10 page work

Basics: The paper will be a scholarly, researched paper of about 10 double-spaced pages. In terms of formatting, standard is preferred--Times New Roman, 12 pt font, 1 inch margins, MLA or APA formatting. 

There are no specific number of articles that NEED to be cited but I'd say more than 3 and less than 10 should curb your worst impulses. It really depends on the paper what that number will be.

Topic: The paper should work from the argument laid out in the abstract (though revision of the abstract idea is allowed and encouraged) and thus should have a clear argument, respond to other scholars, and give a sense of its important to understanding the texts discussed.

Tips:

This paper will likely be 75% reading of the primary text and 25% interaction with scholarly works. I envision, say, 7 of the 10 pages being mostly working directly with 18th century texts.

You can give your paper subheadings. More than three starts to feel weird. You do not need to have subheadings if you do not want them.

You can use footnotes but do not need to use footnotes.