>>Home>Assignments>Guidelines for Final Paper

Click here for MS-Word Format

GUIDELINES FOR THE FINAL PAPER IN JAPANESE CIVILIZATION

I. Selection of Topic

A. Pick a Topic that Interests YOU.

The only thing worse than writing about a topic that does not interest you, is reading a paper by a student who is writing about a topic that does not interest him/her!

B. Pick a Topic that Addresses a “Modern” Issue

In the past, students have written about the following: education; traditional arts (tea, flower arrangement, or martial arts) in a modern setting; minorities and minority discourse in Japan (focusing on Korean-Japanese, Ainu, or burakumin); Suzuki Violin Method; the economy; gender issues--pornography, prostitution, abortion, Equal Employment initiatives; manga; anime; issues relating to current youth culture; tourism; travel; the Atom Bomb; the War Crimes Trial; the Occupation; the drafting of the Postwar Constitution; the Ampo (Peace Security Treaty Ratification); the Kobe Earthquake; the Aum Shinrikyo Sariin Gas Attacks; television, and so on!

C. Pick a Topic that Can be Adequately Addressed in 5-10 pages

If you are interested in writing about “education,” for example, be sure to narrow your focus to a manageable point. You might want to look at the history and importance of the Mombushô (Ministry of Education); the Examination System; kindergarten; the textbook controversy; the way Art or Music are taught in elementary school; bullying; kikokushijo (returnees), etc.

D. Pick a Topic that Can be Adequately Researched

Frequently, a student will come up with an excellent idea for a topic--such as the portrayal of high school girls in manga and anime or issues concerning youth culture--only to find that there are very little secondary source materials beyond a few questionable web sites. Whereas the topic may be attractive, it will be difficult to write a paper without secondary sources. The following link will take you to a bibliography of source material available in our library:

http://artsci.wustl.edu/~copeland/Bibliography.html

As extensive as this bibliography is, there are still a number of works that “did not make the list.” Check the shelves in the library. See what’s there. Thumb through books. Thumb through journals devoted to Japanese subject matter, such as: Monumenta Nipponica, The Journal of Japanese Studies, The Journal of Asian Studies, The Japan Quarterly, Japan Forum, The Journal of Japanese Religions, and The Japan Echo. (These are also in Olin. Unfortunately, many of these back issues may now be stored at the West Campus, due to library renovations.)

E. When in Doubt, ASK.

If you are not sure whether or not your topic is appropriate, please discuss it with your instructors. Preferably BEFORE the last week of classes.

II. Writing the Essay

A. First, and most importantly, identify a clear and concise thesis for your paper. Don’t just write about a general idea and assume that a thesis is there—or will manifest itself as you write. You have to set out to write ABOUT something before you start to write. It is probably not news to you, but the word “essay” means to try/attempt/test. In an essay, you “try out an idea.” You attempt to prove a point. You test your assumption. A good essay, therefore, is premised on an idea, point, or assumption. The paper that follows supports/discusses/argues that point.

B. Your opening paragraph should begin with a general statement or two that draws readers into the larger realm of your discussion. For example, a paper on the effects of mass media on women in Japan might begin:

Any modern nation at the beginning of a new millennium is confronted
with the challenge of containing and utilizing its mass media. Media
shapes the way we view ourselves and others.

With the next sentence or two you narrow your focus.

In many respects, it is the direction, content, and tone of mass media
that influences the way women are portrayed and treated in
contemporary Japan.

Finally, your first paragraph should conclude with a strong, succinct thesis statement:

In this essay I will focus on the way women have been presented in
mass media in Japan by examining the way television cartoons have
influenced and directed gender values in Japanese society.

C. Developing the thesis.

It is important to have an outline of your argument BEFORE you write your paper. In discussing media, for example, you might want to begin with a brief summary of the
historical development of media in Modern Japan. Since the development of media is
NOT the main focus of your paper, you should deal with the issue succinctly, pointing out the most important characteristics in this development. Keep in mind the main thesis: the way media has influenced and directed gender values. You will have to determine what kind of gender values you wish to explore –state these. Next you will need to explore them in the different media you have cited.
Here you should employ concrete examples. Support your assumptions/arguments with quotations from other sources. If you make a statement of fact, support your facts. For example, if you say, “Japan produces more magazines per capita than any other nation in the world,” you will need to cite your reference.

D. Citing References

There are a number of methods for doing this. You may use footnotes or endnotes. You may cite parenthetically by including the author’s name, date of publication, and page number in parenthesis immediately following the quotation. If you choose a parenthetical form of citation, you must include a bibliography. Whichever method you adopt—use it consistently and responsibly. If you paraphrase another source but do not cite directly, YOU STILL NEED TO GIVE REFERENCE TO YOUR SOURCE. If you receive ideas from an author but do not quote the author directly, YOU STILL NEED TO GIVE REFERENCE TO YOUR SOURCE.

Remember, you should only cite those books that you actually read. If you read of a book in a secondary source but do not actually read the book, you cannot include it on your bibliography. Instead, you must include the source where mention of the book/study/article/interview occurred.

Internet Use: Not all webpages provide reliable information. If you plan to use a webpage to support your investigation, you may, if you cite the source. But you cannot rely exclusively on webpages. You also have to turn to actual books or journals for the majority of your resource needs. And you have to read the books you cite (see above).

E. Conclusion

After making the best argument you can in support of your thesis, it is important to have a snappy conclusion. Your conclusion should incorporate your opening paragraph and thesis sentence, but should also draw from the argument made in the course of your essay. Some writers like the conclusion to be open ended, to allow room for further thought. But you have to be careful not to introduce new ideas in your conclusion. The conclusion is the place where you tie up all your loose ends.

So—in our hypothetical paper on Women and Media in Japan:

As this essay has discussed, the image of women in Japanese media
contributes to unreasonable self-expectation among teenaged-women,
lowered self-esteem among middle-aged women, and encourages
indulgent fantasies in male viewers. Until television cartoons like “Chibi
Maruko” become more widely accessible, it is unlikely that this situation
will change in the near future.

The conclusion is also where you ask yourself the question “So what?” So what has this paper presented? So what was the point? So what if the image of women in Japanese media contributes to the …..?

III. Pet Peeves

A. AVOID:

*Contractions (don’t, I’m, they’re, etc.)
REMEMBER: it’s is a contraction for “it is.” It is not the possessive form.

*Slang: Chibi Maruko is truly awesome. Chibi Maruko is totally cool. Chibi
Maruko rules.

*Do not over use qualifiers: “The magazine was totally despicable and heinous in its
depiction of women.”

*Do not use qualifiers that make your argument weak: the image is somewhat
forceful; the evaluation was rather biased, etc. Either it WAS or it WAS NOT

*Do not use split infinitives: She tried to quickly cancel--> She tried to cancel
quickly. To boldly go--> to go boldly. To further understand--> to understand
further

*Do not overuse the same words—especially in close proximity. Look for
synonyms.

Ex: Japanese television has a major effect on culture and is a major form of mass
media. Japan is a major player in the world market and has a major role to play in
developing and marketing electronics.

*Do not write in books that are not yours.

B. ASPIRE TO:

*Spell check—or use a dictionary

*Put punctuation marks within quotation marks

*Italicize Japanese words that you use in your essay: manga, mono no aware, etc. (But NOT proper names: Tokyo, the Kabuki Theater, the Meiji era, a Kurosawa film)

*Italicize titles of books, magazines, and newspapers
Titles of articles, essays, films, etc. should be placed in quotation marks

*Promptly turning in your work.

*Calling on your instructors if you have a question.

Disclaimer: the paper described above is only hypothetical, and has no validity in real life!