Advice for Writing Papers    

Info

Planning

The key to a successful paper is time. You must allow yourself plenty of time (3-4 weeks for researching and writing an 8-12 page paper) to conduct research, to absorb the information, to structure persuasive arguments, to write preliminary drafts, and finally, to proofread and revise. Western Libraries has a handy Assignment Calculator available to help you plan.

Of all of these components to successful essay writing, the most important of these is allowing yourself time to think. Do not begin by writing directly after doing research, or by writing a single draft that does not offer an original contribution based on your own ideas. Remember that only the very best essays will receive an "A" grade. Thoughtful analysis of a problem or a considered answer to a question is the most likely path to success. Along the way, moreover, you will undoubtedly learn some things, which is really the whole point.

The suggested topics for papers are designed to be broad. It is up to you to choose a few aspects of the topic in order to make it a feasible project. You're not classical scholars (yet!) and I won't expect you to become experts in Athenian democracy or Roman constitutional law, but I will expect you to treat your subject in an in-depth manner. Papers that critically examine the topic and show evidence of more than a superficial understanding will be successful; on the other hand, those that regurgitate information found in secondary sources or function as surveys of general information about a topic will result in marks that are "numerically challenged".

Formatting Requirements

1. All papers must be on standard, white, 8.5x11 inch paper, double spaced using a standard font such as Times New Roman 12 pt. Set the margins to a maximum of 1.25 inches on all sides.
2. Quotations of less than four lines long should be included in the main text, in quotation marks. Longer quotations (more that 4 lines long) are to be single-spaced and indented from the main text.
3. Footnotes are preferred to endnotes and in-line parenthetical references to secondary sources. Parenthetical references to ancient sources are okay.
4. Ensure that your paper is stapled. Do not use folders, binders, or plastic cover sheets.
5. A separate title page is not necessary (a title, however, is!). Type your name, ID number, course name and the date in the top right hand corner of the first page.
6. Be sure to number your pages. It is okay if the first page has a page number.
7. Proofread your paper. Read it aloud to yourself, asking yourself if your syntax makes sense. Sometimes reading it backwards from end to beginning helps you to see the writing more clearly. The majority of grammatical errors results from carelessness (and sleeplessness - see on time, above!).

• Thesis: your paper must clearly state its thesis within the first paragraph of the paper. A thesis is a claim that you make in response to the question posed by your essay topic. It is not a personal reaction (e.g., a feeling, or an unsupported opinion). In the course of the paper, you will defend your claim on the basis of the evidence as you understand it. A well-supported, clearly argued thesis can succeed even if the grader disagrees with its conclusions. The important aspect is to make sure that each paragraph contributes to the argument set forth in the thesis (a.k.a. the "so what?" factor).
• Quotations: when quoting text from primary or secondary sources, make sure that the quoted text fits with the syntax of your words. See further the section below on quoting and citing material.
• Be specific: for any statements you make about the significance of an item, ensure that you explain why that item is significant, and how it contributes to your arguments.
• Always go back to the ancient sources: do not use secondary materials to cite or quote facts or material that is known from a primary source. For example, do not quote a book about Herodotus in referring to events or ideas presented in the text of Herodotus himself.

Things to Avoid:

• Avoid at all costs general statements that do not contribute to your argument, especially in your introduction and conclusion. An example of the kind of thing to be avoided is: "The ancient Greeks were a remarkable people." Think of your classmates as your target audience.
• Avoid extensive plot summary. Provide enough background to a quotation or discussion point to give some context, but do not rehash Greek/Roman history point by point. The paper is an exercise in interpretation and analysis, not summarization.
• Do not include filler block quotations. If the points you wish to stress are included within a longer paragraph of text, use an ellipsis [...] to break up the paragraph into the relevant parts.
• Do not abuse the English language. Proper punctuation is essential. Check with a style guide (e.g. Strunk and White), for tips on proper grammatical use and punctuation.
• Some tips for things that really bug me:
  1. The word quote is not a noun. That would be quotation.
  2. However is not a synonym for but.
  3. Use clear, simple language wherever possible.
  4. There exists a list of commonly misused words in English. Learn the proper uses of all the words you write.
  5. Two grammatically complete but related sentences are punctuated by a semicolon [;]; do not use a comma instead.
  6. Plurals of words are not to have apostrophes in them [']. Thus: Athenians, not Athenian's. Only possessives have an apostraphe: e.g., Greece's history.
  7. Capitalize only proper nouns. Do not capitalize abstract ideas or words you wish to emphasize.
  8. The word "source" cannot be used as a verb. That is, you can "use something as a source", but you cannot "source an idea".

Citation of Sources

Use of Sources: [for details, please see Gordon Harvey, Writing with Sources: A Guide for Students (Hackett Publishing: 1998).

• Use sources as concisely as possible. Your ideas should not be obscured by a list of quotations.
• Never leave the reader in doubt whether a statement originates with you or with a source which you have consulted.
• Always make clear how each source you include in your paper relates to your overall argument.

Rules for Quoting: (see Harvey 1998: 8-12)

• quote only what is absolutely necessary or what is really striking.
• ensure that the quotation fits into your own sentence structure.
• don't automatically include a comma before a quotation, and punctuate the end of the quotation so that it conforms to the syntax of your sentence (usually, this means that you should place a full stop inside the end-quotation marks).
• for block quotations, indent and single space. Also, construct your lead-in sentence so that it ends with a colon [:]. Follow up block quotations with statements that explain its importance for your paper.

When to Cite: (see Harvey 1998: 14-16)

• whenever you use factual information or data that you found in a source.
• whenever you quote verbatim two or more words in a row.
• whenever you summarize, paraphrase, or otherwise use ideas, opinions, interpretations, or conclusions arrived at by another person.
• whenever you make use of a source passage's distinctive structure, organizing strategy, or method.
• whenever you mention in passing some aspect of another person's work.

How to Cite: (see Harvey 1998: 35-42); cf. Weldon Library's Style Guides.

• for ancient authors, abbreviate the author's name according to the standard abbreviations as listed in the Oxford Classical Dictionary (3rd rev. ed.: 2003). If an author has more than one work, you may use the abbreviations in the OCD, or write out the title in full. Some common authors:

• a Bibliography (=Works Cited) page is required for papers that make use of sources other than exclusively ancient sources. In addition, unless you are making an argument that refers to a specific translation, your texts of the ancient authors do not need to be included in the list of Works Cited.
• also with ancient sources, cite the work by Book and Chapter number, separated by a full stop [.] and no space. For example, to cite chapter 26 of Book 2 of Thucydides, write Thuc. 2.26.
• for modern, secondary sources, you may use one of the accepted styles for academic writing in the humanitites (MLA, Chicago), as long as you remain consistent throughout the paper. My own preference is for citations according to the author-date system, as follows:

  Bibliography: The Frog, K. 2001. "Driving Miss Piggy (Crazy)," Journal of Muppet Studies 45: 112-117.
  Footnotes: The Frog 2001: 114.

• for other citation procedures, including citations from an author quoted at second hand, refer to accepted procedures in the standard guides (MLA, Chicago Manual of Style). If in doubt, ask me.

Evaluation

Questions?