In the reading assignments you are asked to summarize - in a maximum of one page - the contents of the current week's readings. Assignments are due every Tuesday by beginning of class, in other words, before the material is discussed in class.

1. Q1. What is covered in each assignment?
   "The readings for that week" mean what's listed in the syllabus for Tuesday and Thursday of each week. For example the readings listed for Tuesday Sep 5 and Thursday Sep 7 constitute material to be covered in reading assignment #2.

2. Q2. How long is the writeup?
   One half to one page max. This applies to the week's readings, not to each separate day (Tuesday/Thursday) individually.

3. Q3. When is it due?
   By the beginning of class on Tuesday for that week's readings. You are expected to do the readings before the material is discussed in class.

4. Q4. What about the first week?
   The first week is the worst. On Tuesday Sep 5 you have to hand in two assignments -- one for week one and for week two.

5. Q5. What if I'm joining the class in the second week?
   We'll give you a reasonable amount of time to catch up. Contact the course instructor and TA for an exact deadline.

6. Q6. When will we get them back?
   Usually by the following Tuesday. They'll be returned in class.

7. Q7. How should it be submitted?
   Submit via Blackboard. If Blackboard is down or having problems, you may submit via email to the TA. The preferred electronic formats are pdf and doc. Plain text can be used as a last resort. Paper is the least-preferred format.

8. Q8. How should it be written?
   In ordinary prose, not bullet point / outline form. The formatting is up to you. Including section headers in boldface helps make grading easier.

9. Q9. How will it be graded?
   We will use a four point grading scheme: check plus, check, check minus, and zero. Check means that you've covered the main points of the readings, check plus means that your writing is excellent and contains great insight, check minus means that you've missed some important material.

   This is a small part of your grade. You should aim for a grade of check. If you consistently get check plus, that's great, but you're probably spending too much time on it.

10. Q10. What are you looking for?
    We're looking to see that you've read the background readings and know the main points; there isn't any detailed reference sheet of things you must mention. Also, we are looking for duplication of the author's prose. The assignment must be in your own words.

11. Q11. Is this for your sake or our sake?
    It's for your sake. The purpose is to get you to read the background material to develop a breadth of understanding, and to prevent you from falling behind. In previous years, students who did well on reading summaries (i.e., didn't fall behind in the readings) usually did well in the course.

12. Q12. Can I cut-and-paste from the readings into the reading summary?
    No - that would be plagiarism, which is not permitted at CMU (see CMU's plagiarism policy). Plagiarism results in an automatic zero for that reading summary. If done more than once or twice, penalties become much more severe. Don't do it.