The Final Paper • A Breakdown of Expectations
I. Research • 50%
a. Preparations
Includes the quality of all written assignments, including the Project Prospectus, the Annotated Bibliography, and the Rough Draft, and an in-class oral presentation. Active participation in class discussions and peer reviews will also factor into this portion of the grade.
b. Collection of Source Materials
How thorough is the research? Have secondary sources been carefully reviewed? Was painstaking effort put into compiling a wealth of primary source materials? Have all available and pertinent archives been mined? Are all chosen sources appropriate and relevant to the proposed argument?
II. Writing • 50%
a. Thesis and Development
Does the paper have a clearly defined thesis? Is this overarching argument clear rather than ambiguous? Is it based in original primary source research rather than on the work of another historian? How well does the body of the paper support the thesis? Is the analysis focused, imaginative, and persuasive, and is it grounded in the evidence? Is there a logically constructed conclusion? Does the paper, as a whole, affirm the historical significance of the chosen topic?
b. Grammar, Style, and Documentation
Is the paper well crafted? Are there typos or grammatical errors? Are sources properly footnoted? Have you followed the required specifications for the final draft?
• typed with 1.0" margins all around
• Times New Roman 12-pt font
• double-spaced
• numbered pages
• title page, incluging the title of your paper, your full name, the name of the course and instructor, and the term
• bibliography
• footnote citations in proper Chicago Style format; absolutely no in-text parentheticals
• 30 to 40 pages in length, not including the bibliography and title page
• do not include your name on any page other than the title page
• staple pages together; papers should not be bound
More information on paper specifications will be offered in class.
Plagiarism Policy • A Note About Originality
According to the UC Berkeley Campus Code of Student Conduct:
"Plagiarism is defined as the use of intellectual material produced by another person without acknowledging its source. This includes, but is not limited to:
(a.) Copying from the writings or works of others into one's academic assignment without attribution, or submitting such work as if it were one's own;
(b.) Using the views, opinions, or insights of another without acknowledgment; or
(c.) Paraphrasing the characteristic or original phraseology, metaphor, or other literary device of another without proper attribution."
Plagiarism is a serious academic violation that will result in a failing grade and can lead to expulsion from the university. If you run into any problem along the way, please let me know so I can help you work through it. Don't risk plagiarizing any portion of your paper; the consequences are much too serious.
