Prof. Bryan Benham

General Comments / Structure of Paper / Grading Criteria / Letter Grades

For this course you will be writing a number of papers. These papers will cover a number of different topics and themes, but they should all conform to the general standards of any good paper. I would be happy to review and comment on earlier drafts of your paper, but please allow adequate time for this process. Below are some general recommendations for writing a good paper.

General Comments

The basic goal of the paper should be to demonstrate that you have a clear grasp of the topic you are discussing. It should reflect your understanding an appreciation of the work or some theme. So, please let your words do the representing. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. I don't expect your to do any research in outside sources, but it is recommended. If quotes are necessary, please document them appropriately. Also, the paper should be presented without grammatical or spelling errors. It should have a beginning, middle and end, which correspond to an introduction, body and conclusion of the paper.

Structure of Paper

The structure of the paper should follow commonly accepted elements. This should include an introduction, body, and conclusion of the paper. In your introduction you should have a clearly writing thesis with a summary of support for your thesis. Remember that your thesis is an answer to a substantive question about the topic you are interested in. Other structural features to keep in mind follow.

1. Thesis: Your paper should have a clear thesis. What is it that you are writing about? What question or set of questions will you be asking and answering?
   
2. Support for Thesis: Your thesis should be well supported with evidence, reasons or illustrations appropriate to your topic. It is best to use specific passages, episodes, or scenes from the literature or discussion to illustrate or support your thesis. Think of examples that best demonstrate the point you are making and use them to convince the reader. However, you shouldn't over do it; the use of examples is not a substitute for your own thoughts about the subject. Explain you point and how it relates to your thesis.
   
3. Organization: The paper should be clearly organized. I recommend using paragraphs as your primary unit of organization. For example, your first paragraph should have a clear statement of your thesis and a summary of your supporting reasons. In the body of the paper, use one paragraph to explain or illustrate one point. Additional paragraphs can be used to explain or support other points. In short, make sure you write in a logical manner so that ideas flow smoothly from one to the other. Think of your paper is providing a road-map of your ideas. Make sure the reader can follow it with little or no trouble.
   
4. Language: Use clear, straightforward language. You don't have to use fancy or important sounding language to convey important ideas. Remember, you are trying to inform or convince the reader; you are not trying to confuse the reader. Also, be sure to define or clarify important terms or concepts that the reader may not understand. Clarity is the best tool for supporting a thesis.
   

Grading Criteria

Papers are evaluated on a number of different criteria. The following are the two most important criteria:

1. Content: By far the most important criterion is the content of your paper. Your paper should reflect a clearly delineated and well thought out paper that demonstrates you understand the basic issue or theme you are writing on. You should also demonstrate that you understand the consequences and implications of your thesis where applicable. Sometimes this means discussing opposing views. If you are not sure about these make an appointment and we can discuss your paper.
   
2. Grammar and Organization: The next most important criterion is that your paper is clearly organized and uses grammatically correct language. I don't expect absolute grammatical perfection, but the more mistakes there are the more difficult it is for your paper to earn a high grade. I suggest reading the paper out loud, word for word (to yourself or a friend). If it doesn't sound right, it probably isn't. Several good reference works are available to help in this regard. Don’t' be afraid to use them. Also, using a spell-check program does not constitute sufficient editorial review. Give yourself time to re-write your paper. Clarity and organization often make the difference between a good paper and a great paper.
   

 

Letter Grades

A brief explanation of what I take the letter grades to mean. These remarks should not be taken as strict criteria. They only provide a guideline for what I expect.

A = the paper demonstrates that the student really understands the issue, provides a grammatically flawless paper, and makes no obvious mistakes. Also an "A" paper generally adds some originality by extending the ideas of the paper to other areas, demonstrating some insight and critical reflection on the part of the student.

B = the paper demonstrates a clear understanding of the issue, provides a grammatically sound paper (very few errors), and makes no major mistakes.

C = the student demonstrates a basic understanding of the issue (with one or two minor confusions), provides a grammatical paper with only a handful of errors, and makes minor errors.

D = the paper demonstrates some understanding but is generally confused, provides a grammatically weak paper with several errors that impede the reader from understanding the ideas in the paper, and makes a number of general errors.

F = the paper demonstrates little more than confusion about the issue, provides a very weak grammatical paper with numerous grammatical errors, and makes a number of clear errors.