CLAS 1P91 Study Guide - Final Guide: Online Writing Lab, Academic Writing, Sophocles
3 Jun 2018
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Research Paper Guidelines for CLAS 1P91 Spring 2018
In this course you are required to write a research paper of approximately 1200–1500 words
(4–5 pages roughly). This paper will focus on a topic related to Sophocles’ Antigone or
Socrates. The paper is intended to be a more focused investigation of a topic which will be
raised both in class and in seminar. In writing your paper, you will be required to look at both
primary and secondary materials.You are required to use one primary source and a minimum
of two secondary sources.
The paper must be submitted to turnitin.com and will be graded by your seminar leader. A
paper copy is also required. Late papers will be penalized 5% per day up to a maximum of
5 working days late. Thereafter, the paper will receive a grade of zero. No papers will be
accepted after the final exam.
Turnitin.com info:
Class Id: 17908522
Enrollment Key: Greek Civ
How to begin your paper (and all the rest of your instructions)
1. Read the topic carefully before you plunge into writing.
2. Make sure that you have an introduction with a clear thesis statement—i.e. a
statement that clearly articulates what you are going to talk about in the paper (in
other words, what the point of your paper is). Without this, the reader has no idea
what the paper will be about.
3. As supporting evidence for your points, you should include citations from the ancient
sources. Given the very short length of this paper, these need to be short and to the
point. It is not necessary to give lengthy quotations. Be clear and concise.
4. Plagiarism encompasses using others’ words and ideas—even if you paraphrase—
without acknowledging the original source, no matter where these ideas come from (a
journal, internet, etc.). Always cite your material properly!
The citation method you should use is called MLA. MLA uses in-text citations with
the author’s name and page number(s), such as (Parker 25). A great resource for help
with this formatting style is the Owl Purdue Online Writing Lab
(https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/02/) and others listed on the Brock
University library page at http://researchguides.library.brocku.ca/styleguides/mla.
5. Academic writing is meant to be able to be understood by an international audience;
therefore, avoid all slang, colloquialisms, and contractions. Thorough proofreading of
your work will help to avoid these and any other infelicities of the English language.
Spelling, punctuation and grammar are key elements of academic writing. Knowing
how to express yourself clearly is an essential skill.
6. Don’t forget to include a works cited page. As the name suggests, this will include
only those works which you cite in the body of your essay, including the ancient
source.
7. Help with respect to any aspect of these assignments is always available from your
instructor or seminar leader. If you find writing to be a challenge and would like some
