Your paper should be approximately 5 pages long, more or less, not counting the cover page with abstract, the references, or any figures and tables.  This paper must be typewritten and double-spaced, with one-inch margins all around the text, and I prefer normal fonts of 10-12 points.  It is silly to play with the margins or the fonts just to make it fit the page target.

Your paper should have a cover page that has your name, my class, the date, the title, and (for longer papers where you have some flexibility in choosing the topic) a one-paragraph abstract that summarizes your paper.  You should have an introduction that begins on page 1, and a conclusion at the end.  Use section headings to clarify your paper's organization.  Put page numbers at the bottom, but do not number the cover page, abstract, or end notes if you use them.  Also, any figures or tables should each be put on their own separate, unnumbered page at the back of the paper, and they should be referred to in the text as Figure 1 or Table 4, for example.

I have pet peeves you should know about. Some are careless errors, and some are issues of preference. I like two spaces after a sentence. "It's" means "it is," while "its" is possessive.  Paragraphs need to hold together, not be too long or too short, and the first sentence should give the reader some clue of what the paragraph is about. Vary your sentences a little for more interesting reading. Your paper should not ramble, and should make logical sense. Learn to use colons and semicolons properly. For example, a semicolon separates two stand-alone sentences making a similar point.  In the U.S., commas and periods go within the ending quote mark. Don't quote unless the quote is just too good to pass up; instead, learn to paraphrase. All sentences must have, at minimum, a subject and a verb.  I like papers that try to be objective, and I suggest you avoid being flip, funny or sarcastic. I don't like too many exclamation points! I have more peeves that I will remember when I read your papers.  Use the College Handbook or similar source for a style guide.  Use the Writing Center for help, that’s why they’re there.

You should list your sources alphabetically and unnumbered, on a page called "References." Here are seven sample references, for (1) a book, (2) an article in an edited book, (3) an article in a journal, (4) multiple authors, (5) a newpaper article where no author name is listed, (6) institutional author, and (7) an internet source where the print version is not available. Books and journals are underlined (you may use italics instead of underlines for journal or book titles if you wish), while articles are in quotes.

Olson, Mancur (2000), Power and Prosperity (Basic Books).

Cargill, Thomas F., & Elliott Parker (forthcoming), "Japanese economic structures and finance:  characteristics and causes of the current slowdown," in Structural Foundations of International Finance, edited by P.C. Padoan, P.  Brenton, & G. Boyd: chapter 9 (Edward Elgar Publishing, Inc.).

Parker, Elliott (1995), "Shadow factor price convergence and the response of Chinese state-owned construction enterprises to reform," Journal of Comparative Economics 21(1): 54-81.

Banks, Dwayne, Elliott Parker, & Jeanne Wendel (2001), "Strategic interaction among hospitals and nursing facilities:  The efficiency effects of payment systems and vertical integration," Health Economics 10(2): 119-134.

Economist (1997), "Banking in emerging markets" (April 12): 34-37.

World Bank (1993), The East Asian Miracle: Economic Growth and Public Policy (New York, NY: Oxford University Press).

IMF (International Monetary Fund, 2001), International Capital Markets: Developments, Prospects, and Key Policy Issues <http://www.imf.org/ external/ pubs/ ft/ icm/ 2001/ 01/ eng/ index.htm>.  {note that I put a space after each "/" to make line breaks easier.  If the document doesn't have a date listed, give the date you accessed it.}

You must cite and reference your sources.  All items listed in your references must be cited somewhere in the text, and similarly all citations must be listed in the references.    

When you cite your sources, put the name(s), the year after a comma, and the page number(s) if appropriate after a colon, all in brackets.  For example, the seven references listed in the previous section would be cited in the text as [Olson, 2000]; [Cargill & Parker, forthcoming]; [Parker, 1995]; [Banks, Parker, & Wendel, 2001]; [Economist, 1997]; [World Bank, 1993]; and [IMF, 2001]. A citation generally goes at the end of the sentence or phrase, before the ending punctuation, as in “Schumpeter emphasized the role of entrepreneurship in driving economic development [Gregory & Stuart, 1995: 66].” If you already mention the author in the text there is no need to repeat it again, as in  “Hayek [1945] argued that prices served to convey information.”  You should use full names for historical figures, but only last names for your research sources.

Don't forget to give page numbers for a quote or something from a book, e.g., [Olson, 2000: 68-69].  For sources with more than two authors, cite all authors the first time and then later use et al. (et alia, Latin for "and others"). For example, source #4 above would be cited as [Banks, et al., 1994]. If you are citing two sources with the same author(s) and year, then both cite and reference them with the year plus a, b, ..., e.g., Parker [1995a] and Parker [1995b].

It is not necessary to cite the same source excessively, especially if it is clear that it is a continuation of the same argument.  Use endnotes to explain points in more detail if necessary, but not to cite sources, and include these in a section at the end entitled “Notes”.  I encourage you to cite relevant material from the assigned texts.  Finally, you should use quotes sparingly, instead paraphrasing where possible then citing the source of the idea.  Extended quotes should be single spaced and indented, without quote marks.

Your paper will be graded for grammar, spelling, clarity, and flow as well as accuracy and originality of content.  Have somebody read it over for typographical errors and things that just don't make sense.   I prefer that you write this paper in a professional tone, and avoid being flippant.  Originality matters, but it is an issue of content, not creative style.  Don't write things that you can't support with evidence.

A good paper will be interesting and original, well-organized and well-written.  It will fit the assigned topic.  It will follow the format requested above, and will also demonstrate that the writer has a good grasp on the material.  A good paper will be analytical, will back up potentially controversial or unusual statements with evidence, and will make a solid case.  Never say a cop-out statement like “I think that...,” since your opinions are either irrelevant (if not backed up by evidence or logical argument) or implied by the fact that you wrote the paper.

This is NOT an Opinion Paper! As much as possible, you are expected to base your paper on cited research or material you have studied for this class, not on opinions that you had coming into this class.  Am I repeating myself on this one?

Use your own words and ideas, or cite your source clearly to avoid plagiarism. I am reasonable about this, as long as you are making a good effort at citing your sources, and a mere phrase here and there will not necessarily set off alarm bells.  But lifting somebody else’s work, stealing their words and work without proper attribution, is plagiarism.  Plagiarism will result in an “F” for the assignment, and possibly charges filed with the Student Judicial Affairs Office.

To make sure that you are not using other people’s work, you must turn your paper into me electronically (i.e., on a 3.5" disk or a CD, if you have a CD burner), along with the paper copy.  The electronic file must match the paper copy, and I will check this.  I subscribe to a service that searches through a huge database to find matches with past student papers, published material, websites, et cetera.  Every semester I catch somebody who thinks I am not serious about this.

Every semester somebody forgets to back up their document, and they lose it the night before it is due when a virus hits them or their computer crashes. I don't know how, but your computer seems to know when you are stressed. Make a second copy on another diskette, for security.