Assignment ManualIntersession

A Brief History of Social Networking

Instructions: Please read the entirety of this document, even if you are not at the phase in the semester when a particular assignment is due. It is good to keep informed of what is going to happen.

Preamble: So, why such a huge document? Yes, it is long, but I ambitiously aim to cover all eventualities.

I generally comply with a uniform assignment structure for all my courses for the purposes of pedagogical consistency. By outlining my expectations in one handy document, this proves a useful tool for being transparent about my grading rubrics to ensure that there is no mystery about how I evaluate student work. It may be too often the case that an instructor will not be entirely clear about what commitments are expected of students toward the successful completion of an assignment, and said instructor may take for granted that the student fully understands what is meant by “critical response paper” or “term paper.”! Very few of us entered university with a “how to” guide on how to write academic papers, and some may still be a bit confused about a process that is learned at times through simple trial and error. Some students may never truly understand the processes on account of not being specifically instructed on what makes a good assignment. My intention with this document is to demystify the process and hopefully facilitate stronger academic writing. The assignments themselves carry two intentions, one explicit and the other more covert: 1. As a means of evaluating the student's grasp of course content as it pertains to the subject being taught, and; 2. As a skill-building exercise in critical reasoning, research, and writing which will be of benefit to students beyond the parameters of this course, applicable to many other situations. By this means, I develop these assignments with a view that they prove of utility beyond the scope of this course. In this document, the student will find the assignments explained in terms of rationale, expectations, tips, and a useful FAQ to assist in those times when research and writing activity seems to reach an impasse. NB: Even if many of the tips are already familiar, you should treat this as mandatory reading just to refresh on a few points.! An investment in fostering strong skills may result in a beneficial reciprocity: the student writes a good paper, I get the enjoyment of reading a good paper, and in turn I assign a good mark. Students will no doubt note that I am more than willing to allow students to be focused on one research aspect throughout all of their assignments. This means less stop and start; that is, it allows the student to develop a research topic interesting to him or her right from the beginning. From your first assignment to the last, this should be a journey with a main research preoccupation. Terminal assignments that do not lead to further development can be very frustrating. If your first assignment tackles, for example, Nazi aesthetic propaganda, you may wish to explore that in more

detail for the final paper assignment. This I encourage, for it can be disappointing to do all that research for one assignment and be forced to switch to something else entirely different, thereby making the first assignment a terminal event. If you have already spent 40 hours doing hard research for the first assignment, then having to start from scratch to do another 100+ hours for the final paper will seem an incredible burden. But, if you have already invested 40 hours on a topic, then this will free up some time better spent on critical analysis and perfecting your final research paper. So, it is important that you try to select a topic that is relevant and interesting to you. I want to facilitate your journey and exploration, and the way I can do this is by allowing for some crossover between assignments. Keep in mind that you may wish to do something entirely different, which is also permitted, but you may find that you will have to make the time to develop it from scratch.

Now, on to the assignments!

Assignment 1: Digital Detox Diary

Length: Flexible (5 entries) + reportDiary: May 28Report: June 4

DIGITAL DETOX: GET OFF THE GRID!

Instructions: For the entire duration of five days (May 21-25), students will refrain from all uses of digital devices with respect to social media. This includes any Facebook, Twitter, etc., activity as well as text messaging and non-essential emailing (i.e., any emails that do not have anything specifically to do with school or work). Students will go “off the grid” during this time and write short diary entries (a paragraph or two) on each day reflecting on their experience and feelings about being unplugged.

Given that we may in fact be “socially hyperactive” with our use of social media technology, this experiment will test the extent to which we are dependent on our devices, and provide anecdotal testimony to confirm the hypothesis that abstinence from the constant digital feed of social information may temporarily heighten anxiety.

Rules:1. From the period covering May 21-25 inclusive, the student will not go online to check

Facebook, Twitter, or any other social networking platform for any reason, either for producing, or in passive consumption, of content. This also includes all chat services such as Yahoo!, MSN, etc.

2. Students who do not have landlines will use their cell phones for voice communication only; this means all notifications from the web must be turned OFF. Written communication must be done using traditional, pre-Internet means (such as posting letters in the mail, handwritten notes, etc.)

3. Students may not cheat by asking a friend to notify him or her of any social media events pertaining to the networks to which s/he belongs.

4. Students must acquire news media through traditional printed sources only, using static rather than dynamic media.

5. Exceptions to these rules involve emergency situations or in replying to emails that are specifically work or school related.

At the conclusion of the experiment, students will submit their diary entries anonymously for the class community to read, after which point the entire class will vote by secret ballot for the most convincing account of the unplugged experience. ! Since there will be no monitoring of anyoneʼs online usage, this is an exercise in honesty and trust. That being said, students are encouraged to report if they experience a “relapse” to better populate a small sample statistic on the success rate of the experiment, which in itself may prove elucidating.

Diary Format: Create a document with headers that read “Day One”, “Day Two” etc., up to Day Five. Under each, write a brief entry.

Report Format: After having read all anonymous diary entries, you are free to write a report analyzing trends or speaking to anything pertaining to social media reliance / addiction. The report should be about two to five pages. This will be due the following week (June 4)

Submission: On May 28, send me your diary entries via email. I will then remove any information that identifies the student and combine them all into a single document, arranged merely by letters and numbers (for example, Student A, Entry 1). I will then place the document online.

Evaluation: All those who participate in this assignment receive 10% towards their final grade. The remaining 15% for the full 25% in this assignment will involve writing a brief report after having read all the diary entries, being on the lookout for commonalities, and perhaps performing a keyword analysis, or any other means of quantitative or qualitative analysis.

Disclaimer: As instructor for this course and the person responsible for the terms of this assignment, diary entries submitted to me remain in strict confidentiality to protect the privacy rights of students, and no identifying information will be divulged or transmitted to any third parties without the expressed written consent of the author of said entries. As this is not a scientific experiment, results will not be considered empirically sound and thus remain anecdotal and testimonial in nature.

Assignment 2: Proposal / Precis Assignment

Length: 500 words, excluding working/tentative bibliography.Due: June 13

Rationale: The purpose of this assignment is multiple in scope, and aims to evaluate the student on the basis of their effective writing and research skills as a precursor to their final research paper. Whether students will continue on in academia or work in another industry, writing an effective proposal makes all the difference between being considered as a viable candidate in either competing for granting funds or to have a business proposal approved. In effect, you will be demonstrating that your project

warrants consideration, and that you have the requisite resources at your disposal to successfully see it to fruition. Your task is to convince me that your research paper is worth pursuing, that it has a manageable scope and depth. If you consider any form of competition, be this for a grant, a business proposal, or a job, you are essentially trying to convince someone that you are the ideal candidate for the task. ! Another benefit of this assignment is that it gives you the opportunity to get critical feedback on your proposed topic and perhaps some suggestions for resources. Given that the final research paper constitutes a significant portion of your grade, it will give me an opportunity to steer you in the right direction if your project is unfeasible instead of receiving the unwelcome surprise of a low mark for the final paper. For those whose projects are spot on and feasible, this assignment will merely be practice, and a "gimme" mark for essentially getting two grades for one research project.

Structure:

Before you begin, think about what you want to write about. Frame the research question. Formulating a viable research question is the foundation of your research, and if the foundation is insufficient, then the prospects are dim for being able to build upon it.! Begin with a working thesis statement. A thesis statement will contain reference to the topic as well as your argumentative position on said topic. This, of course, can be done without using pronouns. For example: "Prime Minister Stephen Harper's message to Quebec as being a state within a state was designed to appease the sovereigntists, but effectively marginalized and diminished sovereigntist ideology using the timeliness of delivery, targeted message tactics, and plain folks argumentation." Another example: "Although the lyrics of the 1980s punk band the Dead Kennedys can be considered propagandistic, their use of hyperbole was justified as a means of countering Reaganist propaganda, especially in the songs x and y." Your thesis statement should identify all the actors and the summation of the argument to be proven, and there should be no surprises per se. It is a clearly devised statement for argumentation and elaboration that announces the topic and a position on that topic with appeal to a specific problem. You should spend a lot of time on the thesis statement since it is the first point of contact between yourself and the reader who needs to be convinced that your project is worth pursuing. Frame your problem clearly.! This bears reiteration: no personal pronouns. Although some students may feel it is impossible to construct an essay or proposal without using the pronoun “I” or referencing “my paper,” there is no instance where it is impossible to reword it objectively. For example, in place of “I will argue x,” “This paper will argue x” is proper form. The objection may arise: “But it is my paper, so I cannot avoid the use of saying I/my in my proposal!” This is false. Remember that it is your assignment that is being graded, not you personally. Your proposal is your representative, and the only reference to you as a person appears just once: in your name on the proposal itself.

Methodology: This is your opportunity to BRIEFLY outline some of the highlights of your argumentative points and say HOW you will go about proving your point. What is your method for completing the research? What kind of lens are you using? Here is an

example of a method: To gain a more robust understanding of labour conditions and managerialism in Canadian universities, this research paper will adopt the Neo-Marxist perspective while answering the objections of the structuralists. Note here that the “frame” is set: the reader knows you will be taking the Neo-Marxist perspective (and, as an added bit of good academic etiquette, you show that you are aware of a disagreement between two competing perspectives on an issue). ! You can allude to how you will contextualize the issue (a bit of history or other requisite components to further frame the issue), and how you plan to conduct your research. Do not write "I will go to the library" or any other superfluous procedural detail. Speak on what sources would be ideal to consult in order to frame the issue and argue the point. Some media-based information is acceptable such as: "given the recent emergence of this particular event, much of the research will draw from credible web-based resources" (but if you say this, do ensure that this is factually correct; if there is discussion in scholarly print journals, then that should be your first point of contact). This is also an ideal opportunity to do the following: 1. Allude to some of the key sources and their relevance to your research approach (e.g., “By appealing to Foucault's discussion of how authority fosters the conditions of punitive hierarchical control in Discipline and Punish, this will form the critical foundation upon which the notions of academic censorship and surveillance is enacted in x.”); 2. State your approach, if relevant (e.g., “The argument for x will employ a feminist deconstructive point of view due to its focus on x, y, z.”). Good research karma entails some knowledge of the field, where your work fits into that field, and perhaps to anticipate possible objections and difficulties.

Working Bibliography: Pretend I am evaluating a thousand proposals and there is only enough to fund ten. One of the evaluating criteria a committee may rely upon is the preparedness of the applicant. It looks very impressive when an applicant demonstrates s/he has already thought about the project in great detail and has taken the initiative to compile a list of possible sources. This tells a committee that the applicant is serious and invested in the project. I do not require an annotated bibliography, but you may elect to provide annotations where the source seems unclear as to how it would fit your specific project (so, for example, if you are researching Josef Goebbels' attack against "deviant art", you may have to annotate a bibliographic entry that comes from a journal of entomology to demonstrate how it is relevant). It is highly recommended that you do not cite any of the course texts (where applicable) as research sources, with the exception of MIT3213 where we rely heavily on Debordʼs text. There is no limit to how many or few sources you list, but try to put yourself in the position of the reader. If you were evaluating two proposals, and one had only two sources and the other nine, which one would you think demonstrates more research skill? As well, your working bibliography should not look like a cut-and-paste operation after spending ten minutes on Google or the library catalogue. Presumably, you have actually read more than just the title of the work you may use in your final paper. Since I do not ask for annotations, you may wish to demonstrate some engagement with the source by referencing its value in your methodology.

Style: Part of this exercise will test your ability to employ a good economy of language. You only have 500 words to convince me that your project is feasible and that you are

capable of delivering it. If your topic is too broad, then it cannot be adequately done in 2500 words. Avoid long introductions, superfluous adjectives, rambling asides, procedural statements, and only mildly relevant material. Although the assignment is only 500 words, I recommend that you agonize over it, reading it over and over again, revising constantly to make it a perfect proposal. For economy of language, I will provide an example:

a) My paper will first analyze and examine the role played by pamphleteers in the area of Boston during the American Revolution, and then assess the remarkable higher production in the printing press in Boston as a means of disseminating political message to the inhabitants of Boston and beyond.

-a bit cluttered and long. Rewrite:

b) This project analyzes the role of pamphleteers in Boston during the American Revolution, and what impact increased publishing production had on political messaging within Boston and surrounding area.

Other Notes:Measure your words carefully. Don't use toss-away terms or assume equivalence among them. Assess, analyze, examine, evaluate, exemplify, deconstruct, investigate, criticize, critique, and explore all have very specific meanings and should not be used interchangeably. If you say analyze, mean it, and mean it according to its proper definition. Also, avoid panegyrics to scholars; that is, the value of a scholarʼs work to your project should not be sold by the rhetorically leading statements such as “Esteemed, internationally renowned psychoanalyst Dr Edwin Mutters, author of...” - No.! You are trying to sell me on this idea, and you are doing so without explicitly saying that you are capable and resourceful.

FAQ and Checklist: Read this before submitting!

1. Can I develop an idea I had in my first assignment through further elaboration and research? - Yes. Make sure you don't cut and paste from your first assignment, though. The first assignment had a very small research scope, and so your final research project should be a much more sustained and elaboratively researched paper.

2. Will you be giving us possible topics? - I can if you insist. I do believe in the freedom of students to choose since it is also my belief that students will achieve much better if they can invest their efforts in something they are actually interested in rather than being forced to write on a topic that they might not be.

3. What topics are we allowed to choose? - Anything pertaining to the course, from any time period and any location. Just be sure it will be a solid research project doable in approximately 2,500 words.

4. If your research question and topic is too broad, there can be no expectation that the topic will be sufficiently covered in 2,500 words if it proves to take 2,500 pages in your collected sources. This is not a survey of the field, but a

sustained and focused research project. A good test would be if there is an entire book dedicated to the topic you have chosen. If you were, for example, doing “Nazi Propaganda” (all of it) as your topic, you would find that there are entire books written on the subject, which means you will have to narrow it down.

5. Do avoid generalizations such as “our society” or “our world” - these assume unity and equivalence when in fact society and world are very complex and diverse composites. Also avoid “Since the beginning of time” style openers. These are filler.

6. Avoid “This paper will look at,” “this paper will highlight” etc. This does not inspire much confidence that your proposal will engage seriously rather than frivolously with a subject. To look at or touch upon suggests passive engagement. You are a real academic researcher, not a pedestrian passing by a store window!

7. Avoid passive sentence constructions such as “The countercultural suggestions of Naomi Klein will be focused on.” Note that the active verb in that sentence is at the end – move it up to the front!

8. Reread it for clarity. Here is a brief test - can you spot the problems in this sentence?: “The research looked at clearly proves the implications of how Facebook impacts everyoneʼs lives.” Errors: a) “looked at” = passive; b) “clearly” (remember the “No CEO” rule: nothing is Clear, Evident, or Obvious without substantiation); c) Notice the confusion? How does one “prove” an “implication?”; d) Generalization: assumes that everyone is affected (“Facebook impacts everyoneʼs lives”). Keep in mind that these are the easiest statements to invalidate simply by finding ONE counterexample that contradicts the statement.

Final Assignment: The Dreaded Term Paper

Length: ~2,500 wordsDue: Last Class (June 21)

How many times have professors told you about prioritizing your time and to get started sooner rather than later? It bears reiterating, especially given what appears to be all manner of illnesses and tragedies that seem to occur in the final week of classes.

The final paper should aim to be around 2,500 words (or 10 double-spaced typed pages). I am not an ogre and will not be taking the time to be the word counter. I allow a healthy wobble of about 500 words to the plus or minus. The student will explore an aspect of this course's central subject. The calibre of writing should aim to be high academic prose and demonstrate both extensive research and critical assessment of research data. Students are expected to utilize a MINIMUM of three credible academic sources. Be advised that aiming for the minimum may result in receiving the minimum mark. Consider this paper assignment part of your learning and discovery, but also that a process of learning and discovery should not be a passive or easy experience. Perhaps much of this is already common knowledge to most of you, but for those who need a bit more clarity and direction on how to write the dreaded "term paper", I have here a few pointers that you can apply to this and future courses. Treat this essay as

your masterpiece. In submitting your paper, you agree that you have read the section below and have made every effort to abide by these rules:

The Rules / FAQ:1. Do I need a title page?-No. The usual course and identifying details plus the essay title on the first page will suffice.

2. Can I print on both sides?-Yes. It is better for the environment (and better on my back when I am having to carry upwards of 120 of them at one time!).

3. What do you mean by "credible academic source"?-Sources that are vetted by the academic community in some way, such as peer-reviewed journals and books. Online sources that are credible will generally have the extension ".edu" in their URL. At all times, use discretion and be critical – the internet has an overwhelming amount of fluffy or false statements. If you are using non-academic sources, be sure that the weight of your argument does not rest heavily upon them. These types of sources can be used accentually.

4. What do you mean by "high academic prose"?-Some people believe that academic writing can be taught or else there would be no academic writing courses for students; however, one can also learn through emulation and practice. Use journal articles as a good example of acceptable academic writing. Pay especial attention to the style of prose and the structure and organization of argumentation. By the same token, do not encumber your work with the "biggest words" just to make it sound academic. A sentence like "the actualized deconstructive semi-parallax of an obstreperous dialectical scissiparity" may sound mighty and impressive, but it means nothing. At all times, be objective. For every bit of information ask yourself “should this be here?” and then be able to respond as to why. This is a very good practice to get into, so treat each paragraph, sentence, and sometimes every word as something you might have to prepare significant support to defend.

5. If I'm over/under the word count, will I be penalized?-No, especially if it is within reason. The purpose of the assignment is to write a sustained research paper that argues a particular point, not an exercise in reaching the 2,500 word milestone. 500 words in either direction (over or under the word count) is suitable latitude. Write to fulfillment, meaning: write until your point has been sufficiently demonstrated and substantiated with adequate support.

6. What style should I use for formatting?-Any the student chooses, but keep it consistent throughout the paper. There are plenty of online guides for current styles in use such as MLA, APA, etc.

7. What is "critical assessment"?-"Info dumping" is a very common mistake among students where they may feel they

can just quote an allegedly authoritative text and believe this is enough to prove a point. The scholars you cite may be authoritative, but they are not infallible. You need not believe what scholar x says simply because s/he has written it. Evaluate the claim(s) they make and see if it holds in regard your own reading and comprehension of the subject. Keep in mind that scholars are in constant debate with one another, and that there is no "right answer" per se. Also, simply quoting the author without your own qualifying remarks of how it advances your claim is a lot like giving someone a stack of wood and tools when you are asked to make a table.

8. My writing is not up to snuff. -There are services on campus to assist you in crafting a good paper and for cultivating beneficial writing habits (do come prepared - they will not write the paper for you!). Writing comes easily to some, while for others it is a struggle. Academic writing is a very special register of style, tone, and pacing. I frequently counsel students to read as much scholarly work as they possibly can which prepares the mind consciously and perhaps subconsciously to be in the proper "mode" for academic writing. Believe it or not, reading and writing FIRST THING in the morning does wonders as studies continue to show that our minds are far more receptive in the first few minutes we are awake (which is why the song playing on the clock radio sticks with us all day, sadly).

9. I need help formulating a thesis statement!-Thesis is a daunting word. It really just means “argument.” I am always available during my office hours, by appointment, or through email (with the 24 hour rule in place). Show me what you have so far and I can assist in making it more precise and focused. A solid thesis does not guarantee a solid paper, but it is a precondition to writing one. A poorly posed problem as a thesis statement has no chance.

10. Can I do a comparison piece?-Comparative essays are somewhat risky. When done well, they shine. When done poorly, they can be an absolute disaster. Comparing an aspect of contemporary society to one in the past presupposes the writer has specialized knowledge in both, and also runs the risk of imposing modern day standards of morality or understanding on an age that had not yet developed these, or opted to understand things differently. This amounts to one of two variations: either "we are better today than those of yesterday" or "yesterday was so much better than it is today." Neither of these positions is very useful, and only seems to foster one's opinion rather than developing an argument. An example of a good comparative piece would be in showing the similarities and differences in the structure of two particular social networks (for example) in such a way as we learn something new about one or both of them by means of this comparison. That is, merely comparing two random things is not all that helpful UNLESS this comparison is essential to understanding something new. For example, comparing the banking system of late 19th century United States during the period of monopoly capitalism and the push toward autarchy to modern day Canada with a focus on central regulation could tell us something new about interest rate adjustment policies and how they function, or if improvements need be made, or if the similarities give us pause to consider that we are potentially repeating a mistake given the historical outcome of certain measures taken.

If you opt for a comparative piece, ask yourself "does x shine a particular light on y?" and "is it essential to bring x and y into relation at the exclusion of any other possible items?"

11. What other criteria will I be evaluated on?-How well you can synthesize resource materials and make them work for your paper. This involves some degree of thinking about what you read and not just planting it in your essay because it seems to fit. For every resource you use ask yourself what is the central argument, how is it being presented, and what (if any) use will it have in what you are trying to prove? For every source you include, think of it in terms of Chekhov's gun: if you include an element in your text, you intend to make use of it. What would be the point in watching a play where a gun is revealed in the first act and never appears again? This might be fine for conceptual art, but does not resonate well in an academic paper, nor does it show a good economy with argumentation.

12. The Three Phases: this might prove a useful guideline or formula for the final research paper. Spend at least one third of the total time researching/reading. Then, another third writing. And, finally, the last third spent editing and revising.

Examples: In the past, students have requested me to provide examples of successful versus unsuccessful papers. I provide fictional ones below. With respect to the unsuccessful paper example, the errors are drawn from the most common errors I have encountered in student essays past.

GOODMIT 2999Hy A. Cheever250 000 000 001

“An Investigation into the Structural Problems Associated with Semantic Failure in Propagandistic Message Delivery Systems in the US Republican Primary Debates, 2010-11”1

At issue in the field of communicative exchange theory is the possibility of semantic failure on account of message interpretation errors.2 This domain of inquiry has been subject to a divisive exchange in the last decade between those who espouse Wallerbee’s four-point qualifier matrix, and those who champion Galworthy’s static alphabet model (which owes a considerable debt to the work of Claude Shannon3). When these two competing theories are taken into consideration, and subsequently applied to the fractious US Republican primaries debates, one can derive two possible conclusions about the prospect of message delivery failure, and thus attribute lower popular turnout at these events due to an inability to centralize message that would gain better traction.4 For the purposes of this paper, the exchange between Republican candidates Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann during their respective events in Februrary, 2011 will be subject to both theoretical considerations as a means of demonstrating how, where, and if semantic failure is an appropriate model by which to evaluate their persuasive appeals.5 In order to achieve this objective, it will be important to rely on Bunner’s discourse patterning theory as a heuristic to ensure no discursive overrun, thus keeping the analysis within defined parameters.6

Wallerbee’s four-point qualifier matrix filters all message events according to “location of utterance, intended target audience, unintended target reach, and literary conventions” (Wallerbee 288). Furthermore, Wallerbee’s matrix has been adopted in the past to evaluate political persuasive appeals by Drimbach, Ellers, and Sandeep with respect to campaign messaging in the four month run-up to George W. Bush’s reelection.7 However, it is on the basis of literary conventions that Wallerbee’s

1 A precise and informative title!

2 Brief demonstration of studentʼs awareness of the current debate.

3 Demonstration that the student knows how the “big ideas” connect together as part of an ongoing narrative.

4 Frames the question by limiting the scope of the study to something very specific.

5 Thesis statement identifies what will be argued specifically.

6 Thesis statement qualified by methodological approach.

7 Coherent and concise explanation of theory, and where/how it has been applied in the past. Why is this important? Since the student is applying the theory to a specific instance, it is good academic manners to note the contributions of others who have undertaken similar research.

critics disagree, especially Galworthy, who states that “as an evaluation device for messaging, this category proves too broad and of limited value within any evaluative matrices.” (Galworthy 133).8 What is of significant basis of dispute would be the role allegory in particular plays in political messaging that may or may not be tied to the sermonic register of rhetoric, and whether such use unduly complicates the message and leads to possible semantic failure. It should be noted that in applying these theories to such a narrow example will not serve to vindicate either Wallerbee’s or Galworthy’s theoretical approaches, but may illustrate their soundness to concrete case-by-case examples.

Bachmann’s rebuttal of Perry’s proposed “flat tax plan” relies heavily on the use of selective omission without providing a sound basis for presenting an alternative plan. Instead, Bachmann’s attempt at persuasion marginalizes Perry as “a dangerous fiscal bungler bent on amplifying [Texas’] woes on a national scale.” (Bachmann, transcript of primary event, Wichita). Note here the connective semantic tissue of “dangerous” and “bungler” as applied to Bachmann’s performance as Governor, designed to convey (with respect to Wallerbee’s matrix) a shift in intended audience target as well as adopting the literary convention of pejorative trope to convey alarmism. However, Galworthy’s model provides a bit more denseness and richness to the literary convention as a support mechanism for the message’s anticipated reception given Galworthy’s more holistic social constructivist approach.

In evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Wallerbee and Galworthy’s respective theories, and applying these to the limited scope of the US Republican primary event of February, both seem to fall short of providing a firm basis upon which to determine precisely where semantic failure occurs; however, by integrating both theories, we are presented with a more substantive perspective on where the failure may be attributed. Both Wallerbee and Galworthy would most likely be in agreement that semantic failure in the Perry-Bachmann debate may be situated in the confusion resulting from their reliance on literary tropism.

Sources:“Bachmann-Perry Debate”, Official Transcript, US Political News Archiving Project, Stanford University.Galworthy, Edmund. Messaging and Consistency: The Static Alphabet Approach, University of Minnesota Press, 1988).Galworthy, Edmund. “Critical Reading of Wallerbee’s Matrix: Literary Convention Generalities” in Journal of Semantic Circle Proceedings, v. 19:1, 2005 (pp.616-633).Hinton, Harold. Galworthy and His Critics. SUNY: 2003.Peel, Richmond T., “Evaluating Wallerbee’s Message Matrix: Fundamental Clarification on Point Three with Respect to Delivery and Presentation in the Second Mode” in Journal of Communication Studies and Society v. 36: 3, 2001 (pp.488-501)Wallerbee, Spencer. The Four-Point Message Matrix. Lakehead Press, Toronto: 1982.Wallerbee, Spencer. Convolutions of Message Matrices: The Expansion of the Four Points as Application and Process. Harvard University Press, Cambridge: 1994.

8 Student acknowledges the debate and where the theory is in dispute. Student also quotes the individual directly (i.e., quotes from the primary source, not a secondary one).

NOT SO GOODMIT 2999Fay L. Mee250 000 000 002

“Hitler and Propaganda”9

Since the beginning of time10 people have looked up at11 leaders to give them rules and guidence12.13 My essay will look at14 how Hitler used propaganda and propaganda techniques15 to change societys16 values and beliefs.17 This is fascinating18 because Hitler is a known villain in history and created the holocaust.19 Clearly20 Hitler used propaganda as is evidently shown (someone’s blog 2007)21. I will then look at and deconstruct22 the many sources to show that Hitler and propaganda are a fit like fingers in a glove.23

9 Needs a bit more detail in the title.

10 Superfluous and of very little information value.

11 Should read “to,” not “at.”

12 Spelling error!

13 This entire sentence adds nothing of information value to the reader.

14 “Looking at” is passive.

15 What is the difference here between propaganda and propaganda techniques?

16 Apostrophe error: this is a possessive, so therefore “societyʼs.”

17 Which society? Which values? Which beliefs? Vague.

18 Editorializing. It does not matter to the reader if the writer thinks something is interesting, fascinating, etc.

19 What does this mean? Imprecise language.

20 Nothing is CLEAR, EVIDENT, or OBVIOUS without argumentation. Avoid using these words.

21 Not a credible academic source. Given the volume of printed matter on the subject, citing what comes up in the first three hits on Google suggests to your reader that you are not truly invested in this research project.

22 1. Passive (“look at”); 2. Deconstruct as in the true definition of deconstruction (i.e., Derridaʼs sense)? Best to use a different word to avoid any confusion.

23 Colloquial or cliche expressions are inappropriate in academic prose.

When you are presented with propaganda, as Hitler did, you obviously do not know that it is propaganda or otherwise are not sure.24 When Hitler became the ruler over the German people25 he relied on propaganda to distract from26 the people;27 this being a way of controlling their minds.28 Persuaded people and end democracies all over Europe.29 Our society is full to the brim 30with people who try to conceive31 us and take our money and using power to do that.32

According to Joe Random (JoeRandom.blogpsot), he says that “...Hitler was a very bad man and duped the people into believing he was like a god.”33 His argument is a good one34 because it is true that Hitler duped people.35 Hitler also believed in god and maybe wanted to fight god to be him.36 Hitler designed swastikas and you37 can see how they are pointy and can be used to hurt people.38

To conclude;39 As has been proven evidently by my argument,40 Hitler used propaganda to fool people into believing he was true. Because Hitler did dangerous things to his people this proves he used propaganda and propaganda techniques to change societys values and beliefs.41

24 1. Imprecise statement; 2. Implication of the reader (no “you”); 3. Avoid using the word OBVIOUS (see footnote 20 above).

25 Awkward and imprecise phrasing. Why not, “When Hitler became Chancellor...”?

26 How does one “distract FROM a people”?

27 Semicolon usage error.

28 The entire sentence fails to say anything meaningful.

29 Not a sentence.

30 Cliche expression.

31 Conceive or deceive?

32 Cluttered sentence. Revise.

33 Dubious citation of opinion. Also, do not begin a quotation with an ellipsis.

34 Which argument? It has not been clarified for the reader. Also, no editorializing by saying something is good, fascinating, interesting, etc.

35 1. The argument does not follow; 2. “Duped” is not exactly an academic expression.

36 Makes absolutely no sense.

37 Implicating the reader again.

38 Student is grasping here. When that occurs, this suggests to the reader that the writer is short on sources and/or arguments.

39 1. Never say “to conclude” or any other variation of a procedural statement since it should be fairly evident that it is the conclusion if it is the last section of the paper; 2. Improper semicolon usage.

40 Nothing has been proven. Avoid using the word EVIDENT.

41 This argument does not follow. Apostrophe error.

Sources:“Nazi Propaganda” Wikipedia42

Somedude, Bill, “Random Stuff About Hitler,” Somedude Blog43

Generalist, John. Introduction to Society for Students 19th edition44

Pundit, Paula. Hitler’s legacy lives on in The Globe and Mail, April 15, 2003.45

“A Gallery of Hitler Images” Screensavers&desktopimages_clearinghouse.com46

42 Citing Wikipedia does not inspire the reader to believe serious research has been performed.

43 Ditto for citing a non-credible or non-academic blog post.

44 Academic papers should not appeal to introductory undergraduate textbooks as research support.

45 The relevance of this citation is highly dubious.

46 Simply inappropriate. Viewing images on the web in general does not constitute serious research.

General Writing Guidelines1. Avoid contractions such as "don't". You are not held under the same spatial

constraints as on Twitter.

2. Avoid clichés and colloquial speech. Consider it a scholarly debate, not a casual conversation. This is an exercise in more formal writing. It need not be rigid, but think of it in terms of how you present key information on your CV/resume. Clichés and proverbs such as "if the shoe fits, wear it", and colloquialisms such as "he totally was like hitting on her" should not be present in your writing.

3. If you use semicolons or other punctuation, be sure to employ them properly. If unsure about semicolon usage, opt for a period instead. An alarming number of students seem to have difficulties using the apostrophe. Avail yourself of the rules for proper usage. An apostrophe is most commonly used as a possessive: "John's book" (the book belongs to John). Whenever you see "it's", that is a contraction, so always think "it is". When writing a possessive for someone or thing that ends with an 's', you can write it as Ed Crass' book, or (in the American style) Ed Crass's book. The apostrophe after the 's' also holds true for the letter 'z' and the letter 'x.' When you have a plural possessive, take especial care. For example, if you are speaking of three dogs barking at once, do not write "the dog's bark" since this only suggests that only one dog is barking. Instead, write "the dogs' bark." It is rumoured that those who do not use the apostrophe correctly are, at some point in their lives, ridiculed and eventually end up on skid row (I lack studies to support this rumour, but why take the chance?).

4. There is no need to cite my lectures as an academic source. You can flatter me much more by writing a great paper that will not make me cry in despair over broad, negative assessments of contemporary education.

5. Be global with your use of quotations - i.e., do not just quote the same two pages from a single source. If you do, it will show and runs the risk that you are being slack in reading and research. Some exceptions do apply, however, such as a sustained textual analysis of a short piece.

6. Avoid pronouns like "you" and "your" since this unduly implicates the reader. In fact, it is best to write a paper without any appeal to the author or reader. By this, I mean avoid writing “I will argue x” when it is cleaner to say “This paper argues x.” I know it is you writing the paper since it has your name on it.

7. Be consistent with pronoun use. Writing "When one engages in discourse, they reconstruct the other" is incorrect since "one" and "they" are not consistent ("one" indicates impersonal singular person while "they" implies plural). Other pronoun confusion to be on the lookout for: s/he and they, one and s/he. Also when using pronouns that reference a group of people, use him/her, s/he, she/he, etcetera to avoid gendered writing. The exception to this rule would be if the group is entirely one gender or another (for example, the women's slalom team). Let us not be complicit with the traditional practice of saying that “Man” or “Mankind” refers to both genders. That was fine in nature documentaries from the late 1950s, but not so today. If you encounter this in a quote from an older text, you can leave it as is, or you may replace it with square brackets: “The greatest discovery known to [humanity].”

8. For every argument and piece of information you input, ask yourself "does this advance my central thesis?"

9. Keep it focused; avoid segues or padding your paper just to meet the word count. If you find yourself significantly short on material, the problem might be that you lack a sufficient number of academic sources, you are not making better use of those sources, you are not spending more time considering the argument, or your topic is too narrow (this last one is very rare).

10. Employ the principle of charity in your argumentation and assessment. Even if you strongly disagree with a scholar's point of view, be sure to represent that view fairly and then carefully critique it using substantiated argumentation. Your credibility as a critic will be strongly weighted on how well you present the opposing viewpoint. By not doing so, you may commit the "straw person" fallacy, and therefore diminish the credibility of your own argument. Do not be cheap! That is, do not simply take an author out of context as a means of discrediting that authorʼs viewpoint.

11. Just cuz you said don't make it true. Everything you say in the paper (within reason) should be supported by a credible source or by proper argumentation. I say "within reason" because there is no need to support claims that are largely self-evident such as the world is round or cats are mammals. However, claims such as "Stalin's cultural program actually granted significant creative license to the Soviet Union's authors" would require argument and document support.

12. Personal experience, anecdotes a big no-no! As a reader, I cannot evaluate your experiences. The same goes for your opinions and feelings. You may feel strongly about a particular issue, and that is wonderful since that may mean more research investment by you in a topic (which then feels less like work), but channel it! Let your objective argument be your spokesperson for your feelings. Your passion is a process behind the scenes - keep it behind the scenes!

13. Fear not the library. I know that it may seem convenient to hop on the Internet to locate research sources, but it does have its limitations. I am not opposed to Internet research, but try to balance this with print sources as well. One of the limitations of

Internet research is in direct-term search algorithms that will only return every mention of whatever you input. The search algorithm will not return results for when this term is not explicitly written, which may mean you miss out on when the term is only implied. Basing one's research purely on explicit mention of a search term risks losing out on a great number of useful sources and key information. It also can lead to info-stitching of orphaned quotations.

14. Be eloquent but succinct. Despite changing expectations that value brevity, 2,500 words is not a lot of room to work with. You must employ an economy of words that convey the maximum amount of information and argumentation in the fewest amount of words. Think of your writing as a neutron star or a black hole: a maximum amount of content density in the minimum of space.

15. Edit and revise, and do so more than once. Editing is a lot like hating yourself one word at a time. One helpful way of spotting errors in grammar, spelling, and word order is to reread your paper out of sequence, choosing paragraphs at random since what we mean to say in our minds and what is written down on paper can quite often be two different things! There is hardly any excuse with current word processor programs for poor spelling. Poor spelling detracts from your writing and runs the risk of making your work seem unprofessional. Spell checkers cannot catch everything, however, such as typos like "form/from". If you please, ask a friend to lend a critical eye on your work prior to submission. Think of your reader (me): whenever I encounter an error in spelling or grammar, it disrupts the flow of my reading.

16. Only cite dictionary definitions if it is absolutely necessary or pertinent to the paper. Otherwise, consider the definition implied and part of our general knowledge. If, for example, your argument relies on a particular nuance in the etymology of a term such as "anthology" with its connection to the ancient Greek for "garland" and its connection to the multi-connotative German word Auszug, you may cite the source(s). It is generally bad form to begin your paper with “The Online Dictionary.com defines fascism as...” - never mind going to the dictionary and citing the definition. I do not want to see the process of your thinking, just the result, and so going to the dictionary as a starting place for your research is fine to get a better sense of what the word or term means, but it is a starting point only. Imagine reading a newspaper article on an oil spill and the journalist beginning with “The Online Dictionary.com defines oil spill as...” No.

17. Bad opening lines lend themselves to generalizing filler. Phrases such as "for as long as human history has been recorded" or "since the beginning of time" or any other variation of this sort is of no real value to your paper's argument (as a test, try rereading your first paragraph with that part omitted). The introduction should introduce the topic specifically and not resort to generality. This point is a retread of the point above: a common tendency is to write down our thought processes as we draft our papers, and we usually begin with a big generality to get our thoughts moving. However, in a final paper, the brainstorming is long over, and so need not

take up valuable space in your paper. If you are familiar with Ruskin, he says that the scaffolding should not appear in the finished architecture. Let that be your credo when writing and revising.

18. Avoid words in your paper such as "many people believe that" since it does not lend credibility to your argument. There is no way of verifying it, and it is a logical fallacy. Whenever you feel the temptation to use the “many people believe” line, always think that at some point in history many people believed that the world was flat or that the practice of slavery was justified or that the 1980s were a stylishly superior decade.

19. No CEO! Nothing is clear, evident or obvious except by argumentation and support. Telling me something is "evident" will not be convincing - let your argument demonstrate what is clear, evident and obvious. Show, don't tell! These words are filler. Those three little words are designed to rig the discourse. They bully the reader into believing something is true without argumentative support.

20. When citing in text, there is no need to write out the full author's name or title of the work repeatedly. You may write out the full name when it is first used. Depending on which style you choose, "(Deleuze 301)" or "(Deleuze 1988: 301)" will suffice. If citing more than one work by the same author, depending on style, it would be written "(Deleuze, Logic )" or "(Deleuze 1988b: 301)". In the latter case, the "b" after the date as per APA style is used when two texts by the same author have been published in the same year. You are also encouraged to truncate the title to save space since the reference will be understood. In this example, I have truncated Gilles Deleuze's Logic of Sensation as simply Logic.

21. Your thesis statement (no more than a paragraph long) should be nested in your introductory section stating precisely what you will be analyzing and arguing. The reader should know exactly what to expect in the paper by reading this one paragraph. A good test is reading the introduction and conclusion together and see if they follow.

22. Extract what is meaningful from a quotation. For example, this is insufficient: "John Scott states that 'social networks exist' (Scott 382)." Pick out what is unique and special about the source you are quoting. Do not make your paper an irrelevant information dumping ground.

23. When using an inset quote (usually a quotation that is over 25 words in length), remember to single space and indent on both sides.

24. Try to keep the focus clean, precise, and not too broad. A modest evaluation of a particular point is favourable to trying to reinvent the wheel. Statements such as "I will prove that 18th century French social networking revolutionized the world" is far too ambitious, and could not be done in a mere 2,500 words. A more modest approach, using this example, would be "This paper will assess how the position of

aristocratic women was advanced in 18th century French social networking with special attention to the institution of the literary salon."

25. Thus, therefore, nonetheless, essentially, consequently, and words of this sort are merely padding and filler unless used properly. Each of these words have a special and precise meaning, and if you do not avail yourself of their proper meaning, you would be better off not using them. These words may make your paper look more academic, but appearance and reality can be at stark odds. Not every argument requires these words.

26. The use of ellipses (...) in a quotation is only required if you are omitting words that appear after the first word of the quotation. These examples are incorrect: Jameson states that "...this contagion of frenzy and delirium" as well as Jameson states "why Céline might have been tempted to invent a genuine villain...".

28. If unsure about anything - grammar, spelling, specific information - do not just guess. Look it up! You are digital natives, yes?

29. Homonyms. Their, there, and they're all have radically distinct meanings. I know you already know this, but until I receive papers that are 100% homonym error-free, it bears reiterating.

30. In conclusion, never use "in conclusion" or "to conclude". Judging by the fact that it will be your last paragraph, this is already understood, and just wastes precious words. In your concluding paragraph, sum up what the paper has done.

TROUBLESHOOTING1. I can't find enough sources on my topic! -Part of research is knowing as much on HOW to look as it is WHAT you are looking for. Draw up a list of key terms and start at the library. Perhaps not even 2% of the books and articles you consult will be of any use. Another good tip is when you do find a good resource, take a look at the author's bibliography as a launching pad to locate more possible sources. Some students may find it useful to treat research like a murder mystery and that the researcher is the detective sleuthing for clues.

2. I have two sources that contradict one another. What do I do?! -Present both sources fairly and indicate that there is contention on the particular issue. It is not up to you to solve the debate, but you may find that your use of sources and argumentation may lend more weight to one side than the other.

3. I don't know if I'm being critical enough. How can I tell?! -Being critical is a seemingly nebulous term, but it means your ability to truly examine a point of view from many perspectives to evaluate its strengths and weaknesses. Explore the argument to its fullest, think carefully and concertedly on it,

and begin the process of questioning it.

4. My topic has run away with me! It's all over the place now!! -Think of your thesis statement as your thematic anchor. Return to it over and over again and rely on it whenever you feel lost in the wilderness of research information. You may find it useful to pin it up over your workspace where it will be visible as you work; treat it as something on par with gospel or an ineffable rule.

5. My argument seems like opinion. How do I make it more like an argument?! -Think of an argument as an "if/then" statement. For example, "if we consider x, and x causes result y, then the ramifications of y on z will differ according to evidence a, b, and c."

6. How can I ensure a good mark?! -By following the rules above, this will put you on the right track to writing a good paper.

7. I've hunted for weeks for reliable sources on my particular topic, but am still coming up short! I've exhausted the library, the journals, the web, and still I do not have enough sources.

! -This sometimes does happen (if it is true that you have made every reasonable attempt to locate sources). It is somewhat rare, but there are a few reasons for why this might occur: a) The topic you have chosen refers to phenomena that is very recent, so there are very few sources discussing it. Academic publishing is a slow process at every level from research, writing, editing, peer review, proofing, typesetting, and finally publication. Most journals in the humanities have a lag of about 2 years from the moment the article has been accepted to the time it is actually published; b) You are doing groundbreaking research. Congratulations! However, being a pioneer on a subject takes a great deal of time and development – more time than a semester will afford you. It is perhaps better to keep this for when there would be time, such as in a graduate program; c) It could be the case that the position you are advancing is not considered a valid academic concern. If you insist that it ought to be, again, this will take much more time than what can be done in one semester. So, in this case, what is to be done? It is rather rare that I would counsel this, but perhaps the solution is to broaden the topic a little bit. Or, alternatively, you may have to formulate a new research question entirely.

MIscellaneous

[I am using “you” in a general form, not necessarily implicating you personally!]It is possible that you might believe that the above criteria for writing a suitable academic proposal or paper is specific to my tastes. However, this is not true. These are basic rules that extend over several disciplines and form part of an accepted academic discourse. I did not make any of this up! To anticipate the objection of “no other professor has told me I had to do this, and I got high marks for all my other papers,” I cannot say anything to the expectations of others or the circumstances by which you may have received high marks for written assignments that may have done the complete opposite of the above criteria. I did not invent academic discourse, but do abide by its central and common rules for objectivity and proper form. I hold all students to these same formal standards that were set long ago by most likely crusty, joyless old men who spent their lives devising ways to make life difficult for students for generations. But these standards are largely a part of the academic mission to achieve some criteria for scholarly exposition and to facilitate critical reasoning as well as a style of discourse that we can all agree upon (and, as you may note, scholars rarely agree on very much!).! If you need any help, I am almost always available and eager to be of assistance. - but do keep in mind that, in any given semester, I may have up to 300 of “you” across several courses. But, that being said, I have office hours: use them. I will work with you one on one for as long as it takes.! Marking is a subjective practice, and I hope that this document clarifies some of the more objective criteria I employ in my grading practices. You may expect lengthy or short commentary feedback on your work, but length of commentary is not an indication of performance - some assignments demand more feedback than others for a variety of reasons such as major and substantial difficulties, or simply mutual interest in the topic. Students who receive high grades from me have received lengthy commentary but sometimes there is little else to say. But, you can be assured that I take each of your documents very seriously, as part of an ongoing discourse. And, it may often be the case that I will volunteer other sources or peripheral questions of interest as a means of engaging your content. ! As much as I want to signal where you have done well, there will be times that my focus in comments will be on indicating areas of improvement. Tone and nuance cannot be carried very well in textual form, so never assume that I am berating you. If anything, if you are experiencing difficulties, my top priority is in facilitating improvement, so PLEASE do not ignore the comments or “leave things lie.” Be proactive about where you require improvement and visit me during my office hours or contact me by email. I make it my mission to see that no one fails, which means if you have some strange desire to fail, you will encounter resistance.