Some questions about the assignment

1. "No reference or use citation" - Does that mean that we cannot quote words nor theory nor research from authority to support our arguments? ANS: You can refer to other sources if you want, but you are strongly encouraged not to do so.
2. Which one is more preferable in our portfolio - a argument map+explanation in words or mere explanation by words? ANS: No preference.
3. In part (a), it is stated in the guidelines that we need to give comments. Should this comment be directed towards the lecture as a whole (For example: "the time spent on naturalistic fallacy can be longer.") or the content of the lecture (For example: "There is one more loophole in analogical argument other than those mentioned in the lecture.")? ANS: It should mainly be about the content of the lecture.
4. Regarding part (a) again, is there any preferable or suggested proportion of words spent on 1.summary of lecture and 2.comment and personal reflection ? ANS: 50% each, but this is flexible and really up to you. What matters is the quality of your writing.
5. "As far as I understand, we need (i) one A4 page summarising each lecture - so 5 in total, (ii) one A4 page discussing how the lectures (generally) can be related - 1 in total, and (iii) the short assignment question - 1 in total - so altogether the assignment should be around 7 pages." ANS: No. Each entry has two parts - (i) and (ii). So each lecture entry includes two pages or more.
6. "Just want to ask for more guidelines regarding section (a) of the portfolio. We need to find examples from the news that correspond to something said in the lectures. 'News' as in, a particular event, or a particular article? And is the focus on the the piece of news itself (e.g. Obama's actions in the G20 conference) or on the words used (scrutinizing the accuracy of statements, or evaluating how well an argument was made, etc)? Can we comment on an advertisement (which isn't what one generally refers to as news, but appears in newspapers?)?" - ANS: No special requirements here. Yes you can comment on an ad. Generally it is better if you can pick an example that allows for more in-depth / perceptive comment.
7. " i am refering to the commentary on the news. there are some news topic however containissues which would be discussed in different lecture. may i apply the one news articles for different topics?" ANS: If you are asking whether you can discuss the same example in different entries, the answer is yes, but you are strongly encourage NOT TO do this and use different examples.
8. Can we refer to Chinese newspapers in our portfolios and provide direct translations in English, in case the same report is not found in English newspapers? ANS: Not encouraged, but you may use at most one such entry.
9. Can we can use tables/argument diagrams in the lecture summary. ANS: yes - but the same length limit applies.
10. Can I use point form for the lecture summary. ANS: OK, but not encouraged because sometimes the points might be too condensed and not very clear.
11. "can we choose some illustrations from other sources, such as books?" ANS: Better use something from a newspaper or a news magazine. "Secondly, I interpret this part as using the critical thinking method to analyze some articles, public speeches, or fallacious reasoning in the news, am I correct?" ANS: yes.
12. "In part A, I plan to include some logic concept wihch is not taught in the class (e.g. statement type A,E,I,O). Should I include reference for it? Can I use these concepts to evaluate the news (as a supplement to the concept you taught.)?" ANS: You may, but given the short space and the fact that you should apply the LECTURE material to the example, you should avoid doing so unless it is really relevant.
13. "2. Can I comment on editorials/opinion column (like the Regina Ip one)?" ANS: Yes, if it appears in the newspaper / news magazine.
14. "Do I have to attach the news or advertisements to the 5 entries? If so, do the attachments count into the page limit? Or am I just required to briefly describe the sources in the entries?" ANS: If you attach a long passage separately, it would not count. Otherwise it would if it is part of the main discussion.
15. "I understand that the due date for our portfolio is 6 May 2009. Would we be allowed to hand in our portfolio earlier than that date" ANS: Yes.
16. "1)Is it required to attach the news to our portfolio? 2)Do we need to put the source of the news on a reference page?" ANS: Not required for both, but your discussion should make it clear what the news is and where it is taken from.
17. "I would like to know if we can use more than 1 example in the news to illustrate what we have learnt at the lecture." ANS: Yes.
18. "Another question regarding the portfolio - can I use TNW font size 10? And can I include illustrations/credited photos? " ANS:Yes.
19. "will the direct copying of the words from the powerpoint or PDF file on WebCT be viewed as plagiarism?" ANS: Depends. Use quotes for extended passages or if you are not sure. Depends in part on whether the quoted section is part of common usage.
20. "- For the 5 entries about the contents of the lectures, which of the following approaches should we use when writing? (I think each approach has its merits and drawbacks.) (i) writing about what I have learnt in the lecture, and not talking about what each of them is about (because of limited space); or (ii) selecting to write about what I think are important, supporting them with illustrations; or (iii) any other method you consider appropriate." ANS: Up to you. You do not have to report / summarize everything in the lecture. You can talk about some key themes with just a few sentences.
21. "I am writing to ask a few questions concerning the critical thinking portfolio. We are asked to include a summary for the content of each of the five lectures we have chosen to write about. What structure would be better and what do you expect to see from us? I am asking this because I wonder if I should plainly discuss the contents taught (but this would look like copying the powerpoint slides), or to extend further and provide additional examples that I can think of on top of those mentioned in the slides. And also, shall we go deep into the details, or to adopt a more general approach in discussing the content?" See above. In general, perceptive comments and interesting reflections will be better than detailed repetition of points discussed.