The paper(s) that you write for the course will make up the majority of your grade, so be sure to give yourself enough time in writing your papers. It is best to start WRITING your papers early.

There is one midterm paper (due Nov. 4) worth 35% of your grade (6-15 pages)
There is a final paper (due Dec. 2) worth 45% of your grade (12-15 pages)

The midterm paper is optional: Students have the option of not writing the midterm paper, and submitting a final paper worth 80% of their grade. However, if a student writes both papers, I will disregard the midterm paper if the final paper is better, and I will consider the midterm paper only if it is better than the final paper. Thus, it is advantageous (although not necessary) to write both papers; you cannot hurt your grade by writing both papers. I will only provide feedback on the midterm paper; I will not read entire drafts of final papers. For final papers, I will give feedback on outlines, and I will be happy to discuss ideas with students in office hours.

Topics: Papers can be on any topic covered in the course (which includes readings listed in the recommended readings), a topic that is related/ relevant to the course material, or a topic which you have received permission to write. It would be perfectly fine, e.g., if students would like to focus on one or two books in the recommended readings. For your final papers, students are encouraged to do some independent research (i.e., finding readings besides the papers that were assigned on the weekly readings) and pursuing topics that are of particular interest to them.

Expectations and Suggestions: There is no formula for writing a good paper but, generally, good papers possess the following qualities:

(1) Clarity: the paper should be written in clear and succinct language. Organize your paper in a manner that makes sense and makes it intelligible to your reader (outlines are helpful in this regard). Clarity can effect the overall quality of a paper.

(2) Appropriate scope: the paper should manage to address a question/ topic that is appropriate for the length of the paper. Narrow enough so that the question/ topic can be addressed in detail. If a topic is too general/ broad, then often the resulting paper only achieves a superficial treatment of an issue. Since the papers in this course are relatively short (15 pages), be sure that you are not taking on a topic that is too ambitious. The easiest way to ensure this is to email me and run your ideas by me, before you begin writing.

(3) Accurate presentation of others' positions: Writings discussed should be presented fairly and accurately. When presenting others' views, it is helpful to cite passages from the authors you discuss in order to support the interpretation that you are presenting.

(4) Well-argued: A good paper will make claims that are persuasively argued for. A good paper will be supported by strong sub-arguments, and address the strongest objection(s) against one's own view.

(5) Well-edited: Although less important, a good paper will be edited well. A good paper with numerous grammatical or spelling errors can make the paper seem worse than it actually is. Be sure to edit your papers sufficiently (reading the paper aloud is a good technique for catching silly mistakes/ typos).

I would emphasize that these criteria are just guidelines to follow when writing your paper, so you should not feel obliged to follow them religiously. Depending on the nature of your paper, these guidelines will apply more or less.

Due Dates and Other guidelines: Late papers (without legitimate reason) will be penalized 5% per day, up to a maximum of 25%. The due dates for the papers are as follows:

Midterm paper, due week 6, Thursday, November 4 (before 4:00 pm).
Final paper, due week 11, Monday, December 6 (before 4:00 pm).

Submit your papers in my mailbox, Jonathan Tsou, in the Fishbein Center. Social Sciences Building, Room 205.

When writing your papers, please use Times-News-Roman 12 font, double-spaced, with normal borders. To be fair to other students, please stay within the page limits. If your paper is a little bit over the page limit (e.g., 16-17 pages) that is fine, but if it is too long (e.g., 19-25 pages), I will consider deducting marks.

Cite references in any style you wish, so long as your reference style is consistent. Plagiarism in any form will result in failure of the course.

Be sure to contact me if you are having difficulties writing your paper.