Description
. PART I
Length, Style, Format, and Layout Guidelines
Length of Paper (Body of Text)
¥ 4-5 pages of text (approximately 1,750 – 2,250 words). This number does not include your bibliography, footnote/endnote, and illustration or map captions.
Style
¥ The Chicago Manual Style (16th Edition). There are one or more hard copies of The Chicago Manual of Style in the Hayden Library and most importantly, we have online access to it. To access the online version, type “Chicago Manual of Style” in the library search module then click on the listing. Additionally, Purdue University has a good website that gives an overview of the style and compares it with other styles: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/717/01/
.
1
Footnotes/Endnotes and Bibliography
¥ Papers without footnotes or end notes and bibliography will not be accepted.
¥ Make sure you indicate your research documentation; you are required to use at least three (3) sources but do not use Wikipedia as a source!!!
¥ Don’t forget, you can use content from the chapter corresponding to your research topic in our course textbook, Jonathan Bloom, Sheila Blair, Islamic Arts (London: Phaidon, 1997) as one of your research sources!
Format
??All papers must be typed or word processed (preferably using a Word program) and submitted in hard-copy form; handwritten papers are not acceptable.
Page Dimensions
¥ Normal page dimensions are 8 1?2-by-11. Font
¥ Times New Roman, Arial, or similar standard font, no larger than size 12 point, regular.
Margins
¥ Leave a margin of 1″ on all four edges (top, bottom, left, and right) of all pages.
¥ Right margins should be uneven or ragged (i.e., left justified or aligned). Text Spacing
??All text should be double-spaced, including headings, subheadings, block quotations, numbered lists, bulleted lists, and reference citations.
Paragraph Indentation
??The rule for paragraph indention is also consistency. Indent all paragraphs 0.5” (five spaces) from the left margin and block quotations (entire block quotation indented 0.5” on the left side only).
Pagination
??Every page of the paper, excluding the title page, must display a page number, beginning with the Arabic numeral 1 and running consecutively to the end of the paper.
2
Figures, Maps, and Tables
¥ Number all figures, including photos, maps, drawings, graphs and tables with Arabic numerals in the order in which the figures and tables are first mentioned in the text,.
¥ It is important to guide the reader to the correct figure or table!
¥ Give every figure a brief but clear title (e.g., Figure 1. Reconstructed view of St. Peter’s Basilica.); end the title with a period. Double-space the title, and place the title below the figure.
¥ In the text, refer to figures and tables by their numbers: as shown in Figure 2, the subdivisions; subdivisions in Istanbul (see Figure 3).
¥ Cite the source below the figure title in a note or below the table in a note, giving credit to the original author.
PART II
Content and Organization Guidelines
1) Title Page (see format sample below)
The title page identifies the writer and the topic. An example title page is included in the handout. The title of the paper should be creative, descriptive, and meaningful to the subject.
2) Text: Subdivision Overview
The text of the paper includes the a) introduction, b) the body, and the c) conclusion. The introduction catches the reader’s attention, presents the topic, gives background information on the topic, and, within the thesis statement, previews the major subtopics (divided by subheadings). The body is divided into the appropriate subtopics (divided by subheadings) in the same order given in the thesis statement. The conclusion briefly summarizes the main points of the paper, revisits and/or restates the thesis statement, and presents any conclusions drawn from each of the subtopics.
Ensure that sentences and paragraphs flow smoothly from one to the next. Clear, logical transitions help prevent reader confusion. Each sentence and paragraph should deal with a single subject. To increase readability and clarity, use shorter paragraphs and sentences. When possible, break up extremely long paragraphs and run-on sentences into two or more paragraphs or sentences.
3
In addition to proofreading for spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors, read through the text of your composition and consider whether you have used the best, most precise words to make your point. Often writers use words that do not quite mean what they intend, or use big words that sound impressive but detract from the paper’s readability. For a good website that discusses and lists words that are often confused or misused in compositions see:
https://public.wsu.edu/%7Ebrians/errors/errors.html
3) Placement of Figures, Maps, Photos, Tables, etc. (also see above for formatting “Figures and Tables”)
Illustrations and/or charts: they should be either,
1) integrated into the text where appropriate with numbers that correspond to their discussion in the body text.
or
2) placed together on pages placed a the end of the research paper and labeled “Illustrations” with numbers that correspond to their discussion in the body text.
4) After you finish writing, proofread your research paper for content, grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc., before you turn them in to me. All assignments should be properly formatted, legible, and neatly presented. Sloppy work containing excessive spelling, punctuation, grammatical errors, incomplete work, or work not done according to assigned format will be penalized.
