Recommendations for Final Papers, Writing Requirements, etc.

Everyone should consider the following recommendations that we have compiled regarding your papers. These problems do not occur in every paper, but they occurred in enough to warrant everyone to consider them. If you have not already done so, you also need to pick up a hard copy of your papers to which we have added editorial remarks.

1. Whenever you revise your papers think about the following questions. How can I provide a more instructive and comprehensive context for what I am saying while remaining concise and confident? Everyone needs to think CONTEXT, CONTEXT, CONTEXT. The subjects of your papers did not occur in a vacuum. The reader needs the most appropriate context that you can provide them without weighing them down.
2. Everyone should improve their introduction. Remember that the introduction is the most important part of your paper. It is where the reader decides whether what you have to say is worth exploring in more detail. You must tell the reader what your interpretation is, why that interpretation is important, and how you plan to show that your interpretation is the best one to use. Tell them what you are telling them. Tell them why you are telling them. Tell them how you are telling them. Then do it all over again in more detail in the body of your paper. Two things to watch for, in order: 1- Don't mislead. 2 - Don't use irrelevant material.
3. In the body of your papers, defend the interpretation you present in your introduction with logical and well-organized use of evidence. All students need to rethink how they are using their evidence and the questions they are bringing to the intellectual table. You should be the most intense critic of your argument. Anticipate its weak points, and always be open to the idea that your original argument is flawed and could use revision.
4. Improve transitions between paragraphs and within paragraphs. Don't jar the reader; lead them along gracefully. Don't drop bombs without context. They'll end up being duds and cause the reader to lose confidence in your interpretation.
5. Never leave in a run-on sentence.
6. Avoid using sentence fragments, block quotations, first or second person, inexact language, and vague modifiers like "very" unless you have a "very" well thought out reason for doing so.
7. Books, magazines, newspapers, journals, court cases, and ship names must be either italicized or underlined. Periods and commas must go inside quotation marks. Footnotes go outside. See the abbreviated course style guide.
8. The first time that you mention a name, you must spell it out fully and include all names and appropriate titles. The person, group, or thing, must be introduced enough so that the reader knows why you put them in your paper at that point.
9. In most cases, put indicators of time (dates) at or near the beginning of sentences.
10. All citations must come in the form of footnotes. See the style guide for proper formats.
11. Review the Merrill's Rules for Writing History and the Historian's Ten Commandments. If you decide not to adhere to those suggestions, you need to have a good reason.
12. DO NOT TURN YOUR FINAL PAPERS IN LATE. FOR EVERY DAY THEY ARE LATE AFTER April 29, YOUR GRADE WILL BE REDUCED ONE LETTER GRADE.
13. We also recommend that you take a look at a sample evaluation form that can be used to grade your essays. See Essay Evaluation Form.