Getting Started
Q: How should I format my paper? How am I going to be handing it in?
All final graded, versions papers written for my courses must be submitted in electronic form, as a computer file. (That said, you should still always, always keep an extra, printed copy of your paper.). ("First versions" of papers that will be commented on and revised should usually be submitted in double-spaced, printed form with reasonable margins; check your particular paper handout for details.)
- Acceptable digital file formats include: plain text (.txt), HTML (.html), rich text (.rtf), Microsoft Word (.doc), and LaTeX (.tex). (Other formats might be acceptable, but check with me in advance.)
- For final digital versions, you do not need to worry about matters like size of margins, double-spacing, or any other such formatting issues.
- Acceptable ways of submitting your assignments include: sending it as an e-mail message, attaching a file to an e-mail message, or providing a floppy disk, ZIP disk, or CD-ROM with your file on it.
It is your responsibility to make sure that an electronically submitted paper reaches me; if you do not have an e-mail message from me within 24 hours telling you that I received your paper, contact me immediately. Papers lost in electronic transit are your responsibility ("The server ate my homework" is not an acceptable excuse!). And, as I say above: Always, always keep an extra, printed copy of your paper.
Q: Who is my target audience? How much can I assume the reader already knows about the topic?
As I put it in my general introduction to writing philosophy papers, You should write as if your paper is going to be read by another bright IWU student who has attended this class and done the reading, but who is confused on the topic you're discussing.
Q: Should I go to the library or do other outside reading?
Probably not; remember that a philosophy paper is not a research paper. (See the "Philosophy Papers" page for a discussion of this point.) You are permitted to do outside reading for your paper, but you are certainly not required to do so. You should only use outside sources if you think that it will deepen your own analysis of these issues, and generally you will just be better off spending more time grappling with these issues on your own rather than trying to take into account another professional perspective.
Q: Okay then, how should I get started?
Most students produce better work when they take time to think and prepare before they write. Don't just jump into writing: think about what you want your paper to achieve. Consider making brief lists of the points that you're planning to make, or a flowchart or outline of the structure of you paper, or perhaps diagrams that illustrate key ideas. Also, if you're assessing another philosopher's position, consider writing a detailed, step-by-step version of their argument, or, if your paper presents an argument or objection of your own, considering writing a detailed, step-by-step version of your own reasoning. Getting organized before you start to write can save you a lot of pain and effort once you're underway, and it will help you to write so that it can easily convey the structure of your reasoning.
If you're supposed to do some critical analysis in your paper, you will probably want to spend some time brainstorming your approach. (See the Philosophy Papers page for some critical strategies.)
Take a look at the following two excellent web sites for some more advice:
- Jim Pryor's Guidelines on Writing a Philosophy Paper
- Joe Cruz's " Writing tutor for Introductory Philosophy Courses at Williams College.
Q: Can I quote from the material we read?
If you like. But try to avoid lengthy quotations from the reading; paraphrase whenever you reasonably can. Remember that your target audience for the paper is someone who has already read the text but doesn't understand it: You're not likely to help him come to understand it by throwing chunks of the text back at him. Finding appropriate and important piece of text is all well and good, and can be helpful if you have set the reader up to understand an important bit of an especially confusing text. But wherever you're tempted to insert a lengthy quotation, ask yourself: Is this really necessary for my paper, or am I just putting it in because typing is easier than explaining? See if you can pare the selection down a bit, interspersing short quotations with clarifying paraphrases or explanation of the point in your own words. And don't forget to cite: give proper credit to your sources, or else trouble might result.
Q: What title should I give my paper?
Avoid generic names like "Paper 1" or "Paper About God". Try to think of something brief and catchy that will give the reader some idea what you have to say in your paper. Thus it's probably better to wait until after you've written it before you name it.
Q: What should I do in my introduction?
Introductions can be very brief—even just a few sentences. Very briefly tell the reader what you're going to do in your paper. Avoid what I call the "Dawn of Man" trap—giving pointlessly broad context for the topic of your paper (e.g., "Ever since the dawn of man, people have wondered about the difference between right and wrong."). Also avoid pointless biographical references or filler that doesn't help you to establish your thesis (e.g., "Johnson was born in 1899.", or "Smith's book is a very important work of philosophy by a very important philosopher.").
Remember that an academic paper is not like a mystery novel. You don't want the reader to have to guess at what is going on. Here, you are helping the reader rather than spoiling a surprise ending when you let them know at the beginning what they should expect in your paper. (That means it probably makes sense to wait until you're done writing your paper (and you know what you're going to say) before you write the introduction!)