Weight: 45%
2.4.2 Essay
Weight: 45%
Type of Collaboration: Individual
Due: Friday, 29 September, 2023 by 23:59pm
Submission: Turnitin
Format: Research essay on core themes of the subject. This assessment is linked to and follows from Assessment 1.
Length: 1,500 words
Curriculum Mode: Essay
The essay is an opportunity for students to undertake independent research and to develop their written communication skills. The purpose of this task is to establish links between theories of punishment and practical developments in systems of punishment, applying insights from the subject content on the social analyses and philosophies of punishment. More importantly, the essay topics provide you with the opportunity to think through the issues for yourself rather than reiterating the established knowledge. Marks will be awarded for rigorous research, argument, critical engagement with the program material, and creative conceptualisations or independent thought.
Essay Question:
Under what social circumstances would prison abolition be possible in a contemporary Australian context?
Tips for writing your essay:
Read widely and start as early as possible. Some of the topic areas will not already have been covered in the subject, but the conceptual content will be. Your Essay Plan/Proposal will assist you to start reading earlier! Essential and recommended readings are a good place to start. Also check the additional reading list under relevant weekly topics. Take notes while you are reading. If there are any references that are worth following up, obtain these and continue the exploration. The list of suggested sources is a starting point only. You are expected to undertake independent research. Keep in mind that blog sites are not considered credible academic sources, neither is Wikipedia.
Use your essay plan and the feedback received to finesse your argument. Think about how your chosen theories apply to the topic you have chosen, and structure your essay. Again, start writing sooner rather than later.
DO NOT PARAPHRASE BY MERELY SUBSTITUTING SYNONYMS! Turnitin will usually pick this up and if, through this method, you change enough words to avoid Turnitin detection, it is likely that the original meaning is so damaged that the result turns out to be incomprehensible anyway. See statements on AI such as ChatGPT above.
Keep returning to your essay question and check your response is relevant and adequate to it. Use your essay proposal
Before submitting your work:
- Typing must be double or 1.5-spacing, Times New Roman or Cambria font, with 2.5-3cm margins.
- Page numbers are required.
- A list of all sources used, listed alphabetically, must be included and comply with the accepted referencing conventions as specified earlier with this website: https://library.westernsydney.edu.au/main/guides/referencingcitation #. Include no fewer than 6 different academic sources.
- Re-read your work before submitting it to check that it reads well, has no spelling or grammatical errors and that it makes sense! A useful trick is to read it out loud to yourself or somebody else. If it doesnt make sense when spoken, then it doesnt make sense in written form!
- Check that your paragraph formatting is clear and that your paragraphs are not too long. And remember that one long sentence is NOT a paragraph. Make sure the topic of each paragraph is indicated in the first sentence and that each paragraph contributes to the overall topic.
- Use simple yet varied sentences but do NOT use dot points. Your Essay Plan/Proposal (Assessment 1) will help you with this.
- Take a look at the marking criteria
- Do a careful edit so as not to exceed the word limit (by too much!)
Submitting your work:- Students must submit their assignments through Turnitin by the due date and time. Emailed or printed assignments will not be accepted.
- Late Penalty: If the assignment is submitted, without an approved extension, after the due date and time, it will attract a late penalty of 10% per day. Assessments will not be accepted, in the absence of approved extensions or Special Considerations, after the marked assessments have been returned to students who submitted the task on time.
- See also the advice in this Learning Guide on extensions, special considerations, and the late assignment penalties.
Ethical Artificial Intelligence Use
Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools to brainstorm ideas, summarise reading material or to edit your submission is permitted. The content of your final submission must be your original work. Be aware that the output from generative AI tools may be incorrect, incomplete or biased.
Working with another person or technology in order to gain an unfair advantage in assessment or improperly obtaining answers from a third party including generative AI to questions in an examination or other form of assessment may lead to sanctions under the Student Misconduct Rule. Use of generative AI tools may be detected. More information is available on the Library web page.
Resources:
Resources on each topic will be provided on vUWS to help you develop your essay plan and essay.
