MY Topic: MARTIN LUTHER
Research Paper Guidelines: Each student will prepare a 1250-1750 word general research paper on one of the topics listed below. The paper should be typed, double spaced, and in a 12pt font. This paper must be supported by at least 5 legitimate sources, including at least 1 primary source. The paper must also be supported by citations (footnotes) and a bibliography page, and these must conform to the History Department Writing Guide. The paper is worth 30% of the course grade.
Students may formulate their own paper topic, but ONLY in consultation with the professor.
Expectations for Research Papers
This is designed to be a short guide to what the History Department expects from research papers in its courses. IT DOES NOT REPLACE THE HISTORY DEPARTMENT WRITING GUIDE! In addition to being graded on the factual content of the paper, you will also be graded upon the following:
Plagiarism – If you plagiarize, you will receive either a 0 for the assignment, or a 0 for the course, at the discretion of the professor. You will then be subject to all penalties described in The Lance.
Unacceptable selection and/or use of sources – If you make use of unacceptable sources (Wikipedia, other non-refereed internet sources, etc.) OR you use your sources in an unacceptable manner (paraphrasing, etc) your grade will be immediately reduced to a 69 (a D!), and all subsequent grading will begin from that point.
Failure to cite – You must properly cite your sources (i.e. footnotes). A bibliography at the end of the paper, while a necessary component of the paper, does not replace the need for citations. Any paper turned in without citations will receive a 0! Papers with minimal citations will be graded accordingly.
Improper Citation – The History Department Writing Guide prescribes the appropriate method of citation (Turabian style footnotes). Turning in a paper with citations in another format (MLA or APA), will result in the reduction of your grade to a 75, and all subsequent grading will begin from that point.
Late Papers – Late papers will NOT be accepted. All papers for this course are to be submitted via the Canvas course page. The paper file MUST by in .docx, .doc, .wpd, .rtf, or .pdf format. You may NOT submit .wps (Wordpad or Microsoft Works) files. It is solely the student’s responsibility to make sure the proper paper, in the proper file format, is uploaded by the proper time. Hard copies or e-mailed papers will not be accepted. Late papers or improperly submitted papers will receive a grade of 0.
Grammar and Spelling – The ability to communicate via the written word is a necessary component of a college-level education. Thus, grammar and spelling are ALWAYS important! The existence of some consistent, but minor, grammatical/spelling problems will result in the loss of a letter grade. Consistent major grammatical problems will drop the paper to a 69, and all subsequent grading will continue from that point. Such grammatical issues include, but are not limited to, the following:
Subject/Verb Agreement
Tense Shifting
Run-on Sentences
Sentence Fragments
