The term paper option is an alternative to the semester project. This is an academic research paper, so the topic and style should reflect that. The paper is an opportunity for you to explore a topic in more detail than we can cover in class. If your paper simply reiterates points made in lecture or in your text, you have NOT fulfilled the assignment and your paper will be graded accordingly. If you have questions as to the suitability of your topic, please ask.
Some possible topics include a closer look at a specific site, a specific technology (this could be either a technology used by archaeologists or a technology used by ancient people), a specific type of artifact, or a specific culture.
*note: this is a research paper, not an essay. I’m not asking for how you feel about your topic, I’m asking you to tell me what the evidence says about it. If uncertain of the differences between these two forms, or if you have any other questions, please ask.
Once you’ve decided on a topic (or if you’re looking for help deciding on a topic), post it to the Term Paper and Semester Project discussion. If I have suggestions, I’ll post them in reply.
Make sure you look at the Assignments: Citations and Sources page… it has guidelines about the sources you should and should not be using for the term paper.
Format:
about 2,000 words of text (not counting the “works cited” page, illustrations, charts, the cover page, etc.,). A little more or less isn’t an issue, but papers with fewer than 1,800 words or more than 2,200 words will probably lose points for being overly brief or rambling.
Double spaced, indent the first line of each paragraph.
1 inch margins (note: some versions of MS Word use 1.25 inch margins on the left side of the page as the default; you’ll need to check this setting and change it if necessary.)
Make sure your pages are numbered (please use the “header/footer” for this- if you insert the page numbers manually it messes up the formatting for the rest of the document).
Size 10 or 12 font; preferably Garamond, Times New Roman, or Palatino. If you prefer a san-serif font, use something basic such as Helvetica. Do not use a fancy “handwritten” looking font. They’re hard to read.
Use “in-text” citations to cite your sources within the body of your paper. If you’re using Chicago style as your citation format, use the “Author-date” form of citation, not the “notes and bibliography”.
Make sure your “works cited” page is formatted according to one of the following: MLA, APA, or Chicago.
Save or export the file as a PDF for submission. Other file formats cause problems when I go to grade them. If I can’t open or read your file, I can’t grade it.
The paper is to be submitted to Canvas by the deadline given in the syllabus. Make sure that you leave enough time to verify that the originality report was generated, and that any flagged areas are checked and fixed if necessary.
Remember: if you have to resubmit the paper because of formatting or other issues, and that resubmission is after the due date, your paper will be counted as late. The time associated with your submission is when I get a file that I can actually grade. Check your submission and make sure it’s formatted properly AND that the originality report is generated.
