Creative/Design projects are primarily centered around a substantial non-academic product – a work of art, a business model, a policy paper, etc. – which will also be accompanied by a formal written statement of 15-20 pages.
Explanatory Texts are basically shorter versions of the Scholarly Papers described in the previous section, and should be evaluated in much the same way. They should follow the basic structure described in The Signature Work Product section, being sure to cover the background, procedures, and outcomes of the project. Although they are not expected to be argumentative essays, they should still confirm to basic standards of academic writing.
The SW product should satisfy all requirements listed below:
- The SW paper must be a creative/design written work at the undergraduate level. The SW paper should be the student’s independent work.
- The SW paper should follow the appropriate guidelines and standards set forth by the student’s division/major. Guidelines from divisions/majors may be available on the SW website.
- The SW paper should meet the requirements and criteria set forth by the mentor.
- The SW paper must meet all the requirements set by the university and the Chinese Ministry of Education.
- Creative/Design SW products consist of a substantial non-academic product and a 15- 20-page formal written statement.
- Both scholarly and creative/design papers need to include a section of 1000 – 2000 words for the SW narrative that articulates how the 3 thematic courses and the outcomes of the capstone courses contribute to the students’ SW project. Students should reflect on the SW experience and how it prepared them for future goals.
- For team-based SW, the SW paper must clearly describe the student’s individual contributions to the greater team project.
Document Formatting and Content Instructions
All SW products must follow the below document formatting:
- Pages: 1” margins
- Font: Times New Roman, Garamond, Cambria, Arial, size 12
- Line Spacing: 1.5
- Follow the standard academic style (e.g., MLA, Chicago, APA) appropriate to the discipline.
These content sections are required for all SW papers, though each division and major may have variations in structure and organization. Students should consult with their mentors about variations.
- Title Page
- Acknowledgments
- Abstract
- 5 Keywords that describe your SW
- Introduction with statement of purpose/research questions (as appropriate)
- Background / Context (e.g., literature review)
- The Project: process and outcomes (e.g., research methodology and results)
- Discussion / Reflection / Implications
- Conclusion
- References / Bibliography / Works Cited
- SW Narrative
- Appendices (as needed)
