The completed paper should be from 2,200 to 2,800 words, with that total not counting the citations, the footnoted materials, or any bibliography or title page. While writing more than 2,800 words will NOT lead to a penalty (you won’t be rewarded either!), writing less than 2,200 words likely will be penalized.[1]
In the papers themselves, a common failing, among other things, is the absence of sources for various statements which are not yours (that you got from somewhere but have not cited). Put in footnotes one or more sources for every statement that you make which should require documentation (that is not simply your own thought).
