Music History & Literature

Syllabus
MUSC 3122, 3132
Department of Performing Arts
Millsaps College | Jackson, MS

Music History & Literature III & IV

RESEARCH PAPER STYLE SHEET

Title page: Your paper must have a title page [giving the paper title, your name, the course name and name of the instructor], followed by a blank page between the title page and beginning of the text. Please turn your paper in with attractive binding or plastic cover.

Page numbering: Placing the page numbers in a footer at the bottom center of each page (beginning only on the first page of text, not the title page). The first page of text is page 1.

First reference to a writer in the text: The first reference to a writer in the text should include his or her full name and some sort of reference to the writer's work.

Footnotes: You must use footnotes [not endnotes], formatted in Chicago Style.

Placement of musical examples: You may place musical examples either within the body of the paper or on separate sheets at the end. The most effective method is to scan your examples into the text itself, making it convenient for the reader.

When to discuss music: Everything in your paper should be included for only one reason: because it helps you prove your case. Do not feel that you must analyze a piece of music just because you can; tell us only about the features that are important to your argument.

When to present a musical example: There are only three reasons to present a musical example: (1) to discuss the passage in detail, (2) to show what cannot be described, or (3) as a favor to the reader, if the music is unpublished or hard to find. If you can describe the music well enough to make your point without showing it to us, do not include an example.

Captions: Every musical example must have a caption. See Turabian 7.13-15 for the style; in music, we typically use examples (Ex.) rather than figures (Fig.), but the style is the same. Figures would be used for pictures, photographs, or other illustrations. You may use both Examples and Figures.

Neatness and presentation: Musical examples must be neat and readable. If you copy them by hand or by computer, make sure they are pleasant-looking and accurate. If you photocopy them from a score, make sure that the segment you include contains all necessary information (such as clefs, key signatures, time signatures, and so on, added by hand or cut-and-paste if necessary). Your examples must fit within the usual margins of the paper (i.e., at least one-inch margins on each side). Reducing the size of the music through photocopying may make your examples look better, but they must remain legible.

When to use a quotation: There are only three reasons for using quotation: (1) to present a document of some sort for discussion (as you would present a musical example); (2) to present a writer's argument for refutation; and (3) to repeat a particular turn of phrase that is especially felicitous (this should be used sparingly). In all other cases, it is preferable for you to present the ideas or information in your own words.

Identify the source: The author of any quotation must be named in the text, and the source given in a note.

Block quotation: Quotations of two or more lines of poetry or four or more lines of prose should be set off as a block quotation. Block quotations are indented from the main text and single-spaced and are not enclosed in quotation marks. See Turabian, 5.6-8 and 5.30-34.

Ellipses: Use ellipses to indicate that text has been omitted from the middle of a quotation. Do not use ellipses at the beginning or end of a quotation. Ellipses are typed with spaces on either side of each dot, like this . . . and never without spaces. Ellipses between sentences are typed like this. . . . The first dot functions as a period, the rest as the sign of an ellipsis. See Turabian 5.18-28.

When to cite a source in a footnote: All material derived from secondary sources, whether or not you quote it directly, must be credited. Cite the source of every quotation in a footnote. But also cite the source for any information you restate in your own words. You need not cite a source for well-known facts, such as a composer's birthdate, but should cite a source for any interpretation or opinion, even if it is repeated in several of your sources.

Full and short citations: The first time you cite a work in a footnote or endnote, give a full citation using footnote form; see the samples labeled "N" in Turabian's chapter 11. For all subsequent citations, use short form Method A (Turabian 8.88-96) or, for a work just cited, "Ibid." (Turabian 8.85-8.87).

Textbooks: Do not use textbooks as sources for scholarly papers. They can be helpful in previewing your topic or listing sources you should consult, however.