Identifying a Topic and Incorrect APA Usage

Assignment Purpose:

The first part of this assignment will assist you in identifying a topic which you will work with for subsequent activities in the course. The second part of the assignment helps you articulate what constitutes plagiarism.

Part 1:

In this course you will be using a variety of resources and research tools. This activity will guide you in formulating a topic to use for later assignments in this course.

1. What is something you are curious about? What is something you see out in the world that you want to know more about? Perhaps think of health, business, or socio-cultural issues. Write it here:

_______________________________________________________________________

(Need help selecting a topic? Review the Research Topic Starting Points guide from the Herzing University Library. Browse some of the resources linked there for generating topic ideas. https://herzing.libguides.com/research_topic_starting_points)

2. Create a Mind Map for your topic in the Credo Reference Database available through the Herzing University Library. You can access the link to that database in the Research Topics Starting Points guide at https://herzing.libguides.com/research_topic_starting_points If you need assistance using this tool, contact the Herzing University Librarians using the contact information in that guide. You might need to play around with how you word your topic.

Did the Mind Map help you narrow your topic? Describe your experience with the Mind Map feature and indicate your narrowed topic:

3. Write at least three research questions related to your topic and circle or somehow indicate the one you are most interested in answering:

4. Create a thesis statement for your research project. Be sure it meets the characteristics of a “strong” thesis statement as described in the reading for this unit.

Include your thesis statement here:

Part 2:

The following paragraph is from this source:

Spiranec, S., & Mihaela, B. Z. (2010). Information literacy 2.0: Hype or discourse refinement?  Journal of Documentation, 66(1), 140-153. doi:http://dx.doi.org.prx-herzing.lirn.net/10.1108/00220411011016407

Web 2.0 is currently changing what it means to be an information literate person or community…. The erosion did not begin with Web 2.0 but had started considerably earlier and became evident with the first web document without an identifiable author or indication of origin. Generally, this erosion comes naturally with the advancement towards electronic environments. In the era of print culture the information context was based on textual permanence, unity and identifiable authorship, and was therefore stable. The appearance of Web 1.0 has already undermined that stability by the very nature of digital information which may be easily modified, copied and duplicated. Web 2.0 with its collaborative model of knowledge production and mash-up philosophy finally brought an end to the stability of information context by creating flat and fluid information spaces. (Spiranec & Mihaela, 2010, p. 147)

Below are four examples that display usage of this content. For each one, please determine whether or not plagiarism is present. If you feel a passage is plagiarized, explain why. If you feel it was not plagiarized, explain what necessary details are present that show correct usage.

a. Before computers, books and articles had textual permanence and identifiable authorship. This meant that readers could verify the truthfulness of sources more easily than they can now.

b. Spiranec and Mihaela (2010) argue that the Internet has “brought an end to the stability of information context” (p. 147).

c. The idea of information literacy began to radically change as soon as text began to be published on the Internet (Spiranec & Mihaela, 2010).

d. Web 2.0 is currently changing what it means to be an information literate person or community.

This activity is adapted from page 85 of Hosier, A., Bullis, D., Bernnard, D., Bobish, G., Holden, I., Hecker, J., . . . Jacobson, T. (2014). The information literacy user’s guide: An open, online textbook. Retrieved from  http://textbooks.opensuny.org/the-information-literacy-users-guide-an-open-online-textbook/ , Licensed under  Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0

 

image1.png

Major Sections of Your Paper

Title Page

If a title page is required for your assignment, follow these steps:

1. Place your cursor at the top of the first page Hit Enter on the keyboard 4 times

2. Type your title's paper using these rules:

· Capitalize the first letter of the first word. Then capitalize the first letter of all other important words (but not words like a, the, of, etc.)

· Title may be up to 2 lines (Main Title on First Line: Subtitle on Second)

· Title should be no more than 12 words

· Title should contain no abbreviations (spell out United States of America instead of using U.S.A.)

· Title should contain no unnecessary words

· Title font should be bold, and centered on page

3. Press ENTER twice, then type your full name (with middle initial if you want to include it)

4. Press ENTER, then type Herzing University

5. Press ENTER, then type the course name and number this assignment is for

6. Press ENTER, type the Instructor's name - check with them for their preferred form

7. Press ENTER, type the due date in month, date, year format

First Page of Your Essay

1. Type the title of your paper as it appears on the title page - bold font, title case, and centered

2. On the first line of your paragraph, click the left align button to move your cursor back to the left margin

3. Begin writing your paper. Once you have a few lines done, highlight the lines you've written (do NOT include the title), then click the Paragraph Formatting button

4. Under Indentation: Special, choose First Line. The default indentation is 0.5", which is correct

References Page

Your References should begin at the top of a new page immediately after your essay has ended.

1. Type in bold font and center the title: References

2. Press enter, then select the left align button to move your cursor to the left margin

3. Write (or paste) all of your citations. Each citation should begin on a new line. Double line spacing, like the rest of your paper. Do not add any extra spaces between citations.

4. Highlight all of your citations, then click the Sort button in the Paragraph section of the menu. The defaults are correct to sort alphabetically. Click OK. [The sort option is not available in Word online, open your document in the desktop app or manually copy and paste your citations in alphabetical order.]

5. Highlight all of your citations, then select Paragraph options. Under Indentation: Special, select Hanging. The default setting is 0.5", which is correct. Click OK.

Major Sections of Your Paper

Title Page

If a title page is required for your assignment, follow these steps:

1. Place your cursor at the top of the first page Hit Enter on the keyboard 4 times

2. Type your title's paper using these rules:

· Capitalize the first letter of the first word. Then capitalize the first letter of all other important words (but not words like a, the, of, etc.)

· Title may be up to 2 lines (Main Title on First Line: Subtitle on Second)

· Title should be no more than 12 words

· Title should contain no abbreviations (spell out United States of America instead of using U.S.A.)

· Title should contain no unnecessary words

· Title font should be bold, and centered on page

3. Press ENTER twice, then type your full name (with middle initial if you want to include it)

4. Press ENTER, then type Herzing University

5. Press ENTER, then type the course name and number this assignment is for

6. Press ENTER, type the Instructor's name - check with them for their preferred form

7. Press ENTER, type the due date in month, date, year format

First Page of Your Essay

1. Type the title of your paper as it appears on the title page - bold font, title case, and centered

2. On the first line of your paragraph, click the left align button to move your cursor back to the left margin

3. Begin writing your paper. Once you have a few lines done, highlight the lines you've written (do NOT include the title), then click the Paragraph Formatting button

4. Under Indentation: Special, choose First Line. The default indentation is 0.5", which is correct

References Page

Your References should begin at the top of a new page immediately after your essay has ended.

1. Type in bold font and center the title: References

2. Press enter, then select the left align button to move your cursor to the left margin

3. Write (or paste) all of your citations. Each citation should begin on a new line. Double line spacing, like the rest of your paper. Do not add any extra spaces between citations.

4. Highlight all of your citations, then click the Sort button in the Paragraph section of the menu. The defaults are correct to sort alphabetically. Click OK. [The sort option is not available in Word online, open your document in the desktop app or manually copy and paste your citations in alphabetical order.]

5. Highlight all of your citations, then select Paragraph options. Under Indentation: Special, select Hanging. The default setting is 0.5", which is correct. Click OK.

Assignment Purpose:

The first part of this assignment will assist you in identifying a topic which you will work with for subsequent activities in the course. The second part of the assignment helps you articulate what constitutes plagiarism.

Part 1:

In this course you will be using a variety of resources and research tools. This activity will guide you in formulating a topic to use for later assignments in this course.

1. What is something you are curious about? What is something you see out in the world that you want to know more about? Perhaps think of health, business, or socio-cultural issues. Write it here:

_______________________________________________________________________

(Need help selecting a topic? Review the Research Topic Starting Points guide from the Herzing University Library. Browse some of the resources linked there for generating topic ideas. https://herzing.libguides.com/research_topic_starting_points)

2. Create a Mind Map for your topic in the Credo Reference Database available through the Herzing University Library. You can access the link to that database in the Research Topics Starting Points guide at https://herzing.libguides.com/research_topic_starting_points If you need assistance using this tool, contact the Herzing University Librarians using the contact information in that guide. You might need to play around with how you word your topic.

Did the Mind Map help you narrow your topic? Describe your experience with the Mind Map feature and indicate your narrowed topic:

3. Write at least three research questions related to your topic and circle or somehow indicate the one you are most interested in answering:

4. Create a thesis statement for your research project. Be sure it meets the characteristics of a “strong” thesis statement as described in the reading for this unit.

Include your thesis statement here:

Part 2:

The following paragraph is from this source:

Spiranec, S., & Mihaela, B. Z. (2010). Information literacy 2.0: Hype or discourse refinement?  Journal of Documentation, 66(1), 140-153. doi:http://dx.doi.org.prx-herzing.lirn.net/10.1108/00220411011016407

Web 2.0 is currently changing what it means to be an information literate person or community…. The erosion did not begin with Web 2.0 but had started considerably earlier and became evident with the first web document without an identifiable author or indication of origin. Generally, this erosion comes naturally with the advancement towards electronic environments. In the era of print culture the information context was based on textual permanence, unity and identifiable authorship, and was therefore stable. The appearance of Web 1.0 has already undermined that stability by the very nature of digital information which may be easily modified, copied and duplicated. Web 2.0 with its collaborative model of knowledge production and mash-up philosophy finally brought an end to the stability of information context by creating flat and fluid information spaces. (Spiranec & Mihaela, 2010, p. 147)

Below are four examples that display usage of this content. For each one, please determine whether or not plagiarism is present. If you feel a passage is plagiarized, explain why. If you feel it was not plagiarized, explain what necessary details are present that show correct usage.

a. Before computers, books and articles had textual permanence and identifiable authorship. This meant that readers could verify the truthfulness of sources more easily than they can now.

b. Spiranec and Mihaela (2010) argue that the Internet has “brought an end to the stability of information context” (p. 147).

c. The idea of information literacy began to radically change as soon as text began to be published on the Internet (Spiranec & Mihaela, 2010).

d. Web 2.0 is currently changing what it means to be an information literate person or community.

This activity is adapted from page 85 of Hosier, A., Bullis, D., Bernnard, D., Bobish, G., Holden, I., Hecker, J., . . . Jacobson, T. (2014). The information literacy user’s guide: An open, online textbook. Retrieved from  http://textbooks.opensuny.org/the-information-literacy-users-guide-an-open-online-textbook/ , Licensed under  Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0

 

image1.png