Stalin

REQUIREMENTS FOR RESEARCH PAPERS (250 points)

Due Date: Tuesday, May 7, 2013, by 11:59 p.m.

Submission:

Submit your paper to the course Dropbox by the due date in Rich Text Format (RTF). To change the document to RTF, click on “Safe As”, then “Save as Type”, choose “Rich Text Format” and click “Save”. I will not accept late papers.

Content:

Your paper must focus on an important person and how he/she negatively or positively contributed to history. If you are unsure about a topic, please feel free to ask me.

Your paper must reflect college-level critical thinking and analysis.

I MUST approve your topic.

Sources and Citation:

You are required to use at least four (4) sources. At least one of these sources must be a primary source. A primary source is a source created at the time period of your paper, such as a letter from an historical figure, legal document, speech, diary, or visual such as a picture that relates to your topic. The primary source must be integrated into the paper itself, it cannot just be a picture or document attached at the end.

You may not use encyclopedia resources except subject specific encyclopedias. You may not use Wikipedia, Ask.com, or other general encyclopedia resources.

You must use MLA to organize and format your paper, as well as cite your sources. Purdue University has an excellent URL (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/) on the proper use of MLA.

If you do not have internal citations and a listing of your sources, your paper is plagiarized.

Presentation:

Your paper must be 5-7 double-spaced pages EXCLUDING the title page and works-cited page.

You must use a number 12 font.

You must use correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure.

Grading Rubric:

Papers submitted after the due date will not be accepted or graded.

Topic and analysis (150 points)

0-104 points: Student presented information related to the topic, but did not provide analysis.

105-119 points: Student presented information related to the topic and attempted to analyze, but analysis was not higher level and/or flawed.

120-150 points: Student presented information related to the topic and provided higher-level analysis with few or no analytical flaws.

Sources and Citation (up to 50 points)

Students with no sources will receive a zero on the paper.

Students with no citations will receive a zero on the paper.

0-34 points: Student included sources, but they were fewer than the minimum (4) number of sources required. Or, student did not include the required types of sources (or used sources that were forbidden) and/or sources were not cited using the MLA format.

35-39 points: Student included the correct number of sources, but not the correct types of sources and attempted to use MLA format, but with serious errors and used other academic citation style.

40-50 points: Student included the correct number and type of sources and cited the sources using MLA format with few or no errors.

Presentation (up to 50 points)

Students who do not have a clearly written thesis statement may lose 10 points.

Students may lose as many as 25 points for incorrect grammar, sentence structure, misspellings, and/or issues with spacing or font.

Academic Honesty:

I take academic honesty very seriously. Submitting papers that are not your own work will receive a zero on the paper and will result in having your name submitted to the dean of students for a possible Honor Code violation. Please ask me if you have any questions.