Know what your teacher wants

If your teacher does not give you the information in your syllabus, WRITE IT DOWN! Do not depend on the fact that you can remember it. There is nothing worse than turning in a paper you have worked hard on only to find out you missed something very important.

Required Sources -- Some instructors give you information on how many sources you have to have. This could be:
"You must have 5 souces" or
"I want you to have at least 2 periodicals in your paper" or
"Don't use more than 1 encyclopeida."
If the teacher has told you this, then they will expect this to get a passing grade.

Topic -- Few instructors will give you a direct topic, but they will give you general directions. It is up to you to narrow down the topic to a workable concept.

Requirements -- You need to be aware of when the paper is due, what format the teacher wants (margins, page numbering, where to put your name), and what style they require.

Fatima knows from the syllabus that she MUST have 5 different sources. She can have more than that, but anything less may cause her grade to be lowered. Before she can choose the sources, she must pick a topic and that is what worries her.