Richard Ascough

Assistant
Professor
of New
Testament
and Greek

Queen's
Theological
College

Department
of Religious
Studies


Theological Hall
Kingston, ON
Canada, K7L 3N6

(613) 533-6000
x78066

fax: (613) 533-6879

rsa@post.queensu.ca

http://
post.queensu.ca/~rsa

1) An accurate and succinct analysis of the issues raised in the text(s) under investigation.

2) The formulation of a clear hypothesis on the basis of the data observed.

3) The presentation of plausible arguments in support of the hypothesis. Do not focus on what is "possible" (all things are possible!). Focus on what is more probable given a number of mitigating factors: i.e., historical period, use of sources, oral traditions, theological concerns, etc.

Good ideas poorly communicated amount to a poor paper. Proper spelling, grammar, syntax, punctuation, etc. all contribute to the expression of your thoughts and are thus essential. Do a careful, critical proofreading of your paper, looking for grammatical mistakes as well as unclarity or inaccuracy in your arguments.

Be thoughtful and creative in interacting with the primary data, whether it is the biblical texts or a book you are reviewing. Nevertheless, remember that the papers are academic exercises and should not be presented as a personal reflection or sermon/homily unless this is specifically indicated as part of the assignment.

Make every attempt to use inclusive language in your paper. Use "man" and "he" only when you are referring to a male person. Otherwise, use "humankind," "people," "one," "s/he" or some other appropriate locution. It is a requirement in the academic world and it is becoming more standard in all aspects of life.

If you use secondary works they should support your hypothesis or present a contrary position (and you should show them to be wrong). Put secondary discussions in the footnotes as much as possible. Read all secondary sources with a very critical eye. Who knows, perhaps you have noticed something everyone else has missed!

In no case should a paper consist primarily of a repetition of the views of others, either by means of paraphrase or quotation.

Plagiarism: Any assignment or essay which shows evidence of plagiarism will be given a grade of zero (0). Plagiarism, by definition, is the use of the work of another person without proper acknowledgement. This could be copying a sentence or part of a sentence from a book or article without correctly citing the source. Or it could mean rephrasing someone else's words without giving credit for the idea which you have borrowed. Or it could mean copying someone's work and handing it in as your own. It is assumed that each assignment required for a course will be done independently. Please see further Queen's University Policy on Academic Dishonesty (http://www.queensu.ca/secretariat/senate/policies/acaddish.html).