Basic Specifications

Length: 5 pages, or about 1,600 words (not including references)

Format: Double-spaced, Times New Roman 12-point font, 1-inch margins

Citation: Cite all authors and publication year in the text, in parentheses. Use APA style and include references at the end, not as footnotes.

Cover: Use a cover sheet with paper title, your name, the date, the class, and the technology and perspective you selected.

Submission: Submit a paper copy the day you present

Paper Writing Tips

Structure is the key to a good argument

• There is no "formula" for the best way to structure your paper. You must create a well organized paper, however. Plan your argument carefully and be sure to let the reader know what you are doing (see "Signposting" below).
• Include a thesis statement at the start of your paper and a few sentences explaining what you will be writing.
• These papers will not need lengthy introductions of the "entice the reader" variety. Assume that your reader is already interested in the topic on which you are writing.

Style and format are the keys to good writing

• Good style allows readers to follow your argument more easily. Edit your papers carefully for careless errors.
• Avoid hyperbole and sweeping statements that can't be substantiated, e.g., "The internet has completely revolutionized interpersonal communication."
• Don't be timid - you can make definite claims in your thesis. Just be sure you can support it with evidence from your research.
• Check your paper for spelling and grammar. Computer spell-checks will not catch mistakes where your misspelling results in a differently, but correctly, spelled word.
• Avoid contractions ("do not" instead of "don't").
• The word "media" is plural (“the media are expanding”).

Guide your reader through a clear argument

• Identify one main, focused point your paper will make. This point is your argument, and should be specific, clear, and supported by the research as evidence.
• Guide your reader through an argument with clear statements about the importance of each point.
• Use "signposting" to tell the reader either where you've been or where you're going. E.g.: "This section will present some of the other theories about media and violence."
• Each paragraph should have a main point. Avoid run-on paragraphs (almost as bad as run-on sentences). Ask yourself: What is the main point of this paragraph? Am I trying to say too much here? Is it obvious to a reader what the main point of this paragraph is?
• Answer the question, "So what?" to make your paper both more interesting and more valuable. For example, when you claim that some aspect of the media has a particular effect, explain why it matters, the possible social consequences of this effect, etc.

Edit and review your paper for logic and clarity

• Be careful about claiming that you can prove a causal relationship, e.g., "I will prove that TV cartoons cause children to become more aggressive." These things are almost impossible to prove.
• Don't be vague, e.g., "Due to the close relationship between media and politics, media have a significant effect on politics." What kinds of "significant" effects? What is the relationship between media and politics?
• Don't let your paper wander off topic and cover too much territory. Keep asking yourself, "How does this statement relate to my main topic?"

Sources and Grading

Non-Class Sources May Be Used Sparingly

• These papers are research papers, although many of your sources may come from class readings.
• Remember, the more your paper includes the work of other relevant authors, the more obvious your hard work. Citations mean good scholarship!
• Be sure that most of your sources are academic journals and/or research-based books.
• Use information from articles in popular magazines or newspapers sparingly and just as a means of illustrating or adding "color" to information gleaned from academic sources.
• Citing the WWW is tricky. Use it sparingly.
• Don't cite a web page unless you know the organization that runs it. The best sites are official sites run by governments, universities, and well-known and respected non-profit organizations.
• To cite electronic sources, use APA 5th Edition and visit this web site for assistance on proper citation: library.osu.edu/sites/guides/apagd.php

Cite All Outside Sources

• Always cite outside sources used, even for inspiration (Strunk & White, 1942). If you do not cite, it is plagiarism.
• Whenever you include someone else's idea, fact, figure, or theory in your paper, cite the source name and publication date in parentheses (Martey, 2004). Like this. For a specific page, use a comma and page number, like this --> (Martey, 2006, p. 50).
• Include the full reference in the bibliography at the end.
• If you include the name of the author in your text, cite only the publication date in parentheses.

Grading Criteria (Roughly in order of importance)

1. Was the topic addressed completely and accurately? Do you have a thesis statement and clear conclusions?
2. How clear is the writing overall?
3. Are arguments offered for your claims? How strong are those arguments?
4. Are the views of other scholars represented? Are they accurate and applied to the argument?
5. Is the paper well-organized and easy to follow?
6. How are the grammar, punctuation, and spelling? (This is more important if it interferes with #2 above.)
7. Is the paper original and creative?