CS 147: Team Project Development and Professional Ethics

General Instructions for Writing Assignments

Word processing. You will write all your assignments in OpenOffice. OpenOffice is now available on all platforms: Windows, Linux and Mac (for which it's called NeoOffice). I know, I know, you are probably already familiar with Word, so why would you want to switch? One reason is that OpenOffice is available on all three platforms. Another is that it's free.
Drafts and revisions. Some of your writing assignments will go through rounds of grading followed by re-submission. Each improved draft will be re-graded, which you will use for the next draft. Some drafts will be graded by your peers in a process we will call peer-review.
Peer-review. You will be given others' writing assignments to review. To review, simply use "track changes" and "note" (under the Insert menu) in OpenOffice. You can suggest modifications or merely comment (using the "notes"). This is what we're expecting to review when you read someone else's submission:
- Organization: Is the document logically organized? Does any paragraph or sentence stick out as out-of-place?
- Cogency: Are the arguments, if relevant, laid out logically and convincingly? Do some assertions seem unjustified?
- Word quality. Identify misspelled words and typos. Can you suggest better or more appropriate words? Do any words break with the style conventions outlined in the Strunk/White or Ross-Larson books?
- Sentence quality. Identify sentences that are hard to comprehend or that seem "clunky." Is the lead sentence strong? Do any sentences break with the style conventions outlined in the Strunk/White or Ross-Larson books?
- Flow. Do the sentences in each paragraph flow? Do the paragraphs flow? Does the narrative end abruptly?
If you find an edit corresponding to any rule in either the Ross-Larson or Strunk-White boosk, cite the rule (page number and line): you will receive extra points for pointing out such a rule, up to a max of 5 points in the course.
The textbooks. Please read through both the Ross-Larson and Strunk-White books. They are both outstanding. The Strunk-White book, in particular, is a classic. Neither book takes much effort or time to read through. The Zobel book is more like a reference book, to use through out your CS writing courses; hold on to this book for Senior Design. Chapters 2-4 of this book are most relevant to this course.