THESCHOOLOFBUSINESS

GuidetoWriting

August2011


















CONTRIBUTORS

Sunita Ahlawat, Accounting
Terrence Bennett, Library
Diane Gruenberg, The Tutoring Center
Patricia Karlowitsch, School of Business
William Keep, School of Business
Nancy Lasher, Interdisciplinary Business
J ohn McCarty, Marketing
Kevin Michels, Interdisciplinary Business
Susanna Monseau, Interdisciplinary Business
Michele Naples, Economics
J oao Neves, Management
Linghui (Lynn) Tang, Finance & International Business






Copyright: August 2005
2
nd
Edition, August 2006
3
rd
Edition, August 2011

School of Business
Business Building
The College of New J ersey
P.O. Box 7718
2000 Pennington Road
Ewing, NJ 08628

P) 609-771-3064
F) 609-637-5129
E) business@[Link]


William W. Keep, PhD Dean School of Business
P) 609.771.3050 C) 609.637.5129 keep@[Link] PO Box 7718 Ewing, NJ 08628-0718





Dear Student:

When building your career many factors can contribute to your success. The ability to
manipulate and analyze datasets will get you noticed. A strong network of colleagues,
starting with TCNJ friends and alumni, will help. Even looking good (i.e., professional) can
be a plus. No asset, however, will be more important to your continued success than the
ability to effectively communicate your ideas.

In fact, in a recent survey that asked about skills important to achieving success in an
organization the most often mentioned skills that most young professionals lack were
communication skills oral and written. It makes sense. Once the data is collected and
analyzed, once existing strategies have been reviewed, once others have had their say, you
need to be able to clearly articulate your views. In short, you will differentiate yourself and
demonstrate your value to the organization by what you say and what you write.

This Guide is designed to help you become a better writer. Using it may help you achieve a
higher grade in your course work a short term benefit. The more enduring benefit is the
skill and confidence you will have as you enter the business environment.

Word choice, revision, logical flow, conciseness, and effective use of supporting evidence
all make a difference. Your professors have dedicated their careers to helping students
develop both an understanding of business and the skills necessary to succeed. Please take
the time to see how what they have assembled in this Guide can help you achieve your
goals.



Think, Compose, Revise, Reflect, Rewrite, Relax.


Dean Keep






Table of Contents




Introduction: Is Great Writing Magic? ...........................................................................................1

How to Use This Guide ...................................................................................................................3

Forms of Business Writing..............................................................................................................4

Writing Academic Research Papers in Your Business Classes.....................................................10

Example Outline of a Research Paper ...........................................................................................13

Group Project Writing....................................................................................................................15

What the TCNJ Library Can Do for You ......................................................................................19

The Writers Place in the Tutoring Center.....................................................................................20

Academic Integrity and Avoiding Plagiarism................................................................................22

Citations and Bibliography............................................................................................................31

Writing Rubric for Assessment .....................................................................................................35

SOB Writing Guide - 1
Introduction Is Great Writing Magic?

In this Guide, we will provide you with a wealth of ideas about how to write effectively.
Before we speak to the particulars, however, let us offer a few thoughts about the writing process
generally.

Beginning writers sometimes assume that great writing is a magical gift bestowed on the
lucky few. The assumption is dangerous, and wrong. It is dangerous because it implies that
great writing just happens. Those who subscribe to the writing-as-magic theory often assume
that they are destined to live out their college and business careers as average writers since
their own sentences do not flow from the mind to the page in perfect form.

It turns out, however, that great writing is not magic. Great writing is hard work. That is
both bad news for those who expect their first drafts to be perfect, since they assuredly will not
be. And it is bad news for those who would prefer to have an excuse for not writing well.

For the rest of us, however, the news is good quite good. If we are willing to work
hard, we can produce strong written work. And with perseverance, we can achieve excellence.
Every piece of writing that you create in your years at TCNJ and beyond can be improved with
time and care.

Suppose that you are asked to write a paper that presents a provocative new thesis
supported by original arguments. You begin with the seedling of an idea, and as you write, you
experiment and play with ideas until you arrive at a thesis that is original, interesting and
important. Next, you develop some powerful arguments to support your thesis. Now stop and
look at what you have done. Is it ready to hand in? Although you have the makings of
something profound and original, consider what remains to be done. You have not focused on
the organization of the paper, the flow of the argument, the clarity of the sentences, the precision
of the language, the economy of the prose or any of the other writing suggestions that you will
read about in this Guide.

Stephen King, the bestselling suspense writer, suggests that writing should be divided
into two distinct phases the creation and revision phases. So why not separate the tasks? The
first involves what you have already done creation. Your first draft is the product of mind on
fire with ideas. While you create, you cannot worry about the rules of grammar, the precision of
your language, the organization of the paper or any of the other suggestions we offer in this
Guide. Your first goal is to create. And, as we all know, it is difficult to create while someone
is criticizing your creation.

Phase two is the time to critique your creation. It is the time to turn your creation into a
work that is organized, clear, concise, precise and direct. Ask yourself whether your arguments
hold up and fit together. Look for order in your materials find the organic basis by which they
all hang together. Admit that while your ideas are creative and important, at this early stage
only you can understand them. Rephrase them over and over until they are crystal clear to your
imagined reader. Study each sentence, and strike the colloquial phrases, the vague language, the
SOB Writing Guide - 2
redundancies and sloppy word choices that erode the power and precision of your writing. Work
the paper over and over, draft after draft clarifying, tightening improving. In time, you may
discover that there is an art to revising an art honed through hours of revising practice. You
may find that the fourth rather than the first draft exhibits the organization, polish, clarity and
control that approaches great writing.

Your paper flows and the ideas are clear and direct. The reader is taken by the power of
your ideas, and the ease and grace of your sentences. To her, it all seems effortless a kind of
magic.

Perhaps that was the very magic that fooled you not so long ago. Great writing only
looks like magic. Real writers know whence it really comes draft, after draft, after draft.
SOB Writing Guide - 3
How to Use this Guide

This edition of the School of Business Guide to Writing is designed to accomplish two
goals: the first goal is to present you with the entire picture of what is involved in providing
clear and complete assignments (whether they are research papers or memos) to your professors
and managers. The second goal is to provide a quick go to index for when you have specific
questions that you need fast and definite answers to. The first goal is accomplished by reading
through this Guide in its entirety. The second goal is accomplished by the Table of Contents
with its live links to the various sections.

This Guide was compiled by School of Business faculty from several departments, along
with the Business and Economics Librarian and the Director of the Tutoring Center. While the
authors of this Guide believe we have provided advice on how to write and cite in the best style
for business, it is important for you to make sure that you always follow your professors or
managers instructions as to format and citation for whatever assignment or task you need to
accomplish. There is no one size fits all model for a memo, or a research paper, or for
whatever other assignment you will need to complete. Additionally, you may need to ask your
professors or managers questions such as what is your preferred format for this project? While
this Guide endeavors to help you do your best possible work, it is not a substitute for making
sure that you understand what it is you are to produce.

In addition to asking your professors or managers about the preferred project format, be
sure before you begin writing that you are clear as to the purpose of the piece you are going to
write and that you know who your audience is. You will include more or less explanatory
information depending on whether you are writing for a group of colleagues knowledgeable
about your topic or a manager or executive who will make a decision based on your research and
conclusions. The tone of your writing is also critical. You need to treat your audience with
respect and not assume a casual tone that is best left for your correspondence with friends. And
remember to always check your spelling, grammar and punctuation before sending your work
along. Text message conventions are for text messages, not for writing assignments.

This Guide is just one resource. In the Guide we also reference books and websites that
provide information on writing and citation as well. Be sure to look at those resources. We look
forward to working with you.

SOB Writing Guide - 4
Forms of Business Writing

There are numerous forms of what we might informally call business writing. These
include: major reports, business plans, research studies, and memos. Some of these business
writings may be rather long (20 to 30 pages), such as business plans; other business documents,
such as memos, may be one or two pages. Regardless of length, you should strive to be concise,
clear, and organized. Therefore, a longer report should not be longer because it contains more
padding and fluff; rather, a long report may be warranted in instances where there is an
enormous amount of material that needs to be covered. For example, an involved research study
may require a long report with numerous tables and graphs. A simple analysis of some data
related to a specific question may best be reported in a two to three page memo.

The major reason why business writing should be concise, clear, and organized is that
business decision makers have an enormous amount of paper cross their desks (or across their
computer screens nowadays). They have to quickly read something, or the most relevant parts,
and move on to the next thing.


Large Reports and Business Plans

We cannot cover all forms of large business reports here, but we can make a few
comments about them. Although organization is always important in writing, it is particularly
important when a document is relatively long. You should make sure that the report or plan is
well organized and the flow has logical consistency. Headings and subheadings for sections will
aid in this. Headings not only help you organize the document, but they allow the reader to
quickly locate a section of particular interest.

An important element of a longer document is an executive summary. An executive
summary is the abstract of the entire report or plan. In the normal course of business, a decision
maker may only read the executive summary (for such reports done in academic classes, your
professor will read the entire document). Since a decision maker may only read the executive
summary, you should make sure that it highlights the important points of the entire document.
You should be sure that it includes the implications of any analyses and important
recommendations that you are making. Write the summary with the assumption that it may be
the only part of the document that a decision maker will read. Executive summaries are typically
two to five pages long.


Memos

Memos are written for a variety of reasons. Typically, they are used to provide a brief
discussion of an issue, a short analysis of some information, or a point of view about something.
Memos may also present some specific information (e.g., the time and place a meeting will
occur). The format of a memo will vary, depending on the purpose of it; however, there is a
premium on conciseness. Most decision makers (your boss and people above him/her) will read
SOB Writing Guide - 5
an enormous number of memos daily, either in paper form or via email. In a memo, you want to
get to the point quickly, concisely, and clearly.

As noted, memos are often used to present a brief discussion of an analysis. This analysis
may be of some sort of quantitative or qualitative information. Individuals in a variety of
positions will often find themselves doing a short analysis and then reporting that analysis in a
memo. This type of memo is often called a memo report in that it reports an analysis of
information, but is shorter than a business report. A memo report is usually an internal document,
written to a few others in your organization. Alternatively, a business report generally would be
bound with colored covers and is suitable for distribution beyond your organization (depending
on whether there is private or classified information in it).

An example of a short memo report is presented here to illustrate the way you should
organize information from an analysis. This example presents the shipments/retail sales of
Blu-ray discs for the third quarter of 2010, and then uses information from the first three quarters
of the year and previous years data to project the sales for the fourth quarter of 2010. The
specific headings a memo report can use may differ from this particular example; you should
follow any specific instructions that a professor or manager may give you. The important thing to
note is that this example presents the most important material up front; the key information a
decision maker needs to see is on the first page.

After the TO, FROM, and DATE of the memo, it should have a subject line (either
SUBJ ECT: or RE:). This subject line and the first paragraph of the memo should provide the
reader with enough information to decide whether he/she needs to read it. As Holly Weeks
states, Your opening must answer the readers question Why am I reading this? To do so, it
needs to establish the relevance and the utility of the document as a whole.
1
If you believe that
your analysis is important, you should make sure that the nature of it and the relevance to the
reader is clear in the subject line and the first paragraph. Therefore, the first paragraph should be
a clear statement of the purpose of the memo (e.g., what it reports).

A short statement of the method comes next. The Method section should provide the
reader with enough information to evaluate the worth of what is being presented. Thus, the
Method section should deal with such topics as the sources of the information presented and the
nature of the analyses performed. If primary research was conducted (e.g., a study of some sort
was conducted by the person writing the memo report), the Method section should spell out such
things as the procedures that were followed, the nature of the questionnaire (if one was used),
and the sampling procedures used to acquire respondents.

In this memo, a Findings section follows the Method section. In this particular case, the
findings are somewhat more important than the recommendations. If the recommendations are
the most important thing, then you may want to organize the memo to present them before
findings.


1
Weeks, Holly (2005), The Best Memo Youll Ever Write, Harvard Management
Communication Letter, Spring 2005, p. 3.
SOB Writing Guide - 6
Note that the Findings section briefly presents the important results of the analysis
without unnecessary embellishment. At this point, you do not want to overwhelm the reader with
a lot of detail. Leave the detail for the Detailed Analysis section that begins on the second page.
Therefore, if a decision maker wants to further investigate something you report in the Findings
section, he/she can go to the Detailed Analysis section. The Findings section provides the most
important findings of your analysis and the implications, stated briefly.

The Recommendations section provides a statement about what you believe should occur
as a function of your analysis. In many cases, you may not have a Recommendations section; it
depends on the nature of the analysis. When appropriate, however, you should state what course
of action should be taken (or considered). This may take the form of a specific decision that
should be made. In this case, you have recommended how much of an increase in the production
of Blu-ray discs should be made, given your prediction of sales for the 4
th
quarter.

Depending on the depth of the analysis, you may have a Detailed Analysis section. You
can think of this section as similar to an appendix. It presents the findings in greater detail. Here
is where you would present detailed tables, charts, figures, and numbers. When possible, it is
always better to present a lot of numbers in a table or chart, as it is difficult for a reader to deal
with numbers in the middle of text. Remember the old saying A picture is worth a thousand
words.

There will be some redundancy between the Findings and the Detailed Analysis sections.
In fact, there should be nothing presented in the Findings that is not presented in the Detailed
Analysis section in a more thorough manner. These two sections do not provide different
information, just different levels of detail of the same information.

Again, this example of a memo report is not the only acceptable format. It illustrates the
important aspects of any memo. This example presents the purpose of the memo immediately.
The findings and recommendations are presented early in the memo (on the first page). The
presentation of detailed information is relegated to the end of the memo. This organization
allows the decision maker to decide quickly if he/she needs to read it, then presents the important
information concisely and quickly.


SOB Writing Guide - 7



TO: J ustin Blake, Vice President of Marketing

FROM: J ohn Willis, Research Associate

DATE: Oct. 6, 2010

RE: Estimated Sales of Blu-ray Discs for 2010


The 3
rd
quarter Blu-ray disc shipments in the United States were recently published by Digital
Entertainment Group. Given that figures for the first three quarters of 2010 are now available,
retail sales (which corresponds very closely to shipments to retailers) for the 4
th
quarter of this
year and for the total of 2010 can now be estimated.


Method

The data were published by Digital Entertainment Group ([Link] and
collected for them by Swicker and Associates. The data show the shipments of Blu-ray discs to
retailers for each of the quarters of a year from the 1
st
quarter of 2007 to the 3
rd
quarter of 2010.
Previous analyses have indicated that shipments are an excellent proxy measure for retail sales in
the same quarter.


Findings

Shipments of Blu-ray discs for the 3
rd
quarter of 2010 were 21.10 million units.

Assuming that shipments in the fourth quarter of 2010 are approximately 35% of the shipments
for the year, it is predicted that shipments (and therefore retail sales) for the 4
th
quarter of 2010
will be about 52.82 million discs, a 36.7% increase from the 4
th
quarter of 2009.

Total retail sales for 2010 are predicted to be 150.92 million discs. Therefore, Blu-ray disc sales
continue to increase and are expected to do so for the near future. It is also noted that there is
some shifting of sales from the 4
th
quarter to other quarters of the year.


Recommendations

It is recommended that production of Blu-ray discs be increased by 20% over last year fourth
quarter levels. This assumes that predicted figures are relatively accurate and that the discs
continue to be a popular holiday gift.

SOB Writing Guide - 8
Detailed Analysis

Shipments of Blu-ray discs for the 3
rd
quarter of 2010 were 21.10 million units.

The 4
th
quarter of each of the past three years has been the strongest quarter, although the
percentage of total yearly shipments that the 4
th
quarter represents has declined over those
years (as Blu-ray discs become more popular and purchased more frequently for reasons
other than as holiday gifts).


Year
Total Year
Shipments
(in millions)
4
th
Quarter
Shipments
(in millions)
Ratio
4
th
Q/Total Year

2007 17.99 9.54 53.0%
2008 63.16 28.60 45.3%
2009 94.79 38.64 40.8%


Assuming that there will be some decline in the ratio of 4
th
quarter to total year sales in 2010
from that of previous years, 4
th
quarter shipments are estimated to represent about 35.0% of
the shipments for 2010. It is projected that shipments of Blu-ray discs in the US in the 4
th

quarter of 2010 will be 52.82 million units.

Based on data from the first three quarters, projected shipments/sales for the total year 2010
are 150.92 million units, as shown in Chart 1.




SOB Writing Guide - 9
The projected sales of 150.92 for 2010 (projected from the first three quarters of the year) is
slightly higher (about 12% higher) than a linear prediction using regression. The linear
regression was based on only three years of data and should only be considered a rough and
potentially unreliable estimation. However, the proximity of the projected sales to the level
predicted via regression suggests that sales for the total year will likely be in the 135 to 150
million range.







SOB Writing Guide - 10
Writing Academic Research Papers in Your Business Classes

In your business classes, you may be assigned business memos or reports to write, as
described in the last section of this Guide, however, you will often write academic research
papers much like those you would write in a non-business class (e.g., history class, psychology
class).

Although there is no consensus regarding what an outstanding research paper is like, there
are strategies that can be used to organize your paper in a clear, logical, and coherent way. Good
writing not only helps you receive a better grade from your professors but also helps you get
promoted in your future career. The following are some important elements a good research
paper should have.

1. A compelling and debatable claim in the introduction

In the introductory section of your paper, it is important to present the main point of your
thesis (e.g. Argentina is a good place to invest now because [insert your
claim/position/point here]. You should also summarize the principal supporting
arguments and the conclusion of the argument that you will present in the main body of
the paper. However, details are saved for the body where you provide full analysis,
evaluation, and synthesis to support your claims.

A well organized introduction gives readers information about the structure and content
of the paper. It lets them know what to expect. The main point or the contribution of your
paper should not be a surprise left for the end of the document. Remember, youre
writing for the business community, which values clear, objective, concise, and organized
documents.


2. Literature review

Few of us are likely to write a ground-breaking research paper in todays highly complex
and specialized world. A good literature review not only provides the background
information on your research topic but also serves as the starting point to develop your
own hypothesis by pointing to the gap in existing research. The trick is to choose the
most relevant books and articles for your project and summarize them from a critical
perspective. You need to acknowledge the findings made by other researchers, describe
the underlying connection to the existing work, and place your own contribution within
the context of the most current research. For more details, please consult How to
Conduct a Literature Review at TCNJ library:
[Link]
SOB Writing Guide - 11
3. Paragraph structure and development of ideas

Each paragraph in the main body of your paper needs to have a topic sentence, which is
typically one of the arguments that supports your thesis. The topic sentence is important
because it relates the facts meaningfully for readers and proves that you understand how
these facts are connected. The topic sentence doesnt need to be the first sentence, but the
readers need to be able to recognize that sentence and know where it occurs in the
paragraph. For example, a paragraph might use a series of details to lead up to the topic
idea in the last sentence. Or, two or three sentences of details could lead to the topic idea
in the middle of the paragraph, followed by additional details, as long as those details
support the topic sentence.

When editing your paragraphs, be sure that you have synthesized your ideas to show how
they are linked to the thesis, and be sure that you are clear and concise. Your audience
needs to understand why each paragraph is included in your paper. Ask yourself if all
sentences in the paragraph are necessary to develop the idea completely, or if any
sentences can be eliminated. Also, ask yourself if there are gaps in logic where another
sentence is needed to advance the idea or clarify your position.

In addition, well organized papers have logical transitions between paragraphs as well as
within paragraphs. These transitions help your audience understand the relationships of
your ideas and the direction of your paper. Transitions meaningfully show where youve
been and where youre going. Statements such as As for other economic situations in
Argentina or Turning to the unemployment picture in Argentina are useful transitions
because they prepare your audience for a new but related topic.

Furthermore, the transition between two paragraphs may come at the end of the first
paragraph or at the beginning of the second. It may be the topic sentence or it may be a
sentence that precedes the topic sentence. A transition may be used to signal to the
audience that you are continuing your thought or expanding your argument (using words
such as moreover, in addition, similarly, also, or furthermore). Or, you might need a
transition to let the audience know you are changing direction or presenting information
or arguments that are contrary to those you have presented in the previous paragraph or
sentence (using words such as in contrast, however, but, or on the other hand). Therefore,
thus, and as a result are transition words that signal to the audience cause and effect or
that you are drawing a conclusion from the information you have just presented. No
matter what type of transition you use, it is critical to provide a logical flow from one
idea to the next.


4. Analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information to support your idea

In a research paper, it is important to provide ample, relevant, concrete, and persuasive
evidence to support your idea. In particular, you need to synthesize information and
arguments from multiple reliable sources, evaluate them fairly, and analyze them
critically.
SOB Writing Guide - 12

Please note that analysis, evaluation, and synthesis are critical components in the process
of writing. Simple description of a fact is important, but analysis, evaluation, and
synthesis give meaning to the facts and details that you provide in your paper. J ust a list
of facts or other peoples opinions, does not present your argument. You must explain the
meaning of your facts and statistics clearly. Through careful analysis, evaluation, and
synthesis you prove to your readers that you understand what the facts mean and that you
are able to draw conclusions from them.

First of all, analysis is the process of dividing a whole issue into different parts so that
each of them can be examined. When you analyze an issue, you may look for patterns
and trends; compare and contrast two subjects, or calculate statistics to offer more
insights. It is important to analyze an issue from different angles.

Second, when you evaluate facts, you are ascertaining their value or meaning. You
present and defend opinions by making judgments about information, validity of ideas, or
quality of work based on a set of criteria. You explain to the audience how each fact fits
into your argument and explain what idea or claim is supported by that fact.

Finally, to synthesize information, you are combining your observations, analyses and
evaluations to form a new, complex product for readers or to propose an alternative
solution to a problem. Synthesis is the process of linking all of your facts, analysis, and
evaluations together to present your claim. It is not done at the end of the paper but is
woven throughout the whole paper in order to present a smooth and seamless document.
In other words, you need to synthesize the large amount of information you have
gathered and the analysis and evaluation you have offered into a thesis statement.
Therefore, analysis, evaluation, and synthesis are intrinsically linked together in the
process of writing a paper.


5. Conclusion

A good research paper should finish with a good conclusion. The conclusion is where
you summarize the main points of your thesis and present your own recommendations. It
is where you may acknowledge the caveats that apply to your conclusion and suggest
future research venues. Remember, no new information is presented in the conclusion! In
the conclusion, you should wrap all ideas into a short summary so that readers can take
away the main arguments and ideas.


6. Principles of wording, phrasing, tone, and other elements of business writing

An outstanding paper must have good control of language, which includes effective word
choice, correct tone, and superior facility with the conventions of standard written
English (i.e. grammar, usage, and mechanics). For more details, please read Elements of
Business Writing by Blake and Bly (1991).
SOB Writing Guide - 13
Example Outline for a Research Paper

TITLE PAGE
a. Select an informative title.

1. INTRODUCTION

a. Provides a blueprint for the entire research paper. It is meant to acquaint the reader with
the rationale behind the study, with the intention of defending it.
State your purpose and focus of the paper
State the problem or express it so that the question is implied
b. Significance of the study. Why is it worth doing in the first place?
c. The introduction is usually written in present tense.

2. LITERATURE REVIEW

a. What has been written on this topic in the past? Convey to the reader what knowledge
and ideas have been established on a topic and what are the strengths and weaknesses.
b. How your study contributes to the existing literature
c. Definition of terms

3. HYPOTHESES

a. What question(s) are you trying to answer and why?
b. State the hypothesis precisely.
c. Present background information only as needed in order to support a position. The reader
does not want to read everything you know about a subject.
4. DATA COLLECTION AND METHOD OF ANALYSIS

a. How are you going to answer the questions?
Population and sampling
Instrument (e.g., a questionnaire, include copy in appendix)
Procedure and time frame
Assumptions
Scope and limitations
b. This section is usually written in past tense.
5. RESULTS
a. Present and illustrate your findings. Make this section a completely objective report of
the results, and save all interpretation for the discussion.
b. You should use tables, charts, and graphs only when you are sure they will enlighten your
readers rather than confuse them.
SOB Writing Guide - 14
c. The rule of thumb for presenting a graphic is first to introduce it by name, show it, and
then interpret it.
d. Do not confuse figures with tables - there is a difference.
e. Either place figures and tables within the text of the result, or include them in the back of
the report (following Literature Cited) - do one or the other
f. Each figure and table must be sufficiently complete that it could stand on its own,
separate from text
g. The results section is usually written in past tense.
6. DISCUSSION
a. Provide an interpretation of your results and support for all of your conclusions.
b. The distinction between the results section and the discussion section is not always so
clear-cut. Some evaluation and commentary on your data may be appropriate and even
necessary.
c. The significance of findings should be clearly described.
d. Decide if each hypothesis is supported, rejected, or if you cannot make a decision with
confidence. Do not simply dismiss a study or part of a study as "inconclusive."
e. Try to offer alternative explanations if reasonable alternatives exist.
f. One study will not answer an overall question, so keeping the big picture in mind, where
do you go next? The best studies open up new avenues of research. What questions
remain?
g. The discussion section is usually written in present tense.

7. CONCLUSION

a. Summary (of what you did and found)
b. Discussion (explanation of findings - why do you think you found what you did?)
c. Recommendations (based on your findings)
d. The conclusions and recommendations section is usually written in present tense.
REFERENCES
a. Properly document sources of all of your information. (See discussion in the Guide to
Writing Citations Section.) Websites are inappropriate as primary sources. List all
literature cited in your paper, in alphabetical order, by first author.

APPENDIX

SOB Writing Guide - 15
Group Project Writing

Workplace teams have been lauded for improving the quality of decision making in an
organization, for fostering innovation and creativity, and for improving productivity.
Recognizing that organizational structures are getting flatter, it is not surprising that employers
are increasingly seeking college graduates who are well prepared in teamwork. As a School of
Business student you will be assigned one or more group projects. These projects will typically
involve some type of research that will need to be written up as a paper, and you may also be
required to give a presentation about your findings to the class. In this section of the Guide to
Writing we will give you some general advice on how to approach and successfully complete
this type of assignment. As always, you should follow your professors instructions completely
and ask your professor about anything about which you are unclear. In fact, the most important
point we can stress here is to follow the professors specific guidelines.

Professors have differing expectations for how to approach a group project. Some
professors expect each group member to focus on his or her particular strength and divide the
work accordingly (e.g., a finance major may take the lead in the financial aspects of a group
project). Other professors expect that each student is equally involved in each phase of the
project. Whenever you are part of a group, it is important that no matter what type of assignment
all group members understand thoroughly the work that is handed in. The professor expects you
to learn about the whole topic, not just the particular area that you prefer.

When writing up a group report some professors will expect the entire group to work on
writing the whole paper, while other professors may require that each group member write up an
individual section. Where the latter approach is used the professor will still expect the paper to
read as a consistent, coherent whole which means the paper must be edited to insure that the
paper reads smoothly without jarring transitions from one section to the next. While it might
make sense to let the strongest writer in the group act as the overall paper editor, this does not
mean that the rest of the group members can simply dump a rough draft on the group editor
and expect the designated editor to polish or rewrite that section. A clear, coherent and well-
written report is EVERYONES responsibility in the group.

As you probably have noted in other sections of the Guide to Writing, accuracy of details,
precision in language, clarity of organization, and attention to audience contribute to the overall
effectiveness of a course paper since it greatly enhances the persuasiveness and acceptance of
your analysis and proposals. The two most critical ingredients to making good decisions for all
writing tasks is to always keep in mind the purpose and the audience for your project report. Is
the purpose of your paper to describe a situation in detail or to bring the spotlight to some aspect
that needs urgent fixing? Is the purpose of the group project to recommend a change of policy or
to discuss alternatives and be creative?

In terms of audience, two particular cases are worth remembering. Your professor is the
most obvious audience for your paper. This is especially true in research papers when the group
has to convince the professor of the quality of the analysis and the strength of the arguments.
When writing a case analysis, an auditing report, a financial market analysis, or a marketing
plan, your professor will often indicate that the audience for your paper is either a manager, the
SOB Writing Guide - 16
Board of Directors, an auditing committee, or a group of shareholders. What this usually means
is that your paper has to address the specific concerns of that particular audience, be written in a
particular professional way, and still convince the professor.


Three Special Demands of Group Writing

Group writing projects impose special demands on writers in addition to those of single-
authorship. These demands include
1. Coherence throughout entire text from the executive summary, to the introduction,
through the analysis and through the conclusion.
2. Consistency of tone and voice from one section to the next.
3. Uniformity in formatting.

The following section explains reasons these qualities are important for the success of group
writing and offers suggestions to achieve an effective final result.

1. Coherence of information, arguments, findings, and conclusions

While your report title page or memo will have indicated to your readers that the text was
written by a group, their reading should focus on the logic of your arguments or explanations
and the data that ground your text, not on errors and contradictions that occur when the
pieces of multiple writers are simply cut and pasted together. These errors and contradictions
include, but are not limited to, the following:

a) Repeated references to the same organization, business, product, statute, or regulating
body each time as though there is no previous mention of this entity.

b) A first reference using an abbreviation or acronym when the full name has not been
previously stated.

c) Repetition of the same factual information in detail when such information was
previously explained fully. This often occurs when one group member takes on more than
he or she was assigned to do, as another team member is working on the same subject.

d) Discussion of key points or supporting information as though the section writer has not
read previous or subsequent sections of the report/proposal.

e) Conflicting information.

f) Missing information. Missing information often occurs when the team is not willing to
revise the division of work done at the outset of the project and the members refuse to
accept additional tasks. Since not every task is foreseeable from the start of the project,
critical parts are missing or receive only cursory attention. Missing information can also
result from last minute editing, especially when one person is responsible for bringing the
page count down and does not understand the importance of a key piece of information.
SOB Writing Guide - 17
2. Consistency of tone and voice from one section to the next

Textual indicators that reveal different group members wrote different sections distract the
readers attention from understanding your argument, explanations, supporting data, and
conclusions. Such textual indicators include, but are not limited to the following:

a) Awkward phrasing used to identify separate contributors (I, J ohn J ones,
interviewed..).

b) Shifts in pronoun person and number (you vs. ones; he vs. he or she, him
vs. they).

c) Unnecessary shifts in verb tense (present tense in one section, and past tense or a mix of
past and present tense in another).

d) Shifts in formality of word choice (employees vs. folks).

e) Unevenness in sentence and paragraph length.


3. Uniformity in formatting

Typographic uniformity in formatting assists the readers to understand quickly the categories
or sections of the text. In turn, this rapid comprehension helps readers to mentally organize
and assess information, logic, and connections (both within the text and to the contextual
information external to the text). Readers must assimilate information following the writers
logic, so if they are distracted by shifts in font, irregularities in spacing, differences in the
patterns used to itemized key points (i.e. by numbers, letters, or symbols), and section
numbering, those readers may lose the thread of the writers argument or explanation.
Worse, readers may become annoyed at such distractions and reject the proposal, disregard
the report or memo, or give your group a low grade. Discontinuities in formatting fall into the
category of easily avoidable irritants; they are a clear indicator to the reader (and to the
professor) that the group did not put enough attention and effort into the report.


Strategies for Coherence in Group Work

The following strategies will significantly improve the coherence in presentation of your groups
information and argument, the consistency in voice and tone of the writing, and uniformity of
formatting:

DONTS

Do NOT simply divide up tasks and expect to cut and paste the parts together a few days
before the project deadline.

SOB Writing Guide - 18
Do NOT assume that once the sections have been drafted that your work is finished.

Do NOT assume someone else is going to revise the writing.

Do NOT appoint one person to fix the writing.


DOs

DO begin discussions of the project requirements early and have those discussions
frequently.

DO leave ample time for each group member to read the draft for writing effectiveness.
Every group member needs to read the entire document at least twice to check for
o accuracy of content
o coherence in presentation
o consistency of voice and tone
o uniformity of formatting

DO ask one or more outside readers to read your text closely and give the group
feedback. An outside reader might be a friend who is a careful reader and strong writer, a
Writers Place peer tutor, a classmate, or your professor if he or she is willing to look
over a draft.

After each reading, group members should suggest revisions to the draft. Discussions of
all writing concerns should involve all group members and can be done in person or
through online chat and group-authoring options on SOCS.

DO have a final revision of the full paper at least two days prior to the submission
deadline. Revising multiple times is vital to making your ideas clear, your organization
coherent, your facts correct and relevant, your argument logical and convincing, your
voice and tone consistent, and your format uniform and accessible to follow.


SOB Writing Guide - 19
What the TCNJ Library Can Do for You

The TCNJ Library is an essential resource for the successful completion of your research and
writing assignments.

It may seem that all the information you need is available at no cost via the World Wide
Web, but this is not true. The Library spends well over $1 million each year to acquire materials
to support your research, and your professors expect that when you engage in a comprehensive
search for information, your results will include books and other publications that you can only
find in the Library.

Moreover, the Library serves as a gateway to subscription-based online resources that are
made available to you as a member of the TCNJ community, but are not freely accessible by
anyone who happens to have access to the Internet. These resources, which cost hundreds of
thousands of dollars each year, include articles from scholarly journals, industry and trade
periodicals, popular business magazines, and US and international newspapersas well as
financial and demographic data and other research-related information.

In addition to subject-specific materials to support your studies, the Library has an abundance
of resources to expand your knowledge of the topics covered in this Writing Guide:
understanding the research process; learning effective writing styles; preparing proper citations
for sources consulted; and avoiding the perils of plagiarism.

But perhaps your most important library resources are the librarians. Students arrive at
TCNJ with varying levels of expertise in undertaking college-level research. Our dedicated staff
of reference and instruction librarians is ready to help you sharpen your research skills to meet
the demands and expectations of your professors. Additionally, the librarians will work with you
to ensure that you get connected in the most efficient way possible with the best available
materials to support your research.

To learn more about resources and services available at the Library, visit the Librarys
website at [Link]



SOB Writing Guide - 20
The Writers Place in the Tutoring Center

The Writers Place tutors are undergraduate students who have completed an International
College Reading & Learning Association certified training program on providing assistance to
students at any stage of the writing process to:
analyze assignments
connect readings and class notes to assignment requirements
brainstorm ideas
research appropriate materials
organize ideas and start an initial draft or revise a draft (once or multiple times)
edit draft for correctness in grammar, punctuation, usage
develop strategies to read and reflect on a draft with specific attention to
o clarity
o organization
o transitions
o completeness of explanations
o logic
o verification that all assignment requirements are addressed
o audience

Tutors will NOT
create your thesis or your draft
find your data
determine the effectiveness of your research
decide what your paper should include
do your proofreading
make other writerly decisions for you

But tutors WILL HELP YOU create or revise a thesis, search the library databases for
information, decide how to organize and present data effectively, consider the relevance and
effectiveness of your research, decide what your paper should include (and omit), proofread
effectively, and make other writerly decisions independently.

TUTORING SERVICES: Weekly appointments for writing and/or course content
Single session writing conferences
*Students Writing And Talking (SWAT) sessions led by tutors
*Tutor-facilitated writing groups
*at invitation of professor
LOCATION: 101 Roscoe West Hall
WEBSITE: [Link]/~tutoring
PHONES: Main: 609-771-3325
Mathematics/Science/Business: 609-771-2983
Humanities/SocialScience/Writing: 609-771-2985
SOB Writing Guide - 21
EMAIL: tutoring@[Link]
TUTORING HOURS: Mondays Thursdays 10 A.M.-7 P.M. Fridays 10 A.M.- 5
P.M.

S:\\Tutoring\HumnitiesSocialScienceHSS\Business Writing\SoBus Guide to Writing\Writer's Place info rev. [Link]

SOB Writing Guide - 22
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AND AVOIDING PLAGIARISM

Why does plagiarism matter to employers, professors, and other students?

Plagiarism is theft of another persons words or ideas. You would not make a copy of the
Mona Lisa, sign your name to it, and pass it off as your own work. Nor would you copy a new
song composed by your favorite band and beat them to the recording studio. You would not steal
the architectural plans to the World Trade Memorial and claim them as your own. We would all
agree that these are clear-cut examples of taking credit when someone else has done the hard
work.

Lets make it a little less obvious. Lets say you are hired by Business Week. You are
assigned to report on a public hearing but your car breaks down on the way to the hearing and
you miss it completely. You read about it on the news wires and then construct an article based
on another journalists report. Your boss finds out and calls you into the office. Should you be
fired?

Or perhaps you have been hired by a marketing firm. You are supposed to conduct 20
phone interviews a day, but you are rather slow and only do 16. You fabricate the other four
interviews. You get caught. Should you be fired?

Lets say you work for a financial analyst and you are hired to write an analysis of Upron
Corp. You do most of your own research, but you are largely influenced by a financial analysis
prepared by a competing firm. When Upron files for bankruptcy, your boss asks you for your
research. He finds out that you adopted much of the analysis of the competing firm and showed
little independent judgment. Should you be fired?

Or, you download your paper for Intro to Management from an online paper mill. You
get an A-. Other students spend twenty hours writing the management paper and get the same
grade or worse. Should they resent you? Should they turn you in for violating the Academic
Integrity Code?

Perhaps you wrote your management paper but got lazy and paraphrased a few pages and
neglected to include internal citations and a Works Cited page. Should the professor report you
for violating the Academic Integrity Code?

What do all of the scenarios have in common? They all involve dishonesty and the use of
shortcuts to get a job done without the extra hard work or effort. They all demonstrate a lack of
independent thought and analysis. You arent doing the job you were asked to do; you are
passing someone elses work off as your own. Thats dishonest.

Professors, employers, and classmates do not respect someone who takes shortcuts to
avoid work and who lies about the work they did or did not do. In short, they dont like dishonest
people who lack integrity.

SOB Writing Guide - 23
In our cut-and-paste world, it has become all too easy to commit plagiarism unwittingly.
Lets look at some examples of plagiarism and learn how to avoid it.

EXAMPLE I

Original Document: Grayson D., Hodges A., (2002). Everybodys Business: Managing Risks and
Opportunities in Todays Global Society (DK/FT Press) p. 33, The Value of Company Brands





Plagiarism by Direct Copying

In 1999, Interbrand determined the value of company brands. They found that 59% of
the total stock market value of Coca-Cola can be attributed to brand value while 58% of
the total stock market value of Ford can be attributed to its brand value. Sixty-one percent
of the total stock market value of Disney is attributableto brand value In contrast, only 19%
of Marlboros stock value is attributable to brand value.

Plagiarism by Paraphrasing, Rearranging Words, and Substituting Words

In 1999, Interbrand conducted a survey to determine what is the value of certain
company brands. They found that corporations such as Coca-Cola, Ford, McDonalds and
Disney attribute more than 50% of their total stock market value to brand value. In contrast,
only 19% of Marlboros stock value is attributable to brand value.

Plagiarism by Theft of an Idea

Business branding consultants have determined that more than half of a corporations
stock value is attributable to brand value. More than 50% of the total stock market value of
corporations such as McDonalds (64%), Disney (61%), Coca-Cola (59%), and Ford (58%) can
be attributed to brand value.

SOB Writing Guide - 24

Revision 1: Correct Paraphrasing

In 1999, Interbrand, a branding consultant, calculated how much of a corporations stock
value is directly related to the value of the corporations brand. They found that more than half of
corporate stock value can be attributed to intangibles such as brand. For example, 59% of Cokes
stock value relates to brand, while 58% of Fords stock value is directly tied to brand. In contrast,
only 19% of Marlboros stock value is attributable to the value of its brand. (Grayson & Hodges,
p. 33, The Value of Company Brands chart).
Revision2:NoPlagiarismandSomeEvidenceofIndependentThought

A corporate brand is a valuable corporate asset. In 1999, Interbrand, a branding
consultant, calculated how much of a corporations stock value is directly related to the value of
the corporations brand. They found that more than 50% of the total stock market value of
corporations with readily identifiable brands such as McDonalds (64%), Disney (61%), Coca-
Cola (59%), and Ford (58%) can be attributed to brand value. (Grayson & Hodges, p. 33, The
Value of Company Brands chart). For example, Coca-Colas brandits red and white logois
worth about $82 billion dollars. (Grayson & Hodges, p. 33).


EXAMPLE II

Original Document: Grayson D., Hodges A., (2002). Everybodys Business: Managing
Risks and Opportunities in Todays Global Society (DK/FT Press) p. 132, Demonstrating
Added Value in Emerging Economies table.

Demonstrating Added Value in Emerging Economies

Area of Added Value Methods of Demonstrating Value
Building Human Capital Investing in education, training, health and safety of
employees
Exposing local nationals to international contacts
and practices
Paying taxes for the government to spend on social
services
Investing in education, training, health, and
nutrition projects


Plagiarism by Direct Copying

When a corporation operates in emerging economies it must demonstrate how it can add
valueto the local economy by building human capital. It can do this in four ways. First, the
SOB Writing Guide - 25
corporation helps the local economy by investing in education, training, health and safety of
employees. Second, the corporation exposes local nationals to international contacts and
practices. Third, the corporation is a benefit to the local economy because it pays taxes for the
government to spend on social services. Finally, the corporation can invest in local education,
training, health, and nutrition projects.

Plagiarism by Paraphrasing, Rearranging Words, and Substituting Words

A U.S. corporation that hires employees in emerging economies can demonstrate its
value to the local economy in four ways. First, the corporation helps the local economy by hiring
employees, training them, and making sure they work in a safe environment. Secondly, by
operating in the local area, the corporation acts as a role model to introduce the local residents to
American cultural values and practices. Third, the corporation is a benefit to the local economy
because the taxes it pays to the local government will help subsidize social services. Finally, the
corporation can go beyond its duty as an employer and invest in local projects that help train
local residents or helps educate them on issues such as nutrition and health.

Plagiarism by Theft of an Idea

A U.S. corporation that hires employees in emerging economies can demonstrate its
added value to the local economy in four ways: by hiring and training local residents; by
introducing these employees to different cultural values and practices; by contributing to the
local tax base; and by investing in community projects.

Revision with No Plagiarism and with Independent Thought

U.S. corporations that hire employees in emerging economies can show added value to
the local economy in four ways: by hiring and training local residents; by introducing these
employees to different cultural values and practices; by contributing to the local tax base; and by
investing in community projects. (Grayson & Hodges, p. 132, Demonstrating Added Value in
Emerging Economies table). For example, when a corporation such as Sean P. Diddy Combs
corporation, Sean J ohn Apparel, sets up business in Honduras, it hires and trains unemployed
local women to sew shirts. These women work alongside U.S. managers and are introduced to
American culture. Sean J ohn Apparel pays taxes to the Honduran government, allowing for
social services such as health care and education. Finally, according to the National Labor
Committee, Sean J ohn Apparel, after being publicly humiliated, is doing the right thing and
has a recognized union at the Honduran plant. (National Labor Committee, p. 1).


Rules to Follow to Avoid Plagiarism.

1. Cite. The revision gives a short internal cite to the original source. The full cite will be
located in the Works Cited page.

2. Use quotation marks for direct quotes. Direct quotes in the second to the last line are
placed in quotation marks, with the source at the end of the sentence.
SOB Writing Guide - 26

3. Do not copy long excerpts from the original source. No more than two or three words
in a row are copied from the original source.

4. Do not just paraphrase the original. Add something new in terms of thoughts and
ideas. The revision is not simply a paraphrase of the original; it is an integration of other
thoughts and ideas, some original thoughts and some ideas from other sources.

For more information on how to properly cite and avoid plagiarism, see Charles Lipson,
Doing Honest Work in College.


How Professors Spot Plagiarism

You may wonder how your professors will know that you have taken someone elses
work, whether you are copying and pasting it directly from another source without attribution, or
paraphrasing the authors words and passing them off as your own. The answer is that its not as
difficult as you might think to spot plagiarism and professors are experts at it.

Professors are experts in their field and that means that they are part of an ongoing
conversation with other experts. This means that they will generally know what the important
ideas are right now in their discipline. They will be aware what research is currently being
conducted and what theories are being put forward by their colleagues on the issues of the day.
In fact, your professor may well have used her knowledge of the interesting debates in her
discipline to frame the research paper you are doing. That way the professor hopes to get you to
read the views of experts in the field about an important topic and start to formulate your own
ideas, develop critical thinking and reasoning skills and learn to defend your own conclusions. If
you paraphrase an idea and pass it off as your own, your professor is very likely to recognize the
idea, be familiar with its real source, and know that you are not its original author.

Professors also get to know their students and their writing style. If the tone of your paper
or the level of complexity of your ideas and argument suddenly changes, (whether midway
through a paper, or midway through a semester) your professor may suspect its not your own
work. From here its an easy matter for the professor to check her suspicions. There are also
numerous ways for professors to check any hunches they have about the originality of your
work, particularly in a digital age. The first thing that the professor is likely to do is to use
Google, or a similar search engine, to search the web using phrases from your paper. If you have
copied directly from another source then very often this simple action will bring the professor
directly to the paper from which you took your idea. Professors also have access to paid
databases and some more sophisticated web-based resources (like Turnitin) for checking for
plagiarism.

Its really not that difficult to spot that some detailed facts or a complex theory in a
student paper does not originate with a student who, after all, is not an expert in the subject area.
Professors want to know that you have read, understood, and analyzed the views of experts in the
field. They will not be impressed if you try to pass off the work of these experts as your own.
SOB Writing Guide - 27
They will be far more delighted (and inclined to grade accordingly) if they believe that you have
read and understood what the different experts are saying, can describe the different theories on
the topic by the various experts, perhaps show some evidence of independent thought and can
now really join the conversation.



Plagiarism Self-Quiz

Lets see if you understand and can apply these concepts. Heres a plagiarism self-test
with an answer key to see if you are on the right track. In each of the following questions, read
the original and determine if the student examples were plagiarized.

1. J ohn reads the following passage in Marianne M. J ennings Business: Its Legal, Ethical,
Global Environment, at 789-790 (6th ed. 2003).
In City of Los Angeles Department of Water v. Manhart, the Supreme Court held
that employers could not require female employees to contribute more to their
pension plans than males. The additional contributions for the female employees
were required by the employer because the pension planner had statistical
evidence that longevity of female employees exceeded that of male employees.
If the Supreme Court had sanctioned the disparity in pension plan payments, the
higher cost of having female employees could have been cited by employers as
the reason for their hiring practices. Insurers and employers are required to treat
employees as a group and not break them down by their age, sex, or other
characteristics.
He does not read the case being discussedCity of Los Angeles Department of
Water v. Manhart. He solely relied on the J ennings excerpt. In his paper, he writes
the following sentences. Which of the following does not involve plagiarism?
a. In City of Los Angeles Department of Water v. Manhart, the Supreme Court
held that an employer unlawfully required female employees to contribute more
to their pension plans than males.
b. The Supreme Court has held that an employer could not structure pension
contributions so as to allow male employees to contribute less to their pension
plans than females.
c. The Supreme Court has held that insurers and employers are required to treat
employees as a group and not break them down by their age, sex, or other
characteristics.
d. Textbook author, Marianne J ennings, notes that [i]nsurers and employers
are required to treat employees as a group and not break them down by their age,
sex, or other characteristics. Marianne M. J ennings Business: Its Legal, Ethical,
Global Environment, at 790 (6
th
ed. 2003).
SOB Writing Guide - 28
2. Original: Anon, A Beautiful Day for a Fair, Pennsbury News, J une 14, 2005, at p.
2. At todays Pennsbury fair, the weather was perfect and the students were excited.
Kites were flying, children were running about, and parents were hugging the happy
graduates. In an address to those present, Principal Katz said, Never say anything
that does not need to be said.
You attend the fair and write the following. You did not read the article printed
above. Which of the following is plagiarism?
a. The day was gorgeous, the graduates were smiling, and the children were
running after kites.
b. The day was gorgeous, the graduates were smiling, and the children were
running after kites. Speaking to the audience, Principal Katz said, Never say
anything that does not need to be said.
c. Neither is plagiarism

3. The original was written by sportswriter Peter King on the Sports Illustrated
website: McNabb had a bad throwing thumb at the time of the 2003 meeting with
the Pats, which was part of the reason he was stinking up the joint. All hes done
since is have his best regular season ever, and take this star-crossed team to its first
Super Bowl since the Dick Vermeil days.
Ken Powers, a reporter for the Worcester Telegram and Gazette which is owned by
the The New York Times, wrote the following column:
What those vocal Philly fans didn't know then was that McNabb had a bad
throwing thumb, a large part of the reason he was stinking up the joint. All hes done
since is have his best regular season ever, and take this star-crossed team to its first
Super Bowl since the Dick Vermeil days.
Should Ken Powers be fired for plagiarism?
a. Yes
b. No

4. Original: Eric Schlosser, Fast Food Nation, p. 96 (2003): The new franchising
strategy proved enormously profitable for the McDonalds Corporation. We are not
basically in the food business, Sonneborn once told a group of Wall Street
investors, expressing an unsentimental view of McDonalds that Kroc never
endorsed. We are in the real estate business. The only reason we sell fifteen cent
hamburgers is because they are the greatest producer of revenue from which our
tenants can pay us rent.
SOB Writing Guide - 29
Which of the following is not plagiarism?
a. Although Ray Kroc would attribute McDonalds success to brand loyalty to his
hamburgers, his business partner Sonneborn would attribute its success to its real
estate holdings.
b. Although Ray Kroc would attribute McDonalds success to brand loyalty to his
hamburgers, his business partner Sonneborn would attribute its success to its real
estate holdings. (Schlosser, at 96).
c. Franchising was the heart of McDonalds success; in fact, one of the original
founders of McDonalds said that they are not in the food business, they are in
the real estate business. (Schlosser, at 96).

Answer Key:
1. The correct answer is d.
a. In City of Los Angeles Department of Water v. Manhart, the Supreme Court
held that an employer unlawfully required female employees to contribute
more to their pension plans than males. This is incorrect because (1) it does
not cite to the original work (Jennings), (2) it is plagiarizing by direct
copying, and (3) John should read the original source (City of Los
Angeles Department of Water v. Manhart) if he wishes to directly cite it;
otherwise, he is misleading the reader into thinking that he read the
original source. The proper way to cite this is as follows:
In City of Los Angeles Department of Water v. Manhart, the Supreme Court
held that an employer unlawfully required female employees to contribute
more to their pension plans than males. (J ennings, at 789-90 (citing City of
Los Angeles Department of Water v. Manhart)).
b. The Supreme Court has held that an employer could not structure pension
contributions so as to allow male employees to contribute less to their
pension plans than females. This is plagiarizing by paraphrasing.
c. The Supreme Court has held that insurers and employers are required to treat
employees as a group and not break them down by their age, sex, or other
characteristics. This is plagiarizing by direct copying.
d. Textbook author, Marianne J ennings, notes that [i]nsurers and employers
are required to treat employees as a group and not break them down by their
age, sex, or other characteristics. Marianne M. J ennings Business: Its Legal,
Ethical, Global Environment, at 790 (6
th
ed. 2003). This is correct.
2. The correct answer is c. You did not plagiarize since you did not read the
original source. You directly quoted from Principal Katz, and that is permissible.
SOB Writing Guide - 30
3. Ken Powers was fired for plagiarism. According to an article by Katherine
Seelye, Sportswriter at Massachusetts Paper is Fired for Plagiarism, published
by The New York Times on February 4, 2005, p. C-5, the Worcester Telegram
and Gazette published a correction, stating that substantial portions of Mr.
Kings column were printed under the byline of Ken Powers. The newspaper
apologized to its readers and to Sports Illustrated and said it was conducting an
investigation. The Worcester Telegrams editor, Harry Whitin, issued the
following statement: Ken Powerss column on J an. 30 did not constitute his
own work. He does not dispute that. Further investigation has revealed that this
was not an isolated incident and that he has previously used the work of others
without proper attribution. We have terminated his employment and our
investigation into his past work continues. Sportswriter at Massachusetts Paper
is Fired for Plagiarism. The editor noted that Ken Powers had plagiarized at
least a half dozen articles.
4. The correct answer is b.
a. Although Ray Kroc would attribute McDonalds success to brand loyalty to
his hamburgers, his business partner Sonneborn would attribute its success to
its real estate holdings. Plagiarism by Theft of Idea.
b. Although Ray Kroc would attribute McDonalds success to brand loyalty to
his hamburgers, his business partner Sonneborn would attribute its success to
its real estate holdings. (Schlosser, at 96). Proper citation.
c. Franchising was the heart of McDonalds success; in fact, one of the original
founders of McDonalds said that they are not in the food business, they are
in the real estate business. (Schlosser, at 96). Plagiarism by paraphrasing.
The proper way to cite this would be:
Franchising was the heart of McDonalds success; in fact, one of the original
founders of McDonalds said We are not in the food business. We are
in the real estate business. (Schlosser, at 96 (citing Sonneborn)).

SOB Writing Guide - 31
Citations and Bibliography

In-text Citations.

At the end of the sentence with something to cite, insert (authors last name, year). For example, when
there are two coauthors:

(Aslanbeigui and Oakes, 2010)

Many specific, tailored examples of citations are provided in the book assigned in BUS 200:

Lipson, C. (2004). Doing honest work in college: How to prepare citations, avoid plagiarism, and
achieve real academic success. Chicago, University of Chicago Press.
On page 109, Lipson (2004) provides an index with page numbers for specific kinds of citation.

When citing the same source twice in a row, your in-text citation should be (Ibid.). Ibid. is short for
ibidem, the Latin for in the same place. That is, the citation can be found in the same place (source)
you previously cited. If your source is the same, but the page number is different, cite with the new page
number: (Ibid., p. 13).


Bibliography Format

Your bibliography must be alphabetical by author or publishing agency. APA (American Psychological
Association) style is the format used in business writing. For specifics, see
[Link]

Here are some standard kinds of citations. For less common sources, check Lipson (2004, p. 109).


Journal article:
J ohnston, J . (1958). Statistical cost function: A reappraisal. Review of Economics and Statistics,
40, 339-350.
When you use online journal databases to locate a journal article, the web address of the article should
not be included in your citation. It is not a generally accessible url, only those with passwords to enter
the database can get there. Instead the citation includes the database from which you accessed the
article:

Greenberg, P.E., Kessler, R. C., Birnbaum, H. G., Leong, S. A., Lowe, S. W., Berglund, P. A., Corey-
Lisel, P. K. (2003). The economic burden of depression in the United States: How did it change
SOB Writing Guide - 32
between 1990 and 2000? Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 64(12):1465-75. Retrieved March 3,
2007, from J STOR database.
However, the standard bibliographical citation of a journal or news article should include a web address
if the journal is in the public domain and you accessed it on the web. See for instance the examples
under News Articles below.



Book chapter in an edited collection:
Appelbaum, E. (1979). The labor market. In A. Eichner, Ed., A guide to Post Keynesian economics
(pp. 100-119), Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe, Inc., pp. 100-119.

Book:

Dean, J . (1951). Managerial economics. Englewood Cliffs NJ : Prentice Hall, Inc.

Classic Text (Book):
Keynes, J . M. (1936/1964). The general theory of employment, interest and money. New York:
Harcourt Brace.
The original date of publication is put first, with the current reprint year after the slash. In the paper you
will cite both years: (Keynes, 1936/1964).



News Article with Author:

OBrien, K. (2010, May 21). We ask, we tell, we whisper. The Star-Ledger. Retrieved J une 15, 2010,
from [Link]

This is cited in-text as (OBrien, 2010).


SOB Writing Guide - 33

News Article without Author:

BPBlah Performance. (2010, J une 16). Newsweek. Retrieved J une 15, 2010, from
[Link]

This is cited in-text as (BPBlah Performance, 2010).


US Government Publications

First you have to figure out which US agency published the webpage. This may be right after www. in
the web address, but may not be completely specified there. Three examples follow.

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (US BLS) (2006). College enrollment and work
activity of 2005 high school graduates. News release USDL 06-514. Retrieved J une 15, 2010,
from [Link]
Providing the abbreviation US BLS after the author permits you to use the following in-text citation:

(US BLS, 2006).

When your source is an official US or state government document, include US or, e.g., NJ in the
abbreviation and at the beginning of your in-text cite. For instance, information from the states
environmental protection agency would be cited (NJ DEP, 2010). That way the reader can recognize
without checking the bibliography that your material is from an official source.

If you have two citations for the same year, label them sequentially (alphabetically by title since the
author is the same) 2006a and 2006b, then cite, e.g., (US SSA, 2006a) for the first source:

US Social Security Administration (US SSA) (2006a). Fact sheets for demographic groups: Social
Security is important to women, J une. Retrieved March 31, 2007, from
[Link]
Sometimes the web-address does not automatically translate to the authoring agency, so always check
the homepage for confirmation. For instance, for [Link] your bibliographical
entry and citation would be:

US Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (US FNS) (2007). Food stamp program.
Retrieved March 31, 2007, from [Link]
SOB Writing Guide - 34
The in-text citation would be (US FNS, 2007).

NGOs (Non-Government Agencies, aka Non-Profit Organizations)
If you used the following website:
[Link]
to cite it requires figuring out who the sponsoring organization is. The homepage should identify that
organization, and the phrase after www. usually gives a good hint; in this case, the sponsoring
organization is listed at the top of that page, National Coalition for the Homeless.

Also, you need to know the name of the page you are looking at, which would be the title of the page.
This is usually provided at the top, but sometimes in the web address. In this case, the appropriate
citation for the above web address would be

National Coalition for the Homeless (2010). Advocacy directory, NJ Homeless, retrieved J une 9,
2010, from [Link]
where the title comes from the web address, since it is not posted on the webpage.
SOB Writing Guide - 35

Writing Rubric for Assessment

On the following page you will find a Writing Rubric for Sophomore and Senior-Level
Courses. This is not the rubric your professors will give you for their particular classes. We
have included this here to show you our expectations for how you will develop as a writer during
your college years. This is the rubric used by the School of Business to assess our students
writing during their college careers.


Writing Rubric for Sophomore and Senior-Level Courses
PAPER CODE NAME: ASSESSMENT DATE:
EVALUATOR:
KEY
CHARACTERISTICS
DEVELOPED
3
DEVELOPING
2
UNDERDEVELOPED
1
SCORE
Purpose & Thesis

The Intro provides easily
identifiable purpose/thesis.
Conclusion nicely unifies work.
Intro states purpose/thesis but
value of contribution may be
unclear. Conclusion hits key
results.
In the Intro, the purpose/thesis
of the paper is unclear.
Conclusion missing or
unsupported by findings.

Logic, Evidence
& Reasoning

All ideas in the paper flow
logically; each argument is
identifiable, reasonable, and
supported by appropriate evidence.
Author anticipates and successfully
defuses counter-arguments and
makes novel connections to
illuminate thesis. Examples are
used to support the papers
purpose. Excellent integration of
quoted material into sentences.
Excellent transitions from point to
point.
Argument of paper is clear,
usually flows logically and
makes sense. Some evidence
that counter-arguments are
acknowledged, although
perhaps not adequately
addressed. Examples used to
support points where helpful.
At times, evidence could be
deployed more effectively.
Quotes generally well
integrated into sentences.
Logic often fails, or argument
is often unclear. May not
address counter-arguments.
Points often lack supporting
evidence, or evidence does
not advance or relate to
claims (often because there
may be no clear point).
Quotes may be poorly
integrated into sentences.

Document
Organization
Organization is clear and
appropriate for thesis. Paragraphs
support solid topic sentences.
Organization generally clear
and appropriate, though may
wander occasionally.
Overall structure and
organization less than evident.

Mechanics &
Control of
Language

Excellent sentence structure and
grammar. Correct use of
punctuation and citation style.
Minimal to no spelling errors. No
run-on sentences, comma splices,
or non-sentences.
Sentence structure and grammar
strong despite occasional
lapses. Punctuation and citation
style often used correctly. Some
(minor) spelling errors; may
have 1-2 run-on sentence or
comma splice.
Problems in sentence
structure and grammar. Errors
in punctuation, citation style,
and spelling. May have
several run-on sentences or
comma splices.

PLEASE PLACE COMMENTS TO HELP IMPROVE ASSESSMENT (E.G. RUBRIC/ASSIGNMENT) ON THE BACK