Using MLA in the modern classroom. MRS. PROUD ACADEMIC ENGLISH 12 HONORS ENGLISH 10

Using MLA in the modern classroom. MRS. PROUD ACADEMIC ENGLISH 12 HONORS ENGLISH 10

Introduction What does MLA stand for? MLA stands for the Modern Language Association A research paper is an extended writing piece that requires the gathering of pertinent facts, data and information to support that author s assertions.

Why do we write research papers? Research writing is an essential element of education at the secondary and post secondary level. MLA style is the most commonly accepted form of research writing. The form shows that the writer has considered many sources of information before writing on a specific subject, and permits the reader to review the sources if he or she wishes.

When will I use MLA? The Mount Pleasant Area School District has adopted the use of MLA format for ALL PAPERS across the curriculum. The MLA heading is to be used on all daily assignments. Graduation project papers will be evaluated using MLA and PSSA guidelines.

The Steps of Research Writing In preparing to write a research paper, you must: Write a thesis statement that clearly defines your subject. Identify sources for your paper. Properly gather and note any information that you wish to use. Create an outline that organizes your piece. Write a draft of your paper, using the outline as a base.

The Steps of Research Writing Give credit to the sources that you have used in the writing of the paper. Revise, revise, revise. Peer edit or proofread your first draft. Rewrite your outline. Prepare your final paper and the components listed in the assignment.

Researching your topic There is a wealth of information available to you. Books, videos, articles, journals, internet websites and anthologies are some of the possible resources that you may use to find material to support your paper and to answer your topic questions.

Researching your topic When you find a source that you wish to use, you must document that source properly. If you use a source without giving credit to that source, you commit plagiarism.

Plagiarism Using someone else's ideas or phrasing and representing those ideas or phrasing as our own, either on purpose or through carelessness, is a serious offense known as plagiarism.

Getting started Step One: Choosing your subject You must choose a subject area that is appropriate for your assignment. Remember to select a topic that is not too broad or too narrow in scope. If you have a subject area selected, you should then formulate that area of interest into a question or statement. Write your thesis statements or questions on a note card as follows:

Sample Thesis Card Smith, James Period 2 Thesis questions A. What is lung cancer? B. How does the cancer spread? C. What are the effects? D. Are there any treatments? Next create a thesis statement that will reflect

Source and Note Cards When you locate a source that has information that you want to use, it is important to document where that information originated. A Source Card lists all of the information necessary for a reader to find that same source and view it him or herself. Each new source requires a new card.

Source Cards Notice that the second line is indented five spaces, while the first line runs from left to right across the card. This is known as reverse indentation. All source cards should be prepared using reverse indentation. Also, you will use this form when organizing your Works Cited page.

Book Article or Chapter James, Nancy E. "Two Sides of Paradise: The Eden Myth According to Kirk and Spock." Spectrum of the Fantastic. Ed. Donald Palumbo. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1988. 219-223.

Newspaper or Magazine Article on the Internet Andreadis, Athena. "The Enterprise Finds Twin Earths Everywhere It Goes, But Future Colonizers of Distant Planets Won't Be So Lucky." Astronomy Jan. 1999: 64-. Academic Universe. Lexis-Nexis. B. Davis Schwartz Memorial Lib., Brookville, NY. 7 Feb. 1999 <http://web.lexisnexis.com/universe>.

Magazine and Newspaper Source Card Wilcox, Rhonda V. "Shifting Roles and Synthetic Women in Star Trek: The Next Generation." Studies in Popular Culture 13.2 (1991): 53-65.

Encyclopedia Article Sturgeon, Theodore. "Science Fiction. The Encyclopedia Americana. International ed. 1995.

Gale Reference Book Shayon, Robert Lewis. "The Interplanetary Spock." Saturday Review. 17 June 1967: 46. Rpt. in Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Sharon R. Gunton. Vol. 17. Detroit: Gale Research, 1981. 403.

ERIC Document Fuss-Reineck, Marilyn. Sibling Communication in Star Trek: The Next Generation: Conflicts between Brothers. Miami: Speech Communication Assn., 1993. ERIC Document Reproduction Service ED364932.

A note about media sources Movie titles, albums, and TV shows should be underlined. Songs and episodes should be placed in quotation marks.

Movie source Titanic, dir. James Cameron, perf. Leonardo Di Caprio, and Kate Winslet, Paramount 1997.

Television or Radio Source Card Frankenstein: The Making of the Monster, Great Books, narr. Donald Sutherland, writ. Eugenie Vink, dir. Jon Ward, Leaning Channel, 8 Sept. 1993.

How do I document a website? Websites: include the title of the web page, the name of the entire web site, the organization that posted it (this may be the same as the name of the website). Also include the full date the page was created or last updated (day, month, year if available) and the date you looked at it.

Website Source for Works Cited page Lynch, Tim. "DSN Trials and Tribble-ations Review." Psi Phi: Bradley's Science Fiction Club. 1996. Bradley University. 8 Oct. 1997 <http:// www.bradley.edu/campusorg/psiphi/ds 9/ep/503r.html>.

Internet sources ***PRINT, PRINT, PRINT! Make sure you print copies of ALL internet sources for your documentation at the time of your researching. Never assume that you can go back and get it!

Note Cards Once you have found material that you wish to use in your paper, you must copy that information down using the note card format. Make sure to include: Descriptive heading Information directly quoted Author or source and page

Sample note card

Using quotations in text Quotations that constitute fewer than five lines in your paper should be set off with quotation marks [ ] and be incorporated within the normal flow of your text. For material exceeding that length, omit the quotation marks and indent the quoted language one inch from your left-hand margin.

Using quotations in text If an indented quotation is taken entirely from one paragraph, the first line should be even with all the other lines in that quotation; however, if an indented quotation comes from two or more paragraphs, indent the first line of each paragraph an additional onequarter inch.

Outlining Step Two: Putting the sources in order Now that you have gathered sources and created note cards that contain your information, you have to put them into an order. Using a logical order to deliver your content is essential to writing a solid and coherent paper.

Organize your note cards To create an outline, review your note cards and organize them by topic (this is why it is important to label your note cards as you gather information). You may place note cards that have similar information into piles, and then order them accordingly.

Writing a rough draft Step three: Writing a rough draft Once you have your note cards organized and in an order that you like, you can build your outline. Use the cards to construct your outline. From the outline, you are ready to write a rough draft.

Rough Drafts When writing a paper, you should: 1. Establish your thesis in the opening paragraph 2. Use notes gathered to support your ideas 3. Give credit to authors of the information you have gathered 4. Use transitions to move from one topic to the next 5. Never end a paragraph with a citation

Using information in text When you write your rough draft, you will include the information you have collected through the research process. All information collected must be cited at the point of insertion into your paper. Here s an example:

An example of in-text documentation The first two lines of this stanza, "My little horse must think it queer / To stop without a farmhouse near," remind us of a nursery rhyme (Frost 11). Notice Frost s quote is highlighted in blue to show that the material is taken from a source and not the paper writer s own words.

Now what? Okay you have source and note cards. You organized them into piles depending upon the subject matter. You built an outline using those cards. You wrote your rough draft based on the outline you created. Now what? That s easy. Now, create a list of all of your source cards, in alphabetical order. This is a WORKS CITED page.

Works Cited Page Once you have found the sources you intend to use, you will need to identify them for your reader. For each SOURCE you use, write a separate listing (on an index card or in some handy format available in your laptop computer or your notebook whatever is convenient and cannot be lost), giving:

Works Cited Page the name of the author or authors; title; editor, translator, compiler, if any; edition, if it is not the first (i.e., 2nd ed., rev. ed.); place and date of the book's publication; and the name of the book's publisher.

Here s how research writing works! For the Works Cited Page Cassatt, Mary. Sculpture in the Modern Era. Hill-Stead Museum, Farmington, CT., 1991. In-text Citation The sculpture entitled Family, given to the college in 1991 and permanently exhibited in the college's Woodland Street lobby, was carved from an enormous cherry tree that grew in the sculptor's back yard (Cassatt 31).

REMEMBER! The source card corresponds to the note card. Remember: source cards show where the information was gathered note cards contain the information you wish to use in your paper.

How is the Works Cited page organized? Double spacing is important. Also, remember to reverse indent your sources. If you properly documented your source cards, you can simply organize them alphabetically. That s it! Here s an example:

What should my heading look like? The heading should be as follows: Your Name Teacher Name Course, Period Day Month Year In the upper right hand corner of each page, your last name and page number should be included, starting on page one. Here s another example:

Headings for all papers

More on paper formatting 1. Double space your paper. 2. Your title should fall right below the heading, but centered on the page. 3. Margins are 1. *Font type should be Times New Roman, size 12. No other fonts or font sizes are acceptable. Black ink for typed blue or black ink for handwritten components.

The Home Stretch Now that you have a rough draft written: 1. Proofread or Peer Edit work. 2. Revise, revise, revise 3. Save all work, and make extra copies. 4. Make any corrections before moving to revising outline.

The Home Stretch 5. Print revised outline and final draft for the due date. Your packet should include: Final Draft Works Cited Rough Draft Revised outline Note and Source Cards

The Home Stretch Mission accomplished! Great job!