Proofreading, grading, & relevance: The academics' thread

[colchar]

Reminds me...I'm due for a big, final (for now) update on my research.

I look forward to reading that.

[colchar]

Reading over some of the comments in here about students and writing makes me believe, more than ever, that every incoming university student, regardless of major but especially those in the Arts and Humanities, should be made to read Strunk and White's The Elements of Style.

[captmojo]

You know, it's really interesting that you bring this up, because I had exactly the same experience. I don't think I really 'got' verb tenses until I took French. In fact, when I had colleagues and/or students grousing about a foreign language requirement, this is exactly what I told them. Definitely a hidden benefit of taking a foreign language - at least, no one at my high school ever touted this benefit.

I learned about verb tenses and all that type of crap :o the first week of Spanish class in 7th grade. I learned that there was a verb "to be" and that it conjugated as I am, you are, etc. In Spanish: yo soy, tu eres, el es, nosotros somos, etc. I never knew that am and are were forms of to be - I guess I had been absent that day in second grade... :roll: Sure, I'd heard Bill's quote ("to be or not to be"), but "be" just didn't register as "am".

Bill's quote, you know - William Shakespeare. I have a friend who goes to "Billsburg", VA on a regular basis.

I'd like to see...a conjugation of the verb, 'hang'. In particular, the usage of the past tense.

example: "My Aunt Martha was hanged for being a horse thief."
"My Uncle Fred was hung like a horse."
Let the discussion begin. I am now required to travel.

Again, this doesn't relate directly to the original purpose of this thread but it still deals with an academic matter so I figured this was the place for it . . .

As some of you will know my dissertation deals with British intelligence in Africa during the Cold War (it is tentatively titled "British Intelligence and the Spectre of Communism in Africa, 1948-65"). Well my roommate's aunt is a former CSIS officer (CSIS=Canadian Security Intelligence Service) and for years was their main liaison with the British intelligence services. She had mentioned to me that she knows lots of people who were members of the British intelligence services during the era covered by my dissertation and that some of them were either stationed in Africa or were stationed at home in Britain but dealt with intelligence emanating from Africa. She had asked for a synopsis of my dissertation so that she could pass it along to anyone she knew (and so that they could also pass it along if they so chose) in the hopes that some of them might contact me and be willing to discuss their activities because, at the moment, my sources are all official documents (what I call the 'Whitehall Perspective') and this source-base will have to be expanded as the dissertation progresses - and an oral history component would be an ideal way to expand my source-base. Anyway, she called tonight and said that a couple of people she knows have expressed interest in helping me out so I might be able to conduct some original research with these people which will really help set my dissertation apart!

I figured the academics here (especially my man Wilson) would appreciate just how important a development this is for my research.

This is really cool. I'm glad for you.

[ArkieDukie]

Again, this doesn't relate directly to the original purpose of this thread but it still deals with an academic matter so I figured this was the place for it . . .

As some of you will know my dissertation deals with British intelligence in Africa during the Cold War (it is tentatively titled "British Intelligence and the Spectre of Communism in Africa, 1948-65"). Well my roommate's aunt is a former CSIS officer (CSIS=Canadian Security Intelligence Service) and for years was their main liaison with the British intelligence services. She had mentioned to me that she knows lots of people who were members of the British intelligence services during the era covered by my dissertation and that some of them were either stationed in Africa or were stationed at home in Britain but dealt with intelligence emanating from Africa. She had asked for a synopsis of my dissertation so that she could pass it along to anyone she knew (and so that they could also pass it along if they so chose) in the hopes that some of them might contact me and be willing to discuss their activities because, at the moment, my sources are all official documents (what I call the 'Whitehall Perspective') and this source-base will have to be expanded as the dissertation progresses - and an oral history component would be an ideal way to expand my source-base. Anyway, she called tonight and said that a couple of people she knows have expressed interest in helping me out so I might be able to conduct some original research with these people which will really help set my dissertation apart!

I figured the academics here (especially my man Wilson) would appreciate just how important a development this is for my research.

Congrats, colchar! I can see why you'd be excited.

[YmoBeThere]

Reading over some of the comments in here about students and writing makes me believe, more than ever, that every incoming university student, regardless of major but especially those in the Arts and Humanities, should be made to read Strunk and White's The Elements of Style.

I have a copy, but I don't remember actually reading it.

[Lavabe]

Again, this doesn't relate directly to the original purpose of this thread but it still deals with an academic matter so I figured this was the place for it . . .

As some of you will know my dissertation deals with British intelligence in Africa during the Cold War (it is tentatively titled "British Intelligence and the Spectre of Communism in Africa, 1948-65"). Well my roommate's aunt is a former CSIS officer (CSIS=Canadian Security Intelligence Service) and for years was their main liaison with the British intelligence services. She had mentioned to me that she knows lots of people who were members of the British intelligence services during the era covered by my dissertation and that some of them were either stationed in Africa or were stationed at home in Britain but dealt with intelligence emanating from Africa. She had asked for a synopsis of my dissertation so that she could pass it along to anyone she knew (and so that they could also pass it along if they so chose) in the hopes that some of them might contact me and be willing to discuss their activities because, at the moment, my sources are all official documents (what I call the 'Whitehall Perspective') and this source-base will have to be expanded as the dissertation progresses - and an oral history component would be an ideal way to expand my source-base. Anyway, she called tonight and said that a couple of people she knows have expressed interest in helping me out so I might be able to conduct some original research with these people which will really help set my dissertation apart!

I figured the academics here (especially my man Wilson) would appreciate just how important a development this is for my research.

When luck hits... THAT IS GREAT!!!! Congrats!!

[windsor]

Congrats Colchar - Original research is wonderful! What a greak break!

On another (and only slightly related topic). Gentlemen researchers - given that more correspondence and photography is digital rather than hard copy, will this have a positive or negative impact on future historians? I would guess for official records (which may actually be retained) it might help – but for more personal items much will be lost. Yes? No? You'll be done with your dissertations then so who cares?

[OZZIE4DUKE]

I learned about verb tenses and all that type of crap :o the first week of Spanish class in 7th grade. I learned that there was a verb "to be" and that it conjugated as I am, you are, etc. In Spanish: yo soy, tu eres, el es, nosotros somos, etc. I never knew that am and are were forms of to be - I guess I had been absent that day in second grade... :roll: Sure, I'd heard Bill's quote ("to be or not to be"), but "be" just didn't register as "am".

Bill's quote, you know - William Shakespeare. I have a friend who goes to "Billsburg", VA on a regular basis.

I'd like to see...a conjugation of the verb, 'hang'. In particular, the usage of the past tense.

example: "My Aunt Martha was hanged for being a horse thief."
"My Uncle Fred was hung like a horse."
Let the discussion begin. I am now required to travel.

Again, this doesn't relate directly to the original purpose of this thread but it still deals with an academic matter so I figured this was the place for it . . .

As some of you will know my dissertation deals with British intelligence in Africa during the Cold War (it is tentatively titled "British Intelligence and the Spectre of Communism in Africa, 1948-65"). Well my roommate's aunt is a former CSIS officer (CSIS=Canadian Security Intelligence Service) and for years was their main liaison with the British intelligence services. She had mentioned to me that she knows lots of people who were members of the British intelligence services during the era covered by my dissertation and that some of them were either stationed in Africa or were stationed at home in Britain but dealt with intelligence emanating from Africa. She had asked for a synopsis of my dissertation so that she could pass it along to anyone she knew (and so that they could also pass it along if they so chose) in the hopes that some of them might contact me and be willing to discuss their activities because, at the moment, my sources are all official documents (what I call the 'Whitehall Perspective') and this source-base will have to be expanded as the dissertation progresses - and an oral history component would be an ideal way to expand my source-base. Anyway, she called tonight and said that a couple of people she knows have expressed interest in helping me out so I might be able to conduct some original research with these people which will really help set my dissertation apart!

I figured the academics here (especially my man Wilson) would appreciate just how important a development this is for my research.

This is really cool. I'm glad for you.

Congratulations to both Colchar and Uncle Fred!

[TillyGalore]

Again, this doesn't relate directly to the original purpose of this thread but it still deals with an academic matter so I figured this was the place for it . . .

As some of you will know my dissertation deals with British intelligence in Africa during the Cold War (it is tentatively titled "British Intelligence and the Spectre of Communism in Africa, 1948-65"). Well my roommate's aunt is a former CSIS officer (CSIS=Canadian Security Intelligence Service) and for years was their main liaison with the British intelligence services. She had mentioned to me that she knows lots of people who were members of the British intelligence services during the era covered by my dissertation and that some of them were either stationed in Africa or were stationed at home in Britain but dealt with intelligence emanating from Africa. She had asked for a synopsis of my dissertation so that she could pass it along to anyone she knew (and so that they could also pass it along if they so chose) in the hopes that some of them might contact me and be willing to discuss their activities because, at the moment, my sources are all official documents (what I call the 'Whitehall Perspective') and this source-base will have to be expanded as the dissertation progresses - and an oral history component would be an ideal way to expand my source-base. Anyway, she called tonight and said that a couple of people she knows have expressed interest in helping me out so I might be able to conduct some original research with these people which will really help set my dissertation apart!

I figured the academics here (especially my man Wilson) would appreciate just how important a development this is for my research.

Congratulations!!! I love reading about history first hand.

I've been reading a collection of stories from Pearl Harbor survivors.

[CathyCA]

Again, this doesn't relate directly to the original purpose of this thread but it still deals with an academic matter so I figured this was the place for it . . .

As some of you will know my dissertation deals with British intelligence in Africa during the Cold War (it is tentatively titled "British Intelligence and the Spectre of Communism in Africa, 1948-65"). Well my roommate's aunt is a former CSIS officer (CSIS=Canadian Security Intelligence Service) and for years was their main liaison with the British intelligence services. She had mentioned to me that she knows lots of people who were members of the British intelligence services during the era covered by my dissertation and that some of them were either stationed in Africa or were stationed at home in Britain but dealt with intelligence emanating from Africa. She had asked for a synopsis of my dissertation so that she could pass it along to anyone she knew (and so that they could also pass it along if they so chose) in the hopes that some of them might contact me and be willing to discuss their activities because, at the moment, my sources are all official documents (what I call the 'Whitehall Perspective') and this source-base will have to be expanded as the dissertation progresses - and an oral history component would be an ideal way to expand my source-base. Anyway, she called tonight and said that a couple of people she knows have expressed interest in helping me out so I might be able to conduct some original research with these people which will really help set my dissertation apart!

I figured the academics here (especially my man Wilson) would appreciate just how important a development this is for my research.

WOW! That's very impressive, and the oral history component will distinguish your dissertation from all others.

I'm very excited for you!

[captmojo]

I've been reading a collection of stories from Pearl Harbor survivors.

It's awfully hard to get away from thinking about it, once you've been to the memorial.
Every citizen that visits Oahu should darn near be required to visit the USS Arizona.

[TillyGalore]

Ugh! I think we're going to have fail a student. They just did not perform well on their last two exams. In fact, they failed both. I hate this feeling.

[CathyCA]

Ugh! I think we're going to have fail a student. They just did not perform well on their last two exams. In fact, they failed both. I hate this feeling.

Wait a minute! YOU are not going to fail the student. He or she failed himself or herself.

This failure is simply the beginning of a new opportunity to succeed.

[TillyGalore]

Ugh! I think we're going to have fail a student. They just did not perform well on their last two exams. In fact, they failed both. I hate this feeling.

Wait a minute! YOU are not going to fail the student. He or she failed himself or herself.

This failure is simply the beginning of a new opportunity to succeed.

Good point, thanks. I hope they see it that way. The Director has spoken to the student, but I don't think the student quite grasps how much trouble they are in. I also know that our experience with this student is not limited to our program. The student has had issues in other programs.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Ugh! I think we're going to have fail a student. They just did not perform well on their last two exams. In fact, they failed both. I hate this feeling.

Wait a minute! YOU are not going to fail the student. He or she failed himself or herself.

This failure is simply the beginning of a new opportunity to succeed.

Good point, thanks. I hope they see it that way. The Director has spoken to the student, but I don't think the student quite grasps how much trouble they are in. I also know that our experience with this student is not limited to our program. The student has had issues in other programs.

I can understand your feelings in this situation.... I've been there many times in my first career. Students are responsible for their work and their conduct especially at the level where you are encountering them. When personal issues interfere as you are describing, better for this student to be derailed now rather than later when the consequences of these issues could effect or harm others. (Don't know all the context, so harm to others could be present to a lesser degree now.)

[Turk]

Today's grammar adventures at work:

1. I kept using "indexes" and "indices" interchangably when talking about a problem with a cranky database. Need to pick a horse and ride it. I think I'm going to go with "indexes".

2. Boss sent out an email with this in it: "I want to assure that individuals are not jumping to conclusions about ...." I pointed this out to a teammate and she said "I triple dog dare you to tell her she wanted to use 'ensure' there." Nope. Not going there. Buk-buk-BWAAK!

3. We're a bunch of geeks, but none of us are language geeks enough to use "data" in its proper plural form, as in "the data are inconclusive".

[CameronBornAndBred]

2. Boss sent out an email with this in it: "I want to assure that individuals are not jumping to conclusions about ...." I pointed this out to a teammate and she said "I triple dog dare you to tell her she wanted to use 'ensure' there." Nope. Not going there. Buk-buk-BWAAK!

Smart move.

[Turk]

Yeah, but she had to explain the "triple dog dare" reference. I completely whiffed on it...

[Lavabe]

3. We're a bunch of geeks, but none of us are language geeks enough to use "data" in its proper plural form, as in "the data are inconclusive".

I make mention of the data/datum issue in ALL of my writing classes.
I also make mention of the none=no one rule. ;)

[bjornolf]

I thought the plural of octopus was octopussies.

From Wikipedia---"There are three forms of the plural of octopus; namely, octopuses, octopi, and octopodes."
James Bond did not make the list of grammatical options.

I would think twice before correcting the grammar of a man with a license to kill.

Is that like let the wookiee win, because droids don't rip people's arms off when they lose?