This guide provides suggestions, based on a recent survey of the faculty of Perkins School of Theology, for what your instructors want to see in student papers. It covers formatting, writing style, structure, content, and citations. Browse the tabs to find lists and examples to use as you polish your papers into models of perfection--or at least excellence. And please don't hesitate to call on either Jane Elder or Leslie Fuller if you remain confused.
Set up a one-on-one appointment with a librarian or tutor to help with research, writing style, grammar, and assistance with structuring writing assignments. We also assist with footnotes and bibliographies.
Carefully review your syllabus and assignment instructions before beginning.
Many Perkins faculty members provide instruction sheets for their assignments. Those instructions supersede any contained in this guide.
Pay particular attention to deadlines. If you have trouble meeting deadlines, consider creating self-imposed deadlines that fall several days before the "real" ones.
Maintain a sense of professionalism, especially when it comes to timely and clear communication with your instructors. They can't help you if they don't know what's going on.
