...Collaborative Versus Individual Writing Processes University of Phoenix Collaborative Versus Individual Writing Processes “Collaborative writing is a slippery concept. It is clear that collaborative writing refers to writing in groups but there are as many ways to write in groups as there are possible combinations of individuals.” (What is collaborative writing?, 1991, ¶ 1) To write a team paper effectively many components are essential to think about before starting. For example, how does a team brainstorm, revise, edit, proofread, and deal with conflict together? How does a team combine each member’s different creative thoughts and ideas into one? Doing research about how teams write together before starting the project will help with the process once the team is ready to begin. Even though everyone has creative differences, collaborative writing is more effective than individual writing because each person brings a variety of thoughts to the table and five heads are better than one. “In an article on the technology and processes of collaborative writing, David Farkas offers four possible definitions useful in approaching collaboration through an analysis of processes. For his purposes, collaboration is: 1. two or more people jointly composing the complete text of a document; 2. two or more people contributing components to a document; 3. one or more person modifying, by editing and/or reviewing, the document of one or more persons; and ...
Words: 1837 - Pages: 8
...11:30am-12:30pm, 2:30pm-3:30pm; Thurs., 1pm-2pm, or by appointment COURSE DESCRIPTION: Welcome to the continuing story of sociology, a discipline that challenges the way we think about our world. Introduction to Sociology II builds on the foundational knowledge and concepts gained through Sociology 111. Therefore, this course continues our introduction to sociology, and explores the range of topics studied by sociologists. This semester, we will consider deviance as a social structure, recognize social difference through social inequalities based on class, “race,” ethnicity, gender, and sexuality, and analyze social inequalities in various social institutions, including family, religion, education, work, and health and medicine. Through course readings, lecture, and class/small group discussions, we will examine how social forces impact individual lives as well as how individuals shape the social world. LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon completion of the course, students should be able to: * understand sociology as a social science and recognize the range of topics studied * develop critical and analytical thinking skills to question various assumptions about the social world * describe significant theoretical perspectives and research methodologies within sociology * locate, analyze, and critique relevant academic sociology journal articles * understand and implement skills and knowledge relevant to writing and editing an academic paper REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS: ...
Words: 2845 - Pages: 12
...Seven Keys to Mastering Research Papers Submitted by WWW.ASSIGNMENTPOINT.COM Research papers of any size are the bane of many students’ academic existence. They can be daunting, demanding, and stress-inducing. However, they are an important and essential element of higher learning. They both teach and test students’ ability to research, evaluate sources, think critically, organize their thoughts, and express them persuasively. And, approached the right way, they can be an extraordinarily enriching and rewarding exercise. Following are some strategies for writing better research papers, and for making the experience a more satisfying—and less agonizing—one. I will focus less on the mechanics (APA style, etc.) of writing a research paper, and more on what it takes mentally and emotionally to not only survive, but actually thrive, in the process of completing so demanding an assignment. (And let’s face it: you will have many across your academic career.) I rely here on not only what I have gleaned from over 35 years of grading university-level research papers, but also from my own ongoing research and writing. So, what works? Here are seven keys to mastering research papers: 1. There’s No Wasted Motion As I reflect back over my research career, beginning with my master’s thesis and doctoral dissertation, I am aware of having read many more books, articles, and other resources than I eventually ended up using in my final research...
Words: 1455 - Pages: 6
...Elements The basic elements of academic essay writing are two: a thesis and evidence, divided into three parts: an introduction, the systematic development of an argument, and a conclusion. All scholarly writing, from the most concise paper to the longest book, follows these basic guidlines. Thesis Historical essay writing is based upon the thesis. A thesis is a statement, an argument which will be presented by the writer. The thesis is in effect, your position, your particular interpretation, your way of seeing a problem. Resist the temptation, which many students have, to think of a thesis as simply "restating" an instructor's question. The writer should demonstrate originality and critical thinking by showing what the question is asking, and why it is important rather than merely repeating it. Your own informed perspective is what matters. Many first-year students ask whether the "thesis" is not just their "opinion" of a historical question. A thesis is indeed a "point of view," or "perspective," but of a particular sort: it is based not only on belief, but on a logical and systematic argument supported by evidence. The truism that we each have "our own" opinions misses the point. A good critical essay acknowledges that many perspectives are possible on any question, yet demonstrates the validity or correctness of the writer's own view. Thesis and Evidence To make a good argument you must have both a strong central thesis and plausible evidence; the two are interdependent...
Words: 2351 - Pages: 10
...IFSM 304 – Ethics in the Information Age Learning Portfolio Assignment Descriptions Here are the detailed Assignment Requirements and Summary (Reflection Paper) that comprise activities for a Learning Portfolio for IFSM 304. These activities, along with class discussion and any other assignments your professor may require will enable you to achieve the course objectives and demonstrate knowledge of key concepts and apply this understanding to real-world digital ethics topics and situations. Understand that your work will comprise a Learning Portfolio for the course and these assignments are linked! You will be faced with work that advances with a progression from a general basic framework for decision making to more specific analysis and critical thinking about more complex ethical issues. Current Events 5% Conference Posting of articles on IT-related Ethical Global issues (multi-national corporation) The purpose of this assignment is to analyze a current event article on global ethical issues from a multi-national corporation perspective. This assignment is designed to increase your knowledge from a corporate viewpoint and enable you to analyze ethical issues from a current GLOBAL situation or event. This will also enhance your research and writing skills and your critical-thinking abilities. Select a current topic (2010 source or later) and find an appropriate article on the topic. Provide the persistent URL (one that anyone can click on to read the...
Words: 3771 - Pages: 16
...it with a solid foundation of understanding. | A little about me… 1 If everything went perfectly during my education here at WGU I would complete my degree in: In 3 periods 2 Some potential obstacles that could hinder me in my WGU goal attainment would be: Time management 3 If I happen to get off track the best way to motivate me to get back on course would be to: (ie: Have more frequent contact – ie 2x weekly phone meetings; request that I submit email progress reports weekly, etc.) Motivating phone calls, keeping focus on the big pictures 4 The kind of mentoring style that I prefer is (Highlight or check one) * Directive – “tell me what to do and I will do it” * Supportive - “constant encouragement and support of my abilities and plans to succeed help me stay motivated” * Participative – “let’s work together on devising the best strategy for goal attainment” 5 The most important reasons that I am at WGU are: (rate on level of importance) a Develop competency for use in the workplace _____5_ b Get done with my degree as quick as possible _____4_ c Balance school and life _____3_ d Network with my peers _____1_ e Get the skills to start a new career _____2_ f Other… ______ 6 When I get frustrated with a subject I tend to: (Highlight or check all that apply) * Put the activity on hold, then pick it up again later * Seek support from teachers ...
Words: 816 - Pages: 4
...Introduction of the Essay The introduction should detail what is contained in the paper. The introduction is usually only a paragraph, three at the most. The writer should sum up the introduction with a TOPIC SENTENCE which supports the main idea of the essay OR CLARIFYING STATEMENT. This will allow the reader to know the subject of the paper and an introduction to that subject. This is one of the most important things cited by the professors. Writing a Purpose Statement An example of a purpose statement is ‘Mutual funds are backbone of the economy of any country’. The Body of the Essay Paragraphs - First sentence contains the topic sentence, which supports the main idea of the essay. - The following sentences contain main points you're making about that topic - Other sentences support those main points with examples, explanations, etc. (Who, what, where, when, how, etc) The body of the essay is essentially the "meat and potatoes" of the paper. Several paragraphs will explain the topic that you are discussing. The paper will prove or disprove the purpose statement. There will be many citations, references and information which will lead the reader to understand what the paper is about. The body must be relevant to the subject, with clear and concise thoughts. Jargon or very technical terms should be explained so the reader does not become confused. Do not attempt to make the paper meet the required length by using "fluff" - repeating sentences or details in several...
Words: 1076 - Pages: 5
...Topic: Electronic Contracts – Issues and Challenges Electronic Contracts – Issues and Challenges Introduction: Electronic contracts (e-contracts) are governed by the basic principles provided in the Indian Contract Act, 1872 applicable to regular contracts, which mandates that a valid contract should have been entered with a free consent and for a lawful consideration between two adults. Electronic contracts are not paper based but rather in electronic form and are born out of the need for speed of execution, convenience and efficiency. Due to growing competition, organizations are focusing more on their core business activities and moving towards outsourcing of other activities and services. This business model necessitates companies to work with different vendors and partners by mutually arriving at contractual agreements in order to identify roles, responsibilities, obligations and deliverables of specific organizations and individuals. Typically, a legal contract forms the basis to regulate interactions between different parties in businesses and governs legal aspects when there is a breach of contract. The Indian Contract Act, 1872 governs the manner in which contracts are developed and executed in India. The Act governs the method in which the provisions in a contract are implemented and classifies the effect of a breach of contractual provisions. Within the framework of the Act, parties are free to choose the terms of the contract. The Act itself consists of limiting...
Words: 4209 - Pages: 17
...Writing Critical Response Papers: An Introduction A critical response paper is not too different from other types of essays that you might have written before. Like all papers it arises as the result of a process of personal reflection. Your Reader: You must assume that your reader is already familiar with the text that you are writing about. It is someone who has read it and understands it at an average level. Your Aim: Your goal is to advance your reader’s level of understanding by revealing to her/him a deeper aspect of meaning. This would be something that confirms a given interpretation, enhances it, makes it more complex, or challenges it. Coming up with a topic (brainstorming): As a writer, you can begin by asking yourself questions and then answering them. Your answers will bring your subject into focus and provide you with the material to develop your topic. See the following handout: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_plan3.html Having generated a list of ideas, your next step is to organize those ideas in relation to other ideas; that is, to group similar ideas with other similar ideas. If you have written your ideas on cards, all you need to do is to reorganize them into a logical order. A logical order, is one that is easy for the reader to follow. The Topic and the Thesis: A topic would remain an unfulfilled promise of knowledge if it were not by the delineating virtues of a thesis. A thesis statement informs the readers of the...
Words: 1155 - Pages: 5
...Thinking, Reading and Writing Critically In order to get the highest possible grades in a subject assessed in writing you need to be able to demonstrate an ability to think critically about the sources of information (text-books, academic papers, academic websites and the like) that you use in the construction your answer. You must, in other words, do more than simply take information from other sources and use it construct an answer. It is not enough to select some apposite quotations and demonstrate in that way that you have read around a subject widely and found some pertinent sources of supporting information. To get the highest grades you must be able to replicate a professional academic’s ability to critically assess the academic work of other, published authors. Many professional academics are capable of doing this because over the course of a career they have read an enormous number of text-books and papers in a subject area and, as a result, possess and have mastered a large body of knowledge that they can use to critically assess any new work they encounter. Indeed, for such academics the process of reading critically may have become almost entirely subconscious. As they read a new paper in their subject area they cannot stop their brains from critically comparing the new information with the knowledge they already possess. Clearly, as students, you do not yet possess such an extensive body of knowledge, nor can you hope to acquire one quickly enough to apply...
Words: 2426 - Pages: 10
...Thinking, Reading and Writing Critically In order to get the highest possible grades in a subject assessed in writing you need to be able to demonstrate an ability to think critically about the sources of information (text-books, academic papers, academic websites and the like) that you use in the construction your answer. You must, in other words, do more than simply take information from other sources and use it construct an answer. It is not enough to select some apposite quotations and demonstrate in that way that you have read around a subject widely and found some pertinent sources of supporting information. To get the highest grades you must be able to replicate a professional academic’s ability to critically assess the academic work of other, published authors. Many professional academics are capable of doing this because over the course of a career they have read an enormous number of text-books and papers in a subject area and, as a result, possess and have mastered a large body of knowledge that they can use to critically assess any new work they encounter. Indeed, for such academics the process of reading critically may have become almost entirely subconscious. As they read a new paper in their subject area they cannot stop their brains from critically comparing the new information with the knowledge they already possess. Clearly, as students, you do not yet possess such an extensive body of knowledge, nor can you hope to acquire one quickly enough to apply...
Words: 2425 - Pages: 10
...GEORGE WARREN BROWN SOCIAL OF SOCIAL WORK WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY Ph.D. PROGRAM IN SOCIAL WORK FALL 2010 ADVANCED MULTIVARIATE STATISTICS S90-6901.01 CREDIT HOURS: 3 GRADE: L/G ROOM: Brown 209 TIME: Tues., 1:00 – 3:00 LAB: Tues., 3:15-5:15 pm In Goldfarb 330 TA: Jin Huang TA’S E-MAIL: jhuang22@wustl.edu INSTRUCTOR: David Gillespie OFFICE: Brown 106 OFFICE HOURS: Mon., 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. & by appointment PHONE/VOICE MAIL: 935-6674 E-MAIL: davidg@gwbmail.wustl.edu OR davidfg@fidnet.com TA’S OFFICE: B-05; PHONE: 935-8786 TA’S OFFICE HOURS: Thurs., 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. & by appointment I. COURSE DOMAIN AND BOUNDARIES This course introduces structural equation modeling (SEM). SEM is a flexible and extensive method for testing theory. Structural equation models are best developed on the basis of substantive theory. The hypothesized theoretical relationships imply particular patterns of covariance. Statistical estimates of these hypothesized covariances indicate within a margin of error how well the models fit with data. The development and testing of these models advances theory by including latent variables, by estimating measurement error, by accepting multiple indicators, by accomodating reciprocal causation, and by estimating model parameters simultaneously. Structural equation models subsume factor analysis, regression, and path analysis. The integration of these traditional types of analysis is an important advancement because it makes possible empirical specification of the...
Words: 3656 - Pages: 15
...1|Page RESEARCH AND WRITING MANUAL FOR ACADEMIC FREELANCE WRITERS Prepared by Levian Indasy Mahmady & Baba Elinyo as a partial fulfilment of our utilitarian aid of training freelance writers ©Developed by Levian Indasy Mahmady & Baba Elinyo, August 2014 2|Page PART 1 CONTENT Content entails the requirements in the rubric or order instructions. This is the most important order element that one must keep in mind to excel in this online “oil industry. First, a writer should be able to digest the order instructions for some minutes. Second, the writer should develop an intrinsic critical thinking whenever he or she comes across order instructions. Failure to critically approach the instructions can make a newbie spend the whole day in agony. It usually results in late submission of orders and heavy penalties to the writer. Therefore, CONTENT is very important if you want to rise through the ranks and get to the top as fast as possible. Illustration Question: ‘write a 10 page paper on the United States The above instructions can run a spasm of fear across the spine of a newbie for lack of comprehensive content. Therefore, to make it easier, one needs to develop the table of contents (outline) on the same. PLEASE DON’T BE SUBJECTIVE IN REASONING. BE OBJECTIVE AND AVOID MASS FALLACY. Most newbies will be like, “the united states is a very good country with a lot of opportunities. The country is big and has everything that an individual needs to survive. The current...
Words: 2386 - Pages: 10
...------------------------------------------------- A little about me… 1. ------------------------------------------------- If everything went perfectly during my education here at WGU I would complete my degree in: ------------------------------------------------- 4 semesters. ------------------------------------------------- 2. ------------------------------------------------- Some potential obstacles that could hinder me in my WGU goal attainment would be: ------------------------------------------------- Balancing a full-time job, family responsibilities and school will be something new to me. It will take some adjustment to create the most effective schedule but my family and boss and very supportive of this decision. 3. ------------------------------------------------- If I happen to get off track the best way to motivate me to get back on course would be to: (ie: Have more frequent contact – ie 2x weekly phone meetings; request that I submit email progress reports weekly, etc.) ------------------------------------------------- E-mail reminders work well for me. If off pace, a weekly ‘check-up’ e-mail in addition to the calls would remind me to reset and refocus my efforts....
Words: 872 - Pages: 4
...How to Avoid SAP ERP Implementation Failure 1. Introduction Any company which is implementing an ERP either a small scale or large organizations is taking huge risk as they have to invest a lot of money and it is a time taking process with risks involved. Risks and issues are part and parcel of every major IT transformation project. When we place this in point of large transformation projects like SAP or Oracle these risks and issues can be huge which can collapse the entire project if not managed and monitored periodically. SAP frameworks have executed effectively more then 40000+ clients on the planet and most extend disappointments are not identified with the item or programming however basically attached to extend execution and the product usage accomplice. As defined by Rowe ERP as “ERP systems represent the implementation of old managerial dream of unifying and centralizing all the information systems into a combined one”. The existing techniques or process which is being followed during the implementation have failed so we need to be innovative by following the standard process. In this paper we would discuss about the problems while implementing an ERP and how to overcome those to implement it successfully. 2. Statement of the problem In the late 1990-2005 most of the companies which invested in ERP 50-70% of them have faced a huge disappointment and huge losses. . In a survey it is found that 56% of implementation costs over budget, average of that over budget is...
Words: 2199 - Pages: 9
