Arts2818 Final Essay: FAQs (as of 16 April 2021)

Q: What are the key due dates for submission of the final essay?

The date for submission (via turnitin on Moodle) of the final version of your essay is 11.59 pm on 28 April.
(as amended on the courseguide). You can of course submit your work before this date if you wish.

Q: What about disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic?

Even though it seems to be coming to a close , the disruption of the virus has been immense and
completely unprecedented, so we are all working in our own ways to get on with work and life, not always
as successfully as we might hope. I understand and acknowledge the burdens placed on you in particular,
and the possible effects of those (I was a student too, for many years, and I also know how hard it is to
focus and concentrate on study because of uncertainty, distress and anxiety). The framework we are all
working on in the course has two main constraints: I do need to submit marks/grades by a certain date that
does not allow much time for flexibility, and also you do need to move on to the next stage of your
academic path, and you have other courses to complete as well.

Q: Is there a marking rubric for the essay?

I have already uploaded to Moodle a marking rubric for the essay. It sets out guidelines to the different
things that make for a good essay. The different categories are not each assigned a separate mark in
assessing your work. In particular, I would stress that you are presenting an analysis or argument, not
simply a list of points, so it is very important to pay a lot of attention to structure and to explain very clearly
what you are trying to argue and how (especially in the introduction).

I also note that I have recorded two sessions on questions about writing the essay (available on
Blackboard).

Q: The essay word length is 2501 words. Is this a hard limit?

A: You will not be marked down for going over this limit or for going under it. However, if the length of your
essay is significantly under the word limit, it probably is a sign that you have not developed your arguments
and analysis in sufficient depth. If the length of your essay is significantly over the word limit, it might
indicate that you are waffling. The essay length is a guide more to the scope of your essay rather than to
the exact wordage.

Also note that different courses, different disciplines, different coordinators, have different views on this
question, so it is a good idea to ask the coordinators their view.

Q: Yikes! I cannot easily access books for my essay, only articles. Will this count against me?

One consequence of the virus has been limited access to books. Also many of the books in Australian
politics are not digitalised and therefore not accessible by international students from their home library .
Edited books are valuable sources in terms of collecting articles on a similar topic in the one book as well,
and again, these are not as accessible at this time. However, if you find a reference to a book you would like
to read, do look it up on the unsw library, some books are digitalised and/or chapters can be read online. I
also have e-copies of some books relevant to our course, and am happy to forward to you if you ask.
In the circumstances, you will probably rely more than you usually would in an essay on articles rather than
on books. We have to do the best we can, but as noted, do check the library for disgitalised copies before
giving up!

Q: Is there a set number of sources we must use?

A: There is no set number, but in general I would say that in this course and for this essay, you will not be
able to produce a strong and well-rounded argument or analysis without reading and engaging with at
least, say, 6 sources. In terms of this number, a newspaper article would not count for a source.

Q: But can I use newspaper articles and web sources for my essay?

A: Yes, and I would encourage you to do so. However, they are not a substitute for academic analysis. Use
newspaper sources to keep the essay up to date, for example. If you were doing an essay on the media, you
might use newspaper sources as examples of your argument, if you were writing about bias in the media,
say, it would be important to give examples of newspaper articles.

Q: What about using Wikipedia?

A: Wikipedia is a very useful resource, in particular the citations to sources that you will find at the end of
Wikipedia entries. It is also useful for getting a quick grasp about something you might not have heard of
before. However, it is not generally appropriate in a university to use Wikipedia as a source, especially in
addressing very controversial issues. Where the citations direct you to a primary source, find that source
and use it.

Q: Other questions? Post on the Discussion Board or email h.pringle@unsw.edu.au.