Position Term Paper: I have assigned a research project (position term paper), which will require each student to apply critical thinking skills in the preparation of a transactional writing that is both informative and persuasive. In satisfying the term paper requirement, it is highly recommended that the student follow the directions as stated below.
Each student should select an accounting rule of SOX.
Each student should write an individualized position term paper synthesizing his/her research with respect to the selected accounting rule.
Organization: Your term paper should be organized in a standard pattern:
an introductory section,
the body,
conclusion, and
references.
Introductory Section: The first few paragraphs should identify the audience and prepare the reader for the research that has been accomplished. Here:
the audience should be assumed to be a doubting audience that needs to be argued out of a countering position(1 page)
the accounting rule should be summarized and applied using an example, thereby establishing the papers foundation (1-2pages), and
the thesis (overall position) should be announced in a manner that allows anticipation of sub-theses (major positions(1-1.5pages)).
Body of the Paper: The body should clearly present the student’s major positions for or against (not both):
a.)the validity, (1 page and start by defining validity)
b.)the relevance, (1page start by defining relevance
c.)the importance, (1page start by defining importance)
d.)the practicality, (1page start with defining practicality)
e.)the appropriateness of said accounting rule.
    In formulating each major position, the criterion is first defined in conceptual terms. From this conceptual definition, an objective definition (based upon some observable) is established within the context of the accounting rule. The objective definition of the criterion is then applied against accounting rule to determine whether the accounting rule meets the objective definition of the criterion.
    In clearly presenting each major position, students should take a focused position on a debatable issue, support the position with appropriate authority, and not raise and answer counter arguments. Major positions should have evidential support that is appropriately cited. Evidential support may include empirical evidence, syllogistic reasoning, or other appeal to appropriate authority. The body should include a variety of references (e.g., at least 2 references per criterion).  A variety of references suggests (1) points of view that are cited for their insight concerning the application of the selected accounting rule and (2) a selection of authors with different orientations, including economics, business, political, and historical orientations.
Conclusion: The conclusion should reflect a synthesis of several points (sub-theses) to make a final point (thesis). It must include a forceful and unambiguous concluding paragraph.
Reference Page: The reference page should include an alphabetical listing of all references within the text of the paper, appropriately cited.
Research should be accomplished by employing technological skills and electronic databases (e.g., First Search, ABI Inform and Academic Universe).
The position term paper must be typed (double-spaced), except for lengthy quotations, which may be single-spaced.

Purpose of the Position Term Paper Assignment
The completion of this assignment will allow each student to:
Stop being passive students who memorize and become active thinkers concerning central course material
Discover issues and create propositions within a content discipline
Build reading comprehension skills
Develop technologically advanced information retrieval and access skills by using electronic data bases (e.g., First Search and Academic Universe)
Practice in writing concise, flexible prose
Mature as thinkers (i.e., to think in abstractions by attending to the form of logical argument without dependence on a concrete or specific example)
Acquire the ability to imagine the points of view of other thinkers, rather than seeing the world from a single point of view– namely, their own
Reject superficial one-right-answer thinking and initiate the kind of dialectic interplay between opposing views that leads to intellectual growth
View the legal profession as a field of complex issues to be studied, rather than a set of facts (right answers) to be memorized
Weigh, synthesize and reshape information to form logical, cohesive arguments and thereby think from multiple perspectives
Become more skilled at focused argumentation
Realize that an historical perspective is essential to an understanding of current ideas and that leading ideas and paradigms change over time
Evaluate the authoritative character of sources of information based on established criteria

Criteria for Evaluating the Position Term Paper
For the purpose of explicitly stating the criteria for evaluation of performance, your position term paper will be evaluated based upon the following scale.

Disclaimer: This scale is intended to describe a variety of common types of paper. Thus, this scale may not exactly describe your paper. Accordingly, to obtain more precise information concerning the quality of your paper, consult with the instructor.

A    The paper:
–     Adequately states and supports each argument (thesis or sub-thesis).
–    Has a conclusion (thesis) that is supported by the weight of the evidence and is presented in a complete and compelling manner.
–    Uses sub-theses in a logical and thorough way to develop the thesis.
–    Is carefully analyzed and coherently developed, which provides for interesting reading that is easy to understand.
–    Provides significant insight or depth of understanding.
–    Includes citations that are in an acceptable and consistent style, where the number of citations is adequate to support each argument (2 per argument).
–    Has essentially no problem with language or usage (grammar, spelling, punctuation, paragraph structure, sentence structure, transitions, etc.).

B    The paper:
–    States an argument (thesis or sub-thesis) that is clearly supported by specific evidence.
–    Has a conclusion (thesis) that is supported by the weight of the evidence.
–    Does not use sub-theses in a logical and thorough way to provide for interesting reading that is easy to understand.
–    Provides some insight or depth of understanding.
–    Includes citations that are in an acceptable and consistent style, where the number of citations is adequate to support each argument (2 per argument).
–    Has an isolated problem with language or usage (grammar, spelling, punctuation, paragraph structure, sentence structure, transitions, etc.).

C    The paper:
–    States an argument (thesis or sub-thesis) that does not address the question presented.
–    States an argument where supporting evidence is:
Missing,
incorrect or anachronistic,
irrelevant,
not sufficiently specific, or
partly obscured by errors in language or usage.
–    Does not have a conclusion that is supported by the weight of the evidence. Rather, the conclusion is presented in a haphazard manner or is too imprecise or general to convince.
–    Does not use sub-theses in a logical and thorough way to develop the thesis. The internal logic and character of the work needs to be more clearly established and developed. Such logic is confusing or does not make sense.
–    Does not include citations that are in an acceptable and consistent style.
–    Includes citations that are not adequate to support an argument.
–    Has a few problems with language or usage (grammar, spelling, punctuation, paragraph structure, sentence structure, transitions, etc.).
D    The paper:
–    Merely lists, narrates or describes historical data.
–    Is generalized and lifeless.
–    Simply repeats superficial resources in a way that states the obvious.
–    Makes little or no attempt to frame an argument.
–    Includes several factual errors.
–    Has many problems with language or usage (grammar, spelling, punctuation, paragraph structure, sentence structure, transitions, etc.).
F    The paper:
–    Is dishonest.
–    Completely ignores the question presented.
–    Communicates no real understanding of the assigned task.
–    Is confused and disjunctive.
–    Is incomprehensible due to errors in language or usage (grammar, spelling, punctuation, paragraph structure, sentence structure, transitions, etc.).
–    Contains very serious factual errors.