Term paper instructions
1. What is the purpose of this assignment?
2. What, in general, must I do?
3. How long should the paper be?
4. When is it due?
5. In what style should the paper be?
6. When do I need in-text citations?
7. How should the paper be structured?
8. What steps should I take to complete this assignment?
9. Do you have to approve my topic?
10. Do you have to approve my sources?
11. What is the minimum number of sources that I need to use?
12. Do I need sources to support my objections to the author’s argument?
13. What advice do you have for students who want to earn a high grade on this
assignment?
14. What are some common mistakes that students make regarding this
assignment?
15. What should I do when I am ready to turn my paper in?
1. What is the purpose of this assignment?
The purpose of this assignment is to help you understand one view in
philosophy [that is accepted by some philosophers but rejected by some
other philosophers], one argument for that view, some objections to that
argument, and how someone who thinks that the argument is good might
reply to those objections.
2. What, in general, must I do?
You must select an article that has been published in a peer-reviewed
academic journal, or a chapter in a book published by a university press, that
has been written by a philosopher or a professor who argues for a view in
philosophy (which includes ethics) that you think is false. You will help your
reader to understand the author’s thesis and one argument that they give to
persuade us that it is true. You will present objections to the author’s
argument, that is, you will give reasons to think that the argument is unsound
or contains a premise that is false (or not supported by good evidence). Then
you will summarize how I think the author could reply to your objections,
and then give reasons to think that these replies are unsatisfactory.
3. How long should the paper be?
The body of your paper, which does not include the works cited page, should
contain at least 1200 words but less than 3000 words.
4. When is it due?
The due date can be found in the syllabus and the “Course instructions”
document on Blackboard, D2L, or Canvas. The paper is a requirement in this
course, and hence, you cannot pass the course unless you complete this
assignment even if you have more than 600 total points at the end of the
semester. Here is the late work policy:
1 minute-72 hours
late
72 hours-1 week
late
1-3 weeks late
Points deducted 10% 30% 50%
5. In what style should the paper be?
The paper should be formatted according to the MLA style. See https://
owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/
mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_general_format.html.
6. When do I need in-text citations?
You need in-text citations whenever you use information from a source, even
when you are not quoting or paraphrasing. If it is a written source, then cite
the page (or section or paragraph) number. See https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/
undergraduates/using-sources/understanding-and-avoiding-plagiarism/
warning-when-you-must-cite and https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/
research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/
mla_in_text_citations_the_basics.html.
7. How should the paper be structured?
The paper will have seven sections, and each section will be numbered and
labeled. (See the “Term paper template” and the “Sample term paper”
documents on Blackboard, D2L, or Canvas.) In the first section, introduce
the topic to your reader. What is this paper about? You can begin with a
relevant story or you can immediately and simply tell your reader what the
topic of your paper is. Define or describe some important terms that will be
used in your paper. Use the definitions that the author of your selected
article/chapter uses, or consult https://plato.stanford.edu/index.html (the
“SEP”) or a dictionary of philosophy. Do not give biographical data about
the author. Do not begin with a sentence such as, “Ever since the dawn of
civilization, man has been debating…” In the second section, describe the
author’s view or thesis. Help your reader to understand what the author is
claiming and what they are not claiming (or not trying to do). In the third
section, help your reader to understand one argument that the author gives to
persuade us that their view is true. Explain how the author would reply to the
question, “Why should we think that your view is true?” In the fourth
section, present one or two objections to the argument that you just
summarized. What is wrong with the argument? What step in the argument
contains an error, is false, is not supported by good evidence, and/or has
absurd implications? Do not ignore the argument and then give arguments
against the author’s thesis, or worse, ignore the argument and then share
your own opinions without giving reasons to think that those opinions are
correct. You do not have to come up with original objections. You can
discuss objections to the author’s argument that have been published by
other authors. In the fifth section, you will describe in your own words how
I think the author might reply to your objections. I will give you this
information via email after I approve your topic, article or chapter, and
objections. In the sixth section, you will attempt to persuade your reader that
my replies to your objections on behalf of the author are unsatisfactory. You
need to give reasons to think that these replies are bad. In the seventh
section, you will describe what else you would have to learn about, and will
mention some articles or books that you would have to read, if you wanted
to continue your research on the topic of your paper. Put the total word count
of your paper in parentheses after the last sentence of your paper.
8. What steps should I take to complete this assignment?
First, read this document carefully. Second, pick a topic and a very specific
philosophical view. Third, find an article that has been published in a peer-
reviewed academic journal or a chapter in a book published by a university
press that has been written by a philosopher or a professor who argues for a
view that you think is false. The thesis must be a view in philosophy (which
includes ethics), and not a scientific view which can only be supported or
refuted by observation and scientific methods (e.g., psychology and
sociology). Fourth, download the PDF file of the article or book that you
selected, if you can, and send it to me via email for my approval. If I
approve it, then read the article/chapter very carefully. Fifth, reply to my
email with a brief summary of the author’s view, one argument they give to
persuade us that it is true, and some objections to that specific argument that
you might want to discuss. If I approve your objections, then I will give you
the information you need to complete the fifth section in your paper. Sixth,
go ahead and write a draft of your paper. You are encouraged to seek help
from the tutoring center. Send the draft to me several weeks before the due
date. Seventh, revise your draft in response to my feedback. You might want
to schedule another appointment at the tutoring center for help. Then turn
your paper in via Blackboard, D2L, or Canvas.
9. Do you have to approve my topic?
Yes, I must approve your topic. You are allowed to write on topics discussed
in our course, and more than one student can write on the same topic, article,
and chapter. If you and another student choose the same source, however,
then you must work independently. You are also allowed to write on the
same topic as your group presentation topic, if you are required to participate
in a group project in this course. For help in selecting a topic, see the “Some
possible topics for the term paper” document on Blackboard, D2L, or
Canvas. Note that I must also approve your objections to the author’s
argument.
10. Do you have to approve my sources?
Yes, I must approve all your sources. Sources that are automatically
approved include anything that is assigned in this course or that is available
on Blackboard, D2L, or Canvas, anything written by a “major” philosopher,
such as Aristotle or Kant, any webpage in a “.gov” website, and opinions
that have been published by justices on the U.S. Supreme Court. You can use
encyclopedia entries for help, such as the SEP and https://iep.utm.edu/ (or
the “IEP”), but your paper cannot focus on an encyclopedia entry because
these entries are supposed to be “neutral” and merely summarize what other
authors have said. If you encounter a view and an argument in an
encyclopedia entry that you think is interesting and about which you would
like to write, however, then look at the in-text citation, go to the works cited
or bibliography section, and then try to find the article or book online or at a
library. Be sure to go to the “databases” or “journal articles” section of your
school library’s webpage. See databases such as JSTOR, PhilPapers, and
Google Scholar. Articles published by major news organizations, such as
The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, National
Public Radio, and Public Radio International, are typically acceptable. To
borrow printed books, go to your school library’s website and https://
worldcat.org/. For help in distinguishing between reliable and unreliable
sources of news, see https://guides.library.harvard.edu/fake. Do not pay for
articles.
11. What is the minimum number of sources that I need to use?
You are required to use at least one source, namely, the journal article or
book chapter on which your paper will focus. You must cite credible sources
to support any claims you make about the world, such as claims about
history, science, psychology, and so on.
12. Do I need sources to support my objections to the author’s argument?
You are not required to use sources to support your objections to the author’s
argument, unless you make claims about the world, such as claims about
history or science.
13. What advice do you have for students who want to earn a high grade on this
assignment?
Read this document carefully. Do not procrastinate. See the sample term
paper on Blackboard, D2L, or Canvas. Make sure to have proper in-text
citations whenever you use sources. Get help from the tutoring center at your
school. Write in plain conversational English; do not try to sound like a
“philosopher” or an academic “scholar.” Write in your own words as often as
possible, except when giving definitions.
14. What are some common mistakes that students make regarding this
assignment?
Some mistakes that are not uncommon include procrastinating, not reading
this document carefully, not getting the journal article or book chapter
approved by me, not getting the objections to the author’s argument
approved by me, not including proper in-text citations, and ignoring the
author’s argument and giving arguments for the opposite view/conclusion
instead (or worse, ignoring the author’s argument and then merely sharing
one’s own opinions on the topic without giving any reasons to think that
those opinions are correct). Do not suggest that persistent disagreement
about the correct answer to a philosophical question is good evidence for the
view that there is no correct answer, or for the view that no one knows or
will ever know the correct answer. For more advice, see https://
philosophy.fas.harvard.edu/files/phildept/files/
brief_guide_to_writing_philosophy_paper.pdf.
15. What should I do when I am ready to turn my paper in?
Save your paper in PDF or DOC format and turn it in via the appropriate
link on Blackboard, D2L, or Canvas. Do not upload a PAGES or Google
Drive document.
