How To Keep Track of Contributions To Project

WRITING:

Please use this tutorial on how to make collaborative documents on Google Docs. With Google Docs, multiple authors can make comments, edits, and suggestions all on one document.

Please see this article on features within Google Docs that may make your writing & research process easier.

KEEPING TRACK OF CONTRIBUTIONS:

In order to make sure that everyone contributes fairly to the project, students should keep a spreadsheet tracking team contributions. I have provided a sample spreadsheet for you to view below. With Google Sheets, you can open access to the spreadsheet to all group members, or additionally, assign this task to your Editor.

Sample Shared Sheet

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Requirements & Expectations for the Creative Presentation

Individual students will:

• Equally & fairly participate in the creation of presentation. Presentation must be something that everyone can work on or contribute to.
• Fairly & equally decide who will speak during the presentation.
  (EX: Each team member speaks for 2 minutes.)
• Actively contribute during presentation critiques.

Editors will:

• Keep an accurate team spreadsheet (via google docs or similar) of all team members’ contributions & due dates.
• Provide instructor with a copy of presentation, if necessary.

Teams will:

• Create a creative presentation of the ideas and conclusion within their conference paper.  Presentation must address how your team handled the question “why study women’s literature?”
• Presentation must be a minimum of 10 minutes long.
• Be prepared to answer questions from the class after presentation.

Requirements & Expectations for the Conference Paper

For this course, you & three team mates will be conducting an investigation into the question, “why study women’s literature?” This investigation is a creative research project culminating in a co-authored conference paper & creative presentation. Additionally, teams will keep a blog recording their research process & discoveries.

Completed conference papers must be 15 pages and of publishable quality. Interested teams will be directed towards resources for publication and/or professional presentation of papers at academic conferences.

Your conference paper may be informal, as in you may use “I” and subjective experience, however, the paper must be thoughtful, well-constructed, and academic at heart. The paper will be co-authored by your entire team. This will serve as a significant challenge, as you all must communicate effectively in order to co-ordinate your efforts. All team mates must contribute equal work in terms of research, writing, and editing.

Please see “What is a conference paper?” for more information about this genre of writing.

Individual students will:

• Fairly & responsibly contribute to the co-authoring of conference paper as decided by the team. Individual team members all must equally contribute writing to the paper.
  (EX: Each member writes one section of the paper.)
• Fairly & responsibly contribute to the editing & revision process, including editing individual & team writing.
• Accurately cite all sources, quotes, images, and media.
• Heed all due dates as decided by the team and your instructor.

Editors will:

• Keep an accurate team spreadsheet (via google docs or similar) of all team members’ contributions & team writing due dates.
• Provide copies to the instructor when drafts/final copies are due.
• Check sources.

Teams will:

• Co-author a conference paper of publishable quality. Paper must be 15pgs long, and adhere to MLA conventions.
• Collaborate on all aspects of the conference paper, including team due dates, brainstorming, revisions, outlines, workload, meetings, etc.
• Cooperate & collaborate respectfully as equals.
• Provide team members with thoughtful feedback on drafts, revisions, and editing.

Requirements & Expectations for the Why Read Project Blog

Individual students will:

• Keep up with course readings.
• Participate in research as decided by the team.
• Contribute a minimum of 15 written (2+ paragraphs long) blog entries regarding research.
• Create blog entries that will demonstrate unique ideas, connections, prompts, questions, etc.
• Provide thoughtful, well-written material.
• Comment a minimum of 10 times on other teams’ blogs.
• Take turns writing the weekly Critical Review of a course reading.
• Take turns acting as blog editor.
• Use and reference the Internet appropriately — including the content / value of all entries, links, comments, and behind-the-scenes administration of the web site itself
  (EX: including author’s name & a link to the original source when quoting or using images.)
• Sign up for relevant web collaboration tool accounts (when necessary)

Editors will:

• Maintain the team’s blog during the length of three weeks.
• Support individual requests regarding the publication of blog entries, content, and website maintenance.
  (EX: If blog post is about shoes instead of the project, editor can delete or ask for clarification.
  EX2: If the font on the website is difficult to read, team members can ask the editor to fix it.)
• Collaborate with instructor regarding website changes, if needed.
• Encourage team members to maintain regular participation.
• Keep an accurate team spreadsheet (via google docs or similar) of all team members’ contributions to-date.

Teams will:

• Successfully create a blog that demonstrates insight & analysis gained from research into course question. Blog must be connected to women’s literature. (EX: if focusing on contemporary feminism, you must talk about writers in the movement, not musicians.)
• Create a unique ‘name’  for the blog.
• Share information, questions, and discoveries via the blog.
• Work collaboratively to split work & research fairly.
• Use class time and computers in an appropriate manner at all times.