All papers will follow the MLA formatting.  Reference the MLA Style Summary for an example and further MLA instructions.  Examples are also found in the Student Portal.
PDF Link: MLA Style Summary

Overview of Research Papers

Credit students participating in External Studies courses offered by the Sunset International Bible Institute (SIBI) must write research papers. We intend to help students present research papers in an organized fashion that is easy for the student to organize and easy for the instructor to understand. Some semblance of consistency is essential for the student and the instructor.

A research paper consists of research based on what the assignment explicitly asks for.  You must reference other material to provide the best possible information for the assignment.  You may be asked to use the textbooks, study guides, Bible, and other materials suitable for the topic.  These require a work cited page and are generally longer.  An MLA example and rules to follow can be found in the MLA Style Summary PDF.

Overview of Evaluation Papers

An evaluation paper covers both good and bad about the book and your insights about the content, including things you agree with, disagree with, and things you liked or didn't like. It also usually finishes with an overall opinion and recommendation of the book, whether good or bad and why you came to that conclusion.  These papers are to be two pages long when using the double-spaced MLA format of 12 font.  See additional information below.

Grading for all Papers

All submissions begin with a 100%

  1. Subtract 5 points for the following reasons:

                     i.      Length – too much/too little: 25% over & 25% under (amount as instructed in the assignment)

                     ii.     Minimal Sources – used only 1 additional source or less of what is instructed (research paper)

                     iii.     Formatting – no efforts to format according to the MLA example given

                     iv.     Grammar – proofreading could fix issues throughout

v.      Content - partially disconnected information from the content or failed to supply enough

  1. Subtract 10 points for the following reasons:

 i.      Length - too much/too little: 50% over & 50% under (amount as instructed in the assignment)

                      ii.      Lack of Sources – factual data without references (research papers)

                      iii.     Content – failed to provide any information as instructed in the assignment

                      iv.    Doctrinal – a view contrary to the course material and paper theme

  • All submissions that receive a grade of less than 70% are failing grades. 
  • You may be asked to resubmit your paper if you misunderstand the above expectations (content, formatting, etc.).

Overview of Evaluation Papers (cont.)

In a book evaluation, we want your views on the textbook and what you have learned; here are a few thoughts or ideas:

  • Brief summary of the book.
  • What chapter was the most meaningful to you and why?
  • Was it understandable? Did it flow smoothly?
  • Did the writer develop and prove his points? If not, why or how should it have been done?
  • What did you get from the book that helped you, or what have you learned from this book that you can apply to your ministry?
  • Would you recommend it to others? If not, why not?
  • Was it doctrinally sound? If not, why not?
  • Did you agree with the book? If not, why not?
  • How did this book relate to the course?

Evaluating books is a scholarly activity whose importance is easily overlooked. Reading books will soon lose all meaning if no attempt is made to evaluate what has been written for significance. Book evaluations are the only way students can identify inaccurate or dishonest books among the thousands published yearly. Writing book evaluations becomes more crucial because the number of books and articles significantly published exceeds the reading capacity of any person. Therefore, we all must depend on the expertise of others for guidance on what to read and what to avoid. An evaluation is not a book report. Generally, a book report tells what the author SAYS, while a book evaluation tells what the author DOES. In other words, a book report recites or briefly reports the book's information. The book review seeks to discuss four specific things:

  1. What the author believes about the subject;
  2. How the author goes about demonstrating the thesis or main ideas;
  3. How well the author achieves purposes;
  4. What the value of the book will be to the community?

Book evaluations tend to appear in scholarly journals and are limited in length. Therefore, you must learn to write insightfully in a concise manner. The four key areas described above will be the outline of your paper. It is also important to include some background information on the author – possibly at the beginning of the review to set the authors up as qualified to share the information –, but you can choose the location. What the author believes about the subject.

  • Here you share highlights from the book. Remember, it is not a book report that describes chapter by chapter. Instead, what were the key ideas?
  • Most likely, 1/3 of your paper. How the author goes about demonstrating the thesis (main idea).
  • What was the writing style? Were stories or case studies used to drive points home - or more of a lecture-style of the book?
  • What information or experience is used to support the main ideas?
  • Most likely, one paragraph. How well the author achieved their purposes.
  • What is your opinion of the book?
  • Your significant observations, interests, objections, and/or shortcomings that you found.
  • BE VERY CAREFUL. What may appear as shortcomings to you may, in fact, not be a shortcoming for one reason or another. What have others said about this book?
  • Read other reviews and compare their opinions with your own in a few sentences in the paper. Be sure to cite your sources and include them on the bibliography page.
  • How does the book compare with other literature you have read?
  • What is the value of the book to the community?
  • How does this book compare with other literature that you have read?
  • What are its implications for the general community?
  • What are the implications for your ministry?
  • Does the author leave holes in knowledge that you wished he had addressed?
Last modified: Tuesday, May 9, 2023, 3:19 PM