Below are copies of course handouts pertaining to writing projects in my classes, including my Rewrite Procedures handout. Some written assignments include the option of revision, and students are strongly encouraged to do this.

1) DO include an introduction and a conclusion. You must state your thesis clearly near the beginning of your paper (usually in the first paragraph). (It is preferable that you NOT start with, "In this paper I will talk about...," and finish with, "In this paper I talked about....") Write introductions and conclusions that frame and enhance the body of your paper without simply repeating what your main points are. (Tip: write introductions and conclusions last, if that works for you!)

2) DO assert your own original, objective, "etic" ideas and interpretations (as opposed to subjective, emic "feelings" and "personal opinions"), and offer good evidence (observations, readings, etc.) to support them. Your overall thesis should be your own original, etic analysis/interpretation.

3) DO use short quotations in your paper where appropriate, but DO NOT leave them hanging there by themselves; even full sentence quotations may NOT stand alone--provide context, attribution, and transition.

4) DO cite specific spoken observations or written passages throughout your paper, as appropriate. These things are your evidence, your data, for supporting your thesis.

    a) Refer to readings for this class by the last name of the author, and to videos by the title. Cite pages, especially for direct quotes, by placing page numbers in parentheses in the text. Example: "..........." (p. 145).

    b) Refer to all outside readings using American Anthropologist citation style, and provide a references cited page for these works. Example: ................ (Jones 1992:123).

    c) Refer to informants and interviewees by a pseudonym, and explain who they are in a general way, in the text and/or an appendix. As a rule, protect their anonymity.

5) DO NOT write in second person.

6) Do NOT use "we language" unless you mean "we anthropologists" or "we human beings."Disallowed: we women, we men, we Americans, we native people, we white people, we students, etc. The point is to remove yourself from the group(s) you are analyzing, thereby enhancing objectivity. Also, “we language” may exclude your reader or listener.

7) DO NOT use sexist language, or other bigoted language.

8) DO NOT use clichés, stock phrases, and slang. These are inaccurate and unscholarly, and inappropriate for use by anthropologists. Be especially aware of the language of psychotherapy, or "psychobabble," which changes from year to year and is almost always used inaccurately by the general public.

9) DO proofread and proofread again to look for spelling and grammatical errors, awkward and unclear passages, improper punctuation, problems with organization, etc. Learn to judge the quality of your own writing, to be your own tough editor. (There is a writing lab in the Learning Center where any student may seek help or advice about writing projects.)

10) DO write a paper that you are proud of. To get an A, your paper must be excellent. No papers with typos or misspellings will receive an A!! 

11)WATCH OUT for nonstandard or substandard expressions, corrupted phrases, and crass neologisms.Below are some common words/phrases to avoid:

• improper use of prepositions
• improper use of who and whom
• subjects and verbs that do not agree in number, tense, etc.
• plural pronouns used with singular subjects (must say "he or she" or make the subject and pronouns plural)
• use of contractions and slang in a more formal paper
• improper use of "as well as"

2) Original papers that are turned in late MAY NOT BE REWRITTEN, unless previous arrangements have been made with me. Only serious excuses such as illness or emergencies will persuade me to allow late papers to be rewritten. Please note: technology failure (e.g. the printer ran out of ink) is NOT a valid excuse. Plan ahead!

3) Rewritten papers are due in class one week after the original papers are returned by the instructor. NO late rewrites will be accepted.

4) The original paper with the grade and instructor's comments MUST be turned in with the rewritten version. No rewrites will be accepted without the original. I suggest that you make corrections, additions, etc., on the original copy and not just at your word processor.

5) There will be a one day grace period for late papers. After one day, I will deduct points at the rate of 5 points per day, including week-ends.

6) The grade assigned to the rewritten version is the grade that stands, not the best of the two, or an average of the two! Most students do improve their grade; some get the same grade.

7) Turn in a paper that already is the best you can do. I am not your copy editor, you are your copy editor. Points taken off for typos, misspellings, blatant grammatical errors and sentence fragments are POINTS LOST FOREVER. 

Rewriting/revising is for improving organization, clarity, evidential support of your theme(s), etc., not for fixing the typos that should not have been there in the first place. Learn to judge and critique your own writing. On papers that are particularly sloppy, I will stop reading and assign an F.