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Paper formatting guidelines

Page history last edited by ike sharpless 12 years, 1 month ago

Formatting requirements

  • Times New Roman, 12 pt font, double spaced, no spaces between paragraphs, 1-inch margins, justified.
    • For quotes longer than 3 lines, be sure to indent the passage on both sides, set it at 10-point font, single spaced, with no quotation marks - ask me in class if you need me to demonstrate this.
  • 3-4 pages (and three pages means three full pages with no cover page, no space wasted on the front page, and adherence to the guidelines above).
  • Use a title, preferably an interesting one.
  • Use parenthetical citations for quotes [for example: (Roberts & Sutch 152)] and a bibliography for full citations. Use whichever standard citation format works for you, but be sure to use the same format throughout. You only need to use a full bibliography if using external sources.
    • Important: if you use any external sources, even just general Wikipedia or Sparknotes-type sources to gather general information, be sure to list those sources in your bibliography, even if you didn't directly quote them. It'll be much better for you to have done so, at no penalty, than to be accidentally (or intentionally) caught plagiarizing - which would be bad.
  • See the syllabus for the assignment guidelines.

 

Writing Tips

  • Use direct quotations from the text to back up your arguments.
    • Be sure to distinguish between quotes coming from our textbook and quotes coming from the primary sources (as in, don't say Hobbes said something that Roberts & Sutch actually said) 
  • Have a clear structure at all the levels of your paper, from sentences to paragraphs to the larger structure. Sentences should only do one thing, and paragraphs should only do one (bigger) thing - start each paragraph with a clear topic sentence, use quotations from the text and provide direct analysis. Have an introductory paragraph that gives me a road map of where you'll be going in the paper. 
    • Avoid fluff/filler and waffly phrases like "they're sort of similar and sort of different", or "x was a well-known philosopher" - in other words, avoid generalities whenever possible and get right to the specifics you're trying to discuss. 
  • Reread your paper for grammar, spelling, and syntax - if I can't get beyond spelling and typographic mistakes, I'm not going to be able to pay attention to your actual arguments.
    • Watch out for subject/verb agreement, apostrophe usage, and verb tense agreement.
    • If struggling with sentence structure, read through your sentences aloud to see where your voice naturally wants to pause. Chances are, you need punctuation here.

 

Some Notes on the First Reading Responses (integrate these into future papers!)

  • 'awk' (awkward) means that the indicated phrase or sentence needs rewording
    • 'Word choice' means that the circled word is the wrong one, in context
  • Eliminate spaces between paragraphs (I'll show you how to do this in class)
    • Also be sure to use proper formatting for quotes over 3 lines: single spaced, indented on both sides, 10-pt font, and no quotation marks (I'll demonstrate this, too)
    • Use italics or underlining, not quotations, for all longer texts (As in: The Prince, not "The Prince")
  • Use strong topic sentences, especially if you tend to write with long paragraphs that can get a bit out of hand, topically
    • Use a 'road map' introductory paragraph, which introduces the topic, explains what you'll be looking at, and presents a thesis 
    • As indicated above, avoid 'fluff' and 'filler' sentences: you don't need to tell me how awesome Aristotle is, or how the two people you're looking at are 'sort of similar but sort of different' - instead, tell me how they're similar and how they're different.
  • Use direct quotations from our books (supplemental sources are welcome, but should only be used as supplements - in other words, don't only use outside sources, especially if they're discussing the thinkers in a different context than we've used in class.)
  • Be careful to avoid using phrases like 'realistic' and 'idealistic' as placeholders for your personal views on common sense. Be especially careful of using phrases like "realist" and "idealist" in this manner, because these both mean specific things.
    • Some of you tended to confuse Glaucon's view on justice with Plato's - remember that The Republic is written in the form of Socratic dialogue, so Plato doesn't necessarily agree with all the perspectives on offer. Indeed, Socrates disagrees with Glaucon's instrumentalism.)
  • If I indicated as much on your paper, you should make an appointment with the school's writing center - in the long run, it'll be in your best interest.

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