Hello!

Hello, class. I hope you all are well. I am writing to let you know that I have to break my promise to help you all in the library on Saturday since I found out I need to be present for Open House. I will be on campus, though, and if I "get out" early, I can answer questions, etc. Please still do come to make use of the library, if you wish, though. There will likely be some visitor traffic, but I asked Dean Nixon, and she said you are welcome to use the library. If no one is present to let you in, please see the receptionist. She has a key.

Also, our debate is on Monday--don't forget!!!! It will be a learning experience, so you are "not allowed" to worry about it--just do a little research and show up.

I hope journaling and working on your final papers is going well. Remember that research papers really can't be written at the last minute without appearing as such (believe me--I've done it, and suffered the poor results). Baby steps. At least break this task into pieces and get started if you haven't already. I don't usually like outlines because I find them restrictive, but for research paper, I find they do help, You might give this a try. Additionally, remember that this is an argument or position paper--you take a stand on an issue related to American government/society and, from a political lens, support this position, refuting the counterargument at some point along the way. If you can see merit in two opposing sides of an issue, you can write a Rogerian argument instead of a classical argument: in a Rogerian argument, you explore each side and then posit your thesis somewhere between the two. Of course, there are usually more than two sides to any issue, but I wouldn't try to entertain too many for this type of paper, or you and your reader might get lost in the process (at least I think so, but you are welcome to prove me wrong).

Some tips regarding your papers:
Computer crashes and lost pin drives are not viable excuses so please save your work in many places. If you email it to yourself, you will have it your sent and in your received email. You can post it on your blog, drop it or upload it to ecompanion, email it to me, save it on Google docs, create a wiki for it, save it in your Facebook notes--whatever: just don't lose it!

Remember to use APA format. You can essentially copy the formatting from the OWL Purdue site, if you wish, available at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/media/pdf/20090212013008_560.pdf
If you need to know how to cite any sort of source, the OWL site will have the information you need. I think this is the most user-friendly site with the correct formatting available, but you can also use the APA's website (see http://www.apastyle.org/manual/related/sample-experiment-paper-1.pdf for a sample paper). Many other sites have the incorrect formatting guidelines. You may use the South University APA style guide but you don't have to. It is almost identical to the "real" APA, with a few minor tweaks. Either is fine.
There are a number of special style concerns for referencing electronic sources using APA format. Online documents, journal articles, databases, and message boards all have specific referencing requirements. If you use the library portal, for instance, you would cite this slightly differently than if you found the article on Google Scholar. OWL notes the differences at the following link: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/10/

It is important to note the exact Web address on any online source you use. Always keep track of the electronic resources you refer to as you are researching a topic and collecting references.

Please don't float quotes. Always introduce them or blend them in. Remember, too, that in-text citations are required for direct quotes, paraphrases, and summaries. Keep track of the work you consult so you won't inadvertently plagiarize. Also, cutting AND pasting a direct quote from a website can cause citation trouble, as you import the format of the site and it may not be “launder-able.” Be careful with this.

Even though it is tedious and annoying, it is important to follow the format guidelines exactly, down to the littlest detail (for example, with period placement, capitalization, appropriate headers, your References page--which uses a hanging indent, by the way, and is alphabetized--if a source has no author named, begin with the title followed by the date.,...). Remember that the word “and” is represented with an ampersand ("&") if the citation is within parentheses, in-text, and it is spelled out ("and") if the citation is not inside parentheses. Another reminder is that contractions (can't, isn't, I'll, etc.) should be avoided in formal writing.
Additionally, if you site a specific document or article from within a Website (since many Websites include studies, reports, papers, articles, books or links to these), it is not acceptable to cite the homepage. When you've actually used a “stand-alone” document from within a Website, you must cite that individually.

The APA style site has free tutorials and many helpful inks, including a ling to frequently asked questions and another to an official APA blog. Please be attentive and careful when you get to the formatting stage.

Believe me, I feel your pain--I don't enjoy this part of the process either, but it is part of academia. I suggest that you write the paper first and format it later, so that you don't let formatting questions or hang-ups interfere with your creativity and flow of ideas.
Ultimately, my best advice on your papers is simply to “get ‘er done”!
Try to enjoy the process if at all possible. I always tell myself that when I am struggling academically, I am probably learning.
Very Best,
Dr. Hofheimer