Op Ed guidelines

We ask you to consider any issues/problems/challenges/ethical questions concerning data’s use and misuse, its effects, or misunderstandings surrounding quantification, data and statistics. Op-eds submitted after the deadline will be penalized 5% per day. Please email your op-ed as a .docx document to your assigned TA by the deadline.

Your op-ed needs to make a strong argument and defend it—you are not to write a long New Yorker piece that will amble to a conclusion (maybe). Because an op-ed is short, every word counts. Be incisive and concise, insightful and interesting, persuasive and thoughtful. Imagine you’re writing it for an “educated general” audience: such possible venues could include The New York Times, Slate, etc.

It must be no more than 750 words. Papers longer than this will be penalized at the grader’s discretion.

You are strongly encouraged to visit TA’s office hours to discuss possible op-ed topics and arguments.

See below for the rubric:

• Thesis: The introduction contains a clearly identifiable thesis, the argument tying the piece together. It should explain the importance of the topic. (And your op-ed in general should at least briefly address possible counter-arguments)

• Structure: Each “body” paragraph is organized around a claim with transitions between each paragraph.

• Evidence and Citations: Each paragraph offers appropriate evidence in support of the general claim. This evidence is adequately discussed and cited. Should contain some connection to our class readings. While one doesn’t usually provide citations in this genre, for the purposes of this assignment for our class, you must cite your sources. Please use a singular citation style (e.g., Chicago, APA, MLA--choose what makes sense for your field) with endnotes or footnotes. The Purdue Owl is a great resource for this.

• Grammar, Editing, Formatting: The paper is easy to read, contains few errors, and is properly formatted. 750 words. Imagine you’re writing it for an “educated general” audience: such possible venues could include The New York Times, Slate, etc.