Scarabin Blog

Jason Scarabin
English 315
Term Paper Critique
April 4, 1995

I have evaluated The Geology of Yellowstone National Park by Justen Nadauld. The purpose of the paper is to inform the reader of the geologic history of Yellowstone Park. In Justen’s section, he outlines the events involved during the Caldera Era. Because of the polishing that still needs to be done, I would assign a B+ to this part of the paper. Overall, I think it was very well written and understandable. It kept my attention the entire time. It could have something to do with the fact that I am currently enrolled in Geology 101.
The Choice of Topic was excellent because of the nature of it. It appeals to everyone’s interest. Yellowstone National Park is one of the most fascinating places on earth and people want to know about its history.
The Breadth of Research lacked significantly because of the lack of a reference page. However, from the reading, I feel that enough sources were used.
It’s very difficult for me to determine the Depth of Research because there aren’t many quotations. In addition, there is only one source noted in the text.
Almost literally, in his Introduction, he begins with the creation of the world. Of course, his topic has much to do with the geologic history of a certain part of the world. In some ways, I feel like his introduction is too storylike, yet effective.
Without question, the paper has Organization. It is a story within itself. It is closely tied to the outline of the paper. One suggestion would be to make the subheadings look more attractive including changing the spacing.

In relation to Mechanics, the author does an excellent job as far as freshman English principles. Because no reference page is provided, I can’t make a judgment on whether or not APA style is properly used. Within the text, it appears to be correct.
His Format is an attractive piece of reading. However, I would strongly recommend a change in the font. I know the student after him used Times New Roman in what appeared to be 14 point type. It was extremely attractive. I would suggest he do the same.
The paper is well-written. The writer is intelligent and obviously familiar with the subject matter. I did not stumble over most of the difficult words because of the way he put things into context. I think the writer was certainly walking a fine line as far as using technical terms. Yet, he stayed on the correct side of that line in most cases. He certainly has an intelligent Style of writing which includes Clarity. Actually, I was very impressed with the way the paper seem to fit me very well as the audience. I am very interested in geologic subjects and this particular one held my interest despite just a few difficult words.
In the area of Illustrations, I cannot commend the writer. There were none. My suggestion to him would be to include perhaps some graphics depicting Yellowstone Park during the Caldera Era.
Although I could sense a “hint” of Technical inAccuracy, I believe he certainly knows what he is talking about. I know that no blatant errors in fact or reasoning were made.
With the word memories, I understand that this is suggesting the Conclusion.
As you read the final paragraph, you get a sense of almost sentimental feeling from the author. I would make the suggestion that the conclusion should be cleaned up and lengthened for more details.
Overall, I commend the writer for his efforts and hope that the necessary “polishing” will be done to improve his grade.