Expectations for Grade 12 Written Work and Research

Expectations for Grade 12 Written Work and Research Expectations for written work at the 4U level are high. A complete rendering of all the rules of grammar, composition and referencing is not possible or even useful here. However, some of the more significant expectations follow. 1) Written work should be completed using well established principles of sentence, paragraph and essay composition. All written work must be thesis based. Recognizable main ideas must reflect the writer's point of view and be supported by examples. 2) You should already know how to incorporate quotations from sources into supporting paragraphs and punctuate them properly. 3) You must provide in text citation of all sources, quoted or paraphrased. This documentation style puts short bracketed reference to the work cited in the text of the writer s paper (author s surname page number e.g. (Golding 11) and the corresponding detailed bibliographical entries at the end of the paper. Websites often do not have page numbers! If the author of the website is not indicated, use the title with no page number. Make sure that you give credit to ALL sources that you have quoted, paraphrased and found useful in preparing your paper. To avoid the charge of plagiarism you must make every effort to cite in the body of your paper every work that may have helped shape your opinions and comments. 4) Creating a Works Cited List/Bibliography 1. Use italics, not underlining, for titles of long works. 2. All entries must identify the resource's medium (print, web, DVD, etc.) 3. When more than one copyright is given, use the most recent. 4. When more than one town of publication is given, choose the closest. 5. Use "n.d." or "n.p." to signify "no date" or "no publisher" given. 6. If the author's first name is given on the title page, use it - don't change the way an author gives his or her name. (eg. put initial only) 7. Always put your Works Cited list in alphabetical order and do not number the entries. BOOKS One Author Bernstein, Thomas. The Careful Writer: A Modern Guide to English Usage. New York: Atheneum, 1965. Print. Two Authors

Strunk, W., and E.B. White. The Elements of Style. 3rd ed. New York: Macmillan, 1979. Print. Editor as "Author" Letheridge, S., and C.R. Cannon, Eds. Bilingual Education: Teaching English as a Second Language. New York: Praeger, 1999. Print. Institution/Association as "Author" American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 3rd. ed. Washington D.C., 1980. Print. ENCYCLOPEDIAS Encyclopedia Article with Author (in book format) Leopold, Luna B. "Surface Water." McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology. 6th ed. 1997. Print. Encyclopedia Article with Author (from online) Smith, Tabitha. "Pumpkins and Gourds." Encyclopaedia of Vegetables and Fruits Online. Educational Publishers, 2007. Web. 25 Oct. 2010. Encyclopedia Article without Author (in book format) "Sun." The World Book Encyclopedia. 2003. Print. Encyclopedia Article without Author (from online) "Einstein, Albert." Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 1999. Web. 27 Apr. 2009. MAGAZINES AND NEWSPAPERS Magazine Article (in print) Taylor, Paul. "Keyboard Grief: Coping with Computer Injuries." Popular Science December 1999: 70-76. Print. Magazine Article (from online database) Sheppard, Robert. "Caught Up In Time." Maclean's 1 Nov. 1999: 42. CPI.Q (Canadian Periodicals). Web. 29 Oct. 2009. Magazine Article (from magazine website)

Chaplin, Heather. "Epidemic of Extravagance." Salon 19 February 1999: n. pag. Web. 12 July 1999. Newspaper Article (in print) Cohen, D. "Professionals Face Tax Rise as Revenue Canada Targets Personal Service Corporations." The Ottawa Citizen 1 Sept. 1990: A3. Print. Newspaper Article (from online database) same as Magazine from database (above) Newspaper Article (from newspaper website) same as Magazine from website (above) SCHOLARLY JOURNALS Journal Articles (from online databases) Langhamer, Claire. "Love and Courtship in Mid-Twentieth-Century England." Historical Journal 50.1 (2007): 173-96. ProQuest. Web. 27 May 2009. Journal Articles (from journal websites) Hart, Christian L. et al. "Indirect Detection of Deception: Looking for Change." Current Research in Social Psychology 14.2 (2009). Web. 14 Nov. 2009. <http://www.uiowa.edu/~grpproc/cristp/crisp14_9.pdf> IMAGES Images from Online Sources "Afghanistan." Map. Magellan Geographix. Knowledge Source. Web. 25 Oct. 2001. http://www.sks.sirs.com *note: where it says "map" insert the format of your image (Photo, Chart, Graph, WWW (World Wide Web) Korla, B. Russia Today. Russian and East European Studies. Web. 8 Jan. 2000. <http://pitt.edu/~cjp/rsiang.html> Madonna. LeWebLouvre, Paris. Web. 11 Jan. 2000. <http://mistral.enst.fr/ ~pioch/louvre/louvre.html> *Provide the exact URL for the specific page you read. In most cases an index page URL is not adequate referencing, since it cannot lead the reader to the information being used.

As far as you can provide the following information: name of author (if available); article or web page title (quotation marks); web site title (italicized); medium of publication (Web); date accessed; URL (address) AND remove the hyperlink 5) Unity of purpose in paragraph or essay writing is important. You will have to compose substantive transitions between and among ideas and paragraphs. You must write paragraphs which are not simply a collection of sentences, and essays which are not simply a collection of independent paragraphs. 6) All written work should use formal style. Personal pronouns, contractions, abbreviations, and conversational language do not belong. You never need to say, "I think," or, "I believe," or, "In my opinion." I know it's your opinion, as your name is on the assignment and your writing is almost always supposed to reflect your point of view, reached after examination of the available evidence. Statements such as these tend to make your writing tentative and repetitive, and sometimes appear to be an excuse for having done insufficient research. 7) Proofread for clarity. If you are having trouble wording something, I will most likely have trouble understanding it. One strategy for overcoming this problem is to start over change the beginning of the sentence, making sure that you are putting things in natural order subject first, verb next, object or qualifier last 8) Use the "spell check' feature of word processing programs. Simple typographical errors should be eliminated. All word processed work should be double spaced. Good writing rarely happens on the first try. You must write, revise, and re write. For example, this page has been revised on six different days since I first wrote it. One of the best things you can do for your writing is to give it time. Rather than rushing to meet a deadline organize your work so that there is a period of time when you do not have to look at your writing for two or three days. Then go back to it. You will find that you have a better perspective on your own work and will be able to find errors and see potential improvements. Where do you find reliable sources of information? You will be able to find them in the Library and on-line. Look for suggested databases on the Library page of the school website. You just have to know how to look, to follow instructions, and to use whatever time you are given to its best advantage. But Wikipedia is so handy! What use can you make of it? Wikipedia is a LOT better than a lot of other on line sources at least it tells you up front when there has been inadequate source information given. AND there are NO ads on Wiki (for now). That means that it's purpose is to inform, not sell you things, an important consideration. Use Wikipedia and similar sources to get an overview of specific issues if you like, but you have

to remember that you need to corroborate everything you find there. Anyone who wants to can edit a Wikipedia article, sometimes maliciously. As well it can be very useful if you consult the sources and references that Wikipedia articles give - scroll to the bottom, find and consult the reputable, authored sources that are identified. Dig dig dig!