Do not use block format (full justification plus extra lines between paragraphs.

Length – 7-8 pages typewritten.
Format – double-spaced, Word document format (.doc or .docx), 12 point font and standard margins. Do not use Headings to separate your subtopics. It is not required in a short essay. Indent your paragraphs. Do not use block format (full justification plus extra lines between paragraphs. Do not use full justification; instead make sure that your settings are on left justification only. If you are an international student, be sure to set your default paper setting to US letter, not A4.
Citation method – Choose between MLA or Chicago Style. At the end of the essay, use an asterisk (*) and indicate which format you used. Choose if you will use the term Bibliography or Works Cited to list your sources. These are discipline specific. Works Cited lists include only the primary and secondary sources cited in the essay. A passing reference is not considered a citation. A Bibliography includes works that influenced your thinking but did not appear in your essay per se. It may well be that you read a background critical history, for instance, that helped you understand the context of the work, but you did not go into the background in your essay. That work can be listed in your bibliography. However, remember, the more you know, the more knowledgeable your essay will be. A long bibliography and a weak paper is evidence of padding.
Mandatory elements: This essay is a research essay. That means you must read and use at least 2 scholarly secondary sources (the librarian would have explained the difference between scholarly or credible sources and the less credible ones). The two ways to use sources are through summary, paraphrase (be careful not to confuse paraphrase with simple word substitution – the latter is a form of plagiarism) or direct quotation. There must be at least two examples of direct quotation in your essay. You may include the scholarly essay that we have studied in class as an additional secondary source if you are writing on Woolf’s essay or her influence on feminism. If the publication data is not noted on the Moodle article, send me an email and I will provide it. For the primary sources, simply indicate Moodle handout unless the work is linked to a website.
In your essay:
Do not use the pronoun “you”. Use “I” if you are expressing a particularly personal view, “we” if you believe you and most readers are in agreement or third person (the reader/readers) to maintain an air of objectivity.
Avoid the use of the passive voice verb. It is often used in social science studies but for a general essay, the rule of thumb is to use mostly active voice.
Sentences starting with “it is”, “there is”, and other similar constructions often lead to ambiguity, and they lack sharpness. Use strong nouns and active verbs where possible.
Do not pad your bibliography. If you have read five pertinent articles on a subject, your essay will have strong content. If you read only one or a few pages in one but list five, the lack will show in how you handle your topic.
Do not ‘dress’ your essay with big words. The key to any good essay is to keep it simple (not simplistic). Discussion of this is found in any good handbook, including your text.
Do not start the paragraph with a quotation. Always frame a quotation with a lead-in before and an explanation or further discussion afterwards. Also, do not put citations at the end of every paragraph as if the whole paragraph is someone else’s idea. Clearly delineate where the other voice starts and ends, and where your voice intervenes. Phrases like “According to x” clearly identify who the initiator of the idea is. Follow with “[suitable pronoun] claims” if you are still using those ideas or This means that if you are developing the author’s idea.
Do not generalize. The formula for a strong essay, no matter what strategy you use, is that every claim is followed by illustration and/or explanation. The more general your statement or claim, the more difficult to follow up with specific details. Broad claims like “Climate change is the worst crisis the world has ever faced” would require a high level of expertise to argue, including a deep knowledge of history. It is not the way to start a short essay on climate change.