All essays must conform to the following rules:
– A title page. The title page is excluded from the 5 pages.
– All pages must be numbered with the exception of the title page.
– 12pt Times New Roman font.
– Double spaced.
– Chicago citation style.
– A minimum of three scholarly books and three peer-reviewed articles. Excluding the textbook (Erik Gilbert | Jonathan T. Reynolds, AFRICA in World History-From Precolonial to the Present and
V.B. Khapoya, The African Experience (4th ed.)).
– Only use academic journals and published books for getting materials. Online sites that are not
academic journals are not acceptable for citation
What is expected of your essays and how they will be graded
The most crucial aspect to any assignment is to understand the topic. Too many students pay
only cursory attention to the assignment, which usually results in some very strange interpretations of
what the assignment is. Decide whether you will be writing a book OR a research paper. Then decide–
based on Dr. Ali’s handout–which topic you will be examining. Then CONFRONT THE SUBJECT DIRECTLY.
The next step will be to research your subject. Solid research is the basis for solid writing. The
more time you spend researching and understanding your subject the easier it will be to write your
paper. I recommend starting off in a very general way. Consult a general source such as an encyclopedia
or your course reader to gain a basic understanding of the topic. Once you understand the basics of the
subject then it is time to research in more detail. Access to information has been revolutionized resulting
in a wealth of sources available to all Carleton students. The internet has an abundance of academic
sources available through our library’s Website. Remember, if you do not collect enough reliable
research, it will be clearly evident in your paper. There is no excuse for using only the course textbooks
as major sources.
Once you have gathered information you must sift through it and decide what is reliable and
relevant. Take that information and play with ideas; just because your research is done does not mean
you can start writing. Try to look at what story the information is telling you. Does one idea or theme or
pattern emerge time and time again? Try brainstorming, free-writing or pre-drafting to get some ideas
flowing. You must develop a thesis. EVERY essay must include one. Your thesis is your educated
conclusion, which you will be proving throughout the paper with evidence. All the evidence you include
in your paper must support your thesis (do not include irrelevant information because it fills space). Try
not to canvass other opinions as you only have five pages to express your own.
Every essay should begin by explaining what it is going to do. Your first line can be your thesis
and it can be as direct as: “this paper will prove that…” By the end of the first paragraph your reader
should have a clear understanding of your argument and how you intend to prove it. Try to devise a title
that reflects your thesis.
The body of your essay should follow your introduction. Each paragraph should make an
argument that supports your thesis and contains a piece of evidence supporting your argument. Do not
include evidence or paragraphs if you cannot explain why they relate to your argument.
Next comes the conclusion. Your conclusion is important because it summarizes your
ideas. There should never be new information introduced in your conclusion, just the points that you
have made in your essay.
The format you follow is very important. An 8-to-10-page assignment can be difficult to
write because you must include so much information in such a short amount of space. Any paper below
six pages will fail. The goal of a short assignment is to train you to think critically by getting you to
include only the most relevant information and to convey that information to a reader in a concise and
coherent manner.