Writing Philosophy Essays: Presentation of Essays
| 1. Introduction | 2. Philosophy Essay Topics | 3. What do I do in a Philosophy Essay? |
| 4. Researching Your Essay | 5. Writing Your Essay | 6. Plagiarism and Originality |
| 7. Quotations, Footnotes, Endnotes and Bibliography | 8. Presentation of Essays | 9. Seeking Advice |
| 10. A Bit on Philosophy Exams | 11. Checklist of Questions |
(a) Format
Generally, you should present an essay that is legible (hand-writing is OK, but typed or word-processed essays are preferable), in English, on one side of pieces of paper that are somewhere in the vicinity of A4 size and are fixed together. You should attach a completed Cover Sheet provided by the Philosophy Department. Plastic document covers, spiral binding and other forms of presentational paraphernalia are not necessary (nor are they usually even desirable, as they mostly just get in the marker’s way).
When you hand your essay in, you will be issued a receipt. Make sure you retain this receipt as evidence of having handed your essay in. You should also make a photocopy of your essay for yourself before handing your essay in, just in case your essay is lost.
(b) Late Essays
Late essays are penalised. (For details of penalties consult the Philosophy Department's notice board.)
(c) Essays Not Handed In
Essays not handed in at all get zero marks. An essay that is handed in but gets a mark below 50 (and so is technically a "failed" essay) still gets some marks. (At least, it will so long as it’s not so extremely late that the deducted marks wipe out all the marks it would have received if handed in on time.) All marks received for your essay (whether pass or fail) go toward your final score in the subject. Therefore, even if you think your essay is bound to fail (but please let your marker be the judge of that), or the due date has already passed, or both, it is still in your interests to hand your essay in.