PS7710: ASSIGNMENT
TOPIC: RESPONDENT
As a future academic, it is also essential that you learn how to analyze the work of your colleagues and present your critiques in a manner that is both analytical and civil. The primary goal of this assignment is to read and comment upon a piece of academic writing written by one of your peers. Because you only have a brief time (5 minutes) and space (2 pages) you will need an extremely succinct summary of your colleague's work followed by an organized and pointed analysis of its limitations. Be sure to offer a coherent counter-argument rather than just picking holes in one argument after another.
To sign up as a respondent, please see: http://comparativeseminar.wikispaces.com/ and follow the instructions there for signing up.
DEADLINE:
- 4:30 on the class day during which you will present.
- Late papers are assessed a grade of F.
FORMAT:
- 2 pages
- normal 1 inch margins
- 10 or 12 point type
- double-spaced
- spell-checked
- your name is on it
EXAMPLES:
- For examples of papers with nearly-perfect thesis statements, see: well-written student essays
- For more specific information on thesis statements and outlines, you can see a variety of on-line resources. The best I have found is:
The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing" which is a companion to Michael Harvey's book of the same name.
SUBMISSION PROCEDURE:
You can read the analysis paper that you are responding to on the class blog: http://comparativeseminar.blogspot.com. It is your responsibility to negotiate a deadline for the paper you will be analyzing by discussing it with the prospective author of that paper (this is how it works in academic conferences). Post your written response on the blog as a "comment" to the paper (but it is probably best to compose it in a word processor and paste it in, particularly if you are working with citations)
CONTACT:
If you have any questions or difficulties with either of these questions please
- call me at 248-336-2538,
- visit me at 2053 FAB
- or email me at:
Good luck, and enjoy.