Term Paper: Guidelines

RESEARCH REPORT GENERAL GUIDELINES

1. Number your pages! Preferably, upper right, beginning with p. 2; bottom center p. 1

• No running headers.

2. Use a title cover page; do not repeat title on p. 1.

3. Citation Style:

• Use MLA or Chicago Manual of Style (i.e., Turabian)—footnotes/bibliography rather than APA style (parenthetical references)
• Use footnotes rather than endnotes.
  

4. Double spaced.

• Use paragraph indention rather than skipping another space between paragraphs.

5. Twelve-point type (preferably Times New Roman or similar font).

6. Use default margins (1.25” left, right; 1” top, bottom).

7. Include introductory paragraph that states your thesis and a concluding paragraph that sums it up again.

8. Use of quotes:

• Avoid overuse of direct quotes.  Paraphrase whenever you can, and use direct quotes only for citing another person’s ideas or opinions, not for statements of fact. Put these in your own words.  Information used to support your argument should be synthesized and paraphrased, not simply copied verbatim.
• When you do quote another source, introduce the quote: “According to . . .” or “As Crawford states . . .”
• Quotation marks go on the outside of periods; always use double marks (“”) rather than single marks (‘’) except for quotes within quotes
  

9. For mechanics of citation style, consult Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 6th ed. Also helpful is Jonathan Bellman, A Short Guide to Writing about Music. Both are on reserve in the Music Library.

10. Use Spell-check, but always proofread!  It is also helpful to have someone else read your paper.