Lukeion Roman History Paper Assignment - Quia€¦ · Imperial iconography Pick your own topic but...

1 Lukeion Roman History Research Paper Assignment

Lukeion Roman History Paper Assignment

Be sure to also read “The Lukeion Project Research Paper

Guidelines”

Contents

Read, re-read, & re-re-read all the details in

this handout throughout the research process.

Simply following the directions I provide will

take you to the A grade range for this

assignment.

Why write a research paper? Ask a college professor. He or she will tell you there are two kinds of students: those who can write

research papers, and those who haven’t a clue where to start. Students who come to college with

research writing skills will find they are far less stressed

compared to classmates who arrive without a clue. In fact,

knowing this skill in advance may make all difference

between enjoying the Dean’s / President’s List (a good

thing) or being on the Probation List (a bad thing). Why?

Few college professors will teach you how to complete an

A level research paper because they have their own

material to teach (not paper writing). Instead they will

simply assign one and expect the best from you. You will

either pull all-nighters in college learning how to do

this…or you can pay careful attention to this assignment

right now and sleep well while your college classmates

fret later. Colleges invented “writing centers” for poor

clueless paper writers. Save time and stress. Learn now.

So, this assignment is serious college

preparation! Some of you may not be thinking about college yet while

others in this course are deciding where they will attend.

Take this assignment seriously and do your best to

research, write, research, write and then edit, edit, edit.

Being able to research and write well will pay off.

An ‘A’ Grade

Research paper

MUST include: Proper MLA style sheet

formatting for all parts of this

project

On average, 3 to 8 citations

PER PAGE in your finished

paper

A minimum of 7 excellent

primary sources & scholarly

secondary sources

Thoughtful, well edited,

scholarly research and analysis

Strict adherence to the many


The good news is that you only have to write your first research paper once. After this, every research

paper gets easier and more polished. Be determined to succeed and you shall.

What this paper is NOT This assignment is to write a research paper, not an essay, a theme, a book report, or a creative

writing project. What’s the difference? An theme or essay is an expression of your opinion (without

much supporting research), a book report is a summary of one person’s work, and a creative writing

project…is, again, just not research. You should not write an essay, a report, or a creative project.

This paper must be analytical and it must be logically built on cited evidence in an organized and

persuasive manner.

You ARE NOT just going to talk about something for 7 or so pages! This is NOT an exercise in typing

nor even in your ability to fill up a bunch of pages. Feel strongly about some subject or another?

Great! Use evidence to make your case.

If your paper is a rambling assortment of your opinions or, worse, a ransom note of other people’s

opinions, your grade will suffer! Now is NOT the time for creativity, self-expression, or drama of any

kind.

Many students have difficulty distinguishing between a research paper and all of these other sorts of

writing assignments that they have been working on through the years. If so, go to a good library.

Find a couple of scholarly articles and emulate their techniques, tone, mannerisms, pace, focus and

use of great sources. You have to learn new techniques and skills to become a good research writer!

NEVER emulate documentaries from a cable channel! Drama, intrigue, a preachy tone, or a straw

man argument makes for entertaining film pieces but terrible research papers.

What this PAPER ACTUALLY is A research paper is a legal case: set up what you are trying to prove to a judge and jury. Find

evidence (impeccable data) to support your case (your thesis). Analyze the evidence in your paper,

weight the evidence, “make the case” of both sides of the argument, and then WIN your case with a

good conclusion.

You are going to PROVE something! Take a professional, persuasive, and authoritative tone to get

this job done. While you are at it, cite the best data sources you can find—this is your evidence so

use it well. Your reader is judge and jury. Persuade him or her and you shall win your case.

Even if you write very well, poor sources will greatly diminish the quality of your work. All college

professors START reading your paper at the end. They look at the Works Cited page and decide if

your paper has promise…or not. Poor sources (or even good sources poorly listed) will convince your

reader that your work isn’t worth the time to read.

Before you decide on your paper topic, check into the quantity and quality of possible resources at

hand. If you can’t find four or five solid scholarly articles (journal articles, books (maybe some

websites) on your topic choice, go for a different topic with better prospects. Don’t just check your

local branch library! Don’t just Google the subject and use some 13 year old’s paper as a source!


Search online for REAL scholarship (the sources increase daily), think about the possibility of

interlibrary loan, and look into visiting a college/university library to check out their digital sources

(they have access to ONLINE scholarly articles that you can’t find elsewhere). Some museums have

scholarly collections, too. Be a creative source finder and START EARLY.

ABOVE ALL: your sources (the scholars that write about your subject) must be experts! Read later in

this handout for what does and does not qualify as a good resource for research.

CAUTION: It can be very difficult for beginning research writers to find good ONLINE sources.

Therefore, use online sources sparingly or NOT AT ALL.

Assignment and Due dates by 7 PM on the following dates in 2017 □ Submit your paper topic February 7

□ Turn in your thesis statement February 21

□ Compile your initial Works Cited list March 7

□ Submit your paper outline March 21

□ Turn in your research paper April 25 at 7 pm ET – grade penalties begin at 1 minute past the

deadline

Specific requirements for each step appears below. Read each assignment carefully. Damage is

done to your final paper score whenever a paper component is misunderstood, mangled, or turned in

late. I deduct one point per hour if the paper itself is submitted late. Never turn your paper in late.

#1 Submit your general topic As I mention above, you should finish

some reading and research BEFORE

you give me your topic. Once you

declare a general subject, for better

or for worse, you must produce a

paper on that subject, albeit

tightened, focused and refined

considerably. If you forgo the initial

research stage you might get stuck

with a real dud of a topic and a rough

semester deciding how to write a

paper about it. On the bright side,

necessity is the mother of invention

and we all grow best in adversity!

While I will not permit you to change the general topic that you’ve chosen, you must certainly reduce

and refine your specific topic. This is expected and REQUIRED.

Example: say you choose: Discoveries about early Italy that support or do not support the Aeneas

myth. Your final topic may actually be “The Etruscan language and its origins near Troy.” The topics

are closely related and your final paper is a subset of the big picture topic that you’ve chosen at the


start. This is what SHOULD happen. You won’t need to keep updating me every time you tighten up

your topic since I expect everyone to do this.

Options for Paper Topics These are BIG and GENERAL on purpose! Whole books are written on these things (sometimes).

Reduce, refine and narrow your topic within the scope of the BIG topic you choose for your paper.

Your best bet is to find a controversy to discuss and settle within one of these topics. A straight

narrative (like a biography or an account) runs the risk of being too much like a report or essay.

For example, don’t give me a narrative about the Cursus Honorum. Instead present various views

about how early this ‘set’ pattern of offices were put in place or notable exceptions to the ‘rule’ of

climbing the political ladder, or perhaps what changes were made to this tradition after the emperors

came to power, maybe you could discuss the availability of office to plebian classes or how those of

senatorial class employed alternative methods to achieve their ends through the cursus.

This list of subjects consists of starting points ONLY! Do some research FIRST before sending your

choice. Those who just randomly pick something from this list run the risk of taking on a monumental

task or being forced to trudge through something that does not personally interest him or her.


Choose one of the following major topics (narrow your topic as your research progresses)

• The 12 Tablets of Law

• Roman legal system of checks and balances

• VERY specific ways Roman law was applied

in early American law

• Controversies about the origins of the

Etruscans

• Archaeological evidence supporting the

founding myths of Rome

• The development of the Cursus Honorum

• Roman Social Structure at narrow chosen

point in Roman history

• Specific women during Rome’s earliest

history (no broad feminist histories, please)

• Specific women in Republican Rome

• Specific women in Imperial Rome

• Marius

• Sulla

• The Gracchian Reforms

• Julius Caesar

• Roman law issues

• Issues surrounding slavery in Rome

• The Revolt of Spartacus

• Secessio plebis

• Hannibal’s strategies and how they’ve been

adapted by other generals in history

• Mithradates VI

• Pompey the Great

• Cicero

• The Gallic War under Caesar

• Imperial census

• Augustus: methods and tactics of

engineering a new form of government

• Taxation-successes, failures, policies

• Tiberius

• Claudius

• Nero

• Vespasian

• Trajan

• Hadrian

• Antoninus Pius

• Marcus Aurelius

• Constantine I

• Agrippina the Younger

• Livia, wife of Augustus

• The role of Christianity in the Empire

• Fall of Jerusalem

• Siege of Masada

• Imperial For a (this is plural for forum)

• Sejanus

• Roman religion (choose a specific focus—

this is quite broad)

• Roman roads as a method of conquest

• Domus Aurea

• Coliseum

• The Praetorian Guard

• The city of Pompeii or Herculaneum

• Important triumphal arches

• Imperial cult (worshipping emperors as

gods)

• Clothing as status

• Roman Judea

• Egypt’s importance in Augustus’ program

• Roman North Africa

• Hadrian's Wall

• Conquest of Britain

• Gauls

• Trade in the Roman world

• Issues with piracy in the Mediterranean

• Roman North Africa

• Roman coinage

• Imperial iconography

Pick your own topic but at your own peril:

All subjects must be 98% focused on Roman

history. Do not attempt to co-opt this assignment

to study some other period of history. If you have

something in mind, write a very persuasive

paragraph and send it to me. Listen carefully for

critiques I provide.


You will ultimately RESEARCH your topic using BOTH primary sources (ancient texts and objects) AND

secondary sources (modern scholarly research). A good research paper topic will be one that…

1. Poses and answers an uncommon question

2. tackles a mystery or controversy

3. compares and contrasts two different yet similar people, books, authors

4. puts together cause and effect

5. requires analysis and critical thinking

Among other things, a research paper will NOT:

1. Simply summarize general information about a particular topic (that’s a report)

2. Consist mainly of opinion about a particular topic (that’s an essay)

3. Mainly narrate a story in summary fashion (that’s a short story).

#2 Compose your Thesis Statement

What is a thesis statement?

“Writing in college often takes the form of persuasion—

convincing others that you have an interesting, logical point of

view on the subject you are studying. Persuasion is a skill you

practice regularly in your daily life. You persuade your roommate to

clean up, your parents to let you borrow the car, your friend to vote

for your favorite candidate or policy. In college, course assignments

often ask you to make a persuasive case in writing. You are asked

to convince your reader of your point of view. This form of

persuasion, often called academic argument, follows a predictable

pattern in writing. After a brief introduction of your topic, you state

your point of view on the topic directly and often in one sentence.

This sentence is the thesis statement, and it serves as a summary

of the argument you’ll make in the rest of your paper.” UNC Writing Center

The first impression your reader will have about your research paper will be formed as she reads

your first paragraph. She should finish that first paragraph with a general idea about your topic and a

good idea about the direction you plan to head with this topic as well as the type of evidence you

plan to use to get the job done. The thesis statement usually appears at the end of the first

paragraph of your paper. In most cases it IS the first paragraph of a paper. The thesis statement

should be 1-3 thoughtfully composed sentences long.

A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Before you can write a thesis statement you

“have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as

surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships.” (UNC

WC). The biggest mistake that first time research writers make is to skip the step of THINKING

through the whole topic and turning it into one cohesive, well-thought whole. Instead, they flop down

http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/thesis-statements/


at the computer and just start writing “about” the topic they’ve chosen. The results are ugly

(shudder).

The first step on the path to a good research paper is to craft a good thesis statement. Understand

that this is a work in progress. The first major task I’ve assigned on this paper is the thesis

statement. Ironically, the last edit should be a reworking and fine tuning of your thesis statement! I

hope you are beginning to understand how important your first paragraph actually is.

Your thesis is a work in progress You are working on the first paragraph of your paper. By the time you finish your paper, you may

wish to completely rewrite your first paragraph once or

twice more. In fact, I strongly recommend that you do so

(several times). So why turn in a thesis statement first

when it is the last thing you’ll rewrite? It is very important

that have a firm vision for the content and nature of your

research paper as you work through all the various stages

of writing. You should constantly improve and edit this

idea as your research continues. Therefore, the one thing

this thesis statement is not: it is not a final draft.

Consider this the start of your “working thesis.” You will

need to adjust it again and again along the way.

Caution: do not misinterpret what I have just said to justify the submission of a lame thesis

statement. Do your very best to write a very good thesis statement. Here’s how to do it:

How to write a decent thesis statement: A good thesis statement has several purposes and parts:

1. It provides a VERY BRIEF and very specific background statement (think one sentence, tops).

This gives your reader a general idea about the topic at hand. [GOOD Example: “In Homer’s

epic the Iliad, he crafted various examples of leadership as he describes the unfolding of the

war.” BAD Example: Julius Caesar was a very important Roman who did very important things

during a very important time.]

2. It tells the reader how you plan to deal with the subject matter or what he should expect from

the rest of the paper. [Example: “Agamemnon, Greek commander in chief, is a notable

example of Homeric leadership who is described in some detail by Homer and by several

Greek playwrights.”]

3. It might also make a claim that others dispute. [Example: “Agamemnon, though often

criticized as a poor leader, actually behaved exactly as any Homeric leader was expected to

behave when he takes council from Nestor and Odysseus. He is typical of leaders during

Homer’s day.”


Thesis statement STEP 1: DETERMINE WHAT KIND OF PAPER YOU ARE WRITING: PICK ONE: When you write the paper assigned this semester, your job is to analyze, to interpret, to

compare and contrast, to demonstrate cause and effect, or to take a stand on an issue. In general,

good research papers will fall into one of three groups:

1. An analytical paper breaks down an issue or an idea into its component parts, evaluates the

issue or idea, and presents this breakdown and evaluation to the audience.

2. An expository paper explains something to the audience that is not readily known based on

evidence presented.

3. An argumentative paper makes a claim about a topic and justifies this claim with specific

evidence to convince the audience that the claim is true based on the evidence provided.

IF you are writing something closer to a narrative (a story) take care! Chances are good that you are

actually writing an essay, not a research paper--and that’s not good. Exceptions to this case would be

an historical narrative when you use evidence to build the circumstances of a heretofore unexplored

historic event. None of you should be writing anything that is largely narrative for the purposes of

this paper unless you’ve worked out “a deal” with me in advance. Very little precious “research

paper real-estate” should be used retelling any story! Assume everyone reading your paper already

knows the plot of anything covered in this course. Do not waste time or space retelling it.

Thesis statement Step 2: SET UP THE GENERAL PARAMETERS OF YOUR PAPER The general parameters of your paper may expand or

contract during the course of your research, but this step

will put you in the right ball-park to begin looking for

evidence. In this step you will need to recognize where

or even how you plan to do most of your research. If your

topic requires archaeological reports or scientific studies,

Example: I want to write about society and social roles during the Punic Wars. My approach will be

argumentative: I will argue that the equestrian class earned purchase power over the senatorial

social status. [psst: it goes without saying that your paper must not be on the topic illustrated by

these examples]

Example: For my paper I will rely on primary sources by Pliny, Polybius and Livy as well as modern

research by Scullard, Boardman and Kagen. In my research I’ll search for material concerning the

rise of the Equestrian class. I hope to find evidence about the rising importance of financial clout

superseding heritage as a social determinant.

Example: In my research I’ll collect a list of examples of the emerging merchant class succeeding

due to military contracts during the Punic wars. At the same time, I’ll collect examples of the

senatorial class being constrained by social traditions at this time thus limiting their participation

and encouraging the grown of the equestrian class. Finally, I’ll present evidence that social

standards limited the senatorial class and prompted the emergence of a middle class and a upper

middle merchant class, thus further stratifying Roman society.

common beginner mistake : failure to

shrink the topic to a manageable size.

This is a short paper. Don’t propose a

question that will require a 100 page

book to answer.


you’ll want to state that up front. If your topic demands you rely on a primary text (the Aeneid, for

example), state that right up front [warning: it is ALWAYS a good idea to look for secondary sources

because hundreds of scholars spend their entire professional career studying this material]. If you

plan to compare and contrast two commonly held opinions by scholars who study this sort of thing,

tell us a little about those scholars right up front. Many writers fail to think about the parameters of

the paper before they show up in a library. It is always a good idea to get some idea about your own

plan of attack.

Thesis statement Step 3: STATE WHAT YOU PLAN TO DO IN THIS RESEARCH PAPER This is the most important part of the thesis statement. What is this paper actually about? No, I’m

not interested in another restatement of “the topic” that you sent me earlier. What will you actually

do with the approx. 6-7 pages you are about to write? How will you do it? It is time to narrow your

topic down to a manageable little slice. At this stage you are going to come up with a game plan and

state it right up front. Don’t be surprised if you narrow it down even further but NOW is the time to

think about it.

Thesis STatement Step 4: Refine your thesis statement Time to put it all together: The goal is to compose around three to four GOOD sentences that follow

all of the steps above.

Final thesis statement: During the Punic Wars we witness the rise of a third social class

due to the sudden demand for warfare supplies. Eventually the financial success of the

Equestrian merchant class would set them on almost equal footing with the senatorial

class, distinguished purely on the grounds of wealth accumulation due to commerce or

trade. Using a number or primary sources and modern scholarship, I’ll prove that the

societal rules of the two-class system prior to the Punic Wars was the very mechanism

that forced the development of a third social class.

How do I know if my Working Thesis Statement is any good? Make sure that:

• …Your thesis is specific. Cover what you will discuss in your paper and nothing else.

• …Make reference to the general type of information that you’ll use to make your case

(textual, archaeological, linguistic, etc.).

• …You revise your thesis statement to reflect exactly what you have discussed in the paper

[thus, the version you turn may be different by the time you are finished with your final draft].

Check:

Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis simply

states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it’s possible that you are

simply providing a summary, rather than making a persuasive argument. Understand

that hundreds of scholars spend all their hours trying to “out-research” each other. Find

those controversies and take a side.

Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague often do

not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like “good” or “successful,” see

if you could be more specific: why is something “good”; what specifically makes


something “successful”? Therefore, use measurable NON-SUBJECTIVE types of

measurement.

Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? If a

reader’s first response is, “So what?” then you

need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to

connect to a larger issue.

Does my thesis pass the “how and why” test?

If a reader’s first response is “how?” or “why?”

your thesis may be too open-ended and lack

guidance for the reader.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Should I use 1st person? It is normally permissible to use

first person ONLY for your thesis statement. Avoid it

elsewhere in your paper at all costs. A little dab will do.

Can I use rhetorical questions and answer them once I

begin the paper in earnest? The LEAST effective thing you

can include in a research paper is a string of rhetorical

questions. Please avoid the! Seriously, they make graders really cranky. Frankly, use of rhetorical

questions make me shrink your grader faster than almost any other writing habit.

What about the ol’, “Webster’s Dictionary defines “king” as…” (or anything else that needs defined)?

Avoid this type of introduction for the rest of your life. If you feel the urge to use it, smack yourself

and start over. Put away the dictionary or any other book if you plan to use it like this.

Since This is history, can’t I just retell an historical account of some event? For the purposes of this

paper, avoid recreating an historical account unless settling a controversy over what actually

happened (EXAMPLE: Caesar’s Gallic Commentaries provide account A, B, C, but evidence suggests

that X. Y. Z was what actually happened).

Time to Turn in your Well-Reasoned Thesis: Copy and paste your thesis statement into an email to me ([email protected] ) no later than 7 PM ET

on the assigned due date. I’ll respond with some feedback either encouraging you to continue “as

is,” or (more likely) that your thesis needs more work. Out of 10 submissions, maybe 9 but probably

10 will be told they need more work. Feedback isn’t fun but it is necessary.

#3 Compile your Works Cited List

What is a Works Cited list? What is Citation? Remember, you are writing a research paper, not an essay or a report. A research paper requires

you to RESEARCH information from several information sources: books, articles, websites, art work,

etc. You will use the information, data, and ideas to further your persuasive argument. You must

then also CITE that information so that others can follow your line of reasoning and research to the

precise spot on the planet where YOU got the data. Ideally, any reader should be able to read your

Common beginner mistake: being too

subjective (meaning you rely on your

opinion rather than on something that

can be measured and proven true for

most reasonable persons).

Subjective: chicken is delicious;

Caesar was awesome, Rome was

better than Greece.

Objective: 2+2=4; Caesar enjoyed the

longest term as dictator, Rome’s

territory far exceeded that of Greece.

mailto:[email protected]


finished paper and follow exactly in your research footsteps to find the exact places where pulled

important information for your research. To make this happen you need 2 things:

1. Citations—a way of pinpointing the exact spot where you found the quote or the information

you are using for that part of the paper. For this paper, you’ll cite items that appear in your

Works Cited list using parentheses after the sentence (but before the period) – see

explanation and example below.

2. A Works Cited page—the last page of your paper is not counted in

your total page count. It will be a list of all your important

sources so that you can refer to them (cite them) in your

paper and so any reader can see exactly what sources you

used. All of your documents should be listed in

alphabetical order according to author using very strict

MLA formatting.

Here’s an example of what I mean:

Odysseus was a renowned

warrior, not just because he was a

physically strong man, but

because he was especially brave and

intelligent. Homer says that he “has what it takes for any kind of

work, / the heart, the courage—and is Athena’s friend” (Iliad

10.252-3). B. Smith suggests this passage illustrates all the

essential elements of heroic behavior, namely ergon, metis, and

heroic piety (Smith, 34). Jane Pickle further discusses the

characteristic of Odysseus’ metis and concludes, “Without brains

there can be no brawn” (Pickle, 57-8).

Notice that I have lots of citations in this sample

passage. The citations are the things in parentheses.

Parenthesis look like this: ( )

Each of the pages of your research paper should

have anywhere between 3 to 8 such citations! If

you write a 7 page paper, you should expect to

have around 21-49 citations like the ones above.

Notice for this ancient

text I cite the book and

line numbers NOT the

page number of the

modern place you found

the information. Also

notice Iliad is in italics.

All book titles should

either be in italics or

underlined each time

you use it.

Your reader can look up Pickle on your works

cited page, find the book and turn to page 57-8

to see this data.


DO NOT USE FOOTNOTES for this paper. In the example above you’ll notice that I ONLY include the

author’s last name and the page number(s) and, for ancient

authors, the exact spot in the ancient poem by Homer (10.252-3

refers to book 10 of the Iliad, lines 252-3---NOT page numbers,

line numbers!)

For those paying close attention to the EXAMPLE above, you provided a quote from Homer, specific

information from Smith, and a quote from Pickle. Your HYPOTHETICAL Works Cited list (below)

should now include the version of the Iliad that you used, the article by Bernard Smith, and the book

on metis by Jane Pickle. Put them (along with any other resources you used while doing your

research) in alphabetical order by the author’s last name just like this:

Lombardo, Stanley, trans. Iliad. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1997.

Pickle, Jane, More Metis Less Muscle. Des Moines: Tarmac Publishing,2012.

Smith, Bernard, “The Primary Characteristics of Homeric Heroes,” Heroes Illustrated. NY:

Frumbledore & Sons Publishing, October, 2004:16-89.

Just to be clear: A citation looks like this: (Smith, 345).

A citation must be used ANY time you give the

reader information that a reasonably well educated

person does not automatically know. A citation must be

used any time you quote another author. A citation must

be used any time you talk about an original idea or theory

proposed by another author. When in doubt, cite it. You must put a citation in the same line as the

information before the period. See all my examples? All citations appear before the period, like this

(Jones, 234).

Citations appear in the text—all throughout your text-- to tell your reader specifically WHERE

to go to read that data for him or herself (Barr, 10). Citations must PINPOINT location so you must

always use page number for prose, line numbers for poetry. It is usually best to avoid webpages

because (1) you can’t pin point where you pulled the data and (2) webpages tend to NOT be good

scholarly sources (I’ll talk more about this later).

Example:

Hannibal was from Carthage—does not need a citation.

Hannibal’s middle name “Bernard” came from his great uncle on his mother’s side—

does need a citation!

See how the top line is normal length across the page while each subsequent line is indented.

This format is called “hanging indent.” this is how a Works Cited entry should appear. Your

computer will do this paragraph formatting for you if you tell it to in the line spacing options in

“line and paragraph formatting”


A Works Cited list includes ALL the authors you ALREADY cited in your

paper. The two things work together but they are NOT the SAME thing. The

items in your Works Cited list are NOT CITATIONS! They provide the full

information for the work that is BRIEFLY cited in the paper.

Do not confuse “citations” with “works cited.” If you are still

uncertain what I am talking about, look at ANY of your scholarly sources as

examples of good citation (though I do NOT want you to use footnotes or

endnotes—these are optional methods of citation that you will learn at some

other time if you go to college).

What a Works Cited list is not This list should not be a dump of absolutely everything and anything you viewed while working on

this paper. Some of your first readings are for plain old general information. They simply aren’t

specific enough to “count” as anything but the general education you need to get you started in the

right direction. Children’s books, encyclopedias and Wikipedia fall into this category.

They are not scholarly. They should not be included as research items. They

are for general background for your own edification if you choose to look at

them when you first get started. These are not resources you can you as

genuine research. You must find scholarly resources once you begin your

actual research. I’ll talk about this below.

Citing ancient authors

What if I said the following: God said that all people must eat as much chocolate as possible on

Sundays (The Bible).

Do you see my citation at the end? I cited The Bible, right? ERGO, it must be true! NO? You want

me to prove it to you? Too bad! You the reader would love to look at this data for yourself. After

all, you would love to justify eating a lot of chocolate on Sundays! I guess you’ll just have to read

the ENTIRE bible to find what you seek.

Not so fun.

Instead, the citation for this ancient text should look like this: God said that all people must eat

as much chocolate as possible on Sundays (John 3:206). Some of you already know that in this

citation I have listed the book of the bible, the chapter, and the verse.

This is exactly how you should cite ALL ancient authors! Cite ancient authors by book number,

paragraph number, even line number but NEVER by page number. Can’t find all that stuff? You

better start searching!

Don’t just tell me that the information came from Pliny like this: (Pliny). Your reader should not

have to read everything ever written by Pliny to find your information. Tell me which Pliny and

WHERE Pliny told me the information (Pliny the Younger, Epistles, II.3)


This list should not include anything you did not personally read. When you add books or articles to

your Works Cited list that you did personally consult and read, this is called padding. It is dishonest

and shoddy scholarship. Some scholars make a livelihood out of collecting resources for other

scholars to use (writing bibliographies). Indeed, at the graduate level your professor will expect your

Works Cited list to be a bibliography, a full listing of anything and everything published on the paper’s

topic. That is NOT what you are going to do here. Only list what you yourself consulted.

How do I know what to include? Your first task is to understand what makes a good source of information for a research paper and

what does not. This task done poorly is the downfall of many beginning research writers. Why? Your

grader will ALWAYS look at your Works Cited list FIRST and make a snap decision about the quality of

your work right on the spot. No matter how great your writing might be, a bad Works Cited list means

your data sources are poor. Poor data=poor paper. Your grade will reflect the effects of poor

sources even if you’ve done an outstanding job of writing.

Those who are NEW to research have a hard time understanding which resources are good or which

ones are bad so here are five pointers:

1. Understand that everything online and in print is not equally useful for research. For

example, one should pay more attention to something written by an expert with years of

experience (a scholar) than to something written by a hobbyist or inexperienced student.

2. Understand that 88% of what’s available on the internet has not been written by scholars but

by people with “extra time on their hands.” This is why you may not rely on Wikipedia for any

meaningful data. If 82% of it is NOT scholarly, how will you, a student, be able to tell which

18% is actually reliable? Furthermore, many professors and high school teachers have

students “publish” essays to the internet. They are horrible and full of errors! Nevertheless, I

have yet to grade a group of student papers from Roman History in which several have not

been carelessly duped into citing a paper written by a person no more qualified on the

subject than themselves.

Most things on the internet are useless. Avoid them unless you KNOW the authors are

credentialed (have an MA or PhD). I really hate good papers spoiled by BAD online sources!

3. Understand that many things that look and sound scholarly actually are not. Today almost

anyone can get a book published. Absolutely everyone can post something on the internet.

Reporters and photo journalists frequently publish things in magazines like National

Geographic or Newsweek. Their articles look great but the words have been written someone

who is not an expert on the topic. Believe me: reporters often get things wrong. Though

“popular” sources (written things intended for entertainment) look and sound excellent,

these are still not great scholarly sources.

4. If you want to find scholarly resources, scour scholarly resources. This makes sense, right?

Once you find a book or article that is genuinely scholarly, search the Works Cited list on that

work for possible searchable items! Once you find interesting resources that might fit the

bill, look online, at your local university or college library, or go to your local library. While it is

slightly possible (you have .06% chance) that you’ll be able to find what you are looking

there, it is more likely that you’ll find it via interlibrary loan or through your library’s


subscription to online data bases of articles online. TALK to the librarian for help! Make sure

you speak to a real librarian; some library aids aren’t trained to help you find scholarly

materials.

5. Almost every good book or article on your topic will have a Works Cited page (it is also called

Bibliography or a “Suggestions for Further Reading” section). If it does not, this is your first

clue that you are NOT looking at scholarly work. If you have the Lombardo translation of the

Iliad, for example, check out page 514 in the hardback version—if you have another version

just look around in the back.

Things worth keeping in your Works Cited list: Primary resources

That would include the Iliad, Odyssey, Aeneid, the works of Livy, Plutarch, Polybius, or any other

ancient writer/text.

Please be aware when your ancient document was written. Just because it is old, does not mean it

is a primary resource for your topic. For example, when writing a paper about Homer (c. 750 BC), a

text written about him in the Middle Ages is not a primary source for that subject matter unless your

subject is about opinions of Homer if the Middle Ages. Likewise, Homer is not a primary source for

the Roman period.

Also include archaeological discoveries in your primary resources. If you are working on a paper

about the home town of Odysseys, for example, you’ll want to find out what archaeologists have dug

up in that respect (that might include soil samples, geological research, dendrochronology, etc).

Other topics might lead you to check out ancient art, coins,

inscriptions—all pretty useful primary materials when doing research

on the ancient world. Again, be aware of how old an item is.

Something dating to 5th century Athens won’t tell us much about the

way people lived in the early Iron Age. Many class papers on warfare

and weapons go terribly wrong when young researchers glob

together a thousand years of evidence in one jumbled heap. This is

the equivalent of saying weapons in 1776 are an accurate

reflection of weapons in 2013.

Scholarly works

Scholars are folks who have completed at least a master’s degree in the material about which they

are publishing. A scholar is NOT a student, a hobbyist, or a journalist. If you search for materials

online, be certain the person who wrote the material has at least a master’s degree or,

better, a PhD. Just because the article says “Susie Q., University of Blabla” does not

mean she is a scholar. Many professors ask students to publish articles online so the

whole class can read and evaluate their work. I’ve seen some horrible articles

listed in Works Cited because my students neglected to check WHO wrote the

material [Yes, I really do follow all web-links on your Works Cited list and look at

each thing there so do be careful].


The BEST scholarly resources…

…are journal articles. No, I’m not talking about popular magazines (like National Geographic or

Smithsonian), I’m talking about peer reviewed journal articles from periodicals like Journal of Roman

Archaeology or Bryn Mawr Classical Review. These represent not only the latest research on the

topic (important for archaeology) but also the most specific articles. Books just don’t compare as

favorably in this respect.

There is a VAST world of published research that fills rooms and storehouses. The average person

has no idea this material exists until he starts to look for it. There is no topic chosen by anyone in this

class that has not already been written about extensively by experts from around the world. Do try to

find at least an article or two in your search for good reasources.* A research article relies on the

research of scholarly writers. You are expected to find and use those resources for this paper.

*[Most peer reviewed journals have limited access to “members only.” All is not lost! Any decent

college or university library pays good money to have access to these things but you’ll have to ASK a

librarian to help you find these things online or in their system. Bring a flash drive! Most school will

allow you to simply download articles once you fine them]

Things that might also be included in your Works Cited list

You’ll want to include any essential books on the topic in your research. It is at your peril to ignore

the definitive book on ancient sandals if you are writing about Homer’s shoes. Can’t find it at your

local library? Keep looking. Local libraries are only filled with popular books that the average person

wants to read for enjoyment or “how to.” Don’t be surprised if only your local university has this type

of material. Most of you should expect to spend at least one good afternoon researching materials

at your local university library. This is an excellent skill so why not start now? I promise that college

librarians are perfectly sweet. Ask them to help you search their resources to scholarly data bases

full of scholarly articles! Be sure to bring a flash drive and maybe some money to buy a copy card of

the library is “old school.”

Sometimes you’ll need to look up related subjects to get some good information. So, our paper on

Homer’s shoes might also require articles on ancient cobblers, ancient shoe strings, and ancient

shoe polish.

Six things that should NEVER be included on a works cited list

Never include any of the following—I mean it, NEVER:

1. Wikipedia

2. Encyclopedias (book form or online form or digital form or any form)

3. Dictionaries

4. Recordings of lectures, live lectures, sound tracks of lectures, Great Courses lectures…ANY

live presented lecture.


5. Children’s books of any kind whatsoever. If it has lots of pretty

pictures—suspect you are looking at a book intended for light

entertainment.

6. Popular books or magazines intended for entertainment

(Smithsonian or National Geographic, for example)

7. Web pages intended for entertainment. You can find most primary

documents online and you can even find a few scholarly articles

outside of subscription data bases. Everything else will probably

need to be found at your local library using that library’s subscription

to scholarly data bases. Many students just start Googling their topic

and use anything and everything they find. This is a bad idea for

reasons explained above. If you don’t know who wrote the material

nor if it is researched by a person with advanced knowledge, you

probably shouldn’t use it.

Using the MLA Style Sheet What is a style sheet?

For the purposes of this paper you will use the MLA style sheet. When you

write any research paper you must use the assigned style sheet.

A style sheet is “a concise guide to crafting college research papers.” It is a

set of rules that apply to FORMAT, not to content. Following a style sheet

means that all papers written about a certain field (MLA is used for most

research done in the humanities and other related fields) will all follow the

same guidelines for formatting. Students who are new to research writing

have a hard time understanding why so many little details matter much.

They adapt a “nobody cares” attitude about formatting. Things go downhill

from there as does your grade.

The truth is this: formatting REALLY matters. At the college level it is (1)

highly UNlikely that anyone will ever teach you how to use a style sheet and

(b) you will simply be expected to use one perfectly for every research paper

you turn in from the very start. While this may sound mean or even harsh, it

is true. That is why learning about these things now will make college easier

for you in the future!

The law of the land is this: for all formatting guidelines that are NOT covered in your original paper

assignment sheet below (see the section on turning in your paper) or in the Lukeion Project

Research Writing Guidelines, use the MLA style sheet. Please be sure to use hanging indent for each

listing on your Works Cited list, single spaced; double spaced between entries.

Handy MLA reference without buying the book:

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/

The details of

formatting really,

really, really

matter…really.

Go 3 places for

information:

1. The Lukeion

Roman

History

Research

paper

formatting

laws (below)

2. The Lukeion

Project

Research

Writing

Guidelines

(separate

document on

your class

page).

3. The MLA style

sheet (online)

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/


The MLA style sheet governs how you should list each work in your Works Cited list. There is a very

specific way one must do this. Most people get it wrong on their first try so I’m going to ask you to be

very careful and edit thoroughly.

Where can I get some help in formatting each listing?

There’s help! Go here for a full explanation of how each type of listing works (there are proper

formatting rules for each type of document including books, journal articles, items published on the

internet, etc.): http://content.easybib.com/

“Cheat” a bit and go use the ap. Citation Builder: http://library.unc.edu/citationbuilder/

Q&A Q: How many works (books, articles, websites) should be listed for this assignment?

At this time, you are just getting started. I want you to get your hands on a minimum of 5 good

resources for the initial Works Cited submission. Find at least one from a scholarly journal. These

should be items that you’ve already perused or plan to read for the paper--I do not expect that you’ve

completely read everything on your list.

Q: Is this my final Works Cited list?

No way! Let me repeat: You are just getting started. By the time you turn your paper in at the end of

the semester, I would expect anywhere from 6-20 items on your works cited list, depending on your

topic.

Q: What do I do with your Works Cited list and when is it due?

Copy and paste your properly MLA formatted Works Cited list (arranged in alphabetical order by

author) into an email to me ([email protected]) no later than 7 PM ET on the due date. INCLUDE a

copy of your thesis statement. I will look them over and return comments to you by email.

IMPORTANT: if you send/receive plain text* email only and are stubborn about NEVER using rich

text or HTML (pssst….you can actually change how your email arrives in your email program to HTML

or at least rich text but sometimes your internet service provider requires you to use only plain text

email—be sure to talk to your home “IT professional.”): Please format your Works Cited list properly

in a word processing program and send it to me as an attached file (not a link to a file in a cloud).

This is not optimal and should only be used if you absolutely CANNOT send/receive rich text or HTML

formatted emails.

*[You can tell if your email arrives as rich text/html formatted if your class news arrives on a colored

decorative background]

http://content.easybib.com/

http://library.unc.edu/citationbuilder/


# 4: Create a Great Paper Outline

What is an Outline and why do I need one? All good writing starts with a good skeleton. If you are going to write a fiction novel, for

example, you’ll sketch a skeletal plot line for the whole novel (or even 2 or 3

novels if you have big dreams of fantastic success). This sketch will

include a general idea of your plot twists and you’ll formulate a general

idea about how much how much time (and writing real estate) you’ll

spend on each part of the plot. Naturally, as you proceed with your

plans to write the next New York Times Best Seller, you’ll improve on

the outline again and again until you are finally done with your

creation.

A research paper may never be the next best thing since sliced bread,

but you will need to sketch a skeleton for it just the same. Everyone who

skips this step will end up with a jumbled, disorganized, train-of-thought

product. Bleh. Since I’m the one who must grade such spaghetti messes of confused

thought, I’m going to require you to get organized before you get started. Even folks who do research

writing for a living (yes, there are a great many people who do), will start with a research paper

outline each and every time.

What a paper outline is not You are working on your first sketch of your paper. By the time you finish your paper, you may make

many little changes to this outline. In fact, I strongly recommend that you do so. So why turn in your

paper-outline a whole month before the paper is due? It is very important that have a firm vision for

the content and nature of your research paper as you work through all the various stages of writing.

You should constantly improve your outline as your research continues. Therefore, the one thing this

paper outline is not: It is not a final draft.

Consider this your “working outline.” You will adjust it again along the way.

How do I write a paper outline? Your paper outline has THREE parts: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. You can

summarize these three parts as follows:

1. Intro: Tell them what you are gonna tell them.

2. Body: Tell them.

3. Conclusion: Tell them what you told them.

You want all the parts of your paper to flow together logically. They should not be disjointed factoids

left alone, shivering in the cold. Let’s look at these three parts in more detail:

1. INTRODUCTION: Tell them what you are gonna tell them. Your introduction is essentially your thesis statement. As I’ve already discussed, your thesis

statement is the first thing you’ll write and, normally, the last thing you’ll fine-tune in your last edit

before turning the paper in. It is normally your first paragraph. Your introduction must be:

The payoff

of a

detailed

organized

outline?

The paper

almost

“writes

itself”!


Precise – say what you mean and mean what you say. Your introduction should give the

reader an exact impression of what is to come in the rest of the paper.

Concise – don’t get too wordy. First time writers err by making the introduction too meaty. If

done properly, you’ll have room in your paper to provide background information and prove

your points well. Your introduction should simply clue the reader in to the argument at hand

in its most basic form.

Not Dramatic – many research papers are spoiled by folks who want to zizz-up their intro with

epic wonderfulness. While you might be writing about an epic, your research paper must not

sound epic. Take a clinical tone and, for the most part, avoid all modifiers (adjectives and

adverbs) unless they truly add to the precision and concision mentioned above. Also avoid

any super-long-high-falootin’ words.

Be sure to briefly explain the (three) major points you plan to cover in your paper and why

readers should be interested in your topic.

2. BODY: TELL THEM This is where you present your arguments and evidence that support your thesis statement that

appears in the introduction.

Traditional research paper writing guidelines suggest that the body of the paper (the real meat of this

project) should include three major points that you’ll make to support your thesis. This is a good

starting point and most papers work pretty well following this suggestion. Others will do perfectly

well with two points and some will work out just great with four. So, three is a good average. Until

you have more experience writing research papers three is the best place to start. Notice I’ve said

“points” not paragraphs. Please do not turn in a five paragraph paper.

What points should one include?

First know this: Background information should NOT be one of your three points. Yes, you read this

correctly. Many beginning research writers will use 3 out of 7 pages on this assignment retelling the

story of the event they are discussing to a reader who teaches it professionally. Know your reader!

Assume your readers already know background information being discussed in your paper. Your

audience is, therefore, reasonably well educated in the topic about which you write. All you need to

do is provide VERY BRIEF background sentences (not paragraphs

or pages) to help your reader get oriented before you

discuss the three or four salient points in this

research paper. If you spend too much time just

talking about the narrative at hand, I’ll tell you that

you are being “too narrative” an approach. The

purpose of this paper is to be analytical and

persuasive, not narrative.

What might your three points include? Take a look at these trios to see if some might be the

right fit for your topic. There are MANY other

possibilities, but these three are here to help you start

thinking about how your three points might fit together:


For/Against 1. Arguments for the issue at hand – demonstrate what several scholars have to say that

support the idea.

2. Arguments against the issue at hand – demonstrate what several scholars have to say

against the topic.

3. Your stand on the issue after examining the evidence (well supported by evidence) – here

you usually demonstrate that one argument or the other (pro/con) is better supported by the

data at hand.

Example: (1) So-and-so-credentialed-scholar(s) believes Troy was located in southern Spain. (2) So-

and-so-credentialed-scholar(s) believes Troy is located in Turkey. (3) Based on this evidence and

additional evidence that I am providing here in this point, I conclude that Troy is located in Turkey.

Historical Development 1. Demonstrate that something happened based on evidence you cite…

2. Demonstrate that something else happened as a result of this first event based on evidence

you cite…

3. Demonstrate the final results of an event based on evidence you cite

Example: (1) The Greek alphabet had not been formalized by 750 BC based on evidence I’m citing

here. (2) Homer likely lived around 750 BC based on evidence I’m citing here. (3) Therefore, Homer

did not write the Iliad in the literal sense, per se. He likely memorized it and future poets wrote it

down based on evidence I’m citing here. This contradicts the idea that he composed his epic in

writing.

Same/Different 1. Demonstrate how two people/events/plot lines/etc. are very much similar

2. Demonstrate how two people/events/plot lines/etc. are very much different

3. Based on evidence above (and any new evidence in support of your thesis) demonstrate why

this is significant.

Example: (1) Augustus successfully rose to power because he emulated several tactics engineered

by his adoptive father Julius Caesar. (2) Augustus was different than Julius Caesar citing examples 1,

2 and 3. (3) I conclude that based on this evidence, and support from So-and-so-credentialed-

scholar(s) that Augustus recognized the flaws in Caesar’s approach and amended his approach in

such a way that the Roman people would readily tolerate a king in the guise of emperor.

3. CONCLUSION: tell them what you told them. The term “conclusion” can be a bit confusing. You will actually make your final conclusion in the

third point of the body of the text! That’s right: Spoilers! For want of a better term, writing guides call

the last paragraph the “conclusion” even though you should have already demonstrated your well

supported “conclusion” in the body of the text. The purpose of the conclusion is to tie everything up

in one smart little package so your reader goes away satisfied by your persuasive research. Draw

together all of your points and assertions in a bundle as the last thing your reader reads.


The real purpose of the conclusion is to precisely and concisely restate how you’ve proven your

thesis based on a very precise and concise summary of the most salient points stated above.

Many college level concluding paragraphs also go on to propose additional (not-yet-existent)

research and evidence that might further prove a point or it might verbalize how the idea might be

even further explored. This traditional addition to a concluding paragraph gives the researcher a

little “out” in case new evidence disproves his/her theory in the future.

Your outline should be a skeleton! Here’s an rough idea of what your structure

should do: 1. Introduction includes the Thesis Statement which in only a couple of sentences will state the

focus of your paper.

a. General background information

b. Brief synopsis of the main points

2. Main point #1

a. Research concept

i. Supporting ideas

ii. Citation(s)

iii. Connect this to next concept

b. Research concept

i. Supporting ideas

ii. Citation(s)


c. Research concept

i. Supporting ideas

ii. Citation(s)


3. Main point #2

a. Research concept

i. Supporting ideas

ii. Citation(s)


b. Research concept

i. Supporting ideas

ii. Citation(s)


c. Research concept

i. Supporting ideas

ii. Citation(s)


4. Main point #3

a. Research concept

i. Supporting ideas

ii. Citation(s)



b. Research concept

i. Supporting ideas

ii. Citation(s)


c. Research concept

i. Supporting ideas

ii. Citation(s)


5. Summary and Conclusion

6. Works Cited (will appear with a page break at the end)

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

So, should my paper only be 5 paragraphs long? No! You’ve confused my discussion of 5 “parts” [the intro, 3 points in the body, the conclusion] to

mean 5 paragraphs. Ideally, paragraphs should only be 7-10 typed lines long. Each of the points in

the body of your text should have 3 or 4 supporting points or pieces of the puzzle. Therefore, each of

your paper parts may be several paragraphs long. Traditionally the intro and the conclusion are 1

perfectly written paragraph each.

Can’t I use more than 3 or 4 points in the body of the paper? At your peril. Especially for a paper so short as the one you are writing, any paper that has more than

3 or 4 major “points” stands the chance of being disorganized and unconvincing. Understand that

each point should include a tiny bit of background and well cited evidence. Three points with each

part having three supporting points is plenty. Stick with the rule of three.

How do I turn this outline in? Copy/Paste your outline and send it to me at my email address: [email protected] no later than 7 PM

ET on the due date. Yes, I prefer it copied and pasted into an email so I can read AND comment on it.

Everyone who turns their outline in one time will get helpful comments from me and credit for this

portion of the assignment. If you turn this outline in late, you may not earn any feedback.

If you send me a miniature version of a paper or a miniscule few sentences, I’ll not be able to offer

much feedback for this part of the assignment! USE the sample framework style given to you above!

A well composed outline means your paper writing will seem 112% less difficult!

#5 Complete your Paper

*Complete a Rough Draft at least 5 days before the paper is due. Reserve your

last day for one last final edit session. Writing a good research paper always

takes much longer than you might think. Don’t test this advice and start your

paper at the last minute

mailto:[email protected]


Paper Requirements for your research paper (these are laws—obey them)

Check this list before you turn in your paper. Ignore these requirements and your grade will shrink

instantly.

Turn your paper in on time as described on your syllabus. I deduct one point for every

hour or part of an hour the document is late. Only a health emergency of colossal

proportions can win you an extension because you should have been well on your way

to a completed paper several days before the deadline.

formatting laws □ Length: 2500 to 3000 words long (that’s roughly 6 -7 pages). The word count

is normally visible in the lower left corner of your word processing program.

Longer or shorter papers will earn grade penalties. Word count should NOT

include the Works Cited page.

□ 11 POINT FONT

□ Times New Roman

□ 1.25 margins all around

□ Double space except for block quotes and your Works Cited list. There

should be no extra spaces between paragraphs whatsoever. MS Word

users: your program will automatically add extra space between paragraphs.

Tell your computer to remove extra spaces. All of them.

□ Place your name, date, class name and instructor, single spaced, in the upper

left corner of first page

□ Center the title a double space below your name data

□ Works Cited list must be the last page after a “page break,” divided from the body of the

paper (the last part of your paper must not be on any part of the Works Cited page).

o It is NOT to be COUNTED in the word count paper length but should be in the same

document file (I DO NOT want two files).

o Works Cited should be organized in alphabetical order by author’s last name and

using the MLA format (Chicago Manual of Style will help here. Find the most recent

copy at your library).

Check this list SIX

TIMES before you

turn in your paper.

Ignore these

requirements and

your grade will

shrink instantly.


o Single space within long listings, double space between listings. Hanging indent

paragraph format.

o Need help? Go here! http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/citationbuilder/

□ Use and cite a bare minimum of 5 different good scholarly sources and primary sources.

Excellent papers will have many many more than 5.

□ BLOCK QUOTES: If a quote is longer than three normal lines of text: single space and block

indent by five on the left side. (No paper should EVER have more than two block indented

quotes. It is even better if there are none). More than 2 block quotes? I start DRAINING

points from your paper!

□ For all format questions not covered here, refer to the MLA style sheet available online or the

most recent Chicago Manual of Style.

□ Save your paper as LAST NAME_FIRST NAME_ROME_research2016

your file name should look a little like this: Doe_John_ROME_research2016

□ Send your beautifully formatted paper as an attached .docx file. If necessary send it as a .doc

file. Do not send it as a .pdf or .txt and certainly not as a link to a cloud document.

If you’ve prepared well, finishing the paper is not difficult Those who’ve carefully read my wise words and advice in this document will have a pretty easy

transition through all of the stages necessary to complete this paper calmly and with great finesse.

Even VERY inexperienced writers have been given plenty of time to complete this paper and make it

a GOOD one! About a week before the paper is due you should re-read this whole document. Check

to see if I’ve warned about something here; you may need to amend some or all of your paper if

you’ve forgotten key components. It is very common for beginning writers to have the most trouble

with citations and the Works Cited page.

Before you turn in your paper (hopefully the day before), when you are pretty sure it is ready to turn in

for a grade (this is the hard part but do it you must), hand the paper to an adult. Instruct him or her

to “be honest” and mark it up. That person should spend 10 or 15 minutes editing, marking, and

commenting about the paper you are about to turn in. Ouch. Some of you would rather write it in

private and send it off to me, hoping it stands on its own merits. This is a mistake. Voluntarily have

somebody edit your paper before you turn it in.

I expect to see many properly done citations PER PAGE of your research paper

or there will be a giant reduction in your grade. A research paper without

citations is NOT a research paper, it is a poorly done junior-high report.

http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/citationbuilder/


Some of you are going to hate this part of the process more than any other part, so why do it?

You’ve spent hours typing words that make great sense to you. Chances are good that these same

words need some ironing and mending before they are ready to be received by your instructor. Even

famous writers have editors, readers, and feedback-givers. In my experience, the less experience you

have at writing, the less likely you are to ask for editing. Head my words and beat the curve by

getting some free editing from a willing soul. Your paper thanks you.

Three final words of advice: 1. You can never edit too many times.

2. Never turn a research paper in late.

3. Don’t forget to get a volunteer(s) to edit your paper for you.

Your paper must possess the following properties:

□ Scholarly sources

□ Citations with author’s last name followed by a comma, followed by the page number(s)

if print: (Barr, 56)

□ Properly formatted Works Cited page

□ Strictly obeyed formatting

□ Even if your paper is written with the skill of Homer himself, I will not gift you with an “A

grade” if these things are not strictly obeyed.

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