Chapter Analysis and Reflection
Written Assignments
The directions for the Written Exercise are:
You will complete a critical analysis and reflection. This written exercise must be in APA style and format.
The exercise must be 400-words in length. Minimum of 400, maximum of 415.
The Cover Page is included in this (and a Reference page, if you need to
use one – which you really should not need to do!)
When writing your papers, think in terms of providing a critical overview of the reading, identifying and highlighting the significant facts revealed, and closing with your own well-reasoned and informed scholarly deduced conclusion(s).
This is what I am adding to the assignment so please follow the steps below:
1.Read over the material.
2.Once you have identified what you are going to discuss in your paper, summarize the material by telling me (in your own words) what the readings/material was about.Give me a critical discussion of the material; ie was it useful?Did it seem to have adequate research?Is this of importance to the criminal justice field?How might this help us in deterring crime?What does this add to our knowledge of criminal behavior? These are just a sample of the questions you might include in a critique of the reading.
3.I need 400-words. I will accept anywhere from 400-415, but if you go over 415 I will deduct points and if you are under 400 words I will deduct points. The 400-415 words are for your entire paper – including your name, date, etc. You do need a Cover Page, but you do not need an abstract.Please do not include an abstract!If you cite anything, it should only be your textbook and then I will need a Reference page.If you are not citing anything, you do not need a reference page!
4.Make sure you double space.Use a 12-point font.Times New Roman or Arial are the accepted fonts.Proof read and watch your spelling, punctuation, and grammar (no little i’s or u’s please!)
5.Once you have completed your paper, save it in a .docx format.This means you must have Microsoft Word on your computer.All assignments need to be done in Microsoft Word. If you do not have Microsoft Word, you will have to go to a public library to use their computer. Please try to save your paper with your name in it, such as: SmithJohnExercise1.docx or something similar.
6.Once you are done with your paper you will load it into the Assignment. It will automatically run through Turnitin.com to check for plagiarism. You do not need to do anything at that point, just submit it to the Assignment Drop box. I want these Written Exercise papers to be less formal than a research paper. To me, they are a 400-word journal entry as to what your thoughts were about a particular topic that week. Use your own words as much as possible. Any citations need to be in APA Format but I would prefer as little citations as possible since this is to be in your own words. I have put together a handy check list (since I know some people, like myself, do well with check lists), and please go through this checklist and make sure you have all YES answers before you turn in your Written Exercise paper for this week.
The 12 Steps – Written Exercise Paper check list:
1.Have you read either an assigned chapter for the week from your Lily text book or one of the items on the Drop-down menu for the current week?
2.Have you written your paper as a “critical discussion” of the material and used basically your own words to analyze the material?
3.Using statements like, “I feel…” “I believe…” “I have noticed…”are great ways to write and critique from your own viewpoint. Do you have “I” statements in your paper?
4.Have you answered at least one or more of the following questions in your paper?
a.Was the material you read this week useful, and if so, how?
b.Did the reading seem to have adequate research?
c.Is this material of importance to the criminal justice field?
d.How might this add to our knowledge of criminal behavior? (Just a sample…you can answer your own questions too, as long as they are a critique of the material).
5.Did I include a Cover Pager with my name, the date, etc.?
6.Am I using Microsoft Word to type my paper?
7.Is my paper at least 400 words, but not over 415? (This includes the Cover Page and any references).
8.Am I writing in proper format – indenting the first sentence of each paragraph?
9.Have I used my spell check to check for any errors, as well as carefully proof read my paper?
10.Have I double-spaced, used 12-point font?
11.Have I kept my citing to a bare minimum (citing is discouraged; I would like for these to be in your own words as much as possible), and if I did cite, do I have a Reference page, with ‘References’ centered in the middle of the page and the source written in correct APA Format?
12.If I do cite, is it proper APA Format (Author, year, pp.#) after each citation?
If you follow these 12 steps and can answer each one with a YES, you will be fine for your paper!Thank you and please keep this handy somewhere!
Answer previewI enjoyed this reading. To start with I found it well written and quite easy to understand. The chapter is quite resourceful to anyone seeking to have more information in the criminal justice field; I found it to be quite detailed and with reliable information. …(400 words)