3390A TEMPLATE FOR TERM PAPERS – ESSAY FORMAT
1.
Cover page containing: title of work; author(s) name(s), SIGNATURES, and student ID number; course name and number; date submitted.
2.
Introduction containing: (a) the main question(s) to be addressed in the paper;
(b) why the question(s) is (are) important; (c) reference to the context of the question(s), that is, the broader legal or social issues to which it is (they are) relevant; (d) a summary of the evidence that you will be considering and from what sources it has been obtained; (e) a summary of the arguments you will be using; (f) a summary of the conclusion(s) you will reach.
3.
Body of the paper . This should contain a statement of the question(s) to be considered, why the questions are important. For example an essay on a labour relations issue involving the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms should indicate what the Charter is and how and why it is significant to the labour issue considered in the essay, and perhaps to other labour issues. For example the
Charter might protect employees’ right of freedom of association or of peaceful assembly.
Most questions can be looked at from different perspectives and points of view.
Your essay should identify such different perspectives and points of view. If there are many perspectives, do not necessarily consider all of them in detail. Just mention the different possible perspectives and then focus on perhaps two main perspectives. For example, some people (neoconservatives) consider unions to be in breach of the free competitive market, while others believe they help to correct imperfections of the market. It may be useful to consider each perspective before taking a position.
In addressing the sample issue above, you should identify cases, examples, expert opinions etc. that support the different points of view. The sources of such opinions, cases etc. should be referred to in the essay using footnotes (or endnotes) identifying the author(s) and the publication(s) or cases in which they appear. Note that in court, labour board or arbitration decisions, there are not infrequently minority judgments. While the minority judgment does not represent the decision of the court etc., it can often provide useful authority for an alternative perspective on the issue before the court. I encourage you to refer to minority judgments where they occur and are relevant to the topic.
You should describe and weigh the different evidence and arguments supporting the different opinions or points of view on the issues considered .
You should take a position on the relative strength of the evidence and arguments introduced in the paper. This should depend on qualifications and reputation of the sources of the opinions. You may find the evidence and arguments have equal weight. That is an acceptable conclusion.
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It is best practice to state the question, list the nature and source of the evidence relevant to the question, then provide the arguments supporting particular points of view. That is, try to separate the evidence from the argument in the body of the paper. Evidence comes first then the argument AFTER YOU HAVE
CONSIDERED THE EVIDENCE.
It is important to use sections and subsections to organize your evidence and
arguments.
For example, you might have a section entitled “History of Unions”
organized into subsections (a), (b) and (c) based on different periods of union
activity. This makes it easier for the reader and helps you to organize your
thoughts.
4.
Conclusion Your conclusion should contain a summary of the evidence and the arguments. You should state your conclusions on the matter clearly . If the paper is a group paper, there may be differences of opinion between or among the authors. This is healthy and you should identify such differences. Always give reasons for your opinions.
In the conclusion, you should also try to identify FURTHER QUESTIONS raised by your paper. You may suggest how and why such questions might be tackled by others.
5.
Bibliography Provide at the end of the essay provide full information on each book, article, website or other work from which you obtained opinions, evidence or argument. You MUST cite the sources of your information, ideas, etc. in your bibliography. Failure to do so is academic misconduct and subject to penalties, deductions in marks or, in extreme or recurring cases, expulsion from the University.
Websites must be cited in full and include the names of authors if given . If
opinions are anonymous, they carry much less weight. Do not assume that
opinions are authoritative just because they appear on the internet. This depends
on the reputation, qualifications and ability of the persons and organizations
making the statements. In your bibliography, it is useful to separate lists of legal
cases from books/articles/websites etc.
6.
Appendices Sometimes it is useful to include in an appendix some material that you have relied upon as evidence. Only do so if it is not too long and if the reader
would benefit from reading the entire work. While it is preferable to quote from
such works in the body of your paper, the reader may benefit from reading the
broader context of the quotation(s).
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7.
End notes . When you are presenting your evidence and argument, you must enter in the text an end note number. The end notes should be assembled in order at the end of the essay and contain references to the sources you use at the particular point of the essay the essay. As you must fully cite the case or other source of
information in your bibliography, it will be most convenient for you to refer in the
footnote to “Dunmore, para. 54” rather than the full citation.
QUOTING FROM SOURCES. It is appropriate to quote the words of particular sources, which must be clearly referenced. However, mere parroting the words of an expert does not guarantee that you will convince the reader you UNDERSTAND what your source has written. As you will be graded on your UNDERSTANDING of the issues, including quotations from experts, it is VITAL that you explain to the reader what YOUR understanding is of the quotations from other sources.
IF YOU ARE WRITING ON LEGAL ISSUES, SUPREME COURT OF CANADA
CASES ARE AVAILABLE ON LINE BACK TO 1983. PROVINCIAL APPEAL
COURT AND LOWER COURT CASES ARE AVAILABLE ON LINE BUT NOT
NORMALLY AS FAR BACK AS THE SUPREME COURT OF CANADA CASES.
BE IN THE U OF L LIBRARY ON THE SHELVES OR ON LINE. IF NOT YOU
CAN ORDER AN INTER-LIBRARY LOAN. THESE CAN TAKE UP TO A
WEEK TO ARRIVE.
HUMAN RIGHTS EMPLOYMENT CASES ARE AVAILABLE IN THE
CANADIAN HUMAN RIGHTS REPORTER IN THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY.
HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES SUCH AS PAY EQUITY ARE CAN BE ACCESSED
ON THE WEBSIDES OF THE FEDERAL AND PROVINCIAL HUMAN RIGHTS
COMMISSIONS. ALBERTA LABOUR RELATIONS BOARD AND OTHER
PROVINCIAL BOARD DECISIONS ARE AVAILABLE ON LINE BY
CONSULTING THE RESPECTIVE WEBSITES. LABOUR ARBITRATION
CASES PROVIDE DECISIONS ON UNION GRIEVANCES. THEY ARE IN OUR
LIBRARY.
IF YOU CANNOT FIND MATERIAL OR SOURCES IN OUR LIBRARY, YOU
HAVE ACCESS TO SOME ON-LINE MATERIAL AND INTERLIBRARY
LOAN. MAXINE TEDESCO (329-2273, maxine.tedesco@uleth.ca
) AND JENNY
THORNHILL (329-5186, jenny.thornhill@uleth.ca
ARE THE MANAGEMENT
LIBRARIANS AND ARE KNOWLEDGEABLE AND HELPFUL.
PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU REQUIRE CLARIFICATION OR MORE
INFORMATION.
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