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How to Produce Elements of a Well Written Paper

Dr. Darrell Dantzler When I evaluate your paper, I am looking at your interpretation of the subject matter, and how well you support your arguments and assertions. I also look at the APA formatting, research skills, and paper organization. I do not expect everyone to interpret the information the same. I provided an APA formatted template that includes an APA formatted Title Page; Organizational Structure for the Body; and an Example of an APA formatted Reference Page. Please see the information below detailing the elements of a well written paper in relation to the scoring rubric:

SYNTHESIS OF KNOWLEDGE (FOCUS/THESIS) [Graduate Learning Outcomes

Assessment Objective #4] (20 points)

Criteria (1) Student exhibits a defined and clear understanding of the assignment. (2) Thesis is clearly defined and well constructed to help guide the reader throughout the assignment. (3) Student builds upon the thesis of the assignment with well-documented and exceptional supporting facts, figures, and/or statements. Tips: Set the tone of your paper with an explicit introduction, transition to the body including main points, and wrap up your paper with a conclusion. Simply, begin the paper with an introduction of your topic. An introduction has an attention getter, purpose or thesis statement, and an overview of topics to be discussed. An attention getter can begin with any of the 6 ways: (1) Anecdote, (2) Question, (3) Quotation, (4) Humor, (5) Shocking Statistic, or a (6) combination of them (http://classroom.synonym.com/5-types-attention-getters-essays-2877.html). After you introduce the topic, state the purpose of the paper. The purpose can be as simple as restating the objective of the assignment. The purpose of this paper is to (state purpose). (Overview) The paper will address the following: (List topics). Always end with a conclusion. Conclusions wrap up what you have been discussing in your paper. After moving from general to specific information in the introduction and body paragraphs, your conclusion should begin pulling back into more general information that restates the main points of your argument. Conclusions may also call for action or overview future possible research. The following outline may help you conclude your paper: In a general way,

• Restate your topic and why it is important,

• Restate your thesis/claim,

• Address opposing viewpoints and explain why readers should align with your position,

• Call for action or overview future research possibilities.

FOUNDATION OF KNOWLEDGE [Graduate Learning Outcomes Assessment Objective

#3] (20 points)

Criteria (1) Student demonstrates proficient command of the subject matter in the assignment. (2) Assignment shows an impressive level of depth of student’s ability to relate course content to practical examples and applications. (3) Student provides comprehensive analysis of details, facts, and concepts in a logical sequence.

Tips: Ensure you discuss all of the assignment requirements in detail. This is where you read, assess, interpret, and provide a discussion based on the assignment requirements. Your discussion topics should be organized in a manner that moves from general to specific information. Each main point must have an adequate amount of supporting materials.

APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE (CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS) [Graduate

Learning Outcomes Assessment Objective #5] (20 points) Criteria (1) Student demonstrates a higher-level of critical thinking necessary for graduate level work. (2) Learner provides a strategic approach in presenting examples of problem solving or critical thinking, while drawing logical conclusions which are not immediately obvious. (3) Student provides well-supported ideas and reflection with a variety of current and/or world views in the assignment. Student presents a genuine intellectual development of ideas throughout assignment. Tips: This section supports the foundation of knowledge section. The scoring relates to critical thinking and higher-level thought processing. This is where you demonstrate that you understand the concepts by applying the concepts other research, personal experiences, past events, or any other relevant topics. Use examples, draw conclusions, compare and contrast, make judgments, and/or synthesize materials. You reported the facts in the foundation of knowledge; now it's time to elaborate. Attempt to paraphrase more often than using direct quotes. Paraphrasing demonstrates that you have a high-level understanding of the material.

ORGANIZATION OF IDEAS/FORMAT (10 points)

Criteria (1) Student thoroughly understands and excels in explaining all major points. (2) An original, unique, and/or imaginative approach to overall ideas, concepts, and findings is presented. (3) Overall format of assignment includes an appropriate introduction (or abstract), well- developed paragraphs, and conclusion. (4) Finished assignment demonstrates student’s ability to plan and organize research in a logical sequence. Tips: Apart from tips discussed in previous sections, headings work well to organize your work. The use of headings effectively organizes ideas within the paper, and succinct headings aid the reader in identifying key points within the writing. Take a look at the template and see the following link: https://awc.ashford.edu/cd-formatting-headings%20in-apa-style.html

WRITING SKILL [Graduate Learning Outcomes Assessment Objective #2] (10 points)

Criteria (1) Student demonstrates an excellent command of grammar, as well as presents research in a clear and concise writing style. (2) Presents a thorough, extensive understanding of word usage. (3) Student excels in the selection and development of a well- planned research assignment. (4) Assignment is error-free and reflects student’s ability to prepare graduate-level writing for possible publication in a peer-reviewed (refereed) journal. Tips: Writing conventions and APA formatting are critical in this area. This includes in-text citation and the reference page. Remember all material that is not you own thoughts must have an in-text citation. The in-text citation should have the (Author's Name and Date). The page or paragraph number is required if you are citing a direct quote or statistics. Please see the following links for APA citation basics. Please see the following link for reference page rules.

USE OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY/ APPLICATIONS (10 points)

Criteria (1) Student provides a high-caliber, formatted assignment. (2) Learner exhibits excellent use of computer technology in the development of assignment. (3) Quality and appropriateness of stated references demonstrate the student’s ability to use technology to conduct applicable research. (4) Given assignment includes appropriate word processing, spreadsheet and/or other computer applications as part of the final product. Tips: This part of the scoring addresses the overall formatting of the paper to include APA formatting for the title page, body, and reference page. Also, paragraph construction, header, and headings formatting will be evaluated in this section.

RESEARCH SKILL [Graduate Learning Outcomes Assessment Objective #1] (10 points)

Criteria (1) Student provides sophisticated synthesis of complex body of information in the preparation of assignment. (2) Research provided by student contributes significantly to the development of the overall thesis. (3) Student incorporates an appropriate amount of quality references in assignment. (4) Student incorporates a variety of research resources and methodology in the preparation of assignment. Tips: This part of the scoring evaluated how you utilize research sources to form your argument. Ensure you use peer-reviewed or scholarly resources.

Contemporary Views on Emergency Management

The author of these next two week's material, Ian Mitroff, is an interesting individual. His website calls him 'the father of emergency management' or similar. While perhaps somewhat of a grandiose claim, there's no denying that he has been an important figure in the development of the way we think of disaster response today.

However, his message has changed. His earlier work, which was used in the presentation of earlier versions of this

class for many years, basically echoed the traditional concepts of 'response, recovery, restoration, and mitigation' put forth by many authors, although probably with slightly different names or in a different sequence. He has come to recognize that this view of the process is insufficient. Now, he asserts that emotional cognizance is a critical feature of our ability to respond; that creativity is an under-recognized skill that must be present in planning; that one must embrace the natural uncertainty or 'fuzziness' that will always be present; and that spirituality will play a significant if not critical role in a person's or organization's ability to recover and heal.

It's a perspective that the dispassionate technicians among us probably are not used to dealing with. For some, it's going to be a stretch. That's ok. We refine our knowledge and skills all the time. That's why we're here in this setting called academia. We also have to acknowledge and accept that the world isn't getting any less complex to deal with, and so the professional knowledge we need to succeed isn't going to get any simpler either.