What degree was ethnicity a factor of conflict in post-colonial Africa
Essay Assignment Guidelines For AFRI 1002A
This is not your assignment but rather a summary of what is expected of your essays and how they will be graded.
The most crucial aspect to any assignment is to understand the topic. Too many students pay only cursory attention to the assignment, which usually results in some very strange interpretations of what the assignment is. Decide whether you will be writing a book OR a research paper. Then decide–based on Dr. Ali’s handout–which topic you will be examining. Then CONFRONT THE SUBJECT DIRECTLY.
The next step will be to research your subject. Solid research is the basis for solid writing. The more time you spend researching and understanding your subject the easier it will be to write your paper. I recommend starting off in a very general way. Consult a general source such as an encyclopedia or your course reader to gain a basic understanding of the topic. Once you understand the basics of the subject then it is time to research in more detail. Access to information has been revolutionized resulting in a wealth of sources available to all Carleton students. The internet has an abundance of academic sources available through our library’s website. Remember, if you do not collect enough reliable research, it will be clearly evident in your paper. There is no excuse for using only the course textbooks as major sources.
Once you have gathered information you must sift through it and decide what is reliable and relevant. Take that information and play with ideas; just because your research is done does not mean you can start writing. Try to look at what story the information is telling you. Does one idea or theme or pattern emerge time and time again? Try brainstorming, free-writing or pre-drafting to get some ideas flowing. You must develop a thesis. EVERY essay must include one. Your thesis is your educated conclusion, which you will be proving throughout the paper with evidence. All the evidence you include in your paper must support your thesis (do not include irrelevant information because it fills space). Try not to canvass other opinions as you only have five pages to express your own.
Every essay should begin by explaining what it is going to do. Your first line can be your thesis and it can be as direct as: “this paper will prove that…” By the end of the first paragraph your reader should have a clear understanding of your argument and how you intend to prove it. Try to devise a title that reflects your thesis.
The body of your essay should follow your introduction. Each paragraph should make an argument that supports your thesis and contain a piece of evidence supporting your argument. Do not include evidence or paragraphs if you cannot explain why they relate to your argument.
Next comes the conclusion. Your conclusion is important because it summarizes your ideas. There should never be new information introduced in your conclusion, just the points that you have made in your essay.
The format you follow is particularly important. A five page assignment can be difficult to write because you have to include so much information in such a short amount of space. Any paper below eight will fail. Papers of eleven or more will not be read. The goal of a short assignments is to train you to think critically by getting you to include only the most relevant information and to convey that information to a reader in a concise and coherent manner.
All essays must conform to the following rules: use footnotes or endnotes and NOT in text citations: borders are to be 1 inch and no more: double-spaced and use 12-point Times New Roman font only. The assignment is worth 15 percent of your final mark. Late papers will be penalized at 3% per day.
PLAGIARISM WILL RESULT IN THE STRICTEST PENALTIES UNDER CARLETON UNIVERSITY GUIDELINES.
