Mr. Preston's
Technical Assistance for Term PapersCourses with Writing Projects
- 3201 Criminal Law - briefs
- 3210 Judicial and Legal Systems - field observation reports, legal opinions, briefs
- 3320 Corporate and Loss Prevention - field interview reports, security plan proposals
- 3400 Correctional Systems - moot PSIs
- 4200 Criminal Procedure - briefs and case analysis
- 4250 Law and Social Problems - legislation proposals
- 4350 Seminar on Violence - formal research
- 4660 Offender Behavior - moot criminal event reports, formal book reviews
Mr. Preston feels that term papers and writing assignments help students practice and improve written communication skills, information location and observation skills, encourages critical thinking, and provides a personal reflection medium between student and teacher. He expects the following in written projects:
- clarity of expression
- conformance with substantive and methodological guidelines
- demonstration of critical thinking skills
- objectivity
A sample of an A paper is usually available for examination. Grammar is very important. Mr. Preston takes up to two letter grades off the total score for chronic (3+) errors. Generally, the following guidelines apply for grading:
- 80%-85% conformity to substantive and methodological guidelines; in many cases, a formal proposal will account for as much as 20% of the above percentage
- 15%-20% objectivity and/or relevancy; in many cases, there will be suggestions in the guidelines and disscussions in class as to what material could, should, and should not be considered relevant to the project
The referencing format for the paper is normally the style used by the major text of the course. Please refer to your textbook. All your sources must be documented. Failure to do so is considered plagarism. Please refer to the here for information on citing and copyrights.
Mr. Preston feels that a student must have a thorough understanding of what is expected out of the project. Early assessment of the requirements of the project is a must. In other words, follow directions! Read your syllabus throughly. It will answer most of your questions. All concerns over any aspect of the project must be resolved in class, by phone or email, or office visits well before the project deadline. To help assist faciliate communication about the objects of the project, Mr. Preston often requires a structure proposal to clear up misunderstandings.
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URL: http://www.unt.edu/cjus/wpreston.htm