1: Your story must include the four essential elements of an investigative story.

2: It should answer a central question with evidence (ie, it is not a policy paper, opinion piece, or simple statement of facts).

3: It should be between 1,000 and 1,500 words (one single-spaced page is about 500 words). This word count does not include footnotes or research citations.

4: It must include at least 10 different research sources.

5: It must footnote every statement of fact, no matter how minor. Whenever possible, the footnotes at the bottom of each page should be links that I can click to see your source. You don't have to write formal MLA-style footnotes or a bibliography.

6: It must have a title.

7: Make sure you double-check name spellings!

8: As always, you can Slack it to me anytime until midnight on Saturday if you want my feedback before you turn it in.

9: Submit your final story drafts on Brightspace by Monday 4/29 at midnight.