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Tips for Success
- Use assignment guidelines and rubric to check that all requirements are satisfied. NOTE that your professor may require variations from these guidelines!
- Aim for clear and succinct writing using concise, clearly understood statements.
- Avoid plagiarizing by using proper citation techniques!
- Use library databases for your research and literature review.
- Proofread your paper by reading it slowly and carefully aloud to yourself.
- Use spell-check and grammar-check to identify potential errors
- Contact Gateway tutors for writing assistance!
- Ask for feedback on your paper from a classmate, writing center tutor, or instructor.
- Budget time to implement suggestions.
Details of the Capstone Paper
- Margins: Use 1-in. margins on all sides of the page (top, bottom, left, and right).
- Font: Use a legible font. Many fonts are acceptable, including 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, 12- point Times New Roman, and 11-point Georgia. The default font of your word-processing program is acceptable.
- Line spacing: Use double-spacing for the entire paper (including block quotations and the reference list). Do not add blank lines before or after headings. Do not add extra spacing between paragraphs.
- Paragraph alignment and indentation: Align paragraphs of text to the left margin. Leave the right margin ragged. Do not use full justification. Indent the first line of every paragraph of text 0.5 in. using the tab key or the paragraph-formatting function of your word-processing program.
- Page numbers: Put a page number in the top right corner of every page, including the title page or cover page, which is page 1. Student papers do not require a running head on any page.
1. Title Page (dedicated page)
- An informative title with 3-4 extra spaces above
- After one extra space, your name
- Affiliation (Gateway CTC)
- Course number: name
- Professor's name
- Due date
2. Body (begins on new page)
Body Elements
- Repeat the paper title at the top of the first page of body.
- Begin with an introduction to provide background and context.
- Use descriptive headings to identify sections
- Sections and headings vary depending on paper type and complexity.
Quotations
Citations
Tables and Figures
Language
7. References (begins on new page)
- Prepare a complete alphabetized (by first author's last name) list of bibliographic references for every citation in the text of your report.
- Use APA guidelines for formatting your reference section; find them in the APA Style Guide.
- View reference examples on the APA Style website
