COMMON ISSUES IN ANTHROPOLOGY ESSAYs To be used in conjunction with Guide to Assignment Writing and Referencing

http://www.deakin.edu.au/current-students/study-support/study-skills/handouts/assign-ref.pdf and from: Research and Writing: A guide to the preparation of essays in anthropology, prepared by ED Lewis, with FPR Just, MM Minnegal and MP Patterson, of the Anthropology program of the School of Anthropology, Geography and Environmental Studies, The University of Melbourne, 2002. Students are encouraged to print the relevant parts of this guide and to refer to it regularly when writing assignments

Contents:
Presentation and page format Word limit Double and single inverted commas, italicised words, contractions, composites and American and British spelling Essay structure References (1 what information must I reference?) References (2 how many references do I need?) References (3 what are the nuts and bolts?) Expression and Style some general tips for students Submitting a paper to Deakin University Instructions for Drop Box submission 2 5 6 8 8 11 13 13 2 2

Presentation and page format

Include cover page. Including your name, student number, Unit name and number, assignment number, name of Unit Chair and name of your tutor. Also include the original question, even if you have given the essay its own title.

Black text on a white background Number the pages Papers should be typed in 12 point font Use a legible font, such as Times New Roman, Bookman Old Style or Arial Double space or 1 space the text Justify the margins (making straight on both sides) is optional Leave generous margins: Top Bottom Left Right 3cm 3cm 4 cm 4 cm

These margins seem large but this is so markers can write in margins should they have to print them out and mark them by hand Leave a space between paragraphs List bibliographic references on a separate page or pages at the end of the essay. Lists are to be ordered alphabetically according to last name of principle author.

Word limit
Assignments may be 10 percent over or 10 percent under prescribed word limit

Double and single inverted commas, italicised words and American and British spelling

Single inverted commas are used to denote direct quotations from the work of someone else, and require an accompanying citation including a page number. For quotations within quotations (and so forth) alternate double and single inverted commas. Thus:

S Alice said, the rabbit said, the mouse screamed, Murder! and fled the h scene , after which I had my tea, but I do not believe any of it. o Titles of published papers and journal articles cited in the body of an essay and in a reference list are enclosed in single inverted commas; titles of books and films etc. are italicised. Italicise foreign words and phrases; do not underline or enclose them in single inverted commas. When placing commas it is often useful to think of them as parentheses rather than as markers of where the reader is to take a breath. The latter is incorrect. Spelling Bill Gates does not know if you meant to write their or there; check for homonyms. Indent long quotations (three lines / 30 words, or more), both left and right, and justify (make straight on both sides); indented quotations do not need quotation marks. Indented quotations may be typed in a slightly smaller font size, usually 10 or 11. Eg: Evans-Pritchard (1974:147-8) notes in relation to the Nuer:

the political system is an equilibrium between opposed tendencies towards fission

and

fusion, between the tendency of all groups to segment, and the tendency of all groups to combine with segments of the same order.

The delineations people recognise are not fundamental. Rather, they are highlighted in relation to fluctuating social, productive and ecological demands. Particular circumstances demand that people operate as cooperative members of one, or another, group.

Avoid composite pronouns. For example: he/she; his/her; and/or. Restructure the sentence to avoid the need for such expressions. Avoid contractions. For example: dont; arent; isnt, should be spelled in full, as, do not; are not; is not. Although it can feel abnormally formal, this is the appropriate scholarly style.

Avoid slang and colloquial terms.

Acronyms must be spelled in full, at least in the first use: Federal Bureau of Investigation

If the term is used more than once, spell it out, in full, the first time and indicate the acronym: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) After the acronym and the meaning have been identified, subsequent use of the term can rely on the acronym only: FBI Always spell the word in full if it appears in the reference list. Spelling and punctuation there are British and American systems. The Australian spelling and punctuation system models the British system. This is the system to use in this unit. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_and_British_English_differences You will read a lot of texts which use American spelling and punctuation. Remember, it is a fine system, but unless youre writing for an American publisher/University, it is not appropriate in this unit. As a rule, according to American protocol, quotation marks are double and punctuation tends to be placed inside quotation marks or inverted commas while, according to British protocol, quotation marks are single and the punctuation tends to be placed outside the quotation marks. Thus, a passage spelled and punctuated in the British style would look like this:

5 The names of boats, explain Dwyer et al. (2003:15), provide information within a public domain about the person who named the boat information that is known to, and becomes the common property of, the community of fishers who encounter the boat and her crew . Drawing upon Akinnaso, they suggest that the names of boats serve as an open diary by providing a system through which information is symbolically stored and retrieved (ibid).

Note that, although the words of Akinnaso are quoted directly, the reference is to Dwyer et al. This reflects the rule-of-thumb that advises students to reference the author(s) whose work they have actually read, and not the author referred to. Please note that there are many variations on the rules governing the use of punctuation in the American and British styles. The important thing is to be aware of the differences and to be consistent with your choice of style. Harvard and Oxford styles of referencing are both acceptable at Deakin University. Again, consistency is the key. In relation to spelling, punctuation and referencing, the preference, in this Unit, is for Austrailan/British spelling and punctuation, and for the Harvard referencing system.

A last work on this: did I mention consistency?

Essay structure

Define terms early Be explicit about structure. Eg:

This essay will argue that X. First, the essay will describe the anthropological concept Y. Then, the essay will illustrate this point with example Z. Through the description of Y with the innovative illustration of Z, the essay will show that X.

A simplistic formula, yes, but it can be very compelling and reassuring for your reader.

Include explicit linking paragraphs and sentences. Eg:

Following on from this point Now we turn to a consideration of a contrasting situation An alternative explanation is demonstrated in the work of Flag the main argument or main point or answer in the introduction. Do not give it away in detail, but give the reader a sense of what the question is and where the essay is going to end up. In the conclusion, restate the main argument or main point or answer, but express it in a slightly different, or expanded, way, so that it reinforces, rather than repeats, the point flagged in the introduction.

References (1 what information must I reference?)

Page numbers are required when the using a direct quote, when citing numeric information (dates, figures, statistics) that you did not determine yourself, when referring to an idea or proposal that can be found on a specific page of a book or journal, or when reusing an example or fieldwork observation originally used by someone else. If in doubt, and you can identify a page number (or a short range of pages), include the page number in the citation.

Citing material from someone when they are cited in the work of someone else. Remember the rule-of-thumb cite the author you have in front of you. If Jones refers to Smith on page X of Jones 2007 book, the citation may read: As Jones notes, Smiths understanding of this point is that (Jones 2007:123). or On this point, Smith regards it as a load of poppycock (in Jones 2007:123).

In both of these cases (when using the Harvard system), include the references to Jones, and only Jones, in the Reference List. However, if you wander over to the library and

borrow the book by Smith and look at the original quote that was cited by Jones, the citation may read: Like Jones (2007:123), Smith regards this point as a load of poppycock and suggests a complete rethinking of the material (Smith 2006:123). or Smiths work resonates with that of Jones (2007:123), who, just before Smiths publication, criticised the point in question and suggested that scholarly approaches to the point were in need of reconsideration (Smith 2006:123).

In this case, you would include Smith in the Reference List as well.

Never cite a lecture or unit study text in an anthropology essay, even if you are allowed to do so in other subjects. (Note, the study text is the material prepared by the Unit Chair, from week to week and is different to the articles you are asked to read, and to the book you may be asked to read). If you hear your lecturer talk about a particular scholar and wish to cite their work, go to the library or the internet and find an original scholarly source to cite. Ask your tutor to help you.

Never cite Wikipedia, or the like, as a source in an anthropology essay. Such sources may be useful in directing you to more scholarly references but are not valid on their own.

Never include a URL in an in-text citation. They can be included in the reference list. To clarify, it is ok to use something you found on the internet to support your argument (though, please note the difference between illustrations and academic texts document on DSO), do not include the actual web-site until you get to the reference list. See the Deakin Referencing Guide for details.

Journal articles accessed on-line do not need a URL or web-site reference in the reference list. As long as all the referencing information is available, including the page range of the article, treat it as a paper copy.

There are many, MANY, reference guides available in the library and online, including the Deakin on-line information, which is very helpful. Consult these resources.

Remember that this guide is just that, a guide, and not a peer reviewed document. Be proactive about your choice of references and of course. whatever style you chose, be consistent.

References (2 how many references do I need?)

The short essay for this unit is assessing your competency in structuring and writing assignments, and in following referencing instructions. In the essay instructions you are asked to cover three texts a book chapter, an article and a radio program and youre encouraged to read a journal article by Metcalf. However, you may find that to make your point you focus on Hendry, and the article by Scheper-Hughes. You should certainly demonstrate an understanding of at least one of the readings from the first two weeks of the unit. Regardless of what you focus on, you should include at least two references in your short essay. Please keep in mind that this is a bare minimum.

The main reading for this assignment is the text by Evans-Pritchard. However, for the Term Paper, we expect a certain amount of research beyond both the book and the online readings provided through the course. As a general general general idea, for an essay of this length, we expect at least seven academic references (academic books or articles published in peer reviewed journals), with at least two of these being sources that are not part of the core required readings. Please note that you do not have to go into detail in relation to each reference. This is a chance to demonstrate your breadth of knowledge of the Unit material.

References (3 what are the nuts and bolts?)

Almost all of the information you need to reference properly perfectly even is available through the Deakin web site. Sometimes it helps to have an example. Below

is an example from a recent article in The Australian Journal of Anthropology by Sandy (2007: 196). Note, also, the British English use of punctuation. Sandy, L. 2007. Just choices: representations of choice and coercion in sex work in Cambodia, The Australian Journal of Anthropology. 18(2):194-207.

Here is another example, explained below: Proponents of this discourse often invoke an exotic 'other' and reflect neo-colonial stereotypes of 'passive', 'submissive' and unemancipated women in the developing world (Law 1997: 234; Doezema 1998: 44). The strong emphasis on victimhood in this discourse justifies the involvement of other women, men and the state in the lives of urban poor women. The moral value of the word 'slavery' legitimates interventionist impulses that simultaneously author the saving redeemers (often urban, middle-class and educated) as agents and sex workers as trafficked 'victims' (often poor and uneducated rural women) (Kempadoo 1999: 228; Doezema 2001: 29). In Kristof's expose, the trope of slavery serves to demonstrate the need for intervention. This is then used as justification for his own impulses: '"I'm going to buy your freedom", I say to Srey Neth, and we begin to plot her liberation' (Kristof 2004: 38).

Below is the reference list from the article youve just read a portion of. Note that the exact punctuation, capitalisation, and a number of other minor details, are not exactly the same as are listed in the Deakin University Guide to Assignment Writing and Referencing. The inclusion of this set of examples is to emphasise the academic

privileging of consistency, over precise detail, in relation to referencing style.

I am not particularly wedded to a particular style of punctuation (ie. including a comma after the journal article title and before the journal title, or NOT including a comma after the journal article title and before the journal title). What I am keen to emphasise is that consistent attention to detail in these matters is something you should aim to master early in your academic career.

10

Doezema, J. 1998. Forced to choose: beyond the voluntary v. forced prostitution dichotomy. In K. Kempadoo and J. Doezema (eds) Global Sex Workers: Rights, Resistance, and Redefinition, pp. 34-50. New York, NY: Routledge. Kempadoo, K. 1999. Slavery or work? Reconceptualizing third world prostitution. Positions 7(1): 225-237. Kristof, N. 2004. I rescued these girls from sex slavery. Marie Claire March, pp. 36-40. Law, L. 1997. A matter of choice: discourses on prostitution in the Philippines. In L. Manderson and M. Jolly (eds) Sites of Desire, Economies of Pleasure: Sexualities in Asia and the Pacific, pp. 233-61. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. 2000. Sex Work in Southeast Asia: The Place of Desire in a Time of AIDS . London: Routledge.

The point is, find an academic referencing style that you like, that you think is clear (from a peer reviewed source, such as from a journal). Photocopy the reference page, print it, or type it out, and use it as a guide for your own work. Con-sis-ten-cy.

11

Expression and Style some general tips for anthropology students

Style Emulate published work this is the style you are trying to reproduce. Pick an author whose style you like, and try to recreate that style in your own writing.

Big words and jargon

It can be tempting to use big words and technical jargon.

It is not necessarily wrong to do so, but be mindful of the advice Im sure youve been given before: if you do not know exactly what a word or phrase means, do not use it. Further, even if you do know what a technical word means, it can often be useful to demonstrate that knowledge by putting the sentiment into a more simple language. This can take many words, and some students have a hard time keeping their essays to the word limit. Be concise, but not at the expense of clarity. For example:

This focus has occurred in the context of a burgeoning sense of environmental anxiety, a social malaise described most notably by Beck (1992), and addressed further in Chapter 8. Without going into premature detail, this environmental anxiety, or risk society (ibid), can be described as a social context in which people perceive, and try to manage, the risks of environmental decay, and seek to lay blame for perceived environmental problems on a human culprit.

Flowery language

While one of the more appealing aspects of studying social

science is the scope students have to explore their creative side, try to keep your creativity from spilling over into sappy clich! An unnecessarily wordy, dramatic or affected style can be very distracting. For example: Ever since humankind descended from the trees there has been a proud struggle between the physical and spiritual needs of both Homo Sapiens and the more defenceless children of Mother Earth [gag!]

12

Emotive language

Its OK to have a strong opinion on something these

convictions can drive us to excel in our educational pursuits. However, avoid excessive use of emotive language, statements conveying an explicit or implicit moral judgement, sarcastic or cynical expressions and colloquial terms; this is the speciality of contemporary journalism and political satire, and while there is a time and place for this style, this time and place is not in scholarly essays. The use of such language can seriously undermine the credibility of your writing. Rather, focus on putting together an argument that leads the reader to your conclusion; a subtle revealing or underscoring of your argument should then be sufficient to convince the reader. An anthropologist walks into a bar think Dad Jokes.

Humour can work a treat to compel the

reader, and can be fun to use, but avoid being too clever and keep the material polite

Incomplete sentences

When writing a sentence ensure that it is logical and

complete. Sometimes our brains outsmart us, filling in the gaps in sentences with logical words, even when those words are not, actually, there. The best way to pick up on missing words is to have someone read over the essay for you preferably someone who doesnt know anything about the topic and who will not fill in the gaps in sentences when they are reading it to themselves. Again, be concise, but not at the expense of clarity.

A last word: Short sentences are usually easier to handle than long ones.

13

Submitting a paper to Deakin University

IN THIS UNIT ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE SUBMITTED VIA THE DSO DROP BOX TOOL The reason for this is so that assignments can be marked and returned to you as quickly and easily as possible. Deakin University students, in general, may submit their assignment in a number of ways. The main forms of submission you will be used to are: Electronic copy via Drop Box on DSO Paper copy (posted to Deakin University or submitted in essay box on campus) Electronic copy via Turnitin on DSO As a document attached to an email and sent directly to your tutor or lecturer via email

AGAIN IN THIS UNIT ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE SUBMITTED VIA THE DSO DROP BOX TOOL Regardless of how you submit your assignments at University, it is vital that you ALWAYS keep a copy. Paperwork goes missing, files corrupt, computers crash (even the computers of Unit Chairs!) so to save delay, always keep a copy of your work, and keep it handy in the period between submission and receiving your graded work back from the marker.

Instructions for Drop Box submission students/study-support/d2l/dropbox.php

http://www.deakin.edu.au/current-

Complete your assignment and save it to your desktop as a Word document; make sure the extension is .doc or .docx (Never save your assignments as pdf files, unless specifically requested to do so, as these documents can not be commented upon by the marker who is reading them on-line). Download the Coversheet in the Assessment Module and fill it in.

14

Cut and paste the whole document into the electronic copy of your assignment, located on your desktop.

Name and save your assignment file using the following format:

Lastname_Firstname_student id_unit code_assignment

For example: King_Tanya_1234567_ASS101_shortessay.docx).

Go to the Drop Box Tab on the ASS101 DSO site.

Your version of DSO will look slightly different to this. Use the link above if you have trouble navigating the upload instructions.

IF and only IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO SUBMIT YOUR ASSIGNMENT, EMAIL IT TO YOUR UNIT CHAIR this may create problems in returning it and providing comments and grades, but it is a last resort to ensure your assignment is received. Dont forget to keep a copy of your essay safe for the entire trimester!