Use standard and uniform margins of one and one half inches at the left (in order that binding not interfere with readability), and one inch on the other three sides. (This permits space for comments, questions, and corrections. Leave a blank page at the end for the same reason).
Length of the paper. If there is a limit on the number of pages, adhere to it. (This limit assumes numbered pages, conventional margins, and double-spaced typing). The writer, not the reader, must do the necessary pruning.
Quotations
Citation of quotations. All phrases or sentences copied from another author must be placed inside quotation marks. A proper citation, including page references, must follow any quotation.
Use of quotations. Quotations must be an aid to an argument, not a substitute for one. There are two forms for direct quotations. Short quotations are placed in quotation marks within the body of the text. Direct quotations of longer than about three lines are indented, single-spaced, and omit quotation marks. Both types are, of course, properly cited. All quotations must be exact in wording, spelling, and punctuation. Do not use excessively lengthy ones, as a rule. If you must emphasize some part of the quotation for purposes of illustrating a point of analysis, you may put it in italics or underline it, provided that you indicate immediately following that the emphasis is yours:
Example: "Of the three objectives of our foreign policy the first is the critical one" (emphasis added) OR (emphasis in the original).
If there is a mistake in logic, grammar, or spelling in the original, interpolate "[sic]" to assure the reader that you are quoting correctly. Every addition to the original must be enclosed in square brackets. If your typewriter lacks them, use a pen.
Documentation. The cardinal rule of all academic work is honesty in the use of the research or ideas of others. This is facilitated by proper attribution of sources.
A bibliography or list of references gives the reader a quick index to the research on which the paper is based. All works mentioned in citations or footnotes must be included ; works not cited should only be included if they were specially valuable in preparing the paper.
Citations serve four major purposes:
1. They identify the sources for information, other than that which is common knowledge. Thus the fact that the French Revolution began in 1789 need not be cited, but the fact that the liberals won 43% of the popular vote in the most recent elections should be.
2. They identify the sources of all interpretations, theories or, insights borrowed from others. Note: means that not only direct quotations but also paraphrases of the interpretations of others must be cited. If a theory or concept is so generally known as to be part of the fund of common knowledge (e.g., the concept of class warfare) it need not be cited (in this case, to Karl Marx). However, if your analysis hinged upon an examination of the usefulness of this concept, or an interpretation of it, then it probably should be cited to the precise pages in Marx, and possibly other authors who have used it in different ways.
3. They provide the reader with the necessary tools for a thorough and critical evaluation of your work. Citations permit the reader to check the accuracy of quotations and of your understanding of the materials. Sources may be inaccurately quoted, or a technically accurate quotation may be misleading when taken out of context. Exact references allow the reader to put the concept or quotation back "in context", and to assess it independently. For many types of research, this is the nearest one can come to replicating the work, that is, repeating the investigation to see whether one arrives at the same conclusions. Citations are therefore analogous to the requirement that scientists include the method of an experiment so that others may repeat it to test the validity of the results.
4. They provide fellow researchers with the tools necessary for further utilization of your work. The citations and the bibliography are the technical apparatus which allow cumulative effort. Unless specifically told by your instructor to ignore a part or all of this apparatus, you must assume that it is required.
Statistical tables, diagrams, and tabular presentation of analytical concepts frequently are important aids in presenting essential information or ideas. Unless they are presented properly, however, they are useless. First, the exact sources of all the factual material in the table must be noted at the bottom of the table (e.g. Source: United Nations, Statistical Office, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Yearbook of National Accounts Statistics, 1957, 436), Second, tables, diagrams and tabular presentations must always be explained in the body of the text. The relevance and interpretation of such tables are not clear to the reader unless you make them so. Third, if you yourself use some statistical technique, explain clearly what you have done and why.
There are currently two basic citation styles in common usage in political science. The more traditional or "humanities" style uses footnotes to reference every citation. The newer "author-date" style simply inserts the author, date and page number(s) in brackets in the main text. Both styles are discussed in detail in the following sections. Regardless of the style you choose, footnotes are used to give descriptive or technical material useful but not essential to the understanding of the paper. This type of footnote should be used sparingly. In the end, what is to be cited is a matter of judgment and experience. But remember: a failure to cite may be interpreted as an attempt to plagiarize.