Dr. Werner Binder Spring 2024
Sociological Diagnoses of Our Times GLCb2025
Guidelines for Response Papers
The aim of a short response paper is
• to check if you have read the text(s)
• to assess and train your ability to understand sociological texts in English
• to assess and train your ability to write small sociological texts in English
Requirements:
• A response paper is a structured and continuous text (not only bullets!)
• Each short response paper should be about a page (approximately 2000 characters)
• Eight short response papers (graded at least “E”) are necessary to pass the course
• Each response paper has to provide a brief summary of all the required readings for
one week
• Each response paper has to be submitted online before the session, where we
discuss the texts; late response papers cannot be accepted and will have to be
compensated for by writing a longer final essay or even a full-blown research paper
at the end of the seminar
• Check orthography and grammar before you submit the response paper
• Each response paper should contain a brief empirical example of what is discussed,
not an example used in the text but one that you came up with
• Each response paper should contain at least one question, either a question you
might have about the text(s) or a question that we could discuss in class
• Make sure that you deal with the sociologically relevant issues of the texts
• Do not use AI chatbots (e.g., ChatGPT) to generate content, though you may use
them and other aids (such as Grammarly) to improve your style; if used properly, AI
chatbots may deliver satisfactory results, but not good grades; still, I reserve the right
to schedule an oral examination covering all the readings of the class, if I suspect
improper use of AI
Recommendations:
• Summarize the text in your own words (try not to quote or paraphrase!)
• Make sure that you write the name(s) of the author(s) correctly (otherwise it leaves a
really bad impression)
• You will get a grade on each response paper and brief feedback on the first ones;
please keep my criticism in mind for the next response papers you write