Crimes and Misdemeanors
When writing serious papers of any type that will be read by another person, there are some basic things that you should keep in mind. When I was a first-year in college, my history TA gave no one in the section a grade higher than a C on the first paper; actually, only one person got a C, and the rest received D's or below. Since I don't want to grade in such a one-strike-you're-out, Darth Vader-esque fashion, I will make clear what I expect in papers you submit to me.
I don't have narrow grading standards. I try to judge each paper on its own terms, and judge a paper's arguments on its own merits, not according to a specific ideological agenda. So please don't write for me. That is, don't cater your arguments to be simply what you think I want to hear. The exercise of writing a paper is for your edification. I'm just here to make sure you undertake the exercise rigorously. I respect risk-taking, and encourage you to keep your writing true to yourself. Challenging, original themes make for your intellectual growth.
However, two more "objective" standards in terms of grading have to do with:
*the overall quality of writing - Write clearly and to the point. Don't confuse complexity and convolution with sophistication in writing style. Some of the smartest academics on the planet are horrible writers. Those incomprehensible books that you occasionally come across in course readings aren't always frustrating simply because of you - bad writing plagues academia. Don't purposely try to write like that.
*the depth of analysis - i.e. I don't want book reports. Tell me something and prove it (in terms of historical writing).
Moving Violations
*Please spellcheck. Since we all, I presume, use word processors with some type of microprocessor inside, and even the most basic (even electronic typewriters) have a spellcheck function, please use it. There's no excuse for not running a basic spellcheck.
*"Proofreading is fundamental." Even if you don't have a spellchecker, basic errors should still be caught by a proofread. Additionally, since everyone, even the best writers, are, to some extent, blind to flaws in their own work, you should have you your writing read by someone else - that someone being a person you consider to be a good writer, not just a warm body. A spellcheck might have caught a double "your" in the last sentence, but not the "you" + "your." You might not have either, had you written the sentence.
*Layout. I was an undergraduate once, and I do know my way around word processors. So please, no papers in New York font, 14-point, with 2-inch side margins, 2 1/2 spaced. Not only does this kind of layout waste paper, it never accomplishes the goal of making the TA think your paper is longer than it appears. Like the Jedi mind trick, it only works on those gullible enough to fall for it. Standard margins are usually set as the default in word processors, with side margins set at around 1.25 inches. Please remember, 12-point, double-spaced pages, please.
*1 space after punctuation marks. Because old typewriters had only mono-spaced fonts, every character occupied the same space when typed. This is why typing teachers always told us to hit the spacebar twice after a period. In the word processor "font" age, this is no longer necessary, and considered wrong by typesetters. The computer automatically makes more space after a period, comma, etc. (Exceptions are mono-spaced fonts in the old tradition, purposely made to look like typewriters, e.g. "Courier.") So the point is, hit the spacebar once, please.
*Footnotes and citations. I don't care what type of footnotes you use (scientific, endnote, bottom-of-the-page footnote), as long as you use a standard one consistently. See books like The Elements of Style or The MLA Handbook for details.
*Block quotes. It was passed down to me that block quotes, should you decide to use them, are usually necessary if your quoted material would take up more than four lines were you to simply include it normally in the paper. If using block quotes, they are single-spaced, side margins set inward an additional half-inch or so on each side. Don't use block quotes to try to make your paper seem longer. When anything is quoted at that length, it's usually because it's something that would be better left unparaphrased or would illustrate a point in your argument much better if left in its entirety. Use block quotes judiciously.
(Interlude)
Like a good piece of music, a good piece of expository writing should possess the following:
*exposition (introduction)
*development (body)
*recapitulation (conclusion)
The Pachabel Canon, while a good piece of music, can make you drowsy. As variations on the same theme, it's great to listen to during an attack of insomnia. However, with the Blue Danube Waltz, you always know where you stand - and you feel refreshed afterwards.
Misdemeanors
*Watch out for run-on sentences. You know what I mean: "XXXX, however, YYYY, but XYXY, notwithstanding the fact that YXYX, rather ZZZZ, however YZYZ and..."
*Short, choppy writing. Sentence fragments. Sentences without verbs. This example. Fragmented. See?
*Cut down on cliches. While not a major offense, "...the trials and tribulations of..." is a bit worn out.
*Don't forget to be transitional! In other words, make use of transitional phrases as much as possible in your writing. It makes for better flow, and allows the reader to follow your argument much more easily. Jerky stops and starts are the sign of an inexperienced driver; try to make the ride smooth. "Not only are transitional phrases crucial to making your paper flow smoothly, they indicate to the grader that you have structured your paper well." (That was a transitional phrase for the jump to the next set of tips, by the way...)
Felonies
*Don't forget to make some type of outline for yourself! You need to make sure that you have a game plan for the presentation of your argument. You don't have to make a super-detailed outline of every fact and word you write, including index cards and the like. A simple "paragraph plan" of your main points and ideas may be enough for you. But plan enough so that you have a clear idea of where it is that you will begin and where you will end up. Don't just "go with the flow."
*Don't forget to cite ideas that are not your own. You don't have to cite a source substantiating that George Washington was the first president of the United States.[1] That's well within the realm of common knowledge. Similarly, "everyone" knows that Adolf Hitler was the leader of Nazi Germany or that clouds are made of water vapor. Even if "they" don't, these are safe claims to make without having to dig for sources to substantiate every one of them. Just use your common sense.
*Don't assume knowledge of information that the average reader wouldn't have. In other words, don't write the paper for me. Yes, as your TA, I possess the same background information as you, but write the paper for your roommate or good friend not in the course. Give basic background in passing: "General Leslie Groves, charged with the supervision of the Manhattan Project..." Even though my professor in my course on Hiroshima already knows who General Groves is, I am writing for a general audience. Again, use your common sense.
*Don't use unsubstantiated claims as common knowledge. "The CIA, after successfully preserving its existence by assassinating President Kennedy in 1963, undertook a policy of sustained..." That's a thesis (and a mini-series) in itself. You can make reference to the fact that this theory exists, but don't depend on such statements in your argument. It's still very controversial and disputed. Although nothing is completely "true," so to speak, some claims stand alone better than others.
*Resist the temptation to use the passive tense. Like Luke and the Dark Side of the Force, the passive tense is dangerous because it's the "easy path." The use of the passive tense (in historical writing) usually reflects either a lack of knowledge or trepidation in making a claim. Additionally, it can be a sign that you want to hide something, or reflect the fact that you don't fully know what you're talking about: "Although Lt. Calley was stopped from killing even more civilians in the village of My Lai, the event still stood out as a clear example of the brutality and moral depravity of the U.S. soldier in Vietnam." This may be a case of me not having done all the historical homework, so to speak, or maybe an attempt to pull a fast one on the reader. Either way, in the interests of proving my point that the average U.S. soldier in Vietnam was a brute, devoid of morals, I brushed over the fact that Calley was stopped by a fellow Marine helicopter gunner who leveled his weapon at his superior officer and ordered him to "cease and desist." In this case, this is a substantial omission. Significantly, in historical writing about the Holocaust, passive writing is used a great deal. (See there? I did it myself! WHO uses passive writing a great deal!?) It's a slick way to remove the agent of action from the picture. I meant to say German historians use the passive tense a lot in their writing about this subject. This is a much stronger claim; it's more difficult to make, but much clearer, wouldn't you say? In this way, "Because of her views, Anne Hutchinson was banished from the Massachusetts Bay colony," is much easier to claim than "Because of the threat she posed to the established religious order, church leaders banished Anne Hutchinson from the Massachusetts Bay colony."
Capital Crimes
*Beware of themes that are too broad to cover, or too narrow to write about without years of original research. A topic such as "Native Americans and the West" one could write an epic tome about, while "Identity Politics and Mixed-Blood Native American Carpenters in 1856 Iowa" may require a bit more time than you'd want to spend on this paper. Find a happy medium and then come to me.
*Don't write more than you must in order to get your point across. Additionally, don't skimp in style or necessary details in writing your paper. Length can be related to your theme. If you just can't make your point in the length requested, you may have too broad a topic. On the other hand, if you can't even clear two or three pages, you may be suffering from an acute lack of information.
*Not saving your work. Keep your work on disk, or at least have an extra copy of anything that you turn in to me. This is for your own good.
The Ultimate Sin
*Plagiarism. Do your own work; this type of dishonesty is not worth the risk. Unfortunately, this happens occasionally, more often than never being too often. I don't want to discover plagiarized work as much as the plagiarizer doesn't want to be discovered. But I will take any and all appropriate actions in such a case. There's really no reason to plagiarize; if you're having trouble in some way with the paper, come talk to me.