LECTURE – Feb. 10/2011
(Continuation of lecture 13…)
Plagiarism
Quotations, paraphrase, summaries, facts used as evidence,
MUST BE CITED
Are the facts common knowledge?
oIf so, may not need to give reference…
Disputed facts or recently published data, need to cite
Distinctive or authoritative ideas
oShould cite
THESIS
Claims: value, policy, fact
Want to back up the claim
Primary claim is the thesis
oWhat some feature or features might mean about some subject
AVOID…
oStaying the same throughout the essay
Thesis should change
Broad thesis that is repeated many times – supporting general
idea, and not interrogating the material
•This is a one-on-ten thesis
•Overly general ten supported by 10 examples, then
conclusion
•Given catalogue of evidence, without any elaboration of
argument
oArgument simply repeated
oCentral idea not evolving or motivating the paper
oSTATIC – not going anywhere
IN CONTRAST, a more effective thesis evolves by gaining
complexity and accuracy
•Still have a thesis
•Adequacy considered from various angles
•Have multiple perspectives
•Weak theses most easily detected by predictability,
repetiveness
Weak thesis – gaps in argument
•There may be counterarguments that are ignored…
5-paragraph form
•Don’t use this formula as template for the material
•USE material to structure
•Simplistic – restrict thinking and development of ideas
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