General Instructions on Preparing Independent Work

All independent work must be typewritten, double-spaced, single-sided on 8 1/2″ x 11″ white paper. Careful proofreading is essential. Students alone will be held responsible for the finished product, including typographical errors.

For information about acceptable style and format consult Kate Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations or The Chicago Manual of Style. Up-to-date copies of these manuals are available in room 149 of the Religion Department. If you are uncertain about the rules in these manuals, please consult your Director of Undergraduate Studies Seth Perry.

It is always better to ask questions rather than guess. You must, however, follow a standard policy consistently. For information about quotations, documentation, and the dangers of academic fraud, consult Rights, Rules, Responsibilities: Guidelines for Students, especially the section called “Examples of Plagiarism,” section 2.4.9. Plagiarism, even if unintended, is a violation of academic integrity and has serious consequences. A senior whose thesis contains an instance or instances of plagiarism or academic fraud will be reported to the Committee on Discipline and will be given a failing grade on his or her thesis. Your adviser and the Department Representative are here to help you. Please don’t hesitate to ask for help.