FINAL PAPER GUIDELINES |
I. Structure Your paper should have a title page, table of contents, introduction, body (divided into chapters/sections, each with its own heading/title), conclusion, footnotes (see below), appendix (if desired), and bibliography. The title page should have the title of your paper, your name, and the class and term -- all on separate lines. The table of contents should list all the chapters/sections of your paper (including the introduction and conclusion), appendix (if used), and the bibliography, with the beginning page number for each. The introduction (the first chapter or section of the paper) should prepare the reader (me!) for what will follow. Normally, this means that it should include a relatively brief discussion of your topic, highlighting why you have chosen it for investigation; your conclusion; and a general overview of the chapter/section organization of your paper. The body of the paper should be divided into sections or chapters, each with its own heading or title. The conclusion (the last chapter or section) can take many forms. It can be a restatement of the overall argument of the paper, a summary of key points, or a combination of earlier points to make a new final point. You are free to choose the form that best fits your paper. The bibliography should contain all sources read or consulted while doing your research, regardless of whether cited in your paper. List all references alphabetically by author or by the organization responsible for the publication if no specific author is listed. Multiple references by the same author should be listed chronologically, starting with the oldest work. II. References References to the works of others are to be placed in the body of the text, not in a footnote. For each statement/quotation requiring a reference, place the citation in parenthesis (author's last name, date of publication, and pages when appropriate). Use parentheses as follows: · According to Hart-Landsberg (2010), neoliberalism is all wrong.If you draw upon the work of authors with the same last name, you must use their first names in all citations. Interviews, class lectures, or other personal communications should be cited as follows: · Grant (class lecture 2009) claimed that ...III. Footnotes Explanatory footnotes should be placed at the bottom of the page on which they occur. They should be used only in those cases when you do not want to disrupt the main flow of your text, but feel that a point raised in your paper would benefit from further discussion. IV. Suggested Paper Review Process After you have completed a draft of your paper, read it through quickly and then ask yourself the following questions: 1. Do you begin your paper with a substantive introduction that sets an appropriate background for your paper and states your thesis? Does the introduction actually introduce what you have written? 2. Is your presentation logical and easy to follow? 3. Have you used concrete references and examples to clarify and explain your points? Do they support your contentions? Have you taken into account points of view different from your own? 4. Does the conclusion logically follow from the arguments presented in the body of the paper? Have you made a convincing case? |