GUIDELINES FOR WRITING AN INTERPRETIVE ESSAY

DO NOT USE THE WORDS INCREDIBLE, UNBELIEVABLE, OR AWESOME

UNLESS YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY MEAN AND YOU USE THEM
CORRECTLY.
1.

SOURCES

Use only assigned readings and lecture notes. You are not required to produce a research
paper for this course, so it will not be necessary to use outside sources. This assignment is an
exercise in interpreting material that has been covered in the course. Therefore, DO NOT
CONSULT INTERNET SITES. I am not interested in other peoples ideas about the books or the
authors. I am interested in YOUR ideas.
II

EXPLANATION

An interpretive essay involves critical and creative thinking about the issues raised by the
material covered in lectures, discussions, and readings. A simple narration of facts will not result
in a good essay. What you will need to do is present arguments, that is, a series of related
propositions supported by evidence. This assignment allows you to be the historian, for you will
offer your own perspectives on history.
III.

FORMAT
Every essay must have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.

1. Introduction: The introduction should be in the form of a thesis statement. Whatever

form it takes, it should include the major points you are going to make and your argument
(thesis).
2. Body: In the body of the essay, you supply the evidence that proves the thesis. Here
you present the relevant facts (not just any piece of information that comes to mind) in a logical
manner. A logical manner means a carefully thought-out presentation that leads the reader to an
understanding of your point of view, much in the manner that one follows a series of steps in a
mathematical proof. History, however, is unlike mathematics because in history there is no one
single right answer. That is why the logic of your argument is so important; you must convince
the reader that your argument is right.
Do not merely state your ideas. Explain them fully. It should not be left to the reader to
infer meaning from the evidence presented or to read between the lines.
3. Conclusion: The conclusion of an interpretive essay should include a brief summary of
the main points of the argument presented in the body of the paper. The concluding paragraph is
your last chance to convince the reader of the validity of your point of view, so try to make it as
clear and persuasive as possible.
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4. Bibliography of work cited. On a separate sheet of paper, list the works cited. List them
in alphabetical order by last name (surname) of the author. Do not pad the bibliography; list only
those things actually cited.
Example:
Locke, John. Second Treatise on Government. On Line: Gutenberg.org/files/7370
Machiavelli, Niccol. The Prince. New York: Bantam Books, 1981.
IV.

WRITING

Unfortunately, we are not born with good writing skills. We must learn them. Therefore,
we should always be prepared to work hard when composing an interpretive essay. Write, review
what you have written, and edit.
1. Good grammar, spelling, and punctuation are necessary components of all academic
essays. Grammatical errors weaken the logic and presentation of your argument.
2. Good organization is also very important. Think carefully in order to find the best way
to organize the source material to support your argument. Bad organization breaks the logic.
3. All papers must be printed or typed, double-spaced, using font size 12 with
approximately one-inch margins on the left, right and bottom of the page. Please do not try to
play with the margins or use large fonts in order to make your paper look longer. This does not
fool anyone. Rather, it annoys the person who will be grading your paper.
4. Avoid the use of colloquialisms and slang. These do not belong in an academic paper.
5. Contractions, also, are not used in formal, expository writing. Thus, instead of he
didnt write he did not.
6. Use the past tense when writing about events that occurred in the past. Use the
present tense when discussing an author and his or her work.
7. Minimize or avoid altogether the use of the passive voice. For example, one often
reads sentences like, They were impressed by his manner. His manner impressed them
communicates the same idea more directly.
V. CITATIONS AND PLAGIARISM
This is not a formal, research paper, so you do not need to use footnotes or endnotes,
although you may use them if you so desire. Immediate citation in the text will be acceptable.
When citing a text, give the author and the page number in parentheses immediately following the
citation.
Example: There can be no proper relation between one who is armed and one who is
not. (Machiavelli, p. 54).
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AVOID PLAGIARISM! You commit plagiarism if you present the words or ideas of
another person as your own. Intellectual integrity is the foundation of all academic disciplines.
Plagiarism is a grave offense, for which one can be dismissed from the University of California.
Although intent is basic to plagiarism, many students unknowingly commit acts, which, technically
speaking, constitute plagiarism. If you adhere to the following rules conscientiously, you will not
have any problems in this regard.
1. When citing the exact words of another author, or when citing a portion of text, always
place the material in question inside quotation marks, and then immediately and exactly identify
the source.
2. If you borrow a phrase, or more importantly, an idea from an author or text, you must
identify the source, i.e., acknowledge that the phrase or idea is not your own creation.
3. Do not use another students work. First and foremost, do not use re-cycled papers,
papers produced by students in the past, and saved in the hope that they might be useful to a
friend who happens to be taking the same course at a later date. Teaching assistants and
instructors are keenly aware of this practice, and keep a sharp eye out for such re-cycled work.
Another form of cheating is to get a paper off the internet. Just remember: your paper has to be
submitted through SafeAssignment, which allows us to track down the source of papers taken off
the web. These forms of cheating will result in a judicial investigation and possible expulsion from
the University. If you are called to attend a disciplinary meeting, you may bring your lawyer.
4. Since this is NOT a group assignment, DO NOT SHARE your work with other
students. Treat it like a test, which you would also not share with a fellow student. If you loan
your paper to a fellow student who then copies material from you, then you have facilitated
cheating. As a result, you will be called before the student disciplinary committee. If you borrow a
fellow students paper and then steal some of it, you have committed plagiarism and will be called
before the student disciplinary committee. You will be put on academic probation and possibly
expelled from the University. Always remember this: SUBMIT ONLY YOUR OWN WORK.
5. Make certain that all paraphrased material is written in your own style and language.
6. A general rule: when in doubt, cite. You will not have any problems if acceptable
citations are provided for all borrowed items.