CNS 660 - Construction Operations

This guide is to provide information about library resources for the CNS capstone class research project.

Library Research Guide

Critical Analysis Paper

Critical Analysis Paper – 100 points

There will be times in your career when you will be required to submit proposals that must adhere to strict, prescribed guidelines.  Often the guidelines may be unique to that specific group or organization to which you are submitting your proposal and the guidelines may be unfamiliar to you.  Failure to adhere to the requirements may result in immediate rejection of your proposal.  One of the objectives of this assignment is to reinforce the importance of following instructions and to get you to step outside of your comfort zone by utilizing a writing format with which you may have little or no experience.  Read carefully and follow the rules as though your job depends on it.  In your critical analysis paper, critically reflect on your chosen readings, class dialogue from this class and others from throughout your college career, and your personal experiences.  Cite specific passages, concepts, and/or ideas etc. about the readings, in the form of direct quotations, and include your own analysis.  This paper should demonstrate growth in critical thinking and make connections with your future career in the construction industry.  I don’t want you to simply regurgitate someone else’s ideas.  Prepare a current, relevant paper on the following topic:

The practical application of sustainable materials in new construction.

You will select a specific material related to commercial construction for the topic of your paper.

Assignment Requirements:

Written work should be representative of your professionalism as a future constructor and, therefore, should demonstrate your finest comprehension, organization and writing abilities.  Excessive grammatical, punctuation, and/or spelling errors will result in a significantly reduced score.  Merely completing the assignment does not guarantee a passing grade.  Your paper should be a MINIMUM of 1,500 words, or approximately 5 double-spaced pages (not including the abstract, reference page and annotated bibliography), typed in 12 point Times New Roman font using APA Style from the American Psychological Association, including proper headings, title page, page numbering, abstract, reference page and annotated bibliography. MLA STYLE IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.  End your 5-page narrative with a section titled “Conclusion” that includes your summary of the topic.  Write your conclusion in the first person, "I," narrative. Your paper is not to be bound.  Format is 8 ½”x 11” plain paper, two-sided printing, 3-hole punched and stapled in the top left corner.  Submit one final hard copy and upload to KSOL Canvas an electronic copy in Word 2013 or newer format.  Anything short of five pages or more than six pages will result in an automatic letter grade reduction.  The rough draft requires submission of only a hard copy (no KSOL Canvas upload).

Citing References: 

All sources utilized in this written assignment, including web sources and personal interviews, must be properly cited using APA format, both in the body of the text and in the references/annotated bibliography.  The “References” tab in Microsoft Word includes APA as a style type.  The following resources for APA are available online.  Print off the ones with the proofreader's marks so you will understand any corrections that I may make on your papers.

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_basic_rules.html

http://www.uwsp.edu/psych/apa4b.htm

Annotated Bibliography                                                                  

In addition to the reference page that cites all of your sources, create a separate Annotated Bibliography of your three primary outside resources related to your chosen subject matter.  You may choose to limit and focus your sources to a narrower topic within your selected subject matter.  No more than 1 of the 3 primary entries/resources may be a web site or from the internet. (The only exception to this is research/journal articles from an online database, e.g., JSTOR.  Place an asterisk at the end of the entry, both in your References and your Annotated Bibliography, to indicate that this web source is from a recognized scholarly data base).  Draw from books, research/journal articles, personal interviews of knowledgeable sources, etc.  You must read each thoroughly in order to write the entry for your Annotated Bibliography. Each of the three primary entries should include:

  • The full citation of the source (this is simply a repeat of the source citation from the “References” document.
  • The annotation is to be a minimum of 5-lines, single-spaced, and indented 1” from the source citation, with a description and critique of the source (this is a combination of a descriptive and critical annotation).  Use this format for all of your entries.  Again, Microsoft Word provides bibliography assistance under the “References” tab.  Following are some additional online resources:

https://guides.library.cornell.edu/annotatedbibliography

https://research.lesley.edu/apa

Additional resource

Use the Hale Library resource page for this course.

            https://guides.lib.k-state.edu/c.php?g=181894&p=1195975

Proofreading

I will proofread your initial rough draft using the proofreading marks previously referenced.  You will be assigned a partner with whom you will exchange final rough drafts of each of your papers one week before the final submission date.  You are to proofread each other’s papers and edit them with red or blue ink using the same proofreading guides.  You will make the noted corrections and submit to me both the edited final draft and the corrected final version by the prescribed due date (edited final draft is not to be uploaded to KSOL Canvas).  Your grade for this assignment will be based on your final submission as well as how thoroughly you edited your partner’s paper.

DUE DATES:

Please consult the class syllabus/information on Camvas/instructor's comments in class.