Writing Guidelines for Student Papers: Some Basic Things to Remember
1.DO NOT depend heavily on cites from newspapers like USA Today and magazines like Time and Newsweek. Criminologists and sociologists have their own journals for the scholarly and academic discussion of the substance of their disciplines. There are numerous academic books on crime and criminal justice topics as well. See Guide to References for Student Research and Papers on the Contents section of my home page for further guidance.
2. DO NOT consistently introduce direct quotes in the first sentence of paragraphs. This generally makes the manuscript awkward to read.
3. DO NOT use an exact quote without giving the page number in the source document.
4. DO NOT use the title of the article or book in your in-text cite. You should cite the author, year, and perhaps page number.
5. DO NOT use more than one direct quote of a complete sentence in just one paragraph.
6. Don't forget to provide a cover and a reference page.
7. You must indent any direct quote over 30 words.
8. DO NOT use a font larger than 10 point and margins more than one (1) inch.
9. Avoid one sentence paragraphs. These are very awkward..