Archaeology Report History Research Paper Research

write a research report. Follow the instruction in attached files.

How Written Assignments Are Graded <<revised for Fall ’20 online>>

     The ability to express yourself, to say or write what you mean, is important on many levels so there are many different kinds of written assignments.  Not every written assignment can be useful in every course, but they all have certain basic things in common.  Here are some essentials:

Honesty: Plagiarism is an insult to the professor.  The least penalty is a grade of zero for the assignment.  All plagiarism will be reported to your advisor/the department chair/the provost/etc.  No exceptions.

Go to:     http://sva.libguides.com/research

     - click on Plagiarism

     - follow the links.

Timeliness: Late assignments will be significantly downgraded. 

Content: (85%) A simple way to remember this is the acronym, ACE:

      -  ANSWER the question that was asked (i.e., stay on topic).

      - CITE your evidence. 

      - EXPLAIN how the evidence answers the question.  

Format and mechanics: (15%) 

Format: None of these requirements is unusual or difficult.  You’ve probably seen them all before.  Formats make things easier to read and understand.  Sometimes not submitting information in the required format can result in not getting an interview or having your tax return audited.  In this class it can result in losing grade points.

1. Typed, double-spaced

2. Pages numbered

3. Margins of 1"-1½” all around

4. Font size 11-12 point

5. Assignments are submitted in class as hard copy unless otherwise instructed. 

Mechanics:  Assignments must be written in standard English with correct grammar, sentence structure, spelling, punctuation and capitalization.  Words must be used correctly.  It doesn’t have to be fancy, but your meaning must be clear.  Observing basic mechanics will ensure this.  Basic mechanical errors will result in a grade reduction of up to 15 points.  Proofread.    

More than five (5) errors in formatting and mechanics will make the assignment unacceptable.    

<<<*****>>>

Common Errors:  Here are a few common mistakes and the abbreviations that will be used to indicate them in your written work:

aa – apostrophe abuse. The plural in English is not formed by using an apostrophe. The plural of Viking is Vikings, not Viking’s.  Another frequent mistake is confusing its and it’s.  If you don’t know the difference, now is the time to learn it.  This is a hom and an aa and a ww! 

agree – agreement of subject and verb.  English has lost most of its inflections, but a few remain, and writers must use them.  The Valkyrie is, but the Valkyries are. 

caps – capital letters missing where required

comp – compound and complex sentences require punctuation.  If you are not sure of where to put commas (and where not to put them), visit the Writing Center. 

hom – misuse of homonyms such as their, there and they’re

lc – lower case letters missing (e.g., you are putting caps where they don’t belong). 

¶ – indent paragraph beginning.  Do not add an extra line space between paragraphs, just indent the first line – even when the paragraph is only one line long.    

pp – past participle; dropping the final letters, such as writing “drop” instead of “dropped,” is a common mistake; we do this frequently in casual speaking, but it is an error in formal speaking and in writing.

punct – an error of punctuation, many possibilities 

quotes – There are many common mistakes in using quotation marks.

    - using them when not actually quoting something (no air quotes in written work!)

    - forgetting to use them when quoting something

  - putting punctuation outside the quotes instead of inside (this is US standard; it may differ elsewhere in the world)

   - forgetting to close the quotes 

     What’s the big deal?  All of these are mistakes that can detract from your writing by making it harder to understand what you’re trying to say. 

sp – spelling error

ww – wrong word. The word you used makes no sense in the present context.