Comparison/Contrast Essay Instructions
Summary:
This assignment combines 3 aspects: choosing a topic, researching and writing a bibliography, and writing a comparison/contrast essay.
There are separate instructions for the Historical Bibliography Exercise that makes up the second aspect of this assignment.
Write a 3-5-page research paper analyzing 1 of the topics below.
The paper must include a strong analysis and must be formatted in Notes-Bibliography style, according to current Turabian guidelines. Refer to the History Department Turabian Quick Guide for details.
You may not use your textbook as a source for this assignment.
Please note that your instructor may choose to provide an additional topic option through the course announcements during Module/Week 2.
Topic Choices:
Compare and contrast the medieval Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. Because the Eastern Orthodox Church was created in 1054, the historical context for the paper must be the 11th-16th centuries. You may include details from earlier in medieval history (not before 476), as the Eastern Orthodox Church was strongly connected to the Byzantine Empire and influenced the East. In considering the similarities and differences, topics for evaluation and analysis could include theological differences, differing emphasis placed on doctrine and liturgy, or influence/legacy for the churches' respective regions. Justo Gonzalez's The Story of Christianity, Vol. I is a great resource for this topic.
Requirements Checklist before Submission:
- Does your paper have a clear introduction, body, and conclusion?
- Does your paper provide a strong analysis and sufficient support?
- Does the information flow and make sense? Is your argument convincing?
- Does the bibliography have at least 7 sources, including at least 3 scholarly journal articles?
- Does the paper cite fromat least 4 different sources?
- Does the paper reflect Turabian guidelines as laid out by the History Department Turabian Quick Guide?
- Did you use footnote citations throughout the paper?
- Did you make sure that you do not have any parenthetical citations in any part of the paper?
- Is the reference page a separate page, located at the end of the paper?
- Does the paper use 12-point Times New Roman or Calibri font in the body and 10-point font for footnotes?
- Is the font style and size (Times New Roman or Calibri) consistent throughout the paper?
- Have you checked for grammatical errors? (Use Grammar Guidelines in Writing Tips and Guides.)
- Is the paper long enough, without being too long (3-5 pages)?