Overview:

Winthin the first two weeks you will be divided into groups focused on four-six different sub-regions of Latin America. By the end of six to ten weeks you should chosse a topic for individual (or group) research and exploration focusing on a specific theme or sub-regional issue. Topics of interest should become apparent as you begin work in this introductory course on Latin American studies.   It might be on tourism, ethnicity, woman's issues, maroon societies, sugar production, sports, revolutions, environmental change, sustainable development, politics, literature and history, linguistics etc. You are encouraged to discuss ideas with the course coordinator and other UR faculty who are members of the LAS Advisory Group (several of them will present short segments in this course introducing themselves and their work).

Some steps to find topics in the library include:

1.  Go to encyclopedias and general reference books to get an overall view (i.e. ethnic composition, religion, economy, politics, environment) of each of the countries in your region of interest.  This preliminary search allows you to discard the topics and countries that do not interest you, and to select those that do.  As the librarians for a list of these general sources.

2.  Go to the Library of Congress Subject Index to find the terms and combination of terms that you need to use to look up some topics you have selected.  At this point, you should still be uncertain about which topic you will finally choose because you don't know what is available.  Go from general to specific to make sure that you aren't missing anything.  For example, the most generalized headings may be Mesoamerica (Middle America), Mexico, the Caribbean, Central or South America.  Under these headings you should find terms used to describe your interests, which you should jot down.

3.  Go to University of Redlands Library and into its online catalog.  Type in those words and phrases under "keyword" or "subject" (try a few options). You may either write down the call numbers of books or journals you may be interested in, or print out their descriptions.

4.  Go to the stacks and search for the books, as well as the books in the shelves next to them.  Skim the books in general, and their indexes and tables of contents.  By this time, you might find so many interesting topics that you never thought of, you will have to go back to step number. Also write down the books referred to in all the references cited you can find which appear to regard the topic and the country.

5.  Go back to the catalogs to see if these references are available.  Don't forget to check to see if the journals also are available.

 6.  If the books are not available in these two libraries, but look good, go to other university library catalogs through the University of Redlands Library webpage, e.g. University of California, Riverside or California State University, San Bernardino.  Order them through interlibrary loan.

7.  Find the journal articles that are available and look for them in hard copy up at the University library.  If they aren't available, order them through interlibrary loan.

For example: if your region is the Greater Antilles and you decide to concentrate on revolution, you will need to provide an overview of any revolutionary activity in these islands.  You might then want to concentrate on the Haitian revolution or the Cuban revolution.  This way you can talk about the revolution in depth.  Resources on woman's issues may be scarcer.  Literature may be available about women in general in the Caribbean, with some specific materials on East Indian women in Trinidad and market women in Antigua.  Your paper would then initially discuss women in general in the Caribbean with an indepth, comparative study within your region.

While writing the paper, you should watch for some of those common problems that tend to lower your grade.  Most important, try not to write a purely descriptive paper.  Some analysis makes the paper interesting.  For example, you might want to compare the status of present-day ethnic groups in the Rimland region.  Of course, you cannot discuss the present without discussing the past.  Therefore a discussion might include how an ethnic group ended up where it did, how each country traditionally treated the group, and how and why that treatment may have changed or remained the same.

You should also try to avoid the following:

• Chatty informal language, slang expressions, contractions (i.e. "I'm") and needless personal digressions

• Too many lists

• Wide margins when 1" will suffice

• A weak introduction which does not tell the reader what will be talked about and how it will be done

• A weak conclusion which does not provide a brief overview of what has been said, along with opinions, suggestions and the possibility for future research

• -No page numbers

• No title page

• No section headings, or too many for the size of the paper

• Long quotes when paraphrasing works just as well

• Long quotes that are not indented

• No citation of paraphrases

• No citation of statistics

• No citations within the body of the paper

• References only from the Internet

• References from newspaper articles and magazines alone

• Few references in references cited

• Calling the "references cited" page a "bibliography"

• Citing in "references cited" that which is not cited in the text

• Improper referencing that does not follow a formalized style

• Paragraphs with no strong opening sentence

• Opening sentences for paragraphs that have little to do with what is talked about in the paragraph

• Two to three sentence paragraphs

• No paragraphs

• A space between paragraphs

Grading Guidelines:

Sometimes you believe you have followed all of the above instructions and you still don't receive the grade you feel your paper deserves.  The following description might help to further clarify what it is that your instructors look for when reading a paper.

CLARITY:This criterion relates to the paper's structure and general comprehensibility.  It evaluates your introduction which should state clearly what it is that you are writing about and how you will go about doing it.  It also is concerned with valid source material and good referencing.

CONTENT:This criterion relates to the subject matter of the paper.  All the elements are directed at the relevance of the paper to the assignment.  It includes an evaluation of your conclusion which should sum up your thoughts, acknowledge any problems with the research, and refer to possible future considerations about the material.

CRITICAL THOUGHT:This criterion relates to the paper's insight, originality and analytic depth.  It is also concerned with the recognition of the similarities and differences of various arguments.

Achievement levels include work of:

1. an elementary standard,
   
2. a mediocre standard,
   
3. a satisfactory standard,
   
4. a good standard, and
   
5. an excellent standard.

Further Explanation of Problems to Avoid:

CLARITY
 

1. It is very difficult to identify the main theme of the paper because there is virtually no indication of what the writer intends.  It is disorganized and the presentation of ideas is random, confused and obscure.  Concepts and distinctions are not defined and the control of language and material is such that there is no clarity of expression.  The point of the paper is almost unintelligible.  Sources and references to them are nonexistent.

2. It is not easy to identify the main theme of the paper because the introductory paragraph is missing or unclear.  The organization is poor and it is difficult to find or follow any clear line of development.  Concepts and distinctions are inadequately defined and clarified and there is insufficient control of language and material.  This often obscures the point of the paper.  Sources and references to them are inadequate.

3. The introductory paragraph is rather imprecise.  There is some coherent organization but there are also some lapses in the line of development.  Concepts and distinctions are not always defined and clarified and there is not always sufficient control of language and material.  This sometimes obscures the point of the paper.  Sources and references to them often inadequate.

4. The introductory paragraph stating the aim of the paper is appropriate.  It is quite well organized, with a generally comprehensible line of development.  Concepts and distinctions are defined and clarified and there is sufficient control of language and material to adequately convey the point of the paper.  Sources and references to them are adequate and follow and appropriate style.

5. The introduction precisely states the aim of the assignment.  It is well organized with a coherent line of development.  Concepts and distinctions are defined and clarified succinctly and there is an effective control of language and material.  Sources exhibit good library research methods.

CONTENT
 

1. The paper's main points are irrelevant to the assignment.

2. The assignment is rarely even implicit.  Main points are superficially treated and are not supported by relevant examples.  No links among presented points have been attempted.

3. The assignment is generally implicit, but not at the forefront.  Main points are adequately treated and some are supported by relevant examples.  Links among presented points have seldom been attempted.

4. The assignment is generally at the forefront.  Main points are well treated and are supported by relevant examples.  Where appropriate, links have been made among presented points and they have been summarized in the conclusion.

5. The paper places the assignment consistently at the forefront.  Main points are thoroughly treated and are supported by relevant and original examples.  Where appropriate, links have been made effectively among presented points and they have been summarized and expanded in the conclusion.

CRITICAL THOUGHT
 

1. The paper makes no attempt to analyze the topic.  Key points, if stated, are not justified.  Counter claims are not identified and there is no evidence of personal thinking or originality.

2. The paper only occasionally attempts to analyze the topic and is too descriptive.  Key points are rarely stated or justified.  Counter claims are not identified and while there is an element of personal thinking, there is no originality.

3. The paper analyzes some aspects of the topic but others are simply described.  Key points are sometimes stated without being justified or their implications acknowledged.  Few attempts have been made to evaluate counter claims and there is little evidence of an awareness of the strengths or limitations of different arguments.  There is an element of personal thinking, but little originality.

4. The paper gives a competent analysis of the topic and extends beyond the descriptive genre.  Key points are, for the most part, justified and their implications usually acknowledged.  Some successful attempts have been made to evaluate counter claims and there is an awareness of the strengths and limitations of different arguments.  There is some firm evidence of personal thought and originally which is summed up in the conclusion.
   

5. The paper gives a detailed analysis of the topic and extends well beyond the descriptive genre.  Key points are justified and their implications are acknowledged.  There is a good evaluation of counter claims and a significant awareness of the strengths and limitations of different arguments.  There is a high degree of personal thought and originality which is summed up and expanded upon in the conclusion

 

Deadlines and Assignments:

Please follow these steps and make sure that you are not late with your assignments.

• WEB REVIEW #1 (Due October 4) .

• STATEMENT OF PURPOSE DUE for PAPER /PROJECT (October 11)

• WEB REVIEW #2 DUE  (October 18)

• FIRST DRAFT ON BIBLIOGRAPHY ON PAPER DUE  (October 25)

• PAPERS DUE FOR PEER REVIEW (handout a draft copy of your paper to at least two colleagues) - December 4
  
  Make copies for the members of your group so that they can edit them.  They should not be rough drafts but should be completed papers.  If they are incomplete, the members of your group are free to refuse to edit them.  It is important that you go over the papers you receive thoroughly.

• Group Presentations - December 4 and 6, 2007

• FINAL PAPERS DUE (with corrections from peer review) ON DATE OF FINAL EXAM.