Essay Writing Guidelines for Hosei University Essay Contest
Essay Contest Judging Committee
Entries for the Hosei University Essay Contest must follow the prescribed format, and those that do not conform to it
will be disqualified, so ensure that your essay is properly formatted.

Essay writing
1. Essay writing
Get started well in advance and revise your essay.
(1) In general, it is extremely difficult to write a good essay without revising it. It is better to revise your essay as
many times as possible until it is finalized.
(2) You should therefore get started well in advance to secure enough time to revise your essay. It is unfortunate tosee many essays that fail to fully develop the argument throughout them probably due to a lack of time. In
preparation for writing essays, you are advised to keep your reading logs and store your ideas in two types ofnotebooks (cards). It is impossible to write good essays without organized accumulation of knowledge and ideas.

2. Defining the thesis statement & referring to previous studies
Define the thesis statement in the introductory paragraph in reference to previous studies as supporting evidence.
(1) Since an essay is a thesis, it is desirable to clarify at the beginning (Preface, Foreword, Introduction, Prologue,Chapter 1, etc.) your concern with the subject of the paper.
(2) The essay should be developed centering on this concern, and a consistent argument should be made from thebeginning to the end. If the point of the essay is unclear, the reader may not be able to accurately follow itsargument.
(3) It is a basic rule in essay writing to thoroughly examine previous works related to the thesis statement. Youshould know what existing studies have clarified and to what extent, and have a clear idea of what the paper
will demonstrate. It is important to establish a question based on your research of previous literature.

3. The end of your essay
At the end of your essay (conclusion, closing remarks, afterword, final chapter, summary, epilogue, etc.),
you should summarize your ideas to answer your thesis stated in the introductory paragraph. The
conclusion must be consistent with the introduction.

Guidelines
1. Language
Japanese or English

2. Length of essay, size of the characters
Essays must be written horizontally.

-1-■Japanese essay (A4): Within 24,000 characters/ 10.5-point / 40 letters x 40 lines■English essay (A4): Within 8,000 words / 12-point Times New Roman / 29 lines
・Your essay will be disqualified if you exceed the number of characters.
・Including the Table of Contents, notes, references.
・Text used on the cover sheet and in figures and tables is excluded from the total character count.

(1) Setting the number of lines and word count
For Japanese essays, set the number of lines to 40 per page and that of characters to 40 per line in horizontal format
on A4 paper. When using word processing software, even when the number of characters per line is set to 40, theactual number may not be exactly 40 due to the mixture of half-width and full-width characters, kerning and hanging
settings, the type of font used, etc. Deviations to some extent are permitted. Entries written vertically and/or in
multicolumn layouts are invalid and will not be evaluated.
For English essays, set the number of lines to 29 per page (with line spacing 24 points) in horizontal format on A4paper. Entries written in multicolumn layouts are invalid and will not be evaluated.

(2) How to count the number of words
Please check your word count excluding figures and tables in advance.

①*In the case of writing your paper inJapanese, see the number for“Characters (no spaces)”.

②

Use the Word Count tool in your Word document and see the number for “Words” (①)
Be sure to tick the box for “Include text boxes, footnotes and endnotes.” (②)

3. Figures and tables
There is a limit of 20 figures/tables in total.
(Even if you include figures/tables that have been output from statistical software, they will be counted one by one andincluded in the total number of allowed figures/tables.)-2-

4. Table of Contents and pagination
Each essay page should be numbered with the Table of Contents as Page 1.
There are entries without pagination or whose Table of Contents is not numbered as Page 1, so please pay attention topagination.

5. Notes
Notes must be numbered consecutively and listed at the end of each chapter or the end of the essay or must be listed
as footnotes on each page. Each citation must include the page number of cited material.

6. Quotation and reproduction of material in essay writing
When quoting or reproducing contents from copyrighted works or productions, you must follow quotation /reproduction rules, or you will be charged with plagiarism, a conduct constituting a violation of copyright law.
Plagiarism is strictly prohibited at Hosei University.
There are three types of quotations: 1) direct quotation, 2) indirect quotation and 3) paraphrasing. In any of these,the quoted part should be clearly indicated in the text and numbered to make it referable with the corresponding
number to its source in the bibliography or footnotes.
If you include in your essay any figures, tables or photographs which have been made public in copyrighted works,
they should be treated as reproductions. Be sure to obtain permission for reproduction from their copyright holders inadvance. If you intend to alter original figures or tables for use in your essay, you must also obtain permission to do so.
The fact that you have obtained permission for reproduction should be indicated in the relevant figures or tables
without fail.
Before writing your essay, be sure to carefully read the rules and specific instructions on quotation and reproduction(click the link below).
https://www.hosei.ac.jp/application/files/2417/2128/0207/inyou_tensai_English.pdf

7. References
Each reference must include the names of all authors/editors/translators, book/article title, journal title, year ofpublishing, publisher and other necessary information. It may be impossible to identify the source of material obtained
via the Internet. In such a case, the URL and access date must be added. (When material found on the Internet is alsoavailable as a book, a journal, a report or other printed form, the printed material must be used as a reference.)

8. Review history
Review history, which has been set up in word processing software, sometimes remains in entries, especially on theircover sheets. Be sure to delete the entire revision history before submission.

9. Plagiarism
Submitting as one’s own the writings, ideas, work or research of others is plagiarism, and as such will not be tolerated.
The student must note source information for all referenced materials. This applies not only to material taken fromthe Internet and books, but also to research and work shared in a seminar.
Any indication of plagiarism may be reported to the applicant’s faculty/department, and likely will result in disciplinary-3-action. If plagiarism is found in an essay that has been awarded a prize, the student is obliged by the University toreturn that prize.
When used, endnotes and references must be correctly formatted.

10. Double-posting and Re-posting
The submission of a previously published paper or a paper with the same or very similar content to one an applicant
has presented to an academic society, sent to a journal, etc., whether Hosei University affiliated or not, likely will be
judged as a “double posting”. The resubmission of a paper sent to the Hosei University Essay Contest in the past, onethat does not include new developments concerning the essay’s subject matter, likely will be judged as a “re-posting”.
Papers deemed to be double postings or re-postings may be excluded from consideration for a Hosei University Essay
prize.

(1) Submission of graduation theses to the Hosei University Essay Contest
Essays written based on graduation thesis research (limited to the Hosei University graduation thesis) will be acceptedand evaluated by the Hosei University Essay Contest Judging Committee. When this applies, you must clearly
indicate that you are using graduation thesis research as follows:① Add an appropriate footnote to the first text page in reference to the example below.
② List the graduation thesis as a reference.
【Example】
In the footnote of the first text page:
This essay is written based on the graduation research１）of the Faculty of… of Hosei University.
In the references section, etc.:
1) HOSEI Taro. “…(thesis topic)….” Graduation Thesis, Faculty of … of Hosei University, 20XX.
If you are considering submitting an essay written based on your graduation thesis research, you must ask yourfaculty and thesis advisor in advance about whether or not doing so is permissible and follow their policies andinstructions. The Hosei University Essay Contest Judging Committee will assume no responsibility for submitted
essays written based on graduation thesis research without obtaining permission from the faculty or thesis advisor,
which may affect the evaluation of the relevant graduation thesis in the faculty.

11. Surveys
When writing an essay based on surveys of people, whether quantitative or qualitative, you should clarify thefollowing in your essay:(1) Whether the survey was conducted by yourself or as part of a seminar project you belong to.
(2) The date, place, number of subjects, collection rate and method (interview, postal, etc.) of the survey.
(3) Be sure to include documents that help explain the survey contents, such as a survey slip if it is aquestionnaire survey, or the question items if it is a semi-structured interview survey.

12. Ethical considerations for research participants-4-(1) If you need to ask an individual or two or more people to participate in research to be conducted in connection withthe contest essay, you must explain the following two points to them and obtain their consent before proceeding with theresearch or survey:①Research content② Your intention to submit an essay summarizing the results of the research to the Hosei University
Essay Contest.
(2) Such consent can be obtained either orally or in writing, and you should choose an appropriate method in accordancewith the guidelines, instructions, etc. of the faculty, major or academic society you belong to, your supervisor, or a faculty
member who has recommended you. The Essay Contest Judging Committee does not give specific instructions on how
to obtain such consent.
(3) Please include in the entry sufficient information on the above-mentioned consent procedures. If the consent procedure
is not described in the essay presumably written based on research that requires consent from its participants, that entry
may not be accepted.
[Hosei University Research Ethics Regulations](https://www.hosei.ac.jp/application/files/3815/7492/5822/kenkyuriri_kitei.pdf）

13. Generative AI Tools
Regarding generative AI tools, please handle them with sufficient caution in accordance with your faculty andsupervising instructors' guidance, based on our university's "Basic Concepts for Generative AI Tools."
Basic Concepts for Generative AI Tools
https://www.hoseikyoiku.jp2024kensyo_cover/lf/back_news/view.php?c=topics_view&pk=1687401621

Cover Sheet
Use the specified cover sheet and do not type the essay title, student ID number and name in the main body of the essay.
Please follow these instructions carefully because, in some entries, the number of coauthors indicated on the cover sheet
differs from that shown on the submission table, or the essay topic on the cover sheet and that indicated in the Faculty
Recommendation are not the same.

Abstract & Keywords Submission Form
Please use the designated form
(1) Word count
The selection of the topic, analytical method, the development of your argument and the conclusion you havereached must be clearly summarized in approximately 300 words. The abstract is extremely important todemonstrate the significance of your essay to referees.
(2) Number of keywords.
Two to three keywords should be listed. Some entries have no keywords or list an excessive or insufficient numberof them. Please carefully read the instructions on keywords in the “Checklist for necessary documents for essay
contest entry.”

Recommendation Form from a Faculty Member-5-

Please use the designated form.
See “7. Faculty Recommendation, Preliminary Screening and Evaluation” in the Entry Guidelines.

Essay Contest Submission Table
Please use the designated form.
For information on how to check the number of characters or words, see “Guidelines 2. (2) Character / Word limits andhow to check the number of characters / words.”

Others
１. Recommended books
There are a number of books that explain how to write essays. Some of them are listed below. The Hosei University Online
Public Access Catalog (OPAC) System available on the University Library’s web site and the Pathfinder (guide to subjectsearching) are also useful tools.
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association: The official
guide to APA style (7th ed.).
Bailey, S. (2017). Academic writing: A handbook for international students (5th ed.). Routledge.
Lester, J. D., & Lester, J. D. Jr. (2014). Writing research papers: A complete guide (15th ed.). Pearson.
Wallwork, A. (2016). English for writing research papers (2nd ed.). Springer.

2. Others(1) No acknowledgement may be included in entries; however, winning essays are allowed to add acknowledgement
for the publication on the university’s website, etc.
(2) The copyright of essays submitted will be held by the university and no essays will be returned to the applicants.
The essays submitted will be handled in accordance with the university’s personal information protection rules.
(3) Any private information provided to us as part of your entry documents shall not be used for any other purposes
than the entry and screening of the Hosei University Essay Contest. The faculties/departments and the gradelevels that the authors and co-authors of winning/selected essays are in, the full names and head-and-shoulders
photos of the authors and co-authors, the essay topics and keywords of winning/selected essays may be publishedon the university’s website, the bulletin boards of the web and other prints issued by the university.
(4) Should an issue arise concerning a submitted paper, the Essay Contest staff may contact the applicant/theapplicant representative by telephone. (03-3264-9303/9317)(5) Entries failing to meet the requirements were disqualified in the past.
(6) Corrections to submitted essays or replacement of submitted essays are NOT allowed.

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