geology

Geol 1

Term Paper Guidelines

Formatting

· 1200-1500 words

· Typed, double-spaces, 12 pt Times New Roman (or similar font)

· One inch margins on all sides

· Include the following in either the upper right or left corner of the first page:

· Name

· Date

· Class (Geol 1, section ?)

· Semester

· Word Count

· Title of paper should be centered and after the information listed above

· Do not use a title page

· Include a brief intro and conclusion

· Clearly organize your paper into paragraphs that each have a clear topic.

· Papers will be turned in on Canvas

College-Level Writing

This is a scientific paper and should be written to reflect this style. This means that you should:

· Not use 20 words to say something when 10 will do.

· Be clear and concise in your writing.

· Avoid informal phrases such as: “Have you ever wondered why …?”

· Avoid colloquialisms, slang or other informal expressions.

· Avoid references to “you” (the second person). For example: “When you look at…”

· Proofread your paper!!! Please don’t hand in a paper riddled with spelling and grammatical errors.

· No direct quotes! I know, brutal, but the point of the paper is to illustrate that you understand the topic, not that you know how to cut and paste in Microsoft Word.

References and Citations

· 5 reliable sources (one must be a peer reviewed article) are required for this research paper

· You are ultimately responsible for deciding what is reliable, but can ask me if you have questions about what that means .

· You must include a Works Cited Page as the last page of your paper

· Sources must be appropriately referenced using GSA style

· Your paper must also include in-text citations.

· All researched info should have an in-text citation at the end of it (so most of the paper).

· Citations will go at the end of the sentence or paragraph, depending on how much info you got from that single source (This was discussed in class).

· Appropriate use of in-text citations is also demonstrated on the powerpoint

· Appropriate use of references and in-text citations is critical for success on this paper as incorrect use can be construed as plagiarism (something we all desperately want to avoid!). Please see me if you have questions about your works cited page or in-text citations.

· Plagiarism in any form will result in a minimum of a 0 on your paper and will be reported to the University with the possibility of further academic sanctions.

· Avoid direct quotes whenever possible, which is always. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that you have gained an understanding of a particular topic and are sufficiently versed in it to discuss in in your own words. Direct quotes will result in a lower grade. (the only exception to this rule is in personal accounts, but these should be kept to a minimum).

Originality

· The term paper must be an original for this class, meaning that you cannot submit a paper that has been or will be submitted to another class. This should be your own work (obviously) and you are expected to work independently.

Grading

· The term paper is worth 400 points and a significant % of your final grade.

· You will be graded on content, as well as quality and clarity of writing.

· If you feel that you need additional help writing your paper, the Student Writing Center is an excellent resource available to you.

· The SJSU Writing Center is located in Rm. 126 in Clark Hall. It is staffed by professional instructors and upper-division or graduate-level writing specialists from each of the seven SJSU colleges. Our writing specialists have met a rigorous GPA requirement, and they are well trained to assist all students at all levels within all disciplines to become better writers. The Writing Center website is located at http://www.sjsu.edu/writingcenter/.