Basic Guidelines for Position Papers for this class:
1. Five full typed or word-processed pages.
2. Double spaced.
3. 12 point font. Use a serif typeface (Times Roman) because these are easier to read.
4. Margins of 1 inch.
5. Indent each paragraph with a 5-7 space indent.
6. Page numbers. The first page is the cover page.
7. Headers. Include the first few words of your paper's title in the header.
8. Place the header, “Running Head,” title, your name, and “University of Missouri - Columbia”on the cover page. (hint - see APA stylebook)
9. Use the APA Quick-Reference Style Sheet we have provided. Or you may want to check out the APA Tutorial for a more extensive review of what is required of APA style.
10.Use references that are from expert sources. Avoid the popular magazine and the personal web page of just anyone with an opinion.
11.When you turn in your final paper also turn in your first draft with comments.
12. Always keep an extra hard copy of the writing assignment for your own file.

Click Here for a summary of the components that should be included in your esay.

Click Here for a general guide to essay grading

APA. Rules for using the style sheet designed by the American Psychological Association.

What is Plagiarism? “Quotation marks should be used to indicate the exact words of another. Summarizing a passage or rearranging the order of a sentence and changing some of the words is paraphrasing. Each time a source is paraphrased, a credit for the source needs to be included in the text. The following paragraph is an example:

As stated in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (1994), the ethical principles of scientific publication are designed to ensure the integrity of scientific knowledge and to protect the intellectual property rights of others. As the Publication Manual explains, authors are expected to correct the record if they discover errors in their publications; they are also expected to give credit to others for their prior work when it is quoted or paraphrased.

The key element of this principle is that an author does not present the work of another as if it were his or her own work. This can extend to ideas as well as written words.”

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (4th ed.). (1994). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, pp. 292-294.

Other Writing Resources

Click here for an Internet site with a great tool that will help with APA citations:

The University of Illinois Writer's Workshop Online Handbook. Advice about improving your writing.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary . Need to check on spelling or a definition of a word?

Writing Intensive Tutors. Contact a tutor at the Campus Writing Program to ask a question or cut/paste a draft of your WI assignment for some feedback. To make an appointment, visit the Campus Writing Program webpage and click on the “Schedule an Appointment” button or call 882-4881. You will need your MU PIN number, student number, and phone number.

Grade Abbreviations . Abbreviations commonly used by instructors on papers.