Below are required format for papers, guidelines for paper writing, pet peeves which will be punished with grade reductions, and how your papers are evaluated. See individual instructions for further details on each writing assignment.

PRINT OUT THIS PAGE AND KEEP IT. This will save you much pain later when you receive a grade which is severely diminished because of small, thoughtless errors (keep reading below.)

I. FORMAT

The following constitute the minimally accepted, required format for all papers in these upper level classes. Failure to observe these rules will result in a grade reduction. I suggest you check off each item before you hand in the paper. Please pay attention to any special requirements for individual assignments.
 

1. FONT: All papers are to be double-spaced, typed 12, black font, with one inch margins. (No colored fonts.)
2. PAGING: Pages are to be NUMBERED, and STAPLED. Warning: these are pet peeves of mine. Page number one is NOT the title page.
3. TITLE PAGE: please do not use fancy covers. Provide a simple cover page with your name, the title of the paper, the name and number of the course, and the date.
4. CITATION: proper citation is required. This means using footnote/bibliographic style, not MLA citation when you are writing a research paper with more than one source. For information on how to cite sources see: http://www.ithaca.edu/library/course/turabian.html

For book reviews, when you are only using the one source, you may cite in the following manner: quote or paraphrase (author's name, page number).

Example:
Leila Ahmed begins her memoir about growing up in post-Nasser Egypt almost poetically, describing the "wind in the trees, each variety of tree having its own music" (Ahmed, 3). Please note the quotation marks after the quote itself and a comma before the page number.

Note: individual assignments' requirements may vary, so you should read those instructions, also. They may supersede the following, which is general and applicable to certain kinds of papers.

5. BIBLIOGRAPHY: When you use more than one source, include a bibliography at the end of the paper. This does not count in the page totals. If you use outside sources not specifically assigned, provide photocopies of the pages used along with your paper.

6. SPELLING, GRAMMAR, PUNCTUATION: All students in this course should have completed English 101 and 102 or the equivalent before taking this 300-level class. For this reason, there will be zero tolerance for spelling errors, zero tolerance for grammatical errors, and zero tolerance for punctuation errors. Points will be taken off for mistakes. There are many sources of assistance available on campus to help you avoid errors. Use spell check. Have a friend read your paper. Bring your draft to me before handing in the final version. Go to the Write Place (in Roesch Library).

1. Do not write in the passive voice.  If you do not know what the passive voice is, then please ask.
2. Read your paper aloud—if it sounds awkward and confusing, then it probably is.  Avoid long, run-on sentences.
3. Avoid the word “very”—you could probably find a better word. Same with "unbelievable," "fantastic," or "wonderful." (I have read many a sentence about what a "fantastic" job a particular writer has done. This tells me nothing, really. These words have become banal.)
4. Do not use the word “this” without specifying this what.
5. Vary your vocabulary and syntax—don’t use the same words and sentence constructions repeatedly.
6. Use your spellcheck, but remember that it will not catch all errors.
7. Proofread your work carefully—if you do not care enough to read your own work, then why should I?
8. If you cite a quotation that is more than two or three lines, you should use block quotation format—single-spaced and indented left and right.
9. If you have any questions about formal writing, consult Kate Turabian’s Manual of Style.  It is a handy guide for writing formal papers.

Below are common mistakes that many students over the years have made and which I want to eradicate (ideally upon pain of death). Since I am actually against the death penalty, instead of implementing it, I will take points off for these mistakes since they are not difficult to deal with, if you merely exert effort.

Incorrect use of:

• their for there and vice versa.
• it’s and its.
• effect and affect. If you don't know the differences, look them up. They are not synonyms.
• boarders for borders.
• not using quotation marks when using a source’s own words (yet citing it; in other words, the source is cited but the words are directly from it without quotation marks.)
• Commas. Putting ones where they do not belong, and not using them where they do belong.
 
Example: We accept Resolution 242 because it emphasizes, “the need to work for a just and lasting peace in which every state in the area can live in security.” (Res.242)

Correction: We accept Resolution 242 because it emphasizes “the need to work for a just and lasting peace in which every state in the area can live in security.” (Res.242) Explanation: no comma needed before the quotation.
 

• Inserting a quotation within a sentence.
 
Example of wrong way (usually creating a run-on sentence because quote is inserted without editing it to conform to grammatical correctness): Israel wants peace and will pursue peace through UN Resolution 242, “the agreed basis for a peaceful settlement of the conflict between Israel and its neighbors is United Nations Security Council Resolution 242, in all of its parts.” In this version, you have an unnecessary verb within the quotation that makes the sentence a run-on.

Right way (one possibility): Israel wants peace and will pursue peace through UN Resolution 242, “the agreed basis for a peaceful settlement of the conflict between Israel and its neighbors... in all of its parts.”  Explanation: In this version, the verb within the quotation is edited out using ellipses (three dots), thus making the whole sentence grammatically correct.

Suggestion: try reading sentences out loud, when in doubt, and see how they sound.
 

• Apostrophes for plurals. Examples: Israelis [correct],  not Israeli’s.
• Mixing and misuse of verb tenses. When writing a history paper, it is appropriate to use the past tense. Whatever tense you use, be consistent.
• Calling every book  a novel. A novel is a work of fiction. A memoir, autobiography, history book, etc. is NOT a novel.
• Not following instructions on an assignment; for example, not citing works correctly; not including specific, required info (such as description of sources used in summary assignments, etc.).
• Do not make grammatical and spelling mistakes WITHIN a quotation from someone else. That indicates extreme sloppiness and lack of care in a paper since all you are doing is copying from a source.

• Writing. Papers must be clearly and well-written, and grammatically correct.
• Organization and use of evidence. Papers need to be well-organized in a clear essay format with an introduction, body and conclusion. Interpretations, theses and conclusions should be supported with specific evidence from whatever sources are used for the paper.
• Thought, substance, and effort.
• Following the instructions of the assignment.

*with thanks to Dr. Mona Russell