Criteria for Research Paper Make sure that you write this paper in your own words! If you must quote the author to make a point, then use quotation marks to indicate any words that are not your own. Each research paper is required to be a minimum length of four complete pages, typed, double-spaced, using 12 point font, using MLA format (Criterion can help you with MLA also). You will need to include a minimum of 3 sources. Encyclopedias and articles without authors do not count toward your required 3 sources. You must have an author and a publication date for each of your 3 sources! You will select a topic based on an artist or artistic style that is especially interesting to you. You may certainly choose your topic from artists and artistic styles that you encounter in our text, but do not limit yourself to those artists and styles. You will also want to click on the sites available on our course site External Links to look for topics. Additionally, you may want to peruse publications such as: American Artists, Art News, Art in America, Museums Washington, Smithsonian, and any other major art magazines, newspapers, internet sites, etc. The research paper topic should focus on particular artists, collections of art, movements and trends in art, or other pertinent topics related to Visual Art. In the final paragraph of your research paper, state what you think about what you have learned regarding your topic and then why you came to that conclusion. Make sure to include your Works Cited page, where you will type the author and publication date(s) of the sources you chose. The source(s) should be cited on a works cited page in the MLA format. This is a college-level course, and all written work will be graded accordingly. I read principally for content, although at this level of higher education, format is also very important. I stress the basics of standard practice in written English. Standard sentences with subject agreement, adequate grammar, and no typographical or spelling errors are considered the basics of college-level written communication. Use Criterion to help you refresh your memory on the basics of college-level written communication. If you have not already registered for Criterion, then you must do so now. All research papers should be submitted at least once to Criterion. You may revise your draft and submit it twice or more if you would like. Instructions for registering on Criterion can be found in our Course Information.