1. Pay attention to the specified length of the assignment. Papers that are in gross excess of the page limits will be penalized.

2. Double-space the paper. I can tell the difference between double-spacing and one-and-a-half spacing. Be sure to leave appropriate margins (1") at the top, bottom, and sides of the page. DO NOT USE A SMALL FONT!

3. Number the pages of your paper. If you don't know how to use the page numbering system of your word processing program, find out! Or just write in the page numbers.

4.  Staple the pages of the paper together. Please do not use paper clips! It is very easy for pages to get lost or for papers to get tangled together if several papers in a pile have paper clips.

5.  Proofread your paper for spelling, typos, word breaks, grammar, clarity, etc. When in doubt, look it up! If you're using a computer, learn how to use the spell check system.

6. Be sure that the computer printer that you are using has adequately dark print. If you are using a college printer and the print is faint, ask the consultant to change the toner

7. Be sure to back up your work frequently and print out drafts of the paper as you go along. If you are going to claim computer problems as a reason for handing in a paper late, be sure you have a draft copy (handwritten or otherwise) of your paper or the computer disk with the paper on it to show me.

8. Use an accepted academic format for reference notes and bibliographies. If you are not sure what that is, you should consult a style manual such as Kate L. Turbian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, which is on reserve and in the reference section of the library (LB2369 .T8 1996). You might also find some of the links in the "Writing & Citing" folder of our course conference helpful.

9. AVOID PLAGIARISM.

Rev. 2/04