Instructions for Papers

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The topic for each paper is given on the detailed schedule.  The purpose of these papers is to have you evaluate selected primary sources as well as some secondary scholarship to construct arguments about the past, and specifically about the question of the "decline and fall of Rome."

For each paper, write an essay in which you develop an argument that answers the assigned question.  You should use the readings, especially the primary sources, as evidence to support your argument.  What kind of information do the texts and readings provide?  Are you able to form a good picture of the subject in question from this source? Do any things that you read surprise you?

 

You should consider, if appropriate, what biases or problems there might be with the text, so that the picture it presents might not be complete or accurate.  For example, do you come away with a good overall picture of your topic, or only of one facet of it?  Be sure to include specific quotes from the text to explain each of your points.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT ALL, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO ASK! PROF. DELIYANNIS IS HAPPY TO LOOK AT A DRAFT OF YOUR PAPER AND GIVE FEEDBACK ON IT, AS LONG AS IT IS EMAILED TO HER BEFORE 5 PM THE DAY BEFORE THE PAPER IS DUE.

Some general comments on the papers:

        *  Papers should be typed/word processed, and should be of a length equivalent to 4-6 double-spaced pages, with settings of 1 inch margins (top, bottom, and sides) and twelve-point font.

        *  Don't be afraid of including your own opinions about what is in the readings, but don't make that the sole point of the paper.

        *  When you quote or paraphrase any part of any written text, either these books or any other published material, you must provide the appropriate reference, either in footnotes or endnotes.  Failure to provide adequate references is considered plagiarism, which is a form of academic misconduct that I am required to handle according to University policies (http://studentcode.iu.edu/responsibilities/academic-misconduct.html).  If you have any question about your use of sources, it is better to be on the safe side and provide a reference. If you have questions about what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it, see https://wts.indiana.edu/writing-guides/plagiarism.html.

 

 

Requirements and suggestions for writing a good paper:

       *  You are REQUIRED to include DATES, both the date the texts were written, and the dates of the events described in the text (if they are different).

       *  Introduction.  These are fairly short papers.  It is essential for a good paper that you have a strong introduction that clearly explains what you are going to discuss, and what your conclusion will be.  THIS IS WHAT A THESIS SENTENCE IS! Don't let your conclusion be a surprise to the reader! One effective way to do this is to have the concluding sentence of the first paragraph be: "In this paper I will show that . . [put your conclusion here] . ." Don't be afraid of using such a sentence! That is not the only way to do it, but it works. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THIS SENTENCE SAY "I WILL SHOW THAT..." AND NOT "I WILL SHOW HOW...". "How" tells us only the topic of the paper, "that" tells us the thesis.

        *  Topic sentences: once you have written a good thesis sentence explaining what you will be arguing, EVERY PARAGRAPH IN YOUR PAPER SHOULD BEGIN WITH A TOPIC SENTENCE THAT EXPLAINS WHAT IS IN THAT PARAGRAPH AND HOW IT RELATES TO THE THESIS. If you can't do that, you should re-think the paragraph or the thesis.

        *  Use of source.  You are REQUIRED to provide SPECIFIC QUOTES from the sources, appropriately referenced, for every point you make.  Don't just generalize about what it says; that is not the right way to go about proving your point.

        *  If you are quoting a passage that is more than 3 lines long, it must be set as a block quote:  indented and single-spaced.