hist101-final paper---5 pages---boston tea party

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Writing an Essay

 

An essay is not simply a list of facts. You must organize the facts into themes which support a central argument or thesis. This thesis should be introduced in the beginning of the paper and developed throughout the paper one step at a time. The stronger your thesis, the easier it will be for you to develop a strong argument. Use an outline to organize your thoughts in a clear, coherent and logical manner and to guide you in writing the essay. Organizationally, the essay has three main parts:

  1. Introduction. Use the introduction to state your thesis, outline the main points you will make in the essay/paper, and describe the conclusions which you will draw in the essay. Essays are not mystery papers; the reader should know from the beginning what your conclusions are. Use the introduction to draw the reader into the essay. Often it is easier to write your introduction last, after you clearly know what arguments you develop in the essay.
  2. Body. The body is the bulk of your paper, the place where you present your facts and develop your thoughts and arguments. The body can be developed chronologically, thematically, geographically, or in any number of ways, but you must make it clear how you are approaching and organizing the material. While you write the essay, keep in mind the following points:
    • Write in paragraphs. Each paragraph is a unit of thought limited to one major idea. Each paragraph should relate to and support your thesis or central argument. Use specific and concrete examples to support your general statements. Be sure your facts are correct and that they support your argument.
    • Use good grammar. This includes writing in complete sentences, using past tense instead of present tense when appropriate, using active verbs instead of passive ones, varying your vocabulary, and avoiding sexist language (i.e.--don't use the generic "he" or talk about the history of man when you mean the history of humans or people). If you have taken an English composition class, bring those skills into your essay.
    • Write analytically, not descriptively. Do not just explain what happened, but also try to explain why it happened and why it is significant. Facts are important, but without interpretation they become meaningless.
    • I am not looking for any "correct" answers. Rather, it is more important that you are able to use the material to develop an argument supporting your viewpoint.
    • You will be rewarded for independent and original thought. Don't be afraid to give your opinions and interpretations of the material (this is your thesis!). Be critical of your readings and the lectures. Look for new ways of approaching the material. When you disagree with an author's views, say so.
    • Be creative. Make your essay interesting to read. Don't assume that your instructor will know everything there is to know on your topic. Write as if you are teaching someone something that is new and interesting. This will automatically make your paper a better one.
  3. Conclusion. The conclusion can be as simple as a restatement of your introduction. It should emphasize your thesis, and briefly summarize how you have proven it in the body of the paper. In this way, your paper is cyclical--you end up where you started. You can also use the conclusion to state your own interpretations, to assess and argue with the material you have read, and to point to gaps in our historical knowledge.

If your assignment is to write a five-six page paper, you may find it most useful to follow the nine-paragraph model where the first two paragraphs constitute the introduction, the next six form the body, and the final two paragraphs as the conclusion. The introduction and conclusion frame your essay, and the body presents the information necessary to support your thesis. Each of the six paragraphs should concern one specific issue which supports your main argument. For example, if your assignment is to write a paper on the consequences of the American War for Independence, these six paragraphs might touch on social, economic, and political aspects which demonstrate that Independence resulted in either profound or minimal changes (your thesis). This format, of course, can be modified as necessary to meet the specific needs of your topic. If you are writing a 20-page research paper, the introduction might be several paragraphs long. If your assignment is to write a three-page paper, follow the five-paragraph model where the first paragraph is the introduction, the next three form the body, and the final paragraph is the conclusion.

 

 

The Form of the Research Paper

 

The physical form and appearance of a research paper is important. Papers must be written in accordance with the style specified by your program/department, standard formatting (1 inch margins and 12pt font, etc.), and not be less or more than the pages specified by your instructor (not counting the Works Cited page). 

 

The MLA, APA or Chicago guides are available in the reference section of the library or in most good bookstores. Note that a Documentation Guide for:

 

            http://owl.english.purdue.edu/media/pdf/20090216023752_557.pdf

 

 

 

 

Briefly, the following are important elements you should keep in mind when writing the essay:

  1. The Title Page. The first page of the paper should contain only the title of your paper, your name, the name and/or number of this class, and the date. [NOTE: This page does not constitute one of the 5 or 6 pages required].
  2. The Text. The text should contain an Introduction, Body, and Conclusion (as laid out above), and the pages should be numbered. [Note: this section constitutes the 5-6 page requirement].
  3. References In any formal essay or research paper (including three-page papers) you must document the information you use in the writing of the paper. This is to let the reader know the sources of the information you use and is accomplished through a system of citations and a bibliography. You must include both; failure to do so will result in a lower grade for your paper. [NOTE: this page does not constitute one of the 5 or 6 pages required].

Citations must be present in the body of the essay

Citations document material you use in your paper. You must use a citation to give the source of a direct quotation or paraphrase of someone else's writings or ideas, statistical information, historical descriptions and events, or a date. Any information which is not general knowledge must carry a citation. Failure to do so is plagiarism, which is cheating and can result not only in an "F" for the paper.

 

Internet Sources

 

Internet sources must be analyzed and documented the same as any other sources you utilize in the writing of a paper. Be careful that the material you are using is from a legitimate source; just because it is written does not make it true. No standard method for documenting Internet sources has emerged, but the citations should include the name of the author and title of the item the same information as any other source you might use. In addition, you must give the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) or web address for the item you are using. Finally, give the date that the item was written. If that information is not available, list the date on which you accessed the page.

 

Plagiarism

 

Plagiarism is the use of someone else's ideas without giving proper acknowledgment. The term “plagiarism” includes, but is not limited to, the use, by paraphrase or direct quotation, of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment. It also includes the unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or agency engaged in the furnishing or selling of term papers or other academic materials.

 

The Modern Language Association's MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers defines plagiarism as follows:

  • repeating another's sentences as your own,
  • adopting a particularly apt phrase as your own,
  • paraphrasing someone else's argument as your own,
  • presenting someone else's line of thinking in the development of a thesis as though it were your own.

 

In short, to plagiarize is to give the impression that you have written or thought something that you have in fact borrowed from another.

 

Appearance

 

The paper must be neatly formatted, double-spaced with a one-inch margin on the top, bottom, and sides of each page. When submitting hard copy, be sure to use white paper and print out using dark ink. If it is hard to read your essay, it will also be hard to follow your argument.

 

Please number the pages of your essay (except for the title page).

 

You must proofread your paper. But do not strictly rely on your computer's spell-checker and grammar-checker; failure to do so indicates a lack of effort on your part and you can expect your grade to suffer accordingly. Papers with numerous misspelled words and grammatical mistakes will be penalized. Read over your paper – in silence and then aloud – before handing it in and make corrections as necessary. Often it is advantageous to have a friend proofread your paper for obvious errors. Handwritten corrections are preferable to uncorrected mistakes.

 

Use a standard 10 to 12 point (10 to 12 characters per inch) typeface. Smaller or compressed type and papers with small margins or single-spacing are hard to read. It is better to let your essay run over the recommended number of pages than to try to compress it into fewer pages.

 

Likewise, large type, large margins, large indentations, triple-spacing, increased leading (space between lines), increased kerning (space between letters), and any other such attempts at "padding" to increase the length of a paper are unacceptable, wasteful of trees, and will not fool your professor.

 

 

Final check list

 

Before handing in your paper, please check the following items:

The pages are numbered.

The paper includes citations and a bibliography.

You have spell-checked, grammar-checked, and proofread the paper.

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