Diversity essay - First draft and sources

  • Due Apr 16, 2021 by 11:59pm
  • Points 4
  • Submitting a file upload
  • File Types pdf, doc, and docx

  

Overview of Diversity Essay

Imagine you have secured your first full-time professional job after college, in your chosen career community.  Your supervisor was impressed by the essay you wrote about new technology last week.  Once again, at 5pm on Friday afternoon, your supervisor forwards you a recent news article, this time about some serious concerns over issues around diversity and inclusion in your field.  "Need your reactions for Monday's staff meeting!"  

Over the course of these assignments, you will write a four-page, double-spaced essay, making an argument about how a particular area of diversity and inclusion currently being discussed in the news might affect some aspect of your prospective career community -- and what to do about it.  

Your argument should not only be descriptive (what you think will happen and why) and normative (whether the consequences will be good or bad), but also advisory (pointing to a possible solution or way forward with the issue). Once again, you must use scholarly concepts and evidence in making your arguments.    

 

Part 4: First draft and sources. Write a complete first draft of your paper and present all of your references in the proper citation format.

 

Steps to follow

1. Follow your outline.  Making sure to incorporate any the feedback from your TA, follow your outline and write a complete first draft of your paper.  Your goal is to write four double-spaced pages. (If you end up a quarter-page under or over that amount, that is OK.)

Moving from an outline to a narrative draft can be challenging even for the most experienced writers.  I always recommend starting with your body paragraphs first, then moving on to your conclusion paragraph, and finally going back and trying to write a clear and engaging introduction paragraph.

A good strategy for an introduction is to start with a story or description of the problem, and end with your thesis.  A good strategy for a conclusion is to start with restating your thesis, and end with one more new idea that you'd like to leave the reader with, assuming they agree with your thesis by this point!

A great resource on our campus to help with your writing process is the UW-Madison Writer's Handbook.

2. Check your formatting.  Follow these formatting rules for your draft:

  • Underline your thesis statement.
  • Use one-inch margins on all sides
  • Double-space all text.
  • Indent all paragraphs; no extra blank lines between paragraphs.
  • Use 12-point Times, Times Roman, or Times New Roman font.
  • Number your pages.
  • Turn in a one-page list of complete references 
  • Put your name and your TA's name on the first page.

For more formatting advice, view out our brief formatting and style guide Download formatting and style guide.  

3. Complete your citations.  Remember that your paper must use ideas, concepts, examples, arguments, or evidence from at least three scholarly articles. (And using even more is generally a good idea.)  You need to cite these outside articles whenever you use an idea, quote, or fact from these sources. We recommend APA styleLinks to an external site. when citing sources:

  • Within the text of the paper, use the author's last name, the year of publication, and the page number, like this: (Gitlin, 2002, p. 10)
  • In the list of references at the end, organize alphabetically by author last name, like this: Gitlin, T. (2002). Media unlimited: How the torrent of images and sounds overwhelms our lives.New York: Henry Holt and Co.

If it is not your idea, cite it. Failure to properly cite outside sources is plagiarism and academic dishonesty and may be grounds for failing both the assignment and the course.

Do not include any citations at the end of the paper that you did not use in the body of the paper.

4. Proofread your draft -- twice!  Your goal is to turn in a paper that is readable, without spelling and grammar errors that distract from your arguments.  Avoid using slang.  Avoid sentence fragments and run-on sentences.  Read your writing out loud to yourself slowly, to check for awkward phrasing or sentences that don't actually make sense.  Turn in a product that you are proud of.

5. Turn it in.  When you are satisfied with your work, upload your draft to Canvas in order to receive credit for this assignment.  And make sure to print out a copy of this draft for your one-on-one writing conference with your TA.  

Please note: A complete first draft is not a "rough draft"; it is a full version of your paper, including references.  Treat this assignment as if it is the only version of the paper you will write.  The better your first draft is, the easier it will be to revise it into a strong final draft later.  

Grading rubric

We will grade these drafts as follows:

  • 1 point: Did you turn in a complete draft of your paper as specified above?  This must be a full paper with a complete introduction, body, and conclusion, and clearly-developed arguments and evidence.  You cannot turn in a summary, or an outline, or a paper with large indications of "still need to fill this in."  The draft must be readable with writing that is generally error-free.  Length must be four pages, plus-or-minus a quarter-page.
  • 2 points: Does your thesis make sense, and does the organization of your paper match your thesis?  Are you making clear arguments with compelling evidence?   Is the flow and impact of the paper effective?
  • 1 point: Do you have a sufficient number of sources, are they of sufficient quality, and are they clearly cited in the text and clearly listed at the end of the paper?

 

Tools to become a better writer

1618635599 04/16/2021 11:59pm