Seminar Paper

Your seminar paper is a country study of any Latin American country of your choice. This paper allows you to focus on a specific challenge to democratic consolidation facing your chosen country. Include a brief, relevant overview of your country, focusing on its democratization process, followed by an extensive overview of the struggles the country faces as it tries to consolidate its democracy. I do not expect you to present original research on the country, but rather a critical review of literature relevant to your country/topic.

The paper must be 10-12 full pages long, typed, double-spaced, with one-inch margins. Use a standard 12-point font (e.g. Times, Helvetica, Palatino). Staple your paper together on the top left corner-do not use a binder. The paper must also include a bibliography and a separate cover page (these do not count towards the 10-12 pages).

A paper abstract is due 20 January. The abstract must be no more than 250 words. The abstract must point out the country you will study, the topic, and the general thesis you will pursue.

Be sure the paper is an original creation and that you do not plagiarize material from other sources. Keep in mind that plagiarism (the use of words and/or ideas from other authors without properly crediting them) is a serious academic offense leading to dismissal from the university.

Writing Tips

Give yourself plenty of time to write a solid paper. Make detailed outlines and write at least two rough drafts, giving yourself time to revise them.

Be sure to proofread your paper for grammatical mistakes and spelling errors. If you are using Microsoft Word, use the grammar and spelling checker. Also, read your drafts over carefully; the computer is never as good as the human mind.

Write in a concise, clear style. Beyond grammar, good style is also important. Writing well allows your reader to better understand you; it also makes your writing flow and seem more polished and prepared. Perhaps the best style manual available is The Elements of Style by Strunk and White. It's available pretty much anywhere and will help improve your writing.

Watch out for these common style mistakes:
• Run-on sentences
• Use of homonymns (e.g. site/sight/cite, affect/effect)
• Colloquial phrases
• Use of passive tense verbs
• Inconsistent use of pronounts or tenses
• Unecessary wordiness

Look over your paragraph structure. Make sure each sentence in the paragraph follows the same main idea; if not, break the paragraph up. Writing a detailed outline will help eliminate this problem.

Read over your paper and make sure that it flows; there should be no unecessary words, phrases, or paragraphs.

Write a strong introduction. It should introduce your main points and let the reader know what to expect in the upcoming pages. An introduction should be no longer than 1-2 pages.

Write a concise conclusion. It should once again highlight your main points. A conclusion is very similar to the introduction in structure (but not necessarily in content). This should also be no longer than 1-2 pages.

Be careful how you cite sources. Do not use extensively long quotes in your paper; your paper is too short to have paragraph length quotes. When possible, paraphrase your source. Cite your sources properly (refer to a citation manual for help). Use direct quotes only when you need to use the exact words of an important source. Don't use quotes to state things you could paraphrase. References that are considered "common knowledge" do not require citation.

Note:
You are responsible to make yourself aware of and understanding the policies and procedures in the Undergraduate (pp. 271-272) and/or Graduate (pp. 24-26) Catalogs that pertain to Academic Integrity. These policies include cheating, fabrication, falsification and forgery, multiple submission, plagiarism, complicity and computer misuse. If there is reason to believe you have been involved in academic dishonesty, you will be referred to the Office of Student Judicial Affairs. You will be given the opportunity to review the charge(s). If you believe you are not responsible, you will have the opportunity for a hearing. You should consult with me if you are uncertain about an issue of academic honesty prior to the submission of an assignment or test.