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Tips for Writing Short Papers in the Humanities
Rules: 1. On the title page, provide only the necessary information: a descriptive title for the paper, your name, the date and the course title and the name of the instructor. Please do not provide fancy fonts, bold face print and so forth. Title pages are often unnecessary for short 3-5 page papers. In the upper right corner in single space simply provide your name, the date and the course title and name of the instructor. Use two single spaces, then provide a descriptive title underlined in a normal font centered on the page. The text begins two single spaces below the title. 2. Use 12-point Times/New Roman font and 1" margins. Use double space. All book titles must be underlined or in italics. Do not use quotation marks for book titles. Quotation marks are reserved for direct quotations or article and chapter titles. 3. Every source for every idea you use that is not entirely your own must be cited. Use footnotes. Plagiarism will result in a failing grade for the assignment. Do your own work! 4. Do not use bullets or numbering in the body of the text. The points you make in an academic paper should be clear within the flow of the prose. 5. Do not use contractions. "It is" instead of "It's." "Does not" instead of "Doesn't." 6. Paginate your paper. 7. Do not use subheadings or divisions in papers shorter than 12-15 pages. 8. Place short quotations within the body of the text. Long quotations, such as a stanza of poetry or an entire paragraph, must be blocked out of the text. In a double spaced paper the text of a long, blocked out quotation must be single spaced, indented on both sides and without quotation marks. One space is sufficient to separate the quotation from the body of the text. Your word processor may provide a standard format. 9. Use the present tense when making statements about a text (the book, author, or poem "says"). Use the past tense for statements about historical events and people. 10. In your paper please use text only! Do not include illustrations, graphs, charts, maps, or graphics of any kind unless under special circumstances. 11. Edit your paper for organization. Make sure it has a focused introduction with a strong thesis statement, a body in which you present evidence to prove your thesis, and a strong conclusion. 12. Check your paper for sentence fragments, run-on sentences, double-word errors ("the the Dao") and so forth. 13. Use your word processor's spelling and grammar check utilities. At minimum your paper should be free of spelling mistakes. Remember that spelling and grammar utilities are sometimes misleading when the paper includes non-Western names and terms.
Suggestions: 1. Choose a topic appropriate for the length of the writing assignment. Papers around five pages in length require an extremely focused topic: a single poem or stanza of poetry, or a single brief passage from a longer work. 2. Give yourself plenty of time to write and rewrite. Although flashes of inspiration are important, good papers are rarely written at 4:00 AM the morning they are due. Write at least one rough draft, print it out, look it over and make corrections and revisions. 3. Make notes as you read for easy reference. Writing notes instead of using "post-it" notes or underlining passages helps to get the creative juices flowing. Note taking can often lead to brain storming and free-writing: brilliant ideas sometimes emerge while writing notes. Remember to record the publishing information of your sources. 4. If you are having trouble organizing your thoughts or your evidence, make an outline and decide what you will say and where you will say it. Writing is also an exercise in creative thinking: as you write you may have sudden insights about your topic. Do not be afraid to abandon your initial outline if you are inspired while writing. 5. Make the paragraph your unit of composition. One main idea for one paragraph. Paragraphs should contain subject sentences at the beginning and a transition sentence at the end linking it to the next paragraph or idea. Avoid short, choppy paragraphs. 6. Try to use active tense. Passive tense often leads to convoluted and cryptic sentences. Active tense is more assertive and less clumsy. "Cao Pi deposed the Emperor" not "The Emperor was deposed by Cao Pi." 7. Try to use positive, affirmative statements. Say what something is rather than what it is not. Negative assertions may weaken your writing with unnecessary ambiguity. 8. Use natural English. Strike a balance between a conversational and a formal tone. Avoid jargon or language that is technical, trendy or overly formal in favor of straightforward prose. 9. Avoid sweeping generalizations, particularly about large groups of people ("all Buddhists..." "all Chinese..."). Stick to your evidence or to the text and be specific. 10. Remember that your paper is an argument. Provide a clear thesis in the introduction and then prove it in the body of the essay. Use the thesis to guide the paper. Sometimes a writing reference can be helpful. I recommend Strunk and White's The Elements of Style (Macmillan Publishing Co., 1972). It is also available online for free at www.bartleby.com/141/. Mark Unno (Religious Studies, UO) also has great writing tips on his website.
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