The Fine Print

10
The Fine Print
‰ This is a hard copy assignment – electronic submissions will not be accepted.
‰ Paper layout will conform to the following guidelines:
x “Five pages” means five pages, not “four pages and two sentences.” Papers that are less than
five pages will lose one full letter grade before it is even examined.
x Cover sheets are not necessary and are discouraged.
x All papers will be stapled once in the upper left-hand corner. If your paper is not stapled, I will
not accept it. Please do not encase your paper in any document protectors or report covers.
x Papers need a margin of one-inch on all four sides. MS Word has a default margin of 1.25”, which
must be changed. (On the taskbar, click on “Page Layout,” then “Margins,” and select “Normal.”)
x Fonts will be Times New Roman in 11 pt. only. Any other font or size will cost your paper points.
x The name block should be in the upper right-hand corner of the first page only, and must be
single-spaced. It should include your name, the class (i.e., HIST 119), and the date – that’s all.
x Papers should have a short title. (Please be more original than “Inferno Paper” or “Candide.”)
x Papers should be double-spaced. Do not add a space between paragraphs – the spacing between
paragraphs will look the same as that between sentences.
x Do not use block quotes. If you need a substantial amount of text to support your point,
paraphrase it in your own words.
x The first sentence of each paragraph should be indented. Use the “Tab” key, not the spacebar.
x All grammatical rules apply.
x Whenever the title of the text is mentioned in the paper, it should be italicized. In other words,
“Voltaire’s Candide is a story about a man named Candide who goes on an adventure.” The title is
italicized, but the character name is not.
x Papers must have page numbers in the upper right-hand corner of each page. Set your computer
to include them, rather than writing them in ink after the fact.
x Avoid using the header or footer functions in MS Word. The only thing that should be included in
the header is the page number.
x Since you are using an assigned text, there is no need for a bibliography. If you use any other
material (including the Pearson text, online sites, third-party textbooks, CD-ROMs, etc.), however,
you will need to create a bibliography for those items. If used, a bibliography does not count
towards the overall page length requirement.
x Do not include photos or other graphics in the paper.
‰ No WIKIPEDIA, period.
‰ Plagiarized papers will receive an automatic “F” for a grade and be turned over to the chair of the
History Department for further appropriate action.
‰ Students are encouraged to see me with questions, comments or concerns as papers are completed.
‰ All papers will be reviewed by the Writing Center prior to submission. Do not wait until the night
before the paper is due to visit the Center, as they will not assist you.