???              Web Project FAQs             ???

Here's a list of answers to questions that, in some cases, no one has actually ever asked, but which have answers you need to know.

1.   How much do we need to write?   Your individual web page should include at least about 1000 words of text (roughly the equivalent of four double-spaced pages).  Experience indicates that pages with much less text than this do not do well -- they rarely are able to cover the topic area adequately.  Please do not exceed 2000 words (I won't grade longer pages down if they're longer, but I'll also limit credit for length and detail).  Make your writing count.  Write as well as you can, and make sure your writing conveys the research you've done.  Construct your page as an essay: like a regular paper, it should have a "beginning, middle, and end," it should make a point and include references -- but unlike a regular paper, it can have illustrations, links, and ways of fitting together with the other pages on your group website.  (If you feel you have an innovative way to structure your page -- nested pages, etc. -- that's ok, but your actual writing should still include the appropriate length of prose.)

2.  Do we each get credit for our individual page?   Yes.  Each of you will be graded initially on your individual page.  If your website is strong and you're a contributor to that strength, you can receive added points (you cannot lose points if the site is weaker than your individual page).  Furthermore, group members who have made extra contributions, such as designing a good home page for the site, or providing help to other group members, can get additional points.  For this reason, when you initially turn in your projects towards the end of April, you should include a note of who had responsibility for which part of the site, and where there was shared responsibility or mutual aid.  (This doesn't need to be detailed and a burden, just a few sentences of overview to indicate where special contributions may have been made; it's ok for a group to designate one member of the team to hand in this account.)

3.  How will you grade the projects?   Each page will receive a basic score, based on 100 points.  The grading breaks down like this:
                Research:  40 points (range of sources, appropriateness of info, depth of research, critical use of sources, appropriateness of citation)
                Writing:     40 points (coverage, appropriateness of length, cogency, original ideas, writing style)
                Presentation:  20 points (quality of images, inventiveness of format, neatness -- a basic neat page earns most of these points)
In addition, up to 10 points may be added to reflect major contributions to the site outside the individual page, or unusual overall strength throughout the group website as a whole.  After bonus points are added, the grade ranges will be standard: 90-100 A-range; 80-89 B-range; 70-79 C-range; 60-69 D-range.

4.  How do you grade the home page?  When the project is turned in, a statement of how the home page was designed and who did the work should be included.  If the home page is a substantial effort and good in quality, I need to know to whom some extra credit for presentation can be assigned.  If it includes substantive written work that reflects research or good reflection, I can add some credit for that as well, so long as I know where it should go.

5.  Do we need to use footnotes?   The basic answer is yes!  You do need to document the sources of your information.   When your statements come from print sources, you can either use footnotes or combine a quick parenthetical reference (Smith, pp. 3-4) with a bibliography list at the bottom of the page.  When your statements come from web sources, you can footnote to an address or build in a parenthetical links (see Joys of Footbinding ).  If, when you make a statement, readers can't figure out how you come to know that it is so, it weakens your page.

6.  Do we need to note on our pages where we found the images we use?  Yes.  Images are copyrighted on the web, and you need to note the copyright owner, if you can tell who that is, or at least the website you have copied the image from.  This can be done with a small size notice near the image, or as a list of "image credits" at the bottom of the page.

7.  How important is form?    Medium.  I hope you edit your writing carefully and try to make your pages neat -- after all, these will be on the Net.  But we're not going to worry about details, such as conformity to a style-sheet for citation form. 

8.  Do plagiarism rules apply here?  Yes -- they do!  Check the E100 policy on plagiarism.  You should know that in the past, some students have attempted to block-copy web-based text to construct their pages.  There is nothing more obvious or simpler to track down.  Please don't go there; it will result in an automatic course grade of F.  If you're having trouble, talk to me or to Susan or Graham.

9.  For Internet links, can we just list them?   It would be much better if you nested your links in your text, with some indication of what they are and their reliability (for instance:  "This topic is addressed by Seppuku for the 21st century, the website of the Samurai Survivors Society of Rural New Jersey, an interesting site that indicates no sources for the bizarre and repugnant statements it makes").  Alternatively, you might place this sort of reference in an "Internet Resources" paragraph at the end.  This will be an important component in evaluating how critically you've assessed your sources -- bear in mind that some web authors you encounter may be college or even high school students with little background.

10.  Can we change topics?   Yes, if you work it out as a group (please keep me informed).  If, after some research, you find that your topic is unworkable because there are too few resources or the topic's too broad, or if it turns out to seem terminally boring to you, you can refocus.  For this reason, it's very important to invest time early on in scanning for resources and getting started.   After a certain point, changing topics is no longer an option.

11.  Why do Chinese names and terms look different in my reading from in the Coursepack?  Chinese is "transcribed" into the Latin alphabet in a variety of ways -- all of them bad!  Our course uses the pinyin system (explained on p. 7 of the Coursepack); about half of published books use Wade-Giles, an insane system (for example, the sound of "r" is represented by the letter "j").  I've added a Wade-Giles chart to help you decode the changes.  Don't worry too much about this when you write -- try to use pinyin as much as possible, and if we see transcription problems in your web pages when you turn them in as drafts, we'll try to correct them for you.

12.  How can we judge the reliability of Internet sources?   The difference between Internet sources and published sources is that in the case of printed works, a publishing house has critically evaluated the author's writing.   That doesn't mean it's totally reliable (sometimes books are published just because they'll sell), but it's better than the Internet.   You can have some basis for judging web pages if you've first done some reading in published sources.  This can help you recognize hype and superficiality.

13.  Do we have to have Internet links on our pages?  Yes, unless you can really make a case that there's nothing of any value out there. 

14.  Do we have to have print sources?  Absolutely!  This project takes the place of both the term paper and the final exam -- you need to learn about your topic area in some depth, and there's no way to do that apart from serious Library work.  Note that articles accessed electronically through the IU Library databases, such as IUCAT, ProQuest, Lexis-Nexis, etc., are considered print sources.

15.  How can we judge the reliability of books?  There are lots of ways, none perfect.  In general,  you may consider anything on Library Reserve reliable.  For other books, most (not all) that the Library holds will be reliable; if you have any question, check with me.  If you're using your own books, it would be best to check with me.  The basic test of a book's reliability is that it documents its sources (tells you the basis of the statements it makes), and does so in that way reflects a responsible attempt to get at good information -- no author's 100% right; "reliability" just points towards degrees of knowledgeability and responsibility. 

16.  Do I have to use Netscape Composer?  No, you can use any composer program to prepare your page.  However, the disk you hand in should have your page ready to upload in HTML format.

17.  What's the schedule?  Be sure to check and know the Project Schedule page.