Description
NO TITLE OR TABLE CONTENTS OR OUTLINE PLEASE START WITH THE INTRODUCTION The paper must have five sections in which the student does the following five things: Introduce the book to the reader, identifying the contributors and assessing their perspectives and qualifications to write on the subject; Briefly summarize the perspective and central thesis of each contributor; Choose one perspective with which you have the most agreement and briefly describe your reasons why this perspective makes the most sense to you. Choose one perspective with which you have the most disagreement and briefly describe your reasons why this perspective makes the least sense to you. Based on your reading of, and interaction with, the various perspectives in the book, briefly describe your own understanding of Paul’s perspective on the four key areas each contributor addressed, identifying where your perspective has changed, if at all, after reading the book: 1. Salvation 2. Significance of Christ 3. Paul’s basic theological framework 4. Paul’s vision for the church. The paper is to be fully compliant with Turabian form, including the citation of all sources with appropriate footnotes, together with a bibliography of all sources used (there is no minimum number of sources, other than Bird, that must be used).
Style Guidelines for Papers
[NB: The following is for a graduate-level research paper. Depending on the assignment, particular writing assignments may differ in purpose and form. Be sure to follow the assignment-specific instructions for your particular writing assignment.]
This course utilizes the Turabian style/format. The required style guide for this course is Kate Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. When using Turabian, make sure to do the following:
- Insert page numbers on each page and set 1” margins on all four sides.
- Double-space all text (which equates to approximately 3 vertical lines per inch or 27 lines per page).
- Use 10- or 12-pt. Times New Roman or Arial font.
- Indent paragraphs 5 spaces or 0.6”. Our thesis standard is 5/8”.
- Avoid extra line-feed between paragraphs.
- Always keep the style and language formal.
- Use footnotes only. Do not use endnotes or parenthetical references.
The goal of a research paper is not merely to report about your readings or to piece together a string of quotations or paraphrases related to your topic. Instead, a research paper must aim to create “new knowledge” while recognizing the established scholars who have helped you in that endeavor. Research papers must attempt to prove a point (or thesis). Research papers are not “surveys” of material; they must be thoroughly documented. Do not give your opinion until the conclusion of your paper, unless otherwise specified. The creation of new knowledge implies staying away from the following academic cardinal sins:
- Plagiarism: Literally “kidnapping;” to steal and pass off the ideas or words of another as one’s own, to use another’s work without crediting the source (Webster). To steer clear of such “accidents,” you must reference all direct quotes, paraphrases, and original ideas borrowed from someone else. Please use proper citation.
- Recycling: This is when, without your instructor’s permission, you submit a paper that was original writing and/or submitted (whether in the current shape and form or not) for another course. You MUST ask your instructor’s permission BEFORE submitting any work already used for another class or assignment. Failure to do so may result in failure of the assignment.
- Excessive Direct Quotations: A research paper is not intended to be just a collection of direct quotations of works (even if they are well-documented) that are not your own with your only contribution to the process being well-formulated transitions between quotes along with an introduction and a conclusion. As a rule of thumb, only quote when absolutely necessary, such as when you could not paraphrase the author’s words without losing the substance of his/her thoughts or when your argument requires the exact wording of the writer. This rule does not apply to primary sources (see below)
Since this is a graduate-level course, papers must be written to a near-thesis standard. That is, you must meet minimum format standards, as defined below. English grammar, idioms, and spelling must be up to the graduate level. Remember that you are writing a term paper, not a casual letter. Valued qualities in your paper include clarity, succinctness, and precision. In addition, your paper should include the following sections:
- Title Page
- Thesis Statement: One or two sentences that capture the focus of your research, inform your reader about the purpose of the paper, and preview its main ideas
- Introduction: A strong paragraph that introduces your topic and clearly reveals what you intend to show to the reader. It should include the substance of your thesis statement.
- Section Headings: Underline or bold them.
- Body: A structured development that mirrors your paper’s outline. This section is where you prove your point while honestly interacting with opposing views and major objections.
- Transitional Sentences: Use clear transitions to ensure a flow and sense of unity from paragraph to paragraph.
- Conclusion: It should not merely restate your thesis. Instead, your conclusion should synthesize the information presented in the body. It should bring the reader to the full level of understanding of your topic that you have yourself reached.
- Footnotes
- Bibliography: Include if you use more than one source in your paper.
Research Project Grading Rubric
| Criteria | Levels of Achievement | ||||
| Content 70% | Advanced 92–100% | Proficient 84–91% | Developing 1–83% | Not Present | Points Earned |
| Content | 140 to 129 points
Editor and contributors fully introduced to reader; correctly summarizes each contributor’s perspective and central thesis; provides a clear and well-defended rationale for perspective chosen as strongest option; provides a clear and well-defended rationale for perspective chosen as weakest option; provides a carefully-argued defense of student’s perspective on the four key areas discussed in the book. | 128 to 118 points
Editor and contributors fully introduced, for the most part, to reader; correctly summarizes, for the most part, each contributor’s perspective and central thesis; provides a clear and fairly well-defended rationale for perspective chosen as strongest option; provides a clear and fairly well-defended rationale for perspective chosen as weakest option; provides a carefully-argued defense, for the most part, of student’s perspective on the four key areas discussed in the book.
| 117 to 1 points
Editor and contributors inadequately introduced to reader; contributors’ perspectives and central theses inadequately presented and/or misrepresented at points; rationale for perspective chosen as strongest option is poorly presented and defended; rationale for perspective chosen as weakest option is poorly presented and defended; poorly-argued defense of student’s perspective on the four key areas discussed in the book. | 0 points
Not present |
|