2. How to be a Happy Camper or, “Writing a Good Social Science Essay”

3. CD/CM Use CD/CM CD = concrete detail CM = commentary

4. Why do we do it?

5. Concrete Details are specific –When you get your car detailed, you expect the shop to clean all the detailed parts of your car and to clean them thoroughly –If the shop is not specific when they clean your car, you want your money back –When you are not specific in your paper, you will not want your graded paper back

6. What is GOOD Concrete Detail? Good concrete detail: –Illustrates specific dates, amounts, people, statistics, sources, etc. –Comes from authoritative sources –Is cited in MLA format –Is not plagiarized –Is told in your own words

7. Example “Judge Sandra Brown Armstrong ruled that the Bush Administration’s 10-year water plan for the Klamath violates the Endangered Species Act”

8. What is GOOD Concrete Detail? Good concrete detail: –Illustrates specific dates, amounts, people, statistics, sources, etc. –Comes from authoritative sources –Is cited in MLA format –Is not plagiarized –Is told in your own words

9. This is an authoritative source:

12. These are not:

13. Neither is this: http://www.geocities.com/jlfkateri/

14. What is GOOD Concrete Detail? Good concrete detail: –Illustrates specific dates, amounts, people, statistics, sources, etc. –Comes from authoritative sources –Is cited in MLA format –Is not plagiarized –Is told in your own words

15. Cited in MLA

16. What is GOOD Concrete Detail? Good concrete detail: –Illustrates specific dates, amounts, people, statistics, sources, etc. –Comes from authoritative sources –Is cited in MLA format –Is not plagiarized –Is told in your own words

17. Is not plagiarized Copyright ©1995-2004 by OWL at Purdue University and Purdue University. All rights reserved.

18. What is GOOD Concrete Detail? Good concrete detail: –Illustrates specific dates, amounts, people, statistics, sources, etc. –Comes from authoritative sources –Is cited in MLA format –Is not plagiarized –Is told in your own words

19. This means quotes should be used only when you can not possibly reword a phrase or sentence in any way that would sound as good as the original, exceptionally brilliant source.

20. Any questions?