Structure
 Cover page

• Appropriate title, name, class, professor, date

  Introduction

• Set the scene--content relevant to the subject
• Thesis statement which directly addresses the question/assignment
• Should include all the main themes/arguments your paper will present

  Body: Each paragraph should contain:

• Transition that links previous ideas with new one--tells reader where you're going
• Topic sentence
    Should support thesis statement
    Tells reader what you are going to discuss in the paragraph
      Do not switch topics in mid-paragraph
• Evidence/support
  Quotations
    Use quotations if you cannot put into your own words
    Other ideas, research from sources should be cited, even if paraphrased
    If quotation is two lines or longer, set apart as a block quotation

Example of a block quotation:

. . . sympathetic population. Any supplies taken from the natives were to be repaid and  any undue burdens they suggested would be alleviated. His last and admittedly the "most    radical" notion was that if one found himself in a tangle with the Japanese, Don't run toward your own line, run deeper into his territory. The deeper you got into his territory, the less you met combat units and the more you met MP's and you could handle MP's.     By and large, neither experts nor an accepted doctrine for insurgency existed. West  Point had not a clue about guerrilla warfare; niether did the United States Army.    Detachment 101's instruction amounted to on-the-job training. The only . . .

  Conclusion

• Various approaches can be taken--summary, discussion of significance . . . . 

Citation
  Purpose
     To give credit to those who have done the work
   To give the reader clear directions as to where to look for furthur information
 When to cite
  Quotations
    Information drawn from a quotation--paraphrased material
    Information that is someone else's ideas or based on someone else's ideas
    Information that is not general public knowledge--results of research
    If in doubt, provide citation! It is better to err on the side of caution
Footnote/endnotes
    Place number after sentence (after punctuation) which contains information or . . .
    Place number at end of paragraph if all information in paragraph comes from one course
    Examples:

"Here is example one."1 "Here is example two--if you cite the same source later in the text."2 "Here is an example from an interview."3 *Note, these would be either at the bottom of the page footnotes) or the end of the document (endnotes) and the numbers will be superscripts.

1 Michael Nelson, Teaching History: A Guide for Stupid People in Graduate School (New York:    Oxford University Press, 2003), 34, 62-67. 2 Nelson, Teaching History, 106. 3 Interview with Richard Heiser, August 10, 2004, Clinton, South Carolina.

 
Bibliography
 Last page(s) of paper
 Listed alphabetically
  List complete titles--subtitles included

Example: Indent the lines after the first--hanging indent (not shown here)

Osgood, Robert E. Limited War: The Challenge to American Strategy. Chicago: University of Chicago   Press, 1957. Paterson, Thoms G. Major Problems in American Foreign Policy. Vol. II. Lexington, Massachusetts: D. C.,  Heath, 1989. ____. On Every Front. The Making and Unmaking of the Cold War. Revised ed. New York: W. W.  Norton,1992. Paterson, Thomas G. et al. American Foreign Policy: A History Since 1900. 3rd ed. Lexington,  Massachusetts: D. C. Heath, 1991. Pelz, Stephen E. "When Do I Have Time to Think?" John F. Kennedy, Roger Hilsman, and the Laotian Crisis  of 1962." 1978. John F. Kennedy Library.

Miscellaneous Notes:

• Avoid contractions, passive voice, and preposition at end of sentences.
• Avoid 1st and 2nd person
• When introducing a new person in the paper, use full name. After first mention, use last name
• Number pages, but not cover page. 1st page of text does not need to be numbered.

The Writing Center, located in Neville 206, has tutors who will work with you at any point as you write your paper. Make an appointment online. Their Web site has a section on writing resources.

Suggestions for Writing History Papers: Anita Gustafson

Guides to Writing at Presbyterian College

Presbyterian College Writing Center Home Page

Writing Resources

Guide to Writing Assignments by Michael Nelson