• A bibliography or works-cited page is required to identify research sources and should follow teacher’s preferred bibliography or works-cited guidelines.  For more information, refer to MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th edition at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/15. (Scroll down for examples and links to more in-depth instruction.)
• Four or more books, academic journals, news magazines, newspapers, government documents or publications are required for research on this school year's assigned topic.
• Research should include sources that give hearing to more than one side of a discussion.
• General Encyclopedia (i.e., Wikipedia, Britannica, Americana, World Book) are not acceptable resources.
• Reputable free web sources may be used only to obtain primary source materials (i.e. Internet Modern History Sourcebook), and the bibliography or works cited must list the primary document source as the reference – not the website.
• Online databases that index reference books, journals, magazines and newspapers are valid sources and must be cited according to the Modern Language Association’s guidelines.  See again: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/15.
• Bibliography or works cited page should follow essay on a separate page and be the last page.

• Address essay topic in 750 to 1,250 words.
• Report the number of words used at the end of your essay text, prior to the bibliography or works-cited page.
• Word count does not include the bibliography or works-cited page, nor works cited in footnotes, if footnotes are used.
• To obtain essay word count without the number of words used in the bibliography or works cited, highlight essay text only, go to computer word-count tool (under tools on computer tool bar), and word-count tool will read only the highlighted words.

• Type essay in English, free from spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors.
• Use Arial or Times New Roman font, 12-point.
• Double-space essay with 1” margins – top, bottom, right and left.
• Place essay title on first page, top center.
• Include a header on each page, top right, that includes essay ID number (essay ID number will be received during online registration) and page number under ID number.
• To ensure fair and anonymous judging, student’s name, school and other identifying information may only appear on registration form, and MUST NOT appear on essay.  (Please, no essay cover page.)

• Students must register online on or before the Monday, November 23 deadline.
• ID number will be received during online registration. After filling in Registration and Entry (Part I), Part II will immediately pop up with ID number, space for required signatures and more. Part II is to be mailed in with your entry.
• Add essay ID number to essay header, top right, above page number on all pages.  If student registers online more than once to make changes, etc., the ID number of the final registration should be used.
• Gather required handwritten signatures from parent/guardian and teacher sponsor.
• Teacher or student must fill in class participation numbers (the "total" number of students in this student's class period who prepared essays, not just the number of essays being mailed/submitted to the competition).
• Students must sign registration form.
• There is no entry fee.

• Print six copies of essay and bibliography or works cited on white, 8.5” x 11” paper, single sided; then staple.  (Note:  We are aware that paper size may very slightly for students outside of the continental United States.)
• Staple signed registration form to the top of one of the essay copies.
• Place essay copies in a single, large envelope with registration copy on top. Do not fold.
• Prepare and include in mailing a disk or CD containing the saved essay and bibliography or works cited in Microsoft Word or RTF format, clearly labeled with student name and essay ID number. (Please, no other documents on the disk or CD, except competition document!)
• Mail to:

First Freedom Student Competition
First Freedom Center
1321 E. Main Street
Richmond, VA 23219-3629

• No entries accepted electronically!
• Note: Plan ahead! Most United States Post Office branches close at Noon or earlier on Saturday, and some branches are closed on Saturday!
• Note to Students Living Outside of the United States: Please mail your materials at an international postal rate that will get them to us within one week of the November 28 postmark deadline.