Bellefnte Area High Schl Research Paper Guide Cmpiled by Mrs. Elizabeth Fegert May 2011 Revised December 2012
2 Table f Cntents Intrductin 3 The Research Prcess 4 Evaluating Surces 5 MLA Frmatting and Style Guidelines (Purdue OWL) 7 Wrks Cited Guidelines 9 Citatin Frmats 10 In-Text Citatins 17 Frmatting Qutatins 19 Putting Research int Yur Paper 21 Structured Bdy Paragraph Frmat 22 Practice 23 Editing 24 Research Paper Checklist 26 Sample First Page 27 Sample Wrks Cited Page 28 Sample Essay 29 Sample Rubric 33 Wrks Cited 34
3 The Research Paper What is a research paper? A research paper is a sphisticated piece f writing that requires thughtful inquiry and critical thinking. Facts and pinins are gathered frm reliable surces t supprt a fcused tpic. A thesis statement directs the research. A research paper invlves investigating, thinking, analyzing, evaluating, and presenting yur cnclusins abut the tpic. Why d we write? In recent decades, peple in almst every career have fund themselves expected t lcate and present infrmatin t clleagues, clients, r the general public. Scientists prepare grant prpsals and research articles; peple in business manage endless streams f infrmatin; lawyers and medical prfessinals write cnstantly. The research papers and prjects yu d in high schl will intrduce yu t the way peple think, write, and share infrmatin in a variety f fields. In rder t prepare yu fr the wrk yu will d in cllege and beynd, this packet will prvide yu with reliable methds fr finding and develping a tpic, using research resurces, evaluating, rganizing, and dcumenting the surces yu use. What are the basic requirements f a research paper? Typed, duble-spaced, Times New Rman, 12-pint fnt, single-sided, ne-inch margins MLA frmat Intrductin with a develped thesis statement Bdy paragraphs that supprt the thesis statement Direct qutatins frm credible surces t defend yur argument A cnclusin that restates yur thesis statement and bradens t a memrable pint A Wrks Cited page
4 The Research Prcess Cllect as much f the fllwing infrmatin as yu read and research: Authr and editr names (if available) Article name in qutatin marks (if applicable) Title f the Web site, prject, r bk in italics. (Remember that sme print publicatins have Web publicatins with slightly different names. They may, fr example, include the additinal infrmatin r therwise mdified infrmatin, like dmain names [e.g..cm r.net]). Any versin numbers available, including revisins, psting dates, vlumes, r issue numbers. Publisher infrmatin, including the publisher name and publishing date. Take nte f any page numbers (if available). Date yu accessed the material. Medium f publicatin. URL (if required, r fr yur wn persnal reference).
5 Evaluating Surces Checking fr Signs f Bias Des the authr r publisher have plitical leanings r religius views that culd affect bjectivity? Is the authr r publisher assciated with a special-interest grup, such as Greenpeace r the Natinal Rifle Assciatin that might prmte ne side f an issue? Are alternative views presented and addressed? Hw fairly des the authr treat ppsing views? Des the authr s language shw signs f bias? Assessing an Argument What is the authr s central claim r thesis? Hw des the authr supprt this claim with relevant and sufficient evidence r with just a few anecdtes r emtinal examples? Are statistics cnsistent with thse yu encunter in ther surces? Have they been used fairly? Des the authr explain where the statistics cme frm? (It is pssible t lie with statistics by using them selectively r by mitting mathematical details) Are any f the authr s assumptins questinable? Des the authr cnsider ppsing arguments and refute them persuasively? Des the authr fall prey t any lgical fallacies? Evaluating Web surces TIP: If the spnsrship and the authrship f a site are bth unclear, think twice abut using the site fr yur research. Authrship Is there an authr? Yu may need t d sme clicking and scrlling t find the authr s name. If yu are n an internal page f a site, fr example, yu may need t g t the hme page r click n an abut this site link t learn the name f the authr. If there is an authr, can yu tell whether he r she is knwledgeable and credible? When the authr s qualificatins aren t listed n the site itself, lk fr links t the authr s hme page, which may prvide evidence f his r her interests and expertise. Spnsrship Wh, if anyne, spnsrs the site? The spnsr f a site is ften named and described n the hme page. What des the URL ending tell yu? The URL ften specifies the type f grup hsting the site: cmmercial (.cm), educatinal (.edu), nnprfit (.rg), gvernmental (.gv), military (.mil), r netwrk (.net). URLs may als indicate a cuntry f rigin: uk (United Kingdm) r jp (Japan), fr instance.
6 Purpse and Audience Why was the site created: T argue a psitin? T sell a prduct? T infrm readers? Wh is the site s intended audience? If yu d nt fit the audience prfile, is infrmatin n the site still relevant t yur tpic? Currency Hw current is the site? Check fr the date f publicatin r the latest update. Hw current are the site s links? If many f the links n lnger wrk, the site may be t dated fr yur purpses. Examples f Valid Surces fr Use The databases available thrugh the library Schlarly Jurnals Newspapers Bks Encyclpedias Ggle Schlar Examples f Invalid Surces fr Use Wikipedia Ggle Search Yah Search Bing Search The Onin Tablids
7 MLA Frmatting and Style Guidelines MLA (Mdern Language Assciatin) style is mst cmmnly used t write papers and cite surces within the liberal arts and humanities. This guide prvides examples fr the general frmat f MLA research papers, in-text citatins, and the Wrks Cited page. MLA style specifies guidelines fr frmatting manuscripts and using the English language in academic writing. MLA style als prvides writers with a system fr referencing their surces thrugh parenthetical citatin in their essays and Wrks Cited pages. Writers wh prperly use MLA als build their credibility by demnstrating accuntability t their surce material. Mst imprtantly, the use f MLA style can prtect writers frm accusatins f plagiarism, which is the purpseful r accidental un-credited use f surce material by ther writers. General Frmat Type yur paper n a cmputer and print it ut n standard, white 8.5 x 11-inch paper. Duble-space the text f yur paper and use Times New Rman fnt. The fnt size shuld be 12 pt. Leave nly ne space after perids r ther punctuatin marks (unless therwise directed). Set the margins f yur dcument t 1 inch n all sides. Indent the first line f paragraphs ne half-inch frm the left margin. MLA recmmends that yu use the Tab key as ppsed t pushing the space bar five times. Create a header that numbers all pages cnsecutively in the upper right-hand crner, ne-half inch frm the tp and flush with the right margin. Nte: Always fllw yur teacher's guidelines. Place the title in qutatin marks if it's a shrt wrk (e.g. articles) r italicize it if it's a lnger wrk (e.g. plays, bks, televisin shws, entire websites). Frmatting the First Page f Yur Paper D nt make a title page fr yur paper unless specifically requested. In the upper left-hand crner f the first page, list yur name, yur instructr's name, the curse, and the date. Again, be sure t use duble-spaced text. Duble space again and center the title. D nt underline, italicize, r place yur title in qutatin marks; write the title in Title Case (standard capitalizatin), nt in all capital letters. Use qutatin marks and/r italics when referring t ther wrks in yur title, just as yu wuld in yur text: Fear and Lathing in Las Vegas as Mrality Play; Human Weariness in After Apple Picking.
8 Duble-space between the title and the first line f the text. Create a header in the upper right-hand crner that includes yur last name, fllwed by a space with a page number; number all pages cnsecutively with Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), ne-half inch frm the tp and flush with the right margin.
9 Wrks Cited Guidelines Accrding t MLA style, yu must have a Wrks Cited page at the end f yur research paper. All entries in the Wrks Cited page must crrespnd t the wrks that are cited in yur main text. Basic Rules Begin yur Wrks Cited page n a separate page at the end f yur research paper. It shuld have the same ne-inch margins and header as the rest f yur paper. Label the page Wrks Cited (d nt italicize, bldface, r put this in qutatin marks) and center at the tp f the page. Duble-space all citatins, but d nt skip spaces between entries. Indent the secnd and subsequent lines f citatins five spaces s that yu create a hanging indent. List page numbers f surces efficiently, when needed. If yu refer t a jurnal article that appeared n pages 225 thrugh 250, list the page numbers n yur Wrks Cited page as 225-50. Additinal Basic Rules New t MLA 2009 Fr every entry, yu must determine the medium f publicatin. Mst entries will likely be listed as print r Web surces, but ther pssibilities may include film, CD-ROM, r DVD. Writers are n lnger required t prvide URLs fr Web entries. Hwever, if yur teacher insists n them, include them in angle brackets after the entry and end with a perid. Fr lng URLs, break lines nly at slashes. If yu're citing an article r a publicatin that was riginally issued in print frm but yu retrieved frm an nline database, yu shuld type the nline database name in italics. Yu d nt need t prvide subscriptin infrmatin in additin t the database name. Capitalizatin and Punctuatin Capitalize each wrd in the titles f articles, bks, etc, but d nt capitalize articles (the, an), prepsitins, r cnjunctins unless ne is the first wrd f the title r subtitle (e.g. Gne with the Wind, The Art f War, There Is Nthing Left t Lse). New t MLA 2009: Use italics (instead f underlining) fr titles f larger wrks (bks, magazines) and qutatin marks fr titles f shrter wrks (pems, articles).
10 Citatin Frmats This sectin f the Research Guide is directly frm Purdue s Online Writing Lab (OWL), which has been updated t reflect the MLA Handbk fr Writers f Research Papers (7th ed.) and the MLA Style Manual and Guide t Schlarly Publishing (3rd ed.). Listing Authr Names Entries are listed alphabetically by the authr's last name (r, fr entire edited cllectins, editr names). Authr names are written last name first; middle names r middle initials fllw the first name (ex. Burke, Kenneth D). D nt list titles (Dr., Sir, Saint, etc.) r degrees (PhD, MA, DDS, etc.) with names. A bk listing an authr named Jhn Bigbrain, PhD appears simply as Bigbrain, Jhn ; d, hwever, include suffixes like Jr. r II. S wrk by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wuld be cited as King, Martin Luther, Jr., with the suffix fllwing the first r middle name and a cmma. Mre than One Wrk by an Authr If yu have cited mre than ne wrk by a particular authr, rder the entries alphabetically by title, and use three hyphens in place f the authr's name fr every entry after the first: Burke, Kenneth. A Grammar f Mtives. [...] ---. A Rhetric f Mtives. [...] When an authr r cllectin editr appears bth as the sle authr f a text and as the first authr f a grup, list sl-authr entries first: Heller, Steven, ed. The Educatin f an E-Designer. Heller, Steven and Karen Pmery. Design Literacy: Understanding Graphic Design. Wrk with N Knwn Authr Alphabetize wrks with n knwn authr by their title; use a shrtened versin f the title in the parenthetical citatins in yur paper. In this case, Bring Pstcards USA has n knwn authr: Baudrillard, Jean. Simulacra and Simulatins. [...] Bring Pstcards USA. [...] Burke, Kenneth. A Rhetric f Mtives. [...]
11 Bks Lastname, Firstname. Title f Bk. Place f Publicatin: Publisher, Year f Publicatin. Medium f Publicatin. Bk with One Authr Sample: Gleick, James. Chas: Making a New Science. New Yrk: Penguin, 1987. Print. Bk with Mre Than One Authr Sample: Gillespie, Paula, and Neal Lerner. The Allyn and Bacn Guide t Peer Tutring. Bstn: Allyn, 2000. Print. If there are mre than three authrs, yu may chse t list nly the first authr fllwed by the phrase et al. (Latin fr "and thers") in place f the subsequent authrs' names, r yu may list all the authrs in the rder in which their names appear n the title page. Wyscki, Anne Frances, et al. Writing New Media: Thery and Applicatins fr Expanding the Teaching f Cmpsitin. Lgan, UT: Utah State UP, 2004. Print. r Wyscki, Anne Frances, Jhndan Jhnsn-Eilla, Cynthia L. Selfe, and Geffrey Sirc. Writing New Media: Thery and Applicatins fr Expanding the Teaching f Cmpsitin. Lgan, UT: Utah State UP, 2004. Print. Peridicals Article in a Magazine Authr(s). Title f Article. Title f Peridical Day Mnth Year: pages. Medium f publicatin. Pniewzik, James. TV Makes a T-Clse Call. Time 20 Nv. 2000: 70-71. Print.
12 Article in a Newspaper Brubaker, Bill. New Health Center Targets Cunty's Uninsured Patients. Washingtn Pst 24 May 2007: LZ01. Print. If the newspaper is a less well-knwn r lcal publicatin, include the city name and state in brackets after the title f the newspaper. Behre, Rbert. Presidential Hpefuls Get Final Crack at Cre f S.C. Demcrats. Pst and Curier [Charlestn, SC] 29 Apr. 2007: A11. Print. A Review Review Authr. Title f Review (if there is ne). Rev. f Perfrmance Title, by Authr/Directr/Artist. Title f Peridical day mnth year: page. Medium f publicatin. Seitz, Matt Zller. Life in the Sprawling Suburbs, If Yu Can Really Call It Living. Rev. f Radiant City, dir. Gary Burns and Jim Brwn. New Yrk Times 30 May 2007 late ed.: E1. Print. An Editrial & Letter t the Editr Cite as yu wuld any article in a peridical, but include the designatrs "Editrial" r "Letter" t identify the type f wrk it is. Of Mines and Men. Editrial. Wall Street Jurnal east. ed. 24 Oct. 2003: A14. Print. An Article in a Schlarly Jurnal Authr(s). Title f Article. Title f Jurnal Vlume. Issue (Year): pages. Medium f publicatin. Wheelis, Mark. Investigating Disease Outbreaks. Emerging Infectius Diseases 6.6 (2000): 595-600. Web. 8 Feb. 2009.
13 Web Surces MLA lists electrnic surces as Web Publicatins. Thus, when including the medium f publicatin fr electrnic surces, list the medium as Web. Imprtant Nte n the Use f URLs in MLA MLA n lnger requires the inclusin f URLs in MLA citatins. Because Web addresses are nt static (i.e., they change ften) and because dcuments smetimes appear in multiple places n the Web (e.g., n multiple databases), MLA explains that mst readers can find electrnic surces via title r authr searches in Internet search engines. Fr instructrs r editrs wh still wish t require the use f URLs, MLA suggests that the URL appear in angle brackets after the date f access. Break URLs nly after slashes. Aristtle. Petics. Trans. S. H. Butcher. The Internet Classics Archive. Web Atmic and Massachusetts Institute f Technlgy, 13 Sept. 2007. Web. 4 Nv. 2008. http://classics.mit.edu/. Abbreviatins Cmmnly Used with Electrnic Surces If publishing infrmatin is unavailable fr entries that require publicatin infrmatin such as publisher (r spnsr) names and publishing dates, MLA requires the use f special abbreviatins t indicate that this infrmatin is nt available. Use n.p. t indicate that neither a publisher nr a spnsr name has been prvided. Use n.d. when the Web page des nt prvide a publicatin date. When an entry requires that yu prvide a page but n pages are prvided in the surce (as in the case f an nline-nly schlarly jurnal r a wrk that appears in an nline-nly anthlgy), use the abbreviatin n. pag. Citing an Entire Web Site Editr, authr, r cmpiler name (if available). Name f Site. Versin number. Name f institutin/rganizatin affiliated with the site (spnsr r publisher), date f resurce creatin (if available). Medium f publicatin. Date f access. The Purdue OWL Family f Sites. The Writing Lab and OWL at Purdue and Purdue U, 2008. Web. 23 Apr. 2008.
14 Curse r Department Websites Give the instructr name. Then list the title f the curse (r the schl catalg designatin fr the curse) in italics. Give apprpriate department and schl names as well, fllwing the curse title. Felluga, Din. Survey f the Literature f England. Purdue U, Aug. 2006. Web. 31 May 2007.English Department. Purdue U, 20 Apr. 2009. Web. 14 May 2009. A Page n a Web Site Fr an individual page n a Web site, list the authr r alias if knwn, fllwed by the infrmatin cvered abve fr entire Web sites. Hw t Make Vegetarian Chili. ehw.cm. ehw, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2009. An Image (Including a Painting, Sculpture, r Phtgraph) Prvide the artist's name, the wrk f art italicized, the date f creatin, the institutin and city where the wrk is hused. Fllw this initial entry with the name f the Website in italics, the medium f publicatin, and the date f access. Gya, Francisc. The Family f Charles IV. 1800. Prad, Madrid. Muse Natinal del Prad. Web. 22 May 2006. An Article in a Web Magazine Prvide the authr name, article name in qutatin marks, title f the Web magazine in italics, publisher name, publicatin date, medium f publicatin, and the date f access. Bernstein, Mark. 10 Tips n Writing the Living Web. A List Apart: Fr Peple Wh Make Websites. A List Apart Mag., 16 Aug. 2002. Web. 4 May 2009. An Article in an Online Schlarly Jurnal Fr all nline schlarly jurnals, prvide the authr(s) name(s), the name f the article in qutatin marks, the title f the publicatin in italics, all vlume and issue numbers, and the year f publicatin.
15 Article in an Online-nly Schlarly Jurnal MLA requires a page range fr articles that appear in schlarly jurnals. If the jurnal yu are citing appears exclusively in an nline frmat (i.e. there is n crrespnding print publicatin) that des nt make use f page numbers, use the abbreviatin n. pag. t dente that there is n paginatin fr the publicatin. Dlby, Nadine. Research in Yuth Culture and Plicy: Current Cnditins and Future Directins. Scial Wrk and Sciety: The Internatinal Online- Only Jurnal 6.2 (2008): n. pag. Web. 20 May 2009. Article in an Online Schlarly Jurnal That Als Appears in Print Cite articles in nline schlarly jurnals that als appear in print as yu wuld a schlarly jurnal in print, including the page range f the article. Prvide the medium f publicatin that yu used (in this case, Web) and the date f access. Wheelis, Mark. Investigating Disease Outbreaks Under a Prtcl t the Bilgical and Txin Weapns Cnventin. Emerging Infectius Diseases 6.6 (2000): 595-600. Web. 8 Feb. 2009. An Article frm an Online Database (r Other Electrnic Subscriptin Service) Cite articles frm nline databases (e.g. LexisNexis, PrQuest, JSTOR, ScienceDirect) and ther subscriptin services just as yu wuld print surces. Since these articles usually cme frm peridicals, be sure t cnsult the peridicals sectin f this guide. In additin t this infrmatin, prvide the title f the database italicized, the medium f publicatin, and the date f access. Junge, Wlfgang, and Nathan Nelsn. Nature's Rtary Electrmtrs. Science 29 Apr. 2005: 642-44. Science Online. Web. 5 Mar. 2009. E-mail (including E-mail Interviews) Give the authr f the message, fllwed by the subject line in qutatin marks. State t whm t message was sent, the date the message was sent, and the medium f publicatin. Kunka, Andrew. Re: Mdernist Literature. Message t the authr. 15 Nv. 2000. E-mail.
16 Other Cmmn Surce Types Persnal Interviews List the interview by the name f the interviewee. Include the descriptr persnal interview and the date f the interview. Purdue, Pete. Persnal interview. 1 Dec. 2000. Films r Mvies List films by their title. Include the name f the directr, the distributr, and the release year. If relevant, list perfrmer names after the directr s name. Use the abbreviatin perf. t head the list. End the entry with the apprpriate medium f publicatin (e.g. DVD, VHS, Laser disc). Ed Wd. Dir. Tim Burtn. Perf. Jhnny Depp, Martin Landau, Sarah Jessica Parker, Patricia Arquette. Tuchstne, 1994. DVD. Digital Files (PDFs, MP3s, JPEGs) Determine the type f wrk t cite (e.g., article, image, sund recrding) and cite apprpriately. End the entry with the name f the digital frmat (e.g., PDF, JPEG file, Micrsft Wrd file, MP3). If the wrk des nt fllw traditinal parameters fr citatin, give the authr s name, the name f the wrk, the date f creatin, and the medium f publicatin. Use digital file when the medium cannt be determined. Beethven, Ludwig van. Mnlight Snata. Crwnstar, 2006. MP3. Smith, Gerge. Pax Americana: Strife in a Time f Peace. 2005. Micrsft Wrd file. Bentley, Phyllis. Yrkshire and the Nvelist. The Kenyn Review 30.4 (1968): 509-22. JSTOR. PDF file.
17 In-text Citatins In MLA style, referring t the wrks f thers in yur text is dne by using parenthetical citatins. This methd invlves giving credit fr specific infrmatin r ideas by placing relevant surce infrmatin in parentheses after the qute r a paraphrase. Wrks Cited pages allw readers t knw which surces yu cnsulted in writing yur essay s that they can either verify yur interpretatin f the surces r use them in their wn schlarly wrk. General Guidelines The surce infrmatin required in a parenthetical citatin depends upn the surce medium (e.g. print, Web, DVD) and the surce s entry n the Wrks Cited (bibligraphy) page. Any surce infrmatin that yu prvide in-text must crrespnd t the surce infrmatin n the Wrks Cited page. Mre specifically, whatever signal wrd r phrase yu prvide t yur readers in the text must be the first thing that appears n the left-hand margin f the crrespnding entry in the Wrks Cited List. In-Text Citatins: Authr-Page Style MLA frmat fllws the authr-page methd f in-text citatin. This means that the authr's last name and the page number(s) frm which the qutatin r paraphrase is taken must appear in the text, and a cmplete reference shuld appear n yur Wrks Cited page. The authr's name may appear either in the sentence itself r in parentheses fllwing the qutatin r paraphrase, but the page number(s) shuld always appear in the parentheses, nt in the text f yur sentence. Fr example: Wrdswrth stated that Rmantic petry was marked by a spntaneus verflw f pwerful feelings (263). Rmantic petry is characterized by the spntaneus verflw f pwerful feelings (Wrdswrth 263). Wrdswrth extensively explred the rle f emtin in the creative prcess (263). Bth citatins in the examples abve, (263) and (Wrdswrth 263), tell readers that the infrmatin in the sentence can be lcated n page 263 f a wrk by an authr named Wrdswrth. If readers want mre infrmatin abut this surce, they can turn t the Wrks Cited page, where, under the name f Wrdswrth, they wuld find the fllwing infrmatin: Wrdswrth, William. Lyrical Ballads. Lndn: Oxfrd U.P., 1967. Print.
18 In-text Citatins fr Print Surces with N Knwn Authr When a surce has n knwn authr, use a shrtened title f the wrk instead f an authr name. Place the title in qutatin marks if it's a shrt wrk (e.g. articles) r italicize it if it's a lnger wrk (e.g. plays, bks, televisin shws, entire websites) and prvide a page number. We see s many glbal warming htspts in Nrth America likely because this regin has mre readily accessible climatic data and mre cmprehensive prgrams t mnitr and study envirnmental change... ( Impact f Glbal Warming 6). In this example, because the reader des nt knw the authr f the article, an abbreviated title f the article appears in the parenthetical citatin which crrespnds t the full name f the article which appears first at the left-hand margin f its respective entry in the Wrks Cited. Thus, the writer includes the title in qutatin marks as the signal phrase in the parenthetical citatin in rder t lead the reader directly t the surce n the Wrks Cited page. The Wrks Cited entry appears as fllws: The Impact f Glbal Warming in Nrth America. GLOBAL WARMING: Early Signs. 1999. Web. 23 Mar. 2009.
19 Frmatting Qutatins When yu directly qute the wrks f thers in yur paper, yu will need t frmat qutatins differently depending n their length. Belw are sme basic guidelines fr incrprating qutatins int yur paper. Shrt Qutatins T indicate shrt qutatins (fewer than fur typed lines f prse r verse) in yur text, enclse the qutatin within duble qutatin marks. Prvide the authr and specific page citatin in the text, and include a cmplete reference n the Wrks Cited page. In the case f verse, use a backslash t divide lines f prse, capitalize apprpriately based n what was capitalized in the riginal pem, and prvide line numbers in the intext citatin. Punctuatin marks such as perids, cmmas, and semiclns shuld appear after the parenthetical citatin. Questin marks and exclamatin pints shuld appear within the qutatin marks if they are a part f the quted passage but after the parenthetical citatin if they are a part f yur text. Fr example: Accrding t sme, dreams express prfund aspects f persnality (Fulkes 184), thugh thers disagree. Accrding t Fulkes s study, dreams may express prfund aspects f persnality (184). Lng Qutatins Fr qutatins that extend fur r mre lines f verse r prse, place qutatins in a free-standing blck f text and mit qutatin marks. Start the qutatin n a new line, with the entire qute indented ne inch frm the left margin; maintain duble-spacing. Only indent the first line f the qutatin by a half inch if yu are citing multiple paragraphs. In the case f verse, cpy it as frmatted in the riginal pem and include line numbers in the in-text citatin. Yur parenthetical citatin shuld cme after the clsing punctuatin mark. When quting verse, maintain riginal line breaks. (Yu shuld maintain duble-spacing thrughut yur essay.) Fr example: Nelly Dean treats Heathcliff prly and dehumanizes him thrughut her narratin: They entirely refused t have it in bed with them, r even in their rm, and I had n mre sense, s, I put it n the landing f the stairs, hping it wuld be gne n the mrrw. By chance, r else attracted by hearing his vice, it crept t Mr. Earnshaw s dr, and there he fund it n quitting his chamber. (Brnte 78)
20 If yu mit a wrd r wrds frm a qutatin, yu shuld indicate the deleted wrd r wrds by using ellipsis marks, which are three perids (... ) preceded and fllwed by a space. Fr example: In an essay n urban legends, Jan Harld Brunvand ntes that sme individuals make a pint f learning every recent rumr r tale... and in a shrt time a lively exchange f details ccurs (78).
21 Putting Research int Yur Paper Fr each qutatin yu use in yur paper, yu must intrduce and explain the qute. I call these Lead Ins and Analyses respectively. Lead-in: Yu need a lead-in fr every qute and paraphrase yu use. This serves as an intrductin t yur research. Here is a list f verbs that can be used t lead in: Acknwledges Believes Declares Ntes States Adds Claims Emphasizes Observes Suggests Admits Cmments Implies Reasns Thinks Argues Cntends Insists Reprts Writes In-text citatins: In MLA style, in-text citatins are used t dcument any surces used within a dcument. The in-text citatin directs readers t the full citatins, which are listed n the Wrks Cited page. Fllw the wrks cited guidelines in this dcument fr specific instructins. Analysis: Yu need an analysis f every qute and paraphrase yu use. This prves hw the research yu have selected defends yur argument. The analysis will be the bulk f yur paper as each piece f infrmatin yu use requires a minimum f 2-3 sentences f analysis per sentence quted r paraphrased. *D nt simply restate infrmatin* Prve t yur reader WHY! Jack, Christpher. Bethel Park Research Paper Packet. Wrking paper. Bethel Park: Bethel Park High Schl, 2009. Print.
22 Structured Bdy Paragraph Frmat T add supprt t a paragraph, a writer will include a direct qute that helps prve yur thesis statement. Fllw this rder in each bdy paragraph t write a well-written research paper: Tpic sentence Transitin Lead-in Direct qute One supprt Citatin Analysis Cncluding pint Tpic sentence A sentence that identifies what yu, the authr, will prve in the fllwing paragraph. Transitin Wrds r phrases that smthly cnnect ideas within a paragraph. Example: First, secnd, specifically, fr example, als, etc. Lead-in A phrase that eases yur reader int the qute, summary, r paraphrase. Example: One researcher acknwledges, believes, declares, ntes, states, claims, emphasizes, bserves, suggests, argues, cntends, insists, reprts, writes Direct Qute r Paraphrase The infrmatin yu take frm a surce t help prve yur pint. Fr this research paper, the infrmatin will be either directly quted r paraphrased in yur wn wrds. Citatin A parenthetical link t the Wrks Cited page. Analysis In yur wn wrds, an explanatin f hw the infrmatin yu have quted prves yur tpic sentence (which in turn, prves yur thesis statement). The analysis may begin with phrases such as: This statement prves that r The authr realizes that Yur analysis must be tw sentences per sentence quted r paraphrased. DO NOT SIMPLY RESTATE YOUR RESEARCH. NO SUMMARY! Cncluding Pint A cncluding sentence reiterates t yur reader that yu have prven yur tpic sentence. Jack, Christpher. Bethel Park Research Paper Packet. Wrking paper. Bethel Park: Bethel Park High Schl, 2009. Print.
23 Practice Example: Online learning jepardizes student learning in that it reduces teacher/student interactins r lacks credible fundatins in learning. First, ne researcher states that Sme educatrs argue that bth teacher-student and student-student cntact are integral t the learning prcess, and nline classes eliminate these elements f educatin altgether ( Distance Educatin ). In a traditinal classrm, students have the pprtunity t ask questins thrughut a lessn t discuss issues and seek cnstructive criticism in rder t imprve academic perfrmance. In this same envirnment, students are able t wrk clsely with peers in grup assignments and prjects. This cllabrative wrk apprach is an integral skill necessary in tday s jb market and cmmunity. Online educatin des nt allw the necessary interactins with teachers r peers t benefit student learning. Furthermre, the actual prgram may encumber the learner. Students wh have graduated frm nline prgrams have cmmented that their experience failed t prvide a quality educatin; furthermre, they have wasted their time, effrt, and mney ( Distance Educatin ). Thugh the number f distance-learning prgrams is increasing, educatrs and students alike are seeing the results f nline curses t late in the prgram. Althugh cnvenience and ease f nline educatin is evident, students d nt feel prepared t enter the wrk frce and are passed up by emplyers during the interview prcess. Ultimately, students wh cmplete nline curses are disappinted in spending their effrts, energy and mney int a prgram that resulted in unsatisfactry educatin. The lack f teacher/student interactins and pr fundatin in curriculum des nt prvide an ptimum learning envirnment. In the example abve: Circle the tpic sentence Draw a bx arund each entire supprt (there are tw) Underline the tw lead-ins within each supprt Bracket the analysis within each supprt Draw a triangle abve the transitinal sentence Duble underline the cncluding pint
24 Editing T help yu prfread yur paper, a peer shuld edit yur research paper and prvide feedback as listed belw. Once yu have a finished draft, print ne clean cpy and give it t the editr with this questinnaire. This sheet will assist with structure and cntent. Additinal editing/prfreading can be prvided by setting up an appintment with yur teacher. EDITING QUESTIONNAIRE General Write yur name in the tp margin n the first page f the research paper yu are evaluating. Check the MLA frmat: typed, Times New Rman, 12-pint fnt, duble spaced, ne-inch margins. Intrductin Indicate why the title relates t the main idea f the research paper. Cmment hw the authr culd imprve the title in the area abve the title. T the left f the intrductin, write why the attentin grabber is s appealing t the reader. Des this make a reader want t cntinue reading? If it des nt, ffer suggestins fr the authr t cnsider. Carefully analyze hw the authr uses a transitin sentence leading in t the thesis statement. Indicate hw this sentence uses the attentin-grabbing infrmatin t transitin int the thesis statement (which is the last sentence f the intrductin). Suggest what the authr can d t create a smther transitin. Write ne cmment and ne suggestin t imprve this paragraph t the right f the intrductin (Cmments such as Gd intr and Nice transitin d nt ffer an pprtunity fr the authr t imprve the intrductin, s write yur cmments and suggestins such that they are ffering feedback fr imprvement. Wuldn t yu want the same cmments prvided n yur wn paper?) Bdy Paragraphs Underline the first sentence f the bdy paragraph. Draw [brackets] arund each supprt within the paragraph. Dt underline the lead-ins. Make sure there is a cmma after each verb befre a qute. Squiggle underline the analysis. Make sure there is 2-3 sentences f analysis per sentence quted. If nt, suggest t the authr t write mre. Duble underline the last sentence f the bdy paragraph. Make sure its mirrr the tpic sentence and prves a pint. If nt, suggest t the authr t reiterate the tpic sentence. The in-text citatins shuld be an authr s last name r an abbreviated versin f the title in qutatin marks.
25 Cnclusin Des the first sentence restate the thesis statement? This des nt mean t simply cpy and paste the riginal thesis statement. If nt, indicate t yur authr t cmpse a restated thesis. Is the authr relating t the attentin-grabber infrmatin? In the margin t the left f the cnclusin, suggest hw the authr can tie the attentin grabber int the 5-7 sentence cnclusin. Is there a smth transitin frm the restated thesis statement t the memrable ending? If nt, suggest t the authr t write a transitinal sentence. Is there smething abut the cnclusin that makes it memrable? If nt, prvide suggestins fr the authr t imprve the cnclusin in the margin t the right? Wrks Cited Is there a running header n the tp right crner? Are the wrds Wrks Cited centered n the first line? There are n extra spaces anywhere in the Wrks Cited page maintain the duble spacing thrughut. Is there is a hanging indent? Are entries in alphabetical rder accrding t the authr s last name r the first wrds f the article title? Websites are NOT hyperlinks. Websites end with a pac-man bracket and a perid. Jack, Christpher. Bethel Park Research Paper Packet. Wrking paper. Bethel Park: Bethel Park High Schl, 2009. Print.
26 Research Paper Checklist Befre yu hand in yur paper, check thrugh this list t make sure yu haven t frgtten any f the fllwing requirements. Make sure that yu have spell-checked, prfread, and made this paper a high-quality wrk. Running header MLA Heading (Student name; instructr name; class name; perid) tp left justified Title: Smething simple in plain text, centered Frmat: 1 inch margins, duble spaced, 12-pint, Times New Rman fnt Duble spaced with n extra spaces befre r after the title r paragraphs Bk titles are always in italics Intrductin: Start with an attentin grabber and transitin t yur thesis Thesis Statement: Include the pint that yu want t prve and yur premise pints in ne sentence (the thesis is the last sentence f the intrductin) All research has dcumentatin (r else it is plagiarism) In-text citatins with the first wrd f citatin Each main pint has supprting evidence in the frm f a direct r indirect qute N first r secnd persn, unless yu are quting N cntractins, unless yu are quting D nt use the wrds: things, stuff, a lt, very, well, s N slang (ex. kid instead f child) Prve each pint in the same rder as listed in yur thesis statement Begin each paragraph with a tpic sentence Use transitins between ideas Use a lead-in fr each qute (intrduces hw the qute prves yur pint) Use qutatin marks t indicate that yu have cpied the infrmatin wrd-fr-wrd frm the text Use an in-text citatin after each qute Punctuatin is after the qute Yur analysis shuld be tw sentences per every sentence quted and shuld indicate hw the qute prves yur thesis statement The last sentence f each paragraph is a cncluding pint r evaluatin statement- nt a sentence that transitins int the next paragraph The first sentence f yur cnclusin is a restated thesis statement Finish yur essay with a memrable pint s the reader has a lasting impressin f yur essay Make sure everything yu write prves yur thesis statement and tpic sentences The Wrks Cited page is the last page and cntinues with the running header The title Wrks Cited shuld be centered and nt underlined, blded, r in a different fnt Only include the surces frm which yu qute r paraphrase within yur paper in yur Wrks Cited Alphabetize Wrks Cited entries by the first wrd in the surce citatin (with the exceptin f surces beginning with the articles: a, an, and the) D nt number wrks cited entries All citatins are in crrect MLA frmat Jack, Christpher. Bethel Park Research Paper Packet. Wrking paper. Bethel Park: Bethel Park High Schl, 2009. Print.
27 Sample First Page (Russell, Tny, Allen Brizee, and Elizabeth Angeli. MLA Frmatting and Style Guide. The Purdue OWL. Purdue U Writing Lab, 4 Apr. 2010. Web. 20 July 2010.)
28 Sample Wrks Cited Page Wrks Cited Blueprint Lays Out Clear Path fr Climate Actin. Envirnmental Defense Fund. Envirnmental Defense Fund, 8 May 2007. Web. 24 May 2009. Clintn, Bill. Interview by Andrew C. Revkin. Clintn n Climate Change. New Yrk Times. New Yrk Times, May 2007. Web. 25 May 2009. Dean, Crnelia. Executive n a Missin: Saving the Planet. New Yrk Times. New Yrk Times, 22 May 2007. Web. 25 May 2009. Ebert, Rger. An Incnvenient Truth. Rev. f An Incnvenient Truth, dir. Davis Guggenheim. Rgerebert.cm. Sun-Times News Grup, 2 June 2006. Web. 24 May 2009. GlbalWarming.rg. Cler Heads Calitin, 2007. Web. 24 May 2009. Gwdy, Jhn. Aviding Self-rganized Extinctin: Tward a C-evlutinary Ecnmics f Sustainability. Internatinal Jurnal f Sustainable Develpment and Wrld Eclgy 14.1 (2007): 27-36. Print. An Incnvenient Truth. Dir. Davis Guggenheim. Perf. Al Gre, Billy West. Paramunt, 2006. DVD. Lerux, Marcel. Glbal Warming: Myth Or Reality?: The Erring Ways f Climatlgy. New Yrk: Springer, 2005. Print. Milken, Michael, Gary Becker, Myrn Schles, and Daniel Kahneman. On Glbal Warming and Financial Imbalances. New Perspectives Quarterly 23.4 (2006): 63. Print Nrdhaus, William D. After Kyt: Alternative Mechanisms t Cntrl Glbal Warming. American Ecnmic Review 96.2 (2006): 31-34. Print. ---. Glbal Warming Ecnmics. Science 9 Nv. 2001: 1283-84. Science Online. Web. 24 May 2009. Shulte, Bret. Putting a Price n Pllutin. Usnews.cm. US News & Wrld Rept., 6 May 2007. Web. 24 May 2009. Uzawa, Hirfumi. Ecnmic Thery and Glbal Warming. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2003. Print. (Russell, Tny, Allen Brizee, and Elizabeth Angeli. MLA Frmatting and Style Guide. The Purdue OWL. Purdue U Writing Lab, 4 Apr. 2010. Web. 20 July 2010.)
29 Sample Essay A. Student Ms. Heidt Hnrs English 11 15 August 2011 The Grapes f Wrath: A Scial Cmmentary In ne millennia, weakening Israelites wilt beneath the tyrannical warmth; in anther, hardened Okies squint against the blinding light and pld frewrd. One travels with weakening cattle, the ther with spluttering engines. One seeks the land f milk and hney, the ther the land f range rchards and lush valleys. But, the true difference between the tw tales is unrelated t destinatin r supplies. The Hebrews f the Exdus stry rely n an external surce t fulfill their every need; the migrant farmers f The Grapes f Wrath rely n themselves. T the Okies f the nvel, hardship is t be cmbated by strength f will. Steinbeck utilizes the Exdus Stry t represent the recurring pattern f repressin thrughut histry, t highlight the curage and determinatin f migrant farmers, and suggest a shift frm a strng reliance n spirituality t finding hliness and strength in humanity. A strng theme thrughut the nvel is the repressin the migrant farmers experience. Thrughut histry, the elite have ften grwn t fear and mistreat cmmn peple. In The Grapes f Wrath, the wealthiest landwners becme greedy and begin t emply harsh and unfair plicies that lead t the impverishment f migrant farmers. These wrkers determinatin, cupled with their fierce desperatin, makes them a threat, while their unkempt appearance makes them unsavry. The wealthy and privileged, frightened by what their selfishness has created, becme crueler and attempt t crush resistance thrugh demralizatin and hatred. Fr example, when the Jads seek temprary shelter in a Hverville, plice fficers burn their shelter t the grund. When Tm and his family attempt t pass thrugh a city, armed citizens stp their car and infrm them, We ain t gnna have n gddamn Okies in this twn (Steinbeck 279). But, despite effrts t stp revlt, the elite initiate their wn demise. This fact
30 is cemented with statements such as, the great wners with access t histry, with eyes t read histry and t knw the great fact repressin wrks nly t strengthen and knit the repressed (238). Althugh these wealthy men and wmen have access t the lessns f histry, they refuse t learn frm the mistakes f the past. This vilent cycle f repressin and uprising is als mirrred in the Exdus Stry. The Hebrews, like migrant farmers, are feared and hated by the privileged Egyptian elite. Hwever, this ppressin ultimately results in the freedm f the Israelites and destructin f the Egyptian Pharah s empire. This defeat freshadws the eventual triumph f migrant farmers. Such an verthrw is suggested in passages such as; In the suls f the [migrant farmers] the grapes f wrath are filling and grwing heavy, grwing heavy fr the vintage (349) and Every little means, every vilence cemented the inevitability f [the day Okies revlt] (238). This vilent end cannt be circumvented because thse in pwer are t blinded by their fear and greed t realize the true cnsequences f their actins. In this manner, histry repeats itself. In additin t shwcasing the imprtance f learning frm histry, the parallel t Exdus als helps the reader truly appreciate the Jads strength and determinatin. Althugh the Hebrews ultimately verthrw the tyrannical Pharah, by this pint they are n lnger the strng men and wmen wh had earlier prspered against all dds. Their ppressin, rather than strengthening them, destrys their will. Every hardship they encunter leads them t beg fr aid. In cntrast, the migrant farmers never ask fr assistance. When the Jads car breaks dwn, they fix it themselves; when they cannt affrd t live at the camp, they leave and hunt fr wrk; and when the dds are stacked against them, they d nt cwer and run, but cntinue surviving day by day. Even thugh the system is unfair and thse in pwer are cruel, they refuse t be discuraged. This strength f the migrant farmers becmes mre evident t the reader when placed in cntrast t the cdependent Hebrews described in the Exdus stry. Perhaps the mst pignant and resnant message in The Grapes f Wrath is the cncept that the mdern man n lnger finds salvatin frm higher beings. When the Hebrews are in need, they beg their Gd t save them. The Jads never seek a higher authrity; they have a very different cncept f
31 spirituality. Jim Casey, a frmer preacher, prfundly remarks t Tm, Why d we gt t hang it n Gd r Jesus maybe it s all men an all wmen we lve, maybe that s the Hly Sperit- the human sperit Maybe all men gt ne big sul ever bdy s a part f (24). The qute exemplifies the Jad s belief that the true gd is fund in humanity, anther theme thrughut the nvel. This statement exemplifies hw the Jads unknwingly live their lives; they d nt rely n an intangible cncept f religin, but believe in each ther instead. Their nly reprieves frm hardship cme thrugh small acts f kindness frm thers. Fr example, when a family in a Hverville lses their child and has n mney fr a burial, hands went int pckets and little cins came ut. In frnt f the tent a little heap f silver grew. And the family fund it there (239). In anther chapter, the narratr remarks, strange things happen sme s beautiful that the faith is refired frever (122). Faith, fr these migrants, is nt a belief in Gd, but a belief in the cre gdness f humanity despite all evidence t the cntrary. When Casey says that humans are all part f a cmmn sul, he recgnizes this fact. He realizes that peple can becme their wn salvatin and that thrugh kindness and selflessness cmes sanctity. Therefre, the Jads d nt wait fr Gd t guide them t the land f milk and hney; they rely n their wn strength and the selfless acts f thse wh are truly spiritual. In The Grapes f Wrath, authr Jhn Steinbeck utilizes the Exdus Stry t represent the recurring pattern f repressin thrughut histry, highlight the curage and determinatin f migrant farmers, and suggest a shift frm a strng reliance n spirituality t the strength fund in humanity. In their jurney, the Jads d nt reach the Prmised Land. This nvel ends with their family fractured and brken. Hwever, fr this family, the Prmised Land is nt a place where life is prsperus and easy, as the Hebrews and early American Puritans imagined. Instead, the land f milk and hney is fund their unwavering strength in the jurney they tk t get there. By withstanding the seemingly endless hardship and maintaining their humanity; their dignity, hpe, and mst imprtantly, genersity, they have already fund deliverance.
32 Wrks Cited Steinbeck, Jhn. Grapes f Wrath. New Yrk: Penguin Grup, 2002. Print. Buck, Pearl. The Stry Bible. Barthlmew Huse LTD, 1971. Print
33 Research Cntent Organizatin and Fcus Writing clarity and style Requirements Sample Research Paper Rubric 18-20 16-17 14-15 13-12 12 r less Thrugh preliminary research, the student identified a narrw, riginal and persnally relevant tpic. The student fund at least three valid resurces and prvided cmplete citatins. The supprting examples, evidence and explanatin prve the validity f the thesis. Each bdy paragraph states a strng supprting argument. The evidence given reflects insight gained thrugh thrugh literary analysis. Bth the entire essay and each paragraph meet the expectatins fr rganizatin. Ideas fllw a lgical rder. Sufficient cnnectins exist between each bdy paragraph and the thesis. Transitinal phrases are used thrughut the essay t mve the reader frm ne idea t anther. Writing is clear and cncise, using frmal language and adhering t grammatical and mechanical cnventins. Wrd chice and sentence structure are accurate and sphisticated. The paper meets all f the requirements fr the prject. It is typed, duble spaced, in 12 pint Times New Rman fnt. Qutatins are incrprated using the MLA guidelines. The paper ends with a wrks cited page in MLA frmat. The student identified a narrw tpic. The student fund at least three valid resurces and prvided cmplete citatins. The supprting examples, evidence and explanatin prve the validity f the thesis. The supprting examples are apt but d nt reflect careful and effective literary analysis. The essay fllws the guidelines fr rganizatin, but fails t make enugh cnnectins back t the thesis r t transitin effectively between sme ideas. There are sme errrs but the writing is clear. Wrd chice and sentence structure are apprpriate. The writer meets 80% r mre f the requirements fr the essay. The student was nly able t identify tw valid resurces that directly supprt the tpic. The paragraphs are well develped and wrk tward prving the thesis, but evidence is general nt indicative f thrugh analysis. There are sme errrs in rganizatin and fcus, and/r there are many places where cnnectins r transitins are unclear r unstated. A lack f sphisticatin in wrd chice and sentence structure r excessive errrs limit the essay s effectiveness. The writer meets 70% r mre f the requirements fr the essay. The student was nly able t identify ne valid resurce in supprt f the tpic. There is nt enugh effective textual supprt t prve the validity f the thesis. There are serius r repeated break dwns in fcus and/r rganizatin. There are many errrs but the reader can still understand the writer s main ideas. The writer meets 60% r mre f the requirements fr the essay. The student was unable t pick a tpic and/r find valid resurces. There is little t n textual evidence in supprt f the thesis. The essay is nt rganized r lacks fcus. Errrs in spelling, grammar and mechanics make the essay difficult t understand. The essay is incmplete.
34 Wrks Cited Jack, Christpher. Bethel Park Research Paper Packet. Wrking paper. Bethel Park: Bethel Park High Schl, 2009. Print. Russell, Tny, Allen Brizee, and Elizabeth Angeli. MLA Frmatting and Style Guide. The Purdue OWL. Purdue U Writing Lab, 4 Apr. 2010. Web. 20 July 2010.