- Clarity/Grammar - 15 pts.

Most common reasons why students lose points:

not meeting the page requirement (10 pts PER PAGE)
tendency to use overly generalized statements without sufficient detail (“The staff were really helpful.” [helpful how? to whom?] “I think this agency is a really good agency.” [how was it good?]); if you visited an agency, I need to get the impression that you were really there
not following directions (for example, use of large font or wide margins to make your paper appear longer than it is—you lose twice in this case, since you have failed to follow directions and have not really met the page requirement)
grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors (go to the writing lab for help: 212 Carroll Hall, 972-6548)

To avoid such problems, keep the following in mind:

start early; don’t wait until the last minute to finish this
I know you’re busy; go to McGraw-Hill/Dushkin: How to Manage Your Time for tips on how to make the best use of your time
don’t rush your work; take your time (only possible if you begin early)
bring in early drafts of your work; I will tell you if something is missing or wrong (this is a good deal--take advantage of it!)
use complete sentences rather than fragments
look up words; check style guide for grammar and punctuation
elaborate on ideas when necessary in order to be clear (For example, “Poverty is harmful to children” is a very general statement. How is poverty harmful? What aspects of development does it impact? Does the age of the child matter?)
read all directions carefully (the most common cause of points being deducted is failure to read and follow directions)

*I reserve the right to call any of your contacts at random during the course of the semester. If I find that you have falsified any information, forged a signature, or plagiarized your paper, you will FAIL the course and I will file formal ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT charges against you, which could lead to your dismissal from the university. Just be honest and do your own work; the costs of cheating are just not worth it. If you have a problem that you feel makes it difficult or impossible to meet all the requirements of this course, please see me as soon as possible.