The War on Terror: The Need to Proceed with Diplomacy
Introduction
This text is written in the format with which you should submit your final Research Essay. As with previous essays, a title page is not needed. Rather, if you will look top-left on this page, you will note that I have written out all the required (title-page) information that you will need to offer. Please note: Do not write, “(Student’s name?),” etc., those labels are just there to remind you about the specific information that you need to include in your titles information.
In the upper right corner of each page, please insert page numbers electronically—the only difference you will note is that I have omitted page numbers from this first page. So page 2 starts the numbering (see below). To insert page numbers, look under the “Insert” menu on the toolbar, and click on “Page numbers” and uncheck the box that says, “show page numbers on the first page.” Again, I don’t want page numbers on the first page, but I do on all subsequent pages.
Next, please indent all paragraphs (using the tool bar, not the space bar) 5 spaces. Also, I would like the entire text double spaced, and no more than 1500 words (or 6 pages) in total. Finally, your text should be 12 point font, usually Times New Roman, with 1.25 inch margins. To check your margins, go under the ‘file’ menu and click on “page set-up.”
Using Section Headings
Now, you will also note that I am including “section headings” for each new section of the paper. These headings are in bold, italicized, and triple- (not double-) spaced. Go under the “Format” menu and click on paragraph; then go to the “spacing” part of that menu. I insert a “6” in the “before” and “after” options to create the desired triple-spacing effect. In any case, I suggest you have an “Introduction” section head and a “Conclusion” section head at the beginning and end of your paper, respectively. In terms of the 3 body paragraphs or sections, use headings that reflect the point of each particular section. So, for example, if you recall the sample research paper that I was creating, in class, concerning the role of peer pressure in alcohol abuse among teens, my first point read as follows: “In his book, John Smith argues that teens feel constant pressure to conform, even if it means going against their moral values.” So, my first section head might be something like: The Pressure to Conform. And so forth through all your different sections. In all, create 3 separate section headings.
Conclusion
Finally, I want your paper to be written in MLA format. That means three things. First, in your paper, whenever you quote someone else’s work, I always want you to properly FRAME that quote, as we spoke about in class. That is, always lead into a quote with your own words, even if it is something as simple as, ‘Smith argues…,’ or whatever. And then put the author’s words in double quotes. Re-read the chapter on the “art of quoting” in our textbook if you are at all unclear about the process of quoting. Your work will be judged in terms of its formal quoting technique.
The second thing is you are required to put the page number, in brackets, after the quote, like this: Smith argues, “…” (3)—or whatever page it is. If you started the sentence with the author’s last name, as in the following: ‘Smith argues, “…”—if you have done this, then you don’t need to repeat the author’s name after the quote, alongside the page number of the article or book that you are referencing. But, if you haven’t established who the quote is from in your lead in to the quote, you need to insert it in the bracketed reference at the end of the quote, like this: (Smith 3). If it is an online source and there is no page number, the author’s last name is sufficient, like this: (Smith). By the way, in your writing ALWAYS USE ONLY THE AUTHOR’S LAST NAME, never his or her first name, unless you are saying the whole name, like, “John Smith.” But from that point on, all you need is the author’s last name (see the next page for some formal examples of what I am talking about.)
Finally, the third thing you need to do is a “Works Cited” page at the end of your paper. I have added it below, with a list of possible reference types (e.g., books, journal articles, websites, etc.) for you to follow. If you have any questions about the style and format of the paper that you don’t understand from these instructions, please get in touch with me over e-mail. Again, you are responsible for handing in a nicely presented and well-formatted final paper.
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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