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Using the definition essays you read as examples, write a 500-word definition essay about a topic of your choice. You may consider one of the following:

• ·  What is a hero?
• ·  What is a good parent?
• ·  What is an ethical choice?

Your essay will be graded on its ability to adhere to the definition essay form. Does your essay attempt to define a problematic concept? Does it add to the discussion of how people might understand the topic? What is at stake in your discussion? In other words, is there a group of people who might be vindicated by your definition? Remember that while you are writing a definition essay, you want to avoid using the dictionary itself. This is meant to be a definition that you create, not one that you copy from a source. In addition, the dictionary is never considered a strong academic source because information that comes from the dictionary and encyclopedias is considered “common knowledge.” Therefore, inserting a dictionary definition into your paper makes it seem as though you are not a strong researcher.

You will be graded using the following categories: content, organization, grammar and style conventions, resources, references, and APA formatting. Your essay will also be graded on its development. See the flow chart on page 77 in Strategies for Writing Successful Research Papers for guidance. Be sure that you revise, proofread, and format your essay according to APA standards. See the APA Guide. If you use outside sources, you need to use quotation marks for lifted language, as well as in-text and reference list citations. The APA organization/formatting should adhere to specifications for research papers, including the following:

• ·  A title page that includes the title of the paper, the name of the student, and the name of the institution
• ·  A proper running head according to APA 6th edition guidelines found in the APA Guide on pp. 9-11;
• ·  One (1) academically valid source (see p. 14 of the APA Guide for assistance with finding sources through

the Online Library)

• ·  A reference page with a centered header of “References” properly reflecting all sources used within the text (see

the APA Guide, p. 13 for overall formatting guidelines and pp. 5-7 for formatting guidelines for specific source types).

The most reliable sources for appropriate information on the Internet will come from .gov, .edu, and .org sites or sites specifically devoted to scholarly writing, such as websites of scientific journals. Unacceptable sources are blogs, unreferenced articles, or general information from .com sites. General encyclopedias are prohibited sources and include, but are not limited to, Wikipedia, Encarta, Britannica, and World Book. Please utilize the  Online Library for credible and reliable electronic sources. If your essay is less than 500 words, you will not receive full credit, and depending on the word count, your grade may be severely impacted.

 

 

Microsoft Word 2003:

1. Under Format, select Font.
2. Under Font, select Times New Roman.
3. Under Size, select 12.

Microsoft Word 2007/2010/2013:

1. Under Home, select the Font window (by clicking the icon to the right of the word Font).
2. Select Times New Roman.
3. Select Size of 12. Click OK.

Paragraph Indention

All papers typed in APA format require the first line of each paragraph to be indented .5”. This can easily be done by striking TAB on the keyboard. To set tab to the one-half inch default, do the following:

Microsoft Word 2003:

1. Under Format, select Paragraph.
2. Under Paragraph, select Tabs at the bottom of the dialogue box.
3. Under Tabs, set Default tab stops at .5”.

Microsoft Word 2007/2010/2013:

1. Under Home, select the Paragraph window (by clicking the icon to the right of the word

paragraph).

2. Under Paragraph, select Tabs at the bottom of the dialogue box.
3. Under Tabs, set Default tab stops at .5”.

Page Header (Running head)

The page header should be found at the top of each page of the APA document. The page header consists of both the running head and the page number. The running head should be flush left and one-half inch from the top margin. The title page should consist of the words Running head (italics would not be used in the actual document) followed by a colon and the title of the paper in all capital letters. All subsequent pages should include only the title in all capital letters (see page 9 for an example). The maximum number of characters (including spaces) after the colon is 50. Only the major words should be used if the title exceeds the standard 50 character limit. The page number should also be included on the same line as the running head but should be flush right. To set up the running head and page number, do the following:

Microsoft Word 2003:

1. Under File, select Page Setup.
2. Under Page Setup, select the Layout tab.
3. Under Headers and Footers, select Different First Page.
4. Click OK.
5. Under View, select Header and Footer. The cursor will appear flush left in the header

box.

6. Type “Running head: TITLE OF YOUR PAPER”.
7. Tab until your cursor is moved to the right aligned position to insert the page number (the

amount of times you click tab can depend on your computer, but is usually 1-3 times).

 

Formatting the Reference Page

At the end of each APA document, there should be a reference page (on a separate page) containing the sources used within the paper. Every reference cited in text should be listed on the reference page(s), and every reference listed on the reference page(s) should be cited in the text. The exceptions to this are personal communication, classical works, and secondary sources. With secondary sources, only the original source should be cited on the reference page. References are of the utmost importance, as they allow the reader to access the sources cited in text, and they enable the author of the document to give credit where credit is due. For this reason, the reference should contain accurate information, as well as proper punctuation and spelling. References will accompany the conclusion of any APA document. For each reference listed, there should be at least one corresponding text citation in the document.

• ·  All margins should be one inch.
• ·  The word ‘References’ should be used as the heading; it should be centered.
• ·  Double spacing should be used.
• ·  There should be no underlining used on the reference page.
• ·  With the exception of the first line of each reference, all lines are indented .5”. This is

called a hanging indention. The instructions below explain how to format this:

Microsoft Word 2003:

1. Highlight your reference.
2. Under Format, select Paragraph.
3. Click the drop down menu below Special until you see Hanging.
4. After pressing Hanging, click OK.

Microsoft Word 2007/2010/2013:

1. Highlight your reference.
2. Under Home, select the Paragraph window (by clicking the icon to the right of the word

paragraph).

3. Click the drop down menu below Special until you see Hanging.
4. After pressing Hanging, click OK.