Plagiarism

Avoid this practice at all costs. Accidental or deliberate plagiarism—using someone else’s work without offering proper credit—is a cardinal academic transgression. It is, in effect, the theft of intellectual property.

For the type of writing involved in brochures and posters aimed at the general public, it is not so critical to use academic citation form such as APA or MLA. However you must be clear about the sources of your information and you must not, under any circumstances, copy material. Put information in your own words.

The following websites have useful information about citation conventions. The Purdue site, especially, acknowledges different conventions for different types of writing.

Purdue’s OWL: Online Writing Lab

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_plagiar.html

MIT’s Library Expository Writing Guide

http://libraries.mit.edu/guides/courses/fall2001/21f.222/plagiarism.html

Duke University’s Practical Guide for Avoiding Plagiarism

http://www.lib.duke.edu/libguide/plagiarism2.htm

Child-centered language

Remember to use child-centered language in your work. If, for example, you are describing children with learning disabilities, you are doing just that: child first, not the disorder. The learning disabled child implies that children with learning disabilities are a different kind of child, and child centered language puts the emphasis on the individual and not the disorder.

Developmental Perspective

Several of you may select topics that focus on common disorders or conditions of childhood. Remember that this is a class in child development and so you want to focus on aspects of the development of children with a given condition rather than the condition itself. Often a developmental perspective is necessary in identifying disorders of childhood since many of them involve age inappropriate behavior that, at an earlier developmental level or at a different level of intensity, might appear absolutely normal and adaptive. Disorders may also be discussed from a developmental point of view with respect to risk factors, course, and outcomes. Always remember that you are talking about children as they grow and develop in the context of school, family, and community.

Suggestions

Suggestions for intervention should be focused and not vague. For example, stating that parents can teach social skills to children who show poor social skills is probably not too helpful. Look in your book, in the books on reserve, or in other journals or web resources for some specific suggestions.

Personal

You may be interested in topics with which you have personal experience. Be careful that you do not let your own experiences substitute for rigorous research. Use your experience to bring insight to the literature, but do not let it bias you against empirical evidence that might run counter to experiences that may be highly valued and emotionally charged for you.

Proposal

· Write down the central topic of your project

· Write the scope of coverage you will give the topic (specific sub-topics)

· Indicate how you intend to incorporate a developmental perspective

· Identify three reliable sources that you may use

· Write down any questions you have

Be prepared to talk about your project ideas in class and to hand in your brief proposal. Please type and double space.

7/10/05