Research Paper Instructions
Topic: The Importance of Financial Literacy for Young Entrepreneurs: Building Sustainable Businesses from the Start
Thesis (required to be included and supported): Financial literacy is essential for young entrepreneurs because it equips them with the foundational tools needed to avoid debt, make informed business decisions, and build long-term financial sustainability.
Academic Requirements
Length & Format:
3 to 5 full pages of content (must reach bottom of page 3 minimum)
Double-spaced, 12-pt. Times New Roman or Cambria
MLA format throughout (in-text citations and Works Cited)
A separate Works Cited page (insert a page break before it)
Save the final file as .doc, .docx, or .pdf only
Paper Criteria
Strong two-part title (e.g., Money Smarts, Business Success)
A focused thesis (provided above)
Well-organized, balanced discussion
Coherent, well-developed paragraphs
Proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling
Academic tone (formal voice)
DO NOTs
No “I,” “me,” “my,” or “you” anywhere in the paper
No contractions (e.g., use “cannot” instead of “can’t”)
No AI-generated content — this paper must be entirely human-written
Do not forget in-text citations and the Works Cited page
Required Sources
You must reference the following two sources in your writing, with correctly formatted in-text citations and a final Works Cited page:
1. Lusardi, Annamaria, Olivia S. Mitchell, and Vilsa Curto. “Financial Literacy Among the Young.” Michigan Retirement Research Center Research Paper No. 2008-191, Aug. 2009. SSRN, https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1476982.
2. Lusardi, Annamaria, and Peter Tufano. “Debt Literacy, Financial Experiences, and Overindebtedness.” NBER Working Paper No. 14808, Mar. 2009. National Bureau of Economic Research, https://www.nber.org/papers/w14808.
You may use additional credible sources if helpful, but these two must be included.