General Paper Guidelines

NB: These are general paper requirements and general notes on how papers are graded in my class. There will always be more specific guidelines and requirements handed out for each and every assignment. However, do not lose this sheet, as these requirements will apply to all papers you write for my class.

General Requirements: This is a college course, and so, of course, I expect the papers to be of college level quality. For the sake of clarity, I will spell out as precisely as possible what I mean by this.

1. First, the papers must be typed and double-spaced with one-inch margins. Your name, date, etc. should appear on a title page. Further, your papers should be within the page limits set for the assignment. No less than the minimum, no more than the maximum number of pages. Title pages and works cited pages do not count as part of the page requirements. This means that your work should be clear, precise and concise.

2. Second, you should only use quotes very sparingly. You should quote no more than one or two sentences, and certainly use no more than one or two quotes per paper. (See specific paper guidelines for more details about this, or ask me.) If you do quote, you cannot allow the quote to stand by itself, but must also show that you understand and can explain what the quote means. Finally, if you do quote, you must cite properly (in MLA format). Note that improper citation, or lack of citation may result in a charge of plagiarism. If you are found to have plagiarized in your paper, the minimum result is to fail that assignment; the maximum is to fail the course. Make sure that you know what plagiarism is.

3. Third, papers must be clear and grammatically correct. I urge you to use spell-check and to edit your work carefully. Poor grammar and misspellings will result in a deduction from the paper grade. Further, if I cannot understand what you are saying (because of poor grammar or a lack of clarity in presentation), then you have effectively not said anything. This will also, obviously, affect your grade. Now, you can get help with basic writing skills through the tutoring center or through me (though, probably the tutoring center is a better bet).

4. Finally, and most importantly, the papers should address the assigned question(s) or topic(s) clearly. Your paper should always have a clear thesis statement, and this thesis should always be elaborated and defended with solid evidence and well-organized, careful argumentation.

Grading: The papers will be graded in the following manner:

"A": An excellent paper that fully responds to, deals with, or answers the topic(s) or question(s) of the assignment. An excellent paper has a well thought out thesis statement, carefully and concisely explained; solid argumentation and evidence supporting the thesis; deals with possible objections to the thesis; has a clear conclusion and shows careful and serious reflection and thought on the issue(s), topic(s) or question(s). An excellent paper also clearly demonstrates the students’ mastery of the material of the course, their ability to work with the material and develop it in new and interesting ways, and an ability to present their ideas and thoughts in a concise, clear, and compelling manner.

"B": An above average paper that adequately responds to, deals with, or answers the topic(s) or question(s) of the assignment. An above average paper has a good thesis statement, which is somewhat explained; has arguments and evidence supporting the thesis; shows adequate reflection and thought on the issue(s), topic(s) or question(s) dealt with. An above average paper generally shows some mastery of the material of the course, and shows some ability to develop the material in interesting ways. An above average paper is also well written, clear, concise, and has at least adequate argumentation.

"C": An average paper. An average paper is basically a paper which meets all of the main requirements but is weakened by either a lack of a clear well-elaborated thesis statement; good argumentation or evidence; poor organization and incoherent presentation; or shows inadequate mastery of the material of the course. It has been my experience that average papers usually suffer because of the lack of a clear thesis. Thesis statements are very important.

"D": A weak paper; the issue is insufficiently clarified and developed; the arguments and evidence are either poor or missing; the paper shows little or no effort, thought or reflection. No reason for such a grade. You would not be here if you could not do better than this. Put some effort into your work. Take it seriously.

"F": A paper that meets virtually none of the above requirements or is simply not done. This is a hard grade to receive, even harder than getting an “A”. But, don’t doubt that you can get it if you try.