English 201: the Research Paper

English 201: The Research Paper

Instructor / Ms. Barbara Butler
Voicemail / (425) 564-3064
Email /
Office / R-230
Office Hours / By Appointment
Course Materials /

Required Texts

Writing Research Papers: A Guide to the Process, Seventh Edition (Weidenborner)

From Critical Thinking to Argument: A Portable Guide (Barnet and Bedau)

Course Description

The focus of English 201 is to develop the skills for writing research papers. Students learn research techniques, source analysis, thesis development argumentation styles, and summarizing.

Course Outcomes

At the end of this course, the student will be able to write a humanities-style research paper that includes as part of its composition or process

an objective summary of college-level material which identifies primary and supporting assumptions
an evaluation of different types of evidence (i.e. tone/diction, logical reasoning)
a synthesis of source writing with own writing
an original and clearly supported thesis
proper in-text citations and works-cited page
a breadth of varied primary sources which demonstrates a familiarity with library research skills

Assignments

The following are the kinds of assignments and the approximate points total for the quarter:

Essays (4 x 100 points each) / 400
Research and Writing Assignments / 100
Peer Reviews / 50
Research Paper / 200
Annotated Bibliography / 50
Total / 800

Grading

Final course grades are posted as letter grades. For ease of calculation, grades are based on a percentage system throughout the quarter. You are strongly urged to track your own grade, and I will give you computer-generated updates of your course grade periodically for verification.

A / 93-100% / B+ / 88-89% / C+ / 78-79% / D+ / 68-69% / F / 59%-
A- / 90-92% / B / 83-87% / C / 73-77% / D / 60-67%
B- / 80-82% / C- / 70-72%

Assignment Policies

Because each assignment builds on the skills and knowledge developed in the previous assignment, it is important to complete work on time.

Late assignments are due no later than the beginning of the next class session immediately following the original due date. A penalty of 20% will be deducted from the overall assignment grade. The final research paper may not be submitted late.

All assignments are to be submitted in class at the assigned time and date. Please do not use email or the college mail system (i.e., don’t drop off assignments to be put in my mailbox) to submit assignments.

For the 5 essays, there are no revisions allowed after the final draft is submitted. Consequently, it is important to take care in the drafting and editing stages to ensure that you earn the highest grade possible: check the printed directions sheet and scoring rubric to be sure you understand the assignment, complete all related readings, participate in peer reviews in class, ask your instructor for help both during class time and in individual conferences, and visit the Writing Lab for additional help with editing

Attendance

This course is designed for on-campus attendance, so it is important that you make every effort to attend each class in its entirety. From years of experience, I can assure you there is a very high correlation between attendance and success in class: missing even one or two classes may seriously jeopardize your ability to earn a passing grade for the course. I am also aware that illness and emergencies do arise, and that absences are sometimes unavoidable, so the attendance policy for this class is as follows:

Attendance is taken promptly at the beginning of class. If you arrive late, you will need to check with me at the end of class to have your attendance record changed.

You are allowed 20 free points for attendance. Late arrivals and early departures (including break time) cost 5 points, and full class absences cost 10 points. Once you have used up your free points, points will be deducted from your class points total.

When You Are Absent

Study Partner At the beginning of the quarter, find another student in class with whom you can trade email addresses or phone numbers. Then, in the event that you are absent from a class, the study partner can provide you with information missed in class.

Instructor Notify me by email (or voicemail) in the event of an absence. When you return, check with me to get any class handouts missed. Assignments will not be given out before they are assigned to the entire class.

Instructor Contact

It is important that you are able to reach me if you have questions regarding current assignments or would like help with drafting, editing, and revising.

Email – For brief questions, absence notification, or other concerns, the quickest way to reach me and receive a reply is by email. For security reasons, please include your name in the subject line if it is not clearly identified in your email address. Unidentifiable email will not be opened.
Voicemail – You may also leave a voicemail for absence notification. It is important to note, however, that this is only a voicemail number and does not ring to me directly.
InPerson – I encourage you to meet with me individually any time you would like help with your writing. To do so, please make an appointment by sending me an email message or asking during class time. In addition, I will often have some class time devoted to individual help, which I strongly suggest that you use.

Ownership

The work that you turn in under your name is expected to be your original work, written for this course and to the specifications of the assignment. Although you are encouraged to seek feedback on your writing from others and from the WritingCenter, the writing must be demonstrably and essentially your own. Save drafts, outlines, and other preliminary steps toward your finished work, just in case a question of ownership arises.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the use of someone else’s words and ideas as if they are your own or allowing someone else to use your words and ideas as their own. It is important that you learn the correct techniques for documenting sources of information to be incorporated in your writing for any subject area in college, as well as in your professional and personal works. According to BellevueCommunity College policy, for plagiarism or cheating, you may be given an “F” grade for an individual assignment or the entire course. In addition, the incident will be reported to the Dean of Student Services.

Classroom Decorum

In the interest of maintaining the best possible learning environment, please respect the following:

Respect the rights of other students to voice different opinions from yours.
Avoid any behaviors such as interrupting or side conversations.
Before each class, check to be sure that cell phones are turned off.
Please arrive on time and do not leave early during class time, including break time. If you have arrived late more than twice or must leave class early, please wait until the class break time to do so.

Please do not eat during class time – beverages are fine.

Disability Support Services

Students with disabilities who have accommodation needs are required to meet with the Director of Disability Support Services (Room B 132) to establish their eligibility for accommodation. Telephone: (425) 564-2498 or TTY (425) 564-4110. In addition, students are encouraged to review their accommodation requirements with each instructor during the first week of the quarter