Term Paper Information, Soci 488

***  THE PAPERS ARE DUE NO LATER THAN MAY 5!!!
     (bring them to the final class meeting at Hoffman Estates 
     or mail them to me prior) - They must be hardcopy 

Late papers will be penalized at 10 points a day, up to 50 points. 
NO EXCEPTIONS!

They must be about 15 pages long.

BEGIN YOUR PAPERS EARLY!!  Don't blow your grade
by trying to do a paper at the last minute!!!  A library research
is expected, but if you have a specific project in mind,  see me.
Choose a topic that is FUN!

Your papers should follow any  generally-accepted format for term
papers in that they have  a)  a clear introduction,  specifying
"what's at stake," and  organizing your forth-coming discussion;
b)  a strong  discussion in which you make your  key points and
present your argument; and c) a convincing conclusion.   There is
no required length,  but the expectation is between 15-20 pages.
A 10 page paper will be  considered two-thirds of the assignment
and graded accordingly.

REMEMBER:  Papers must flow logically and be well-organized.  If
you are not sure how to write a paper,  check a term paper manual
out of the library!!  Have a friend read the paper over for 
clarity, style, and typos.

You should use ACADEMIC JOURNALS,   although in some cases
magazines are appropriate (as when doing a media content analysis).
Remember to use  good grammar---don't use glib  speech without a
purpose (eg., "cops," "guys," etc).   Be careful not to "genderize"
language (eg, use police officer for policeman, etc).

I am looking especially for  well-thought out analysis that tells
us something NEW about the topic,  and ties in some broad social
issues about delinquency.

No comments will be made on  final papers,  because few students
pick them up.   Exceptions will be made for papers turned in
early.   It is my policy to comment upon paper drafts PRIOR to
submission, because this is when feedback helps the most.

NOTE THESE RULES!!

                         RULES FOR PAPERS

  1) NO DICTIONARY DEFINITIONS!!!
  2) Type the papers and DO NOT use binders
  3) Number your pages
  4) Use SCHOLARLY sites, NOT Reader's Digest or Vogue
  5) Beware of Net sources that aren't scholarly
  6) You MUST have at least two cites post 2000

The following rules are common sense,   but there may be serious
consequences if you violate them.

When writing a paper, there are a few basic rules:

  1) Do your own work
  2) Do not recycle papers you wrote for other
     courses to this one
  3) Do not falsify bibliographies
  4) Plagiarism WILL NOT be tolerated. DO NOT cut/paste from the Web

Violation of the following may result  in a 10-90 percent
reduction in your paper grade, depending on serverity of offense:

   1.  Failure to follow the assignment
   2.  Failure to submit your original  copy (ie,  no zeroxes or
       carbons of any page)
   3.  Failure to include your bibliography
   4.  Messy or untyped papers
   5.  Late papers

The following will automatically result in an F on the paper:

   1.  Falsifying or extreme discrepancies in bibliography
   2.  plagiarism (an automatic zero on the paper)
   3.  Using a paper you have used  for another class in this one
       without permission
   4.  Paper not submitted at deadline

The following will  automatically result in a course  grade of F
and may result in judicial disciplinary hearings:

   1.  Submitting a paper written by another as your own
   2.  Lying when confronted with explicit evidence of violations
       in any of these rules
   3.  Plagiarism

                          POSSIBLE PAPER TOPICS

--Should juveniles be tried as adults?
--Juvenile executions
--Sources of delinquent behavior
--Is the juvenile justice system too hard/soft?
--Does the juvenile justice system "work?"
--Delinquency in schools
--Theoretical critiques
--Portrayal of delinquency in music/movies/popular culture
--Female and delinquency

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