As you work on your
Conference Paper as both an individual and in your groups, you should:
1)
START
NOW! The sooner you start, the easier the assignment will be. The later, the
harder. Yes, you can write some papers in one night; this isn't one of them.
2)
GET
AND STAY FOCUSED. Make sure that you approach your topic in a manner relevant
to the key concepts taught in this class. Specifically:
·
Review
the "Course Description", "Course Goals", and "General
Course Objectives, Content" found at the top of the general syllabus.
A major element of this assignment will be your ability to apply these concepts
to your topic, paper and presentation.
·
Review
Thinking About
Monsters: A Rubric.
Together, these sources should help you focus and direct your approach.
When unclear whether your approach and paper fits these general guidelines and
goals, ask your professor. Perhaps the best summary is: "Application of
this information will help the student identify the societal, political, and
cultural mechanisms used to influence and shape contemporary conceptions of the
monster in the real world." Keep asking yourself: does my paper do this?
(hint: the answer should be "yes"!)
3) RESEARCH INTELLIGENTLY Begin
compiling sources and developing a working bibliography. Print online
sources, or at least print key pages you plan to cite. Bookmark and
keep track of all bibliographic material; you cannot use sources you do not
cite. You will need to include a Works Cited page with your paper and
submit an annotated bibliography with your outline; it is always easiest
to begin and maintain a bibliography/works cited list as you research
rather than after you are done writing the paper.This is a good time to begin
developing your Online Portfolio; you can create links to any web sites
relevant to your topic. Bookmark, note and link cites you don't even plan on
citing directly.
4) WRITE ETHICALLY Review the definition of
plagiarism.
5) START NOW! As soon as possible, begin pre-writing your essay:
·
Develop
a working thesis. Your essay must be thesis driven. You will most likely
change your thesis a number of times by the time the paper is finished. That's
ok; you still want to start with a relatively clear thesis so that your
research is focused.
·
"Chunk"
your essay into subtopics or "mini-chapters". Aside from an
Introduction and Conclusion, what three or four main points to you hope to
explore and/or prove in your paper? Give each of these points a heading and
then realize you'll write two or three pages per heading/sub-topic. This should
alleviate much of the stress of writing a long paper, help you focus your
research, and help you outline the overall essay. Try doing your outlining both
on paper and on the computer.
6) BECOME A TEAM Co-ordinate and share with your group. The purpose of the group is to make your research more effective, so take advantage of and help each other. Share sources (see Online Portfolio above; email links to one another etc). Help each other stay on task; if it seems someone in your group is not meeting the guideline discussed above, tell them. Tell your professor.