Environmental Ethics @ AIP : Writing Guidelines

Site menu:

Writing for our class:

In this class the major writing assignment is to create a proposal for the multimedia presentation project. This is a brief summary of the proposal requirements contained in your syllabus and on the right you will find some links to help you create your project proposal.

First, a proposal is different from other writing assignments in that you have to outline the purpose and relevance of your project in relation to our class as a whole. That means you have to be very clear about the issue that you want to cover, the way in which you're going to present the issue and the medium you will use for your project (e.g., advertising campaign, film, design project, website, etc... )

Second, your proposal must be submitted relatively early in the course (Week 3). As such it is important for you to scan the readings assigned ahead of time by using the syllabus as a guide for the information we will cover this quarter. it is also okay to scan the class text and choose a topic that we haven't covered, so long as it fits broadly into one of the themes we are discussing throughout the quarter.

Third, in an effort to streamline the work process associated with this proposal, I've provided a template for you to download (Word 2007) and fill in describing your project. Please also the course syllabus that contains a grading rubric for this assignment. the easiest way to use the rubric in order to be sure your proposal meets the assignment guidelines is to use the column under the "A" grade as a checklist for all of the elements that must be present in your proposal to receive a passing grade.

Word 2007 Project Proposal Template

Word 1997-2003 Project Proposal Template

Finally, I strongly suggest that you visit the AIP Writing Center on the 2nd floor (217 - back right corner of second floor, past Admissions offices) for assistance with this assignment. In order to make your visit productive you should bring a copy of: the course syllabus, the writing guidelines on this page and the proposal template.

There are two great reasons why you should consider using the writing center for help with this proposal. First, they can help you stay on task and meet the proposal guidelines without being overwhelmed. Assistants in the writing center are trained to target key assignment requirements and help you think about how to meet them concisely and efficiently. Second, the value of a someone to bounce your ideas off of and a proofreader cannot be understated; when we proofread our own work is sometimes hard to see errors because we read the words as we imagine them and not as they actually are on the paper. The Writing Center can help you to organize your ideas which is a valuable timesaver.

Using Scholarly Sources:

Scholarly sources are generally identified as periodicals, publications, or monographs that are peer-reviewed by other experts in a particular academic field or those issued by university presses. For two good sources on identifying scholarly sources, please see the following;

1. Scholarly versus Non-scholarly sources (St. Charles Community College): a checklist guide for identifying scholarly works.
2. Distinguishing Scholarly Journals from Other Periodicals (Cornell University Library): guidance on identifying scholarly sources.
3. Search using Google Scholar: Please note that these searches may not yield periodicals or texts to which you have full access. As always this is a starting place and should always be cross-referenced with the AIP Library Link below because our databases offer you full text access to many of the journal articles you locate through ProQuest or Wilson Web.
4. AIP Library Link: A connection to the scholarly databases available at AIP's Library. The best databases for our class are ProQuest and Wilson Web. Be sure to stop by the library to pick up a guide to the database usernames and passwords so that you can log on from the comfort of home.

A Word about Wikipedia & other Internet based sources:

Though Wikipedia can provide a great starting place for understanding an idea and locating good links with additional information, it is NOT CONSIDERED A SCHOLARLY SOURCE AND SHOULD NOT BE USED IN YOUR PROPOSALS AS A SCHOLARLY SOURCE. Many internet sources do not qualify as scholarly sources because they are not authored, peer-reviewed or sponsored by a reputable research source.

Please use good discretion in evaluating information before you include it in your journal entries. The research librarians who work in our 3rd floor library can be a great resource if you are new to scholarly research. Please do not hesitate to ask for their assistance in searching the library's databases as they will teach you how to perform research searches effectively and efficiently which will save you tons of time in completing assignments.

The AIP Writing Center is also a great place to go for help in getting started with journal assignments. Click here to make an appointment to visit the writing center.

Proposal Formatting Requirements:

FORMAT: 

1. FORMAT: Your project may take the form of an advertising/information awareness campaign, animation, film, PowerPoint slide show/text or web site.
2. Minimum length for individual projects is 2 minute animation/film/slide show, 10 slide PowerPoint or a web site with 10 images and explanations of how they tie into one of the ethical theories studied during the course of the quarter.  For group projects a 5 minute film or 15 slides containing the above referenced content is appropriate.  Please note: Just turning in a minimum length project does not guarantee a passing grade. If you want to earn an A or B your project should meet the guidelines noted in the attached rubrics.
3. WHEN IS THE FIRST PART OF THE PROJECT DUE? Project proposals are due Week 3.  The guidelines for creating a project proposal appear on our class web site under the tab labeled “Project Guidelines”
4. Grammar, punctuation and usage count.  You are responsible for proofreading your assignments before you turn in them in. Project proposals that contain multiple mechanical writing errors (3 or more) will not receive an A or B.  Please refer to the proposal rubric for additional information.
5. Plagiarism notice:  If you quote/paraphrase another artist’s/author’s ideas, or my lecture, you should include the source’s name in parenthesis after the sentence where the material appears.
6. All projects will be checked for plagiarism.  If your entry consists of material largely copied from other students, web sites, (i.e., more than 25%) or any other source it will receive a failing grade.
7. In order to avoid plagiarism, make sure you are using small (i.e., 1 or 2 sentence quotes). Do not copy entire paragraphs as quotes; summarize them in your own words and cite the source parenthetically immediately after the sentences that summarize the material and be sure to list the source in your bibliography. 
8. Instructions for doing citations appear on the project guidelines page (on the class web site). Project proposals and presentations without proper citations will receive a failing grade.
9. Students who copy or turn in work from:
1. another’s student’s entry (present or past quarters), or
2.  information bought/copied from the Internet

will receive a failing grade for the course and face disciplinary policies outlined under plagiarism in the AIP student handbook.

1. In addition to having proper citations within the text of your entry, all project assignments must contain a bibliography (i.e., works cited page) that lists all sources (including the class text) that were used within the entry. Formats for bibliography entries for our class notes, internet resources and text appear on the Project Guidelines page of our class web site. You must tailor the examples to fit your particular needs. Projects that do not include complete bibliographies, or include incorrectly formatted bibliographies, will not receive a passing grade. If you are having trouble generating the proper format for your bibliography visit www.easybib.com for help with MLA formatted bibliographies.
2.  You (and your group) should also consider visiting the Writing Center for assistance with your project proposal.  Appointments are easy to get during the first half of the quarter and the advice you receive will help you to do well on this part of the project.

Citing Sources:

You are responsible for citing sources in you journal each time you either summarize or quote the ideas of another author. The author's name, not editor's, is used in all citations below. Here are three examples taken from our course:

Example #1 Citing an Internet web site or source found on the Internet:

• Summarizing or quoting uses the same format; the author's name, not the web address should appear. Every web page has an author/organization that created it. If you can't find the author, use the organization's name: Mill argues that all forms of self-expression ought to be exempt from criminal prosecution.(Smith)

Example #2 Citing works from our class text, Environmental Ethics: An Anthology; format = (author, pg #)

• Summarizing: John Stuart Mill argues that justice is framed by a generally informal set of rules governing both private and personal conduct.(Mill, 852-853)
• Quoting: Mill argues that "it is mostly considered unjust to deprive any one of his personal liberty, his property, or any other think which belongs to him by law."(Mill, 852)

Example #3 Citing works from our class lectures.

• Summarizing: Kant's imperative applies all times, all places and to all people.(Bowser)

Example #4 Citing works from scholarly journals/periodicals.

• Summarizing or Quoting: Kant's imperative applies all times, all places and to all people.(Article Author, pg. # in journal)

Doing a bibliography:

Every research paper should include a bibliography page; some instructors call this a "Works Cited" page, but the content is the same. Note that a bibliography is quite different from a citation and both should appear in your paper. If you are having trouble generating the proper format for your bibliography visit www.easybib.com for help with MLA formatted bibliographies.

Here are three of the most common bibliographical entries you will use in our course.

Example #1 Internet web site or source found on the Internet:

• Russell, Bertrand. Philosophy for Laymen. Downloaded from http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/2528/br_ph4laymen.htm on 9/4/01.
• Other web sites such as news sites or sites put up by individuals should include the web site author's name [usually found at the bottom of the web page] and/or the organization that sponsors the site. The title of the web page functions like the title of a text or article from a journal and should appear after the author's name.
• Remember to include the web address [http://www.something.com] and download date at the end of the entry.

Example #2 Bibliography for our class text, Today's Moral Issues: Classic and Contemporary Perspectives

• Varner, Gary E. Can Animal Rights Activists Be Ethicists? Environmental Ethics: An Anthology.Andrew Light & Holmes Rolston III, Editors. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, p. 95-113. 
• You should use this model for all readings in our text and readings located in a compilation  text with multiple authors and/or editors.

Example #3 Bibliography for class lectures

• Bowser, Diane. Lecture on Environmentalism and Animal Activists The Art Institute of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA). Given on December 20, 2009.

Example #4 Bibliography for scholarly source within a journal/periodical:

• Article Author. Title of Article. Name of Journal Periodical Underlined. Volume number, No. in volume, Date Published.

Grading Rubric:

The table below summarize my method for evaluating your project proposals. When you read the table, it should be easy for you to see the criteria necessary for receiving various letter grades.

home | guide questions | syllabus | contact dr. bowser

Writing Info:

Here's a list of recent readings covered in class :

Download the Proposal Template | Using Scholarly Sources | Proposal Formatting Requirements | How to include citations | Doing a bibliography | Proposal Grading Rubric |