Requirements:
1. LENGTH: Your paper must be 5 full, typed pages (text), double-spaced, 12 pt font Times New Roman, with one inch margins. Maps, illustrations, etc. are in addition to the pages of text.
2. RESEARCH: Your paper must have a works cited page with a minimum of THREE solid sources. DO NOT USE your textbook, general encyclopedias or an on-line or CD encyclopedia (like Grolier, Wikipedia or Encarta) as a cited source in your paper. You should use both printed and online sources, BUT ONLY 1 OF YOUR SOURCES CAN BE FROM A WEBSITE! If you need help finding appropriate sources, do not hesitate to ask me and/or a reference librarian for help.
3. CITATIONS: You MUST include citations in the body of your paper to indicate the source of all the information you used from your research sources. A list of your sources on the Works Cited page IS NOT ENOUGH. See Citation of Sources below for more detailed instructions on citations. If you do not understand these instructions, ask me to explain them. You cannot receive above a C- (71) on a research paper that does not have citations. Document the sources of the information you use in the MLA format. If you do not understand what is meant by the MLA format, ask me to explain it. [If you prefer APA, Chicago, or Turabian you may use those styles as long as you are consistent.] Do not assume that the way you did a research paper in high school or another college or for another class is the right way. Let me know if you have any doubts or questions about doing citations.
***Your paper should be fairly structured. What I expect****
Start with an introduction paragraph (introduce your individual and give a little background on the country/empire that your individual is from that helps place him/her in his historical location).
End your intro with your Thesis (Was this individual significant/important? Why?)
After your intro, your next paragraph should give some background on the individual himself, and re-enforce your thesis.
You then should have about 3-5 paragraphs supporting your thesis (what your individual did and why it was important/significant). This is where your research should be used to support your thesis and your ideas. (This is where the analysis really comes in!!) (Although the thesis and ideas are yours, you should NEVER write in the First Person. Rather, your paper should always be in Third Person, and in Past Tense!) While supporting your thesis, do not forget to look at evidence that may possibly disprove your thesis, and try to counter it with arguments that support your thesis.
Finally, you will have a conclusion paragraph that wraps up the entire paper. You will want to re-visit your thesis in the conclusion, and give your final analysis as to why your thesis is correct and supported.
