CON 350 - Spring 2024 Short Paper No. 1 A short paper is being assigned in lieu of Test 3 and you are to select one of the following topics. Approval on a selected topic is not needed, and substitutions will not be permitted. Due electronically to me on 3/19/24 by 5:00 PM Short Paper Topics 1. Initiating the Project Planning Process 2. Locating a New Project on Parcel of Land 3. Using Project Controls on a Project 4. Determining Architectural Style 5. Performing a Physical Inspection of a Site 6. Performing a Constructability Review 7. Selecting the Best Type of Contract for your Project 8. Preparing a Site to Start Construction 9. The Role that Building Systems Play in a Project 10. Gathering Historical Information About a Project Short Paper Format and Contents The Short Paper needs to comply with the following: • • • • • • · It must contain the student's name, class number, date and the title of the Short Paper. It must contain a minimum of 600 words and be typewritten. Check it for spelling, grammar and punctuation. The paper should begin with a statement on the topic to be discussed including the relevance of your topic to this class. It should include an introduction, a body and a conclusion. The use of customized charts, graphs, pictures or references are permissible. Excessive inclusion of pre-written material, graphs and /or pictures may reduce your grade. Do not use names of individuals or organizations in the paper. If your paper does not follow these instructions, points will be deducted. Papers will be electronically checked for plagiarism, and those found to be plagiarized will be given a grade of zero. Short Paper Grading and Submission A writing Rubric will be used to evaluate each short paper to determine a score and a grade. The format for scoring and its values that will be used is shown on Page 2. ● • A letter grade will be given to the short paper A, A-, B, C, etc. The Short Paper is due one (1) week after it is posted or on the date of the next scheduled class. The Short Paper / Study shall be submitted electronically via Email in an MS Word file format and not a PDF, so that a computerized word count can be determined. 1 of 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Name Rubric Grading Rubric Grading CON 350-24479 RAM ID Short Paper No. 1 Word Introduction Structure |Langauge Content Conclusion Numerical Count Wtd 15% Wtd 20% Wtd 20% Wtd 30% Wtd 15% Grade Average The Introduction Some Guidelines on Writing a Short Paper Provide an introduction on the topic that you are going to expound on. Generate a vivid picture of your topic so that someone reading your paper will fully understand what you are writing on. Select a topic you fully understand and have some personal experience with, and not a just a topic selected at random. Before you decide on a topic, do a bit of preliminary research and make sure you'll have all the information you need to write your paper and make it as interesting as possible. This paper should demonstrate your knowledge of the subject. If possible, include your own real- life examples which will further help to explain your understanding of the topic. Its Structure This is the section in which you outline the sequence in which you will introduce your paper. The order in which you introduce your information tells a lot about how good a construction manager you can be. Therefore, you need to run the process in your head several times, maybe prepare several drafts to try and find the best method to present your paper. Its Length • How long should your short paper be? • What is the Ideal Length? ● Can you go over/under the required word count? It's important to adhere to the word limits required. If you write too little, it might appear that you're careless or unconcerned with the school's requirements. On the other hand, overwriting can suggest that you can't follow instructions, or can't write concisely. For best results, keep your short papers within the word range provided. While you don't have to hit the count exactly, you should aim to stay within a 10% difference of the upper 2 of 2 limit, without including "fluff" or "filler content." Any shorter than the count will simply look like you didn't care enough, and it won't be long enough to explain your topic, The Sources Used At the end of your paper, you should cite any sources that were used if any. 3 of 2