CHECKLIST BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR FINAL PAPER

• I have found that the best papers start with a relatively clear and straightforward statement of the paper's thesis or purpose. Make sure of this first, and the rest of the paper will often fall into line easily. A thesis is a claim of some sort that you prove. "I intend to prove that further structural adjustment programs will solve Russia's economic development problems." But even if you don't have a specific claim, your paper should have a definite, bounded, coherent purpose:
• WRONG: "In this paper I intend to ramble on about Russian history, politics, social problems, and anything else that occurs to me."
• RIGHT: "In this paper I intend to describe the variety of economic difficulties the Russian government now faces and must overcome for development to occur."
• [If applicable:] Have you provided your original interview notes?
• Have you provided at the end of the paper a list of all the works you used, in a standard (preferably MLA) style?
• Have you put citations within the paper indicating where you got the various bits of information you give? (Need not include general knowledge, e.g., "The sun rises in the east."
• Have you spell-checked the paper?
• Finally, have you proofread the paper? Remember that spelling checkers won't catch won't catch won't catch errors like this won't catch errors like this won't catch errors like this. They can't tell leave something out. There logic prevents theme Fromm noting you're words t ha tare in correct butt spelled write - at least wright according two sum other meaning. [Thus my spelling checker doesn't catch any of the above mistakes.] Don't let the spelling checker lull you into a false sense of security!⁽¹⁾

1.

Eye halve a spelling chequer.
It came with my pea sea.
It plane lee marques four my revue
Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.

Eye strike a key and Taipei whirred
And weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar write —
It shows me strait a weigh.

As soon as a mist ache is maid,
It nose bee fore two long,
And eye can put the error rite —
Its rare lea ever wrong.

Eye have run this poem threw it
I am shore your pleased two no.
Its letter perfect awl the weigh —
My chequer tolled me sew.

-Sauce unknown

[Via Brad Blanton:]

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