2 essays, 2 pages EACH
Instructions for Term Papers:
When writing this term paper, the writer should accomplish two aims: 1) the paper should provide a brief synopsis of the three articles’ content; 2) the paper should set forth a critical commentary and evaluation of the three articles.
The following instructions will further aid scholars in writing a good term paper:
- Download the “American Foreign Policy” file from the Bonus Paper Assignment section of our Blackboard course, and read the three articles found in the file.
- Take brief notes as you read. They will help you recall the content when you plan and write your paper.
- Write your paper in proper, formal English with appropriate regard for the rules of grammar and the conventions of style. Edit your work carefully. Say exactly what you intend. For this assignment, reviews must be around 500 words. Each page must be formatted with 1-inch margins on the sides, top, and bottom, and all content must be double-spaced. Font must be Times New Roman 12-point. All pages except the first must be numbered.
- The first part of the paper should provide a very brief introduction of the authors (no more than a sentence or two) and present a synthesis of the articles’ content. In other words, the reviewer must provide some idea of what the articles are about and the arguments they make. What is the subject? How do the authors deal with it? Do the authors explain the purposes and intentions of their articles and then comply with them? Do the articles address a certain kind of historical problem? If so, what? Do the authors develop a particular kind of thesis or line of argument? Include the authors’ theses.
- The second part of the paper should provide a critical commentary and evaluation. In this section, you need to decide whether the articles succeed in making their arguments or fulfilling their stated purposes. What sorts of evidence do the authors present? Does it come from primary sources (letters, diaries, documents in archival repositories, etc.) or secondary sources (published articles or books)? Do the authors persuade you that their cases are valid?
- In making these judgments, you should pay attention to the following considerations. Do the authors present logical, coherent, and consistent arguments? Do the authors support their presentations with solid, believable evidence? Are the authors fair? Pay attention to signs of bias, prejudice, bigotry, distortion, and misrepresentation.
- Finally, remember that plagiarism is a crime in the academic world. Anyone found guilty of plagiarism will fail this exercise and possibly the course. For the record, plagiarism is the act of taking someone’s words, writings, or ideas and then passing them off as your own. For example, copying essays from the encyclopedia or internet is plagiarism. Avoid this problem as the risks are too great.