What am I looking for in a paper?
TIMELINE:
The Paper Topic (composed of the business you have chosen to research and the three topics you will research) is due in Unit 2. Please post it in class in the folder marked “Paper Topic” in Unit 2. I will email you if I see a problem with your topic.
The Paper is due in Unit 6. Specifically, the paper is due by midnight of the Sunday of Unit 6 in the Central Time Zone. Please turn in the paper as an attachment in Rich Text Format or as a Word document. Please check your paper for viruses before you send it.
REQUIREMENTS:
What am I looking for in a paper? I will grade based on content, organization, readability, and grammatical correctness.
Organization includes external transitions (section to section) and internal transitions (paragraph to paragraph and sentence to sentence).
Content & Analysis includes your ideas as well as your research.
Readability/Writing Style means how well the paper flows. Avoid wordiness and the passive voice. Don’t start your sentences with “it is” or “there are.”
Grammatical Correctness includes spelling, formatting, and other grammar errors including subject-verb agreement.
Integration of Source Materials includes use of APA style for citation and formatting.
Topic for the research paper is the store Zara.
Topic #1 Corporate Social Responsibility Stance
Zara is committed to the sustainable development of society and the environment it interacts with. A few of Zara’s initiatives include an effort to decrease energy consumption by 20% in all of its stores, an automated recycling hanger system which picks up processed and plastic elements from its stores, and the use of ecological fabrics and organic cotton in all of its products.
https://sites.google.com/site/zarajkz/social-inititiatives/corporate-social-responsibility
Topic #2- Lawsuits & Controversies
Fashion brands steal design ideas all the time. And it’s completely legal.
https://www.vox.com/2018/4/27/17281022/fashion-brands-knockoffs-copyright-stolen-designs-old-navy-zara-h-and-m (Links to an external site.)
https://www.businessinsider.com/zara-forever-21-fa…
Topic #3 Best Practices to Address Issues
Zara is one of the world’s most successful fashion retail brands – if not the most successful one.
https://martinroll.com/resources/articles/strategy…
POINT DISTRIBUTION
Your grade will be reported to you in the number of points you earned. To figure out your letter grade, take the number of points and divide it by 200. For example, 180 points divided by 200 = .9 which is an A.
Criteria Ratings/Points
Exceptional Above Expectations Meets Expectations Below Expectations Fails to Meet Expectations
Organization Tables and charts contribute to understanding.
Should be remarkably well- ordered.
Has some original insight.
Has strong internal organization within each section.
Uses clear and effective transitions between and within sections.
Develops proper paragraph structure with topic sentences for all paragraphs and good transitions; ideas are developed logically with flow.
Paper contains a title page, an abstract, a main body of 4-5 pages, and a reference section
Paper is composed of five major sections: introduction, topic #1 as it applies to your business, topic #2 as it applies to your business, topic #3 as it applies to your business, and conclusion.
(36 to 40 pts) Tables and charts are easy to understand
Should be well-ordered and have internal organization within each section
Uses transitions between and within sections that are mostly clear and effective
Develops unified and coherent ideas within paragraphs with generally adequate transitions; clear overall organization relating most ideas together
Paper contains a title page, an abstract, a main body of 4-5 pages, and a reference section
Paper is composed of five major sections: introduction, topic #1 as it applies to your business, topic #2 as it applies to your business, topic #3 as it applies to your business, and conclusion.
(32 to 35.9 pts) Tables and charts are understandable
Paper order is adequate with internal organization within each section
Uses transitions between sections that are mostly clear and effective
Develops coherent ideas within paragraphs with generally adequate transitions; overall organization relating many ideas together
Paper contains a title page, an abstract, a main body of 4 pages, and a reference section
Paper is composed of five major sections: introduction, topic #1 as it applies to your business, topic #2 as it applies to your business, topic #3 as it applies to your business, and conclusion.
(28 to 31.9 pts) Tables and charts difficult to understand
Is not clearly organized
Lacks transitions between sections
Has several sentences that are monotonous or confusing
Develops and organizes ideas in paragraphs that are not connected well with transitions; some overall organization, but some ideas may seem illogical and/or unrelated
Paper lacks a title page or an abstract.
The main body of the paper is less than four pages.
Paper is not composed of five major sections: introduction, topic #1 as it applies to your business, topic #2 as it applies to your business, topic #3 as it applies to your business, and conclusion.
(20 to 27.9 pts) Complete lack of organization; difficult to comprehend
Lacks transitions between most sections
Has many sentences that are monotonous or incomprehensible
Paper lacks a title page, an abstract, or a reference section.
The main body of the paper is less than four pages.
Paper is not composed of five major sections: introduction, topic #1 as it applies to your business, topic #2 as it applies to your business, topic #3 as it applies to your business, and conclusion.
(0 to 19.9 pts)
Content & Analysis Content is compelling, original, genuinely debatable, focused, specific, and states themain issues/problems in the paper.
The business you chose was clearly researched as it pertains to your three chosen topics, and best practices your business or other businesses are using to address challenges in your topic areas were thoroughly discussed.
Presents an exemplary and insightful and thorough analysis of all identified issues/problems and discusses solutions thoroughly.
Presentation goes above and beyond the expectations outlined in the research paper.
(36 to 40 pts) Content is clear but the issue/problem presented may have shifting focus and/or specificity or lack originality
Presents a thorough analysis of all identified issues/problems and discusses solutions.
The business you chose was researched as it pertains to your three chosen topics, and best practices your business or other businesses are using to address challenges in your topic areas were discussed.
(32 to 35.9 pts) Supporting details and information are adequate, but several key issues or portions are missing, unresolved, or unsupported; little original analysis
The business you chose was researched as it pertains to your three chosen topics, and best practices your business or other businesses are using to address challenges in your topic areas were discussed.
(28 to 31.9 pts) Supporting details and information are unclear or unsupported
No original analysis or ideas; simply restates what others have said
The business you chose was not adequately researched as it pertains to your three chosen topics, and best practices your business or other businesses are using to address challenges in your topic areas were not discussed adequately.
(20 to 27.9 pts) Supporting details and information are very unclear or not related at all to the topic; no supporting details or information; no original analysis
Content is limited, inconsistent or absent, and does not support the issue of the paper.
Presents a superficial or incomplete analysis of some of the identified issues; inadequately discussedsolutions.
The business you chose was not adequately researched as it pertains to your three chosen topics, and best practices your business or other businesses are using to address challenges in your topic areas were not discussed.
(0 to 19.9 pts)
Readability/Writing Style Style is extremely uniform throughout
Avoids the passive voice, slang, cliché, and jargon, while using sophisticated vocabulary
Appropriate to the assignment (formal and in third person)
Engages readers’ interest
Is accurate (no far-fetched, unsupported comments)
Is precise (says what you mean)
Is concise (not wordy)
(36 to 40 pts) Style is uniform throughout
Few instances of passive voice, slang, cliché, and jargon, and uses college vocabulary
Should generally be appropriate to the assignment
Is accurate (no far-fetched, unsupported comments)
Is precise (says what you mean)
(32 to 35.9 pts) Style is mostly consistent throughout and adequate for type of paper
Some instances of passive voice, slang, cliché, and jargon, and uses high school level vocabulary.
(28 to 31.9 pts)
Style lacks consistency; detracts from the flow or understanding of the paper
Some instances of passive voice, slang, cliché, and jargon, and uses high school level vocabulary.
Is appropriate in places, but elsewhere is vague, informal, or too subjective
Use of first or second person instead of third person.
(20 to 27.9 pts) Style is entirely inconsistent; makes understanding of the paper difficult to impossible
Little or no attempt to avoid passive voice, slang, cliché, and jargon, and vocabulary is basic and unvaried
Use of first or second person instead of third person.
(0 to 19.9 pts)
Grammatical Correctness (Grammar, Spelling, and Formatting) Almost no grammatical or spelling errors; no formatting errors
No grammar errors; effective word choice and sentence variety; superior facility with the conventions of standard written English
(36 to 40 pts) Very few grammatical or spelling errors; few formatting errors
Competent word choice and sentence variety; competence with the conventions of standard written English
(32 to 35.9 pts) Some grammatical or spelling errors; some formatting errors
Word choice and sentence variety are unvaried.
(28 to 31.9 pts) Noticeable spelling and grammatical errors; several formatting errors
Word choice and sentence variety are unvaried.
(20 to 27.9 pts) Frequent misspelled words, serious grammatical errors or format flaws
(0 to 19.9 pts)
Integration of Source Materials Used more than the minimum number (5+) of sources; material used taken from wide variety of scholarly sources; expertly referenced in APA format within the paper and reference page; no mistakes on reference page
Quotations are used sparingly and are less than 5% of the paper.
Parenthetical citations are used whenever a source is quoted or paraphrased; the paper contains a reference section listing all sources used in APA.
(36 to 40 pts) Used at least the minimum number (5) of sources; material used taken from variety of scholarly sources; well referenced in APA format within the paper and reference page; no more than one mistake on reference page
Quotations are used sparingly and are less than 5% of the paper.
Parenthetical citations are used whenever a source is quoted or paraphrased; the paper contains a reference section listing all sources used in APA.
(32 to 35.9 pts) Used at least the minimum number (5) of sources; material used is mostly from scholarly sources; adequately referenced in APA format within the paper and reference page; few mistakes on reference page
Quotations are used sparingly and are less than 5% of the paper.
Parenthetical citations are used whenever a source is quoted or paraphrased
The paper contains a reference section listing all sources used in APA.
(28 to 31.9 pts) Used less than the minimum number (4 or less) of sources; material not from scholarly sources; some material not referenced or referenced inappropriately; some mistakes on reference page
Quotations are used frequently and are more than 5% of the paper.
The paper contains a reference section listing all sources used in APA.
(20 to 27.9 pts) Limited or no sources; material not from scholarly sources; if sources used, not appropriately incorporated into paper;multiple mistakes on reference page
Quotations are overused and are more than 10% of the paper.
Parenthetical citations are not used or are used rarely.
The paper does not contain a reference section listing all sources used in APA.
(0 to 19.9 pts)
TOTAL Points Possible: 200
Special notes:
Papers must contain a title page, an abstract, a main body, and a reference section according to APA style.
Any paper submitted without a reference section will receive a grade of zero.
If the main body (not including the title page, abstract, or references section) of your paper is not at least four full pages, you will receive a lower grade. Papers with only three pages in the main body will receive no more than 75% (150 points).
Papers with two pages in the main body will receive no more than 50% (100 points). For a description of the four parts of an APA paper, please see: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/1/ (Links to an external site.).
I hope I provided all the information you need. If you need more information let me know. The topic is Zara, and then I listed the topics for the paper with some references.
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APA
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