Welcome to FSM

OrientationSpring 2009

OrientationSpring 2009

Even if you have done the Orientation before you should do it again. Bonus points

available.

We will really get moving now…….

Your responsibility

Even if you have read this orientation presentation before, it contains new information. Don’t skip any slide!.

Your responsibility

You are responsible for everything in this orientation – and will be graded on how you use it.Do your own work and submit on time; don’t make excuses.For events beyond your control, let me know immediately, NOT after the fact, when it’s too late to do anything for you.

Incomplete Work

You are responsible to get your work completed and turned in by due dates.Work submitted before due dates may earn bonus points.

Incomplete Work

No student earns a grade of incomplete

An incomplete (I) may be granted in highly unusual situations (deployment, medical confinement).

Introduction

Your InstructorWord about HonestyDue Dates and Extensions

Your Instructor

Dr. Fred L. Wilson–(325) 223-0085–fwilson@airmail.net–www.geocities.com/writescience

All syllabi, assignments, and due dates are at this site.

Due Dates and Extensions

Assignments are due on the date specified.– Due dates found at web site.– Bonus for early work; penalties for late

Extensions may be requested, however – You must request in advance– Must be circumstances beyond your

control– Instructor must approve; not automatic

Due Dates and Extensions

Assignments are due on the date specified.

See http://www.geocities.com/writescience/assignment3.xls

Key Things To Master

APA StyleCover Page– Title– Cover page format

AbstractWritingReference List

Key Things To Master

Basic Concepts of Essay Writing– Basics

•Types of papers•Subject•Style•Approach

Key Things To Master-Basics

Choosing a topic– Two basic types of topic

•Expository and Factual• Interpretive

Choosing a Topic

Expository and Factual– Explains or describes something

•Expository and Factual• Interpretive

Choosing a Topic

Expository and Factual– Explains or describes something– Requires fact-finding and research

•The most important word is fact•Everything is such a paper must be

accurate and documented•Most of your papers will be this kind

Choosing a Topic-Documentation

Everything must be documented– No room for opinion

Choosing a Topic-Documentation

Everything must be documented– Example

•A sentence such as “William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet is the best play ever written in English” would be wrong.

Choosing a Topic-Documentation

Everything must be documented– Example

•However•“Many scholars have stated that William

Shakespeare’s Ham let is the best play ever written in English.”

•Acceptable, if you can document this.

Interpretive Paper

Embodies feelings or interpretationsMay include point of viewA persuasive paper is an example of an interpretive paper.– Example– “William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet is the

best play ever written in the English language” would be acceptable.

– However you must prove it. The proof can be based on arguments from your own point of view

Interpretive Paper

Warning– Even in an interpretive paper,

statements of fact must be document by citation to acceptable sources.

Picking a Topic

Scope– A topic should interest you and be

manageable in terms of RESOURCES available.

– Resources include materials you can find and the time available to produce the paper.

Picking a Topic-Scope

Scope– Must be limited and well-defined

•1. Avoid general topics such as “The history of the fire service.”

•2. Focus on something specific, such as “How sprinkler systems save lives and mitigate losses.”

•3. It is better to do a good job on a simple topic rather than a poor job on a complex topic.

Picking a Topic-Scope

Remember– A good or poor result may have

nothing to do with either the quality of your writing skills or the fact/opinions y ou present in the paper.

– Most important is have you sufficiently covered the topic you chose.

Picking a Topic-Approval

Make sure your instructor approves your topic.– This should be a “no brainer.”– Some papers (FSM 350, FSM 401,

FSM 450) mandate instructor approval

– Before submitting even a proposal, discuss your topic with your instructor. A simple e mail usually works.

Picking a Topic-Approval

In case of disapproval

– Don’t fight it! You will have many opportunities in life to take a stand when time (and your grade) isn’t as important.

Picking a Topic-Approval

Be prepared to change your topic– Even after approval, it is possible to

change (with approval again) based on• Inadequate material available•Too much material available•What you discover/uncover may change

your interpretation or opinion.

Picking a Topic-Start early

Don’t procrastinate– The longer you wait before

beginning a paper, the more likely it is that either the materials you need or the time for research/writing will be unavailable.

Style

All FSM course require APA Style– Cover Page (assigned)– Abstract– Body of the paper– References

APA Style

Use your manual (APA 5th edition)Use italics instead of underliningReview capitalization rules– Capitalize proper nouns– Capitalize first word of title– Capitalize first word after a colon– Capitalize all important words in

titles of periodicals

One space between words or after punctuation mark

APA Style

Two basic formats to learn– Periodical

•Mellers, B. A. (2000). Choice and the relative pleasure of consequences. Psychological Bulletin, 126, 910-924

– Book•Beck, C. A. & Sales, B. D. (2001). Family

mediation: Facts, myths, and future prospects. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

APA Style

Beware of software packages that promise to guide you through APA styleUse the OWL website for easy-to-follow instructions

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_apa.html

APA Style

See some examples of correct reference formats at this website

http://www.geocities.com/writescience/SampleReferences.doc

Title

A brief succinct summary of your paperA title should summarize the main idea of the paper simply and, if possible, with style. It should be a concise statement of the main topic and should identify the actual variables or theoretical issues under investigation and how the relationship between them. An example of a good title is “Effect of Integrated Fireground Management on Improved Safety for Fire Fighters.” See Section 1.06 in your APA manual.

Cover– The same for all assignments– The sample format is required

Cover

Check this course website for sample cover sheets. These are required.

http://www.geocities.com/writescience/GoodCoverGoodfellow.doc

http://www.geocities.com/writescience/GoodCoverParkland.doc

Title

A brief succinct summary of your paper

A title should summarize the main idea of the paper simply and, if possible, with style. It should be a concise statement of the main topic and should identify the actual variables or theoretical issues under investigation and how the relationship between them. An example of a good title is “Effect of Integrated Fireground Management on Improved Safety for Fire Fighters.” See Section 1.06 in your APA manual.

Title

The title should:– Be double spaced– Capitalize all important words

Writing

Formatting– Computer is not a typewriter– Let word processor do automatic wrap.

Do not press RETURN at the end of a line

– APA style requires just one linear space after a word, or after a punctuation mark.

– Use 12 point type, either Times or Ariel

– Follow APA rules on all four margin setups

– Avoid wasted space

–MS Office 2006 is not compatible with many computers; for this edition save as .rtf file

Syntax

This is how you make your work clear– Make nouns, pronouns, and verbs agree

•Every firefighter needs their body in good shape

•All firefighters need to be in good shape.– The second one is right; the first wrong. Why?

– Avoid starting sentences with conjunctions (But, And, etc.)

– Avoid starting sentences with “there are.’– Every paragraph needs just one topic. – Every sentence should follow the one before in a

logical way.

Active Writing

Straightforward sentences– Generally subject, verb, object– Example: “The fire chief commands

the fundamental level of any disaster response.”

– NOT: “A response to a disaster remains the final perogative of the fire chief.”

– See APA manual and Little, Brown book for examples

Active Writing

Clear Syntax (this is really important)– Check your spelling. More than 5

spelling errors and your paper will be returned unmarked.

– Make parts of speech agree: pronouns and noun’s; subjects and verbs•Every truck must serve many functions.•NOT “Every truck serves their different

functions.”

– Paragraphs have a topic and logical flow of sentences

Active Writing

Clear Syntax– Sections have a logical flow of

paragraphs

Active Writing

Seven “C”s of Good Writing1. Clarity - Clear sentences2. Conciseness - Short and Sweet3. Correctness - Accurate information4. Coherence - Hangs together5. Credibility - Makes sense6. Creativity - Looks good7. Completeness - ‘nuff said?

Content

Must relate to assignment– Topic must indicate clear

relationship to Fire Service– Normally your instructor must

approve your topic– Your title must clearly set out your

topic•Bad title: Management Theory•Better title: Use Motivation Theory to

Perform Fireground Performance

Content

Must relate to assignment– For FSM 350, 401, 450 you will be

making proposals for paper topics– Normally your instructor must

approve your topic– When you submit a proposal the

following paper must be on the approved topic

Content

Must relate to assignment– Every paper is a “management” paper,

not a “how-to-do-it” or a technical paper.

Must relate to assignment– A paper written for another course may

not be submitted for any FSM IS course.

Accurately apply management theory– Management styles – not a cafeteria

where you can mix and form your own style. Management applies principles, it does not define approaches.

Content

Accurately apply management theory– Don’t misapply McGregor

•Theory X, Theory Y are part of the same thing; they may not be treated independently

References

Every statement of fact must be documented by citation to a reference.– Quoting, or paraphrasing, without

citing the original work, is plagiarism– Works cited must be credible.– Use web sources sparingly and with

care to ensure reliability. Anything may appear on the web.

List references that are cited, nothing more, in the References. – Every reference must be cited– Every citation must be referenced.

References

Some sources are never acceptable– Examples: Wikipedia (on line);

Readers’ Digest

Sources must be credible – accepted by professionals as reliable.Learn how to list references.Hint: your APA software may actually mislead you.

References

Here are some examples: good and bad– Wrong• Byron Christopher. "An Attractive Japanese Export."

Time. March 2, 1981. v117 p74(1)

– Right• Byron Christopher (2000, 2 March). An attractive

Japanese export. Time, 117, 74.

References

Here are some examples: good and bad– Wrong• Anthony, W. P., Gales, L. M., & Hodge, B. J. (1996).

Organization theory: A strategic approach. (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

– Right• Anthony, W. P., Gales, L. M., & Hodge, B. J. (1996).

Organization theory: A strategic approach (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

References

Check your APA guide for every type of reference.Do not rely on APA softwareList only references cited in the body of the paper.Never list works consulted if they are not cited.

•APA Style

Absolutely required. Learn it– Method of listing citation in body of paper – Capitalization rules in the body of the paper.

• Proper nouns• First word after a colon• Major words in titles of works in the body of the

paper• First word ONLY of titles in References list, except

–• Major words of titles of periodicals in References

list.

A major portion of the APA book lists examples of how to list citations

•APA Style

Absolutely required. Learn it– The OWL web site is an excellent

(and accurate) source

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

Reminder: do not trust APA-style software.

Submitting work

Save as a MS Word document (I.e., .doc) – Do not save as a Rich Text document

(I.e., .rtf) except for MS Office 2006– Proofread before you send

• Have somebody else read it• Read it out loud to yourself

Submit by e mail– Create e mail document. Include a message

and a subject line. – Address line is fwilson@airmail.net – Attach your document to the e mail

message

Verify I have received it.– Get a receipt by e mail in less than 3 days

Submitting work

Submission date is the date you send the assignment – I save your file with the submission date as

part of the file name (e.g., 0916Student301_1.doc)

– On or before due date gets bonus points– Late work penalized

Extensions may be granted– You must request (not demand) in advance – Reasons must be “beyond your control.”– No bonus points for papers with

extensions. Late penalties will apply when extension date is not me

– No extensions for final paper without emergency

Submitting work

Save a copy of your work– Things can get lost in cyberspace

If you don’t get your paper back– Things can get lost in cyberspace;

contact me so I can resend it to you. (Don’t wait until the course is over to let me know you are missing a paper.)

Plagiarism

UNACCEPTABLE– Know what plagiarism means

•Paraphrased works•Quoted works•Paper used for another course•Another student’s paper

Your responsibility to be honest– Severe penalties for any kind of

cheating– I have tools to catch cheating

Contact me

Don’t waste valuable time when I may be able to provide quick help

Meet deadlines

Make me aware of special circumstances

Don’t get eliminated!

Submit on time – don’t get behind

Do your own workCite every statement of fact

Strictly follow APA Style

WARNING

THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION

Independent work is toughThe value added for being a better writer is worth all the effort

And now, a 10 point bonus quiz

The following 5 questions (next 3 pages) may earn up to 10 bonus points for your total points in the course.

Submit to me by Sep 13, 2008 for bonus

Send by e mail to fwilson@airmail.net

(Q. 1-5 on the next 3 pages)

And now, a 10 point bonus quiz1. Write a good example of an active English sentence (subject, active verb, and object if the sentence needs one.)

2. Why should you document every statement of fact in your paper with a citation to a reference?

(Q. 3, 4,5 on the next page)

More of the bonus quiz

3. In one sentence, describe what the title of your paper must do.

4. How many spelling errors will result in a paper being returned ungraded?

5. If you are missing a marked paper being returned to you, what is your responsibility?