History of Science Program Citation Style Recommendation
Consult with your professor regarding citation style. To quote from Professor Beaver's answers [below]: "Any system which allows the reader to find the source material without great effort."
Writing Guidelines
From Donal Beaver, History of Science Chair
Q. How should an argument be structured?
A. It should be clearly stated, well defined, delimited in range/scope, and ideally interesting to the reader.
Q. Is a thesis necessary? If so, how would you define a good thesis?
A. Not always, although I prefer one. If the composition is self-exemplary, no thesis is required. I would define a thesis as the conclusion to a well-structured argument.
Q. Do you prefer the student to state her intended argument outright in the introduction, or to develop it through the paper and state it definitively only in the conclusion-or is she free to choose?
A. In general, I prefer the thesis (if not an outline of the argument) at the beginning and the end. The most important thing to do at the beginning is motivate the reader to want to read further. If that can be done without stating a thesis fine, but the rest of the argument should sustain the reader's interest in continuing. Sometimes raising a question is all that needs to be done.
Q. How should a paper be presented on the page?
A. Beats me - I've had only a few departures from usual practice of more or less 250 words double spaced.
Q. Are there rigid guidelines for form (as in scientific lab write-ups) or are students free to experiment?
A. Experiment away...
Q. Do you advise students to divide their papers into sections with headings and subheadings?
A. Generally not, especially if the paper is relatively short (5 pp or less). Usually advised for longer papers, when transitions are difficult or awkward, or don't fit the structure of the supporting arguments – that is, treatment of the material calls for a series of relatively independent sections.
Q. How do students integrate tables and diagrams into their papers if need be?
A. Best if within flow of text, else place at end.
Q. Are there grammatical or stylistic conventions peculiar to writing in your discipline of which students should be aware?
A. None I can think of.
Q. For example, is the use of first-person pronouns permissible?
A. Yes, but rare.
Q. Is passive voice permissible?
A. Yes, but usually unwelcome.
Q. How do you feel about quoting other sources?
A. Why not? But beware a high number of citations/page, which can reflect lack of digestion or originality {or a Ph. D. thesis}.
Q. Which system of citation (bibliography, in-text citation/footnotes/endnotes) does your department prefer? Chicago Manual of Style? MLA style? APA style?
A. Any system which allows the reader to find the source material without great effort.
Q. Are there any writing guides or handbooks you would recommend to students with questions about paper writing (either in your discipline or in general)?
A. Strunk and White [SAWYER REF PE1408 .S772 2000 The elements of style / by William Strunk, Jr.; 4th ed. New York : Longman, c2000.]; Orwell's "Politics of the English Language;" the American Scientist article used in Writing Workshop [which years ago I put Prof. Grudin on to].
Q. What do you look for in grading a student paper?
A. Lots; hard to detail. Clarity; force; flow; arguments supported by detail, facts, or specific examples; attention to nuance; showing awareness of weaknesses or counterarguments, and either forestalling, limiting, or disposing of them. Some day I may put the NY guide to grading Regent's exams in front of me, because it's nicely arranged in successive stages of characteristics of scholarly achievement.
Q. What are the most common stylistic, grammatical or formal mistakes you see in students' papers?
A. Stylistic. For me, passive voice, use of forms of the verb "to be," and colloquial phrasing (though colorful, too often imprecise). I'm also curmudgeonly about using long (Latinate) words for short (Anglo-Saxon):utilize for use, purchase for buy, society for social, advancement for advance, etc. Grammatical/Formal. Confusing it's with its (most common), or their and there, few and less. Misspellings. Most annoying to me, however, are indefinite antecedents, most often, "that," "it," and "which." Such indecisiveness is frustrating because it indicates either a lack of attention to clarity or continuing conclusion, both of which create a desire not to bother reading further. Indefinite antecedents are not to be confused with creative ambiguity, when one or both antecedents apply/function equally well.
Q. How do these mistakes affect your evaluation of the content of a student's work?
A. The more often they occur, the more interrupted the flow, clarity, and force of argument, and hence its persuasiveness. Such mistakes, if numerous, create an impression of lack of care, and consequently devalue the paper as a whole, in a way easy to recognize, but difficult to make explicit.