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Interdisciplinary study paper

Areas of Study Paper IDS 201 Spring 2020 Total Points: 200 (Note: You will lost 5% off your grade for each day you submit it after the due date, so make sure to submit it on time.)

Overview: Before you can begin doing interdisciplinary work, you first need to demonstrate a basic understanding of the disciplines (also known as areas of study) you have selected to frame your individualized degree. The Areas of Study Paper gives you the opportunity to do just that.

This assignment is designed for you to gain a more comprehensive understanding of your disciplines’ perspectives and to get a sense of how specialists trained in these disciplines think. Specifically, you will conduct some basic research on the two or three disciplines you have chosen to structure your degree program and write a paper in which you address the following questions for EACH of your disciplines:

  • What is the history of this discipline? How did the discipline come into being? • Are there sub-fields (or sub-disciplines) within the discipline? If so, identify

them and explain which sub-field you find to be the most interesting. • What phenomena do professionals in the discipline typically investigate?

Provide specific examples. • What types of careers do people trained in this discipline pursue? • What kinds of research methods do they typically use? To address this

component of the assignment, identify at least one major research method commonly used in each discipline you are writing about.

  • What is the name of at least one professional/academic association pertaining to this discipline? Briefly describe the association’s goals.

*** In the conclusion, your paper must explain and describe how it is that you have chosen these two (or three) disciplines for your areas of concentration in your pursuit of an Multidisciplinary Studies or Social Science Studies degree. You are the link between these disciplines. What is it in you that brought them together? How do your interests, abilities, and professional goals fit into these disciplines? (If applicable, feel free to draw upon what you wrote in your intellectual autobiography in addressing these questions.)

Formatting: The paper should be at least full 5 pages, double-spaced. It should also include a separate works cited or references page. That is, the works cited or references page should not be included in the 5 page count.

In the upper left-hand corner, include a single-spaced heading that includes your name, the course name (IDS 201), and the date. Center the title “Areas of Study Paper” (without quotation marks) at the top of the page. Do not use more than 1 line of spacing between the heading and the title. Do not use more than 1 line of spacing between the title and the first line of text. Use 1-inch margins and a standard font such as 12 point Times New Roman.

Tips

Tip 1: Please understand that this is a research paper, not an opinion paper — which means your arguments and claims must be supported by appropriate references and sources. Be sure to cite your sources properly with one of the following citation styles: MLA, APA, or Chicago. The IDS Subject Librarian, has created a research guide with information about how to cite sources, so take a look: http://guides.library.unlv.edu/IDS201. Another strategy for citation is to check the works-cited page or footnotes of any article or book in your areas of study to see what format they typically use, and then simply follow the way they’ve cited their sources. Make sure to follow a consistent citation style throughout your paper.

Tip 2: To reiterate, make sure to cite any sources you reference in your paper, even when you are not using direct quotes. Failure to cite sources properly (even unintentionally!) constitutes plagiarism, which will result in 0 points for the assignment. It will also be reported to the UNLV Academic Misconduct Committee.

There are many different types of plagiarism, so take a look at the following link so that you can avoid plagiarizing the work of others in any way: http://www.plagiarism.org/plagiarism-101/what-is-plagiarism/. If you have a question about whether or not something constitutes plagiarism, don’t hesitate to ask before the assignment is due!

Tip 3: Use quotes sparingly and do not include quotes that are longer than 3 lines; it is much better to paraphrase others’ ideas in your own words and use appropriate citations.

Tip 4: Take time to find the best possible sources of information and choose your sources carefully. In other words, do not rely on either dictionaries or Wikipedia or Yahoo! Answers. Instead, consult your course notes, assigned readings, professors, departmental websites at UNLV and other well-known universities, leading academic journals (accessible through the UNLV Library Database), and websites of professional academic associations. The IDS Subject Librarian has created a research guide to help you find credible sources for this assignment, so take a look: http://guides.library.unlv.edu/IDS201.

Tip 5: Make the time investment to do library research (using the UNLV online database search is okay) — it will pay off ten-fold as you progress in your IDS degree and in other areas of your education.

Tip 6: Make sure to proofread carefully after you have written your paper to catch silly errors.

Grading Criteria:

Basic Guidelines Do you follow the instructions? Do you address ALL the questions listed in the assignment?

Understanding Do you identify and describe the key elements of at least two academic disciplines?

Drawing Connections

In the conclusion, do you draw clear connections between your areas of study and your own personal and professional goals?

Credible Sources

Do you use and properly cite credible sources of information?

Organization Does your writing flow logically? Do you use transitions appropriately?

Style and Correctness

Do you adopt a scholarly (as opposed to a conversational) tone in your writing? Does your post contain 0-2 errors in spelling/ grammar?

  • You will receive an A on this assignment if you demonstrate excellence in each category listed above.
  • You will receive a B on this assignment if you have minor deficits in 1-2 of the categories listed above.
  • You will receive a C on this assignment if you have major deficits in any 1 (or minor deficits in 3) of the categories listed above.
  • You will not receive a passing grade if you have major deficits in any 2 of the categories listed above.

 

Last Updated on March 10, 2020

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