PSY 391D - Guidelines for Papers and Written Assignments

1. Organize your essay well. Think about the best way to organize your essay before you write. Present your material so that it easy for your readers to understand. Don't expect them to fill in missing assumptions. Label each section of your paper with a heading, which will make your organization easy for the reader to see.
   
   
2. Support your claims. Don't just state your opinion on an issue. Explain your reasons for believing it. Provide an argument that will persuade your readers that your opinion is right.
   
   
3. Consider how your readers will interpret it. Think about what your readers don't know. Don't assume they know everything you know. Explain things in a way that will make sense to them, given their background. If you can, have someone else read it and give you feedback.
   
   
4. Plan ahead. If you hand in your essay early, I may be able to give you suggestions for improvements that you can make before the final paper is due. By starting early, you will also be able to deal with any computer problems or emergencies that might arise.
   
   
5. Some sources are better than others. If you are looking for information on scientific findings, you should rely mainly on papers in scientific journals and books written by researchers. Articles in newspapaers and news magazines are often less accurate in reporting scientific results.

If you turn in a hard copy of your essay:

• Number the pages.
• If you do not staple or paper clip them together, then put your name on each page.

If you submit it by e-mail:

• One of these methods usually works best.
  1. Copy the text from your word processor and paste it into your mail program.
  2. Save your paper as a plain text file, and attach this file to your e-mail.
• Leave at least one blank line between each paragraph.
• Do not indent quotes.
• Send it to kcave@psych.umass.edu

Psych 391D: Consciousness Kyle Cave Psychology Dept. U. Mass.