12Th Grade Research Paper
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10th Grade Research Paper
REQUIREMENTS:
1. An approved topic (Recommended Topic: Career Choice)
2. The BODY of the paper should be 3 - 5 double-spaced, typed pages using font size 12 and Times New Roman script. Your paper should have one-inch margins on each side. Four full pages and a partial fifth page will not meet the minimum requirements for this paper.
3. Follow the format in the MLA HANDBOOK FOR WRITERS OF RESEARCH PAPERS. The library has several copies. Your grammar textbook gives these same guidelines. You can also visit the MLA web site for help: www.mla.org.
4. Minimum of 5 sources, including at least two books and one periodical. The remaining sources can be any type including the above mentioned and the Internet. Check with your teacher to make sure your Internet sources are reliable and credible. You will need to locate the author’s name of any web site information and be able to explain how you know he/she is an expert in that particular field. Wikipedia WILL NOT be accepted as source. (Periodicals: Publications issued on a regular or periodic basis. Newspapers, magazines, newsletter, scholarly professional, trade, and popular journals are examples of periodicals. Also known as a serial because it is published on an ongoing basis.)
4 a. You are limited to one quote per page.
4 b. Do not list sources on works cited page that you do not actually cite in your paper.
5. Items to be turned in for teacher grading
a. Business letter explaining the selected topic with academic honesty paragraph.
b. List of sources, properly formatted in MLA style. TYPED.
c. Photocopies of all sources cited in the paper—no exceptions to this requirement. Highlight information you use for your paper.
d. Formal sentence outline
e. Rough draft
f. Final copy (including parenthetical documentation, works cited page, and revision check-list)
I will sign each of these items. Keep all items with my handwriting on them.
6. Your working product will be worth 500 points: Academic Honesty / Informative Letter, 100 points; List of sources, 100 points; Thesis statement, 50 points; Note cards, 50 points; Formal sentence outline, 100 points; Rough draft, 100 points.
7. The final paper is worth 300 points: format—50 points; structure and grammar—100 points; content—100 points; photocopies of works cited and parenthetical documentation with information used highlighted, 50 points.
1 8. As with any English assignment, you will lose points if the final paper is late. You will be given 3 days to turn in your paper and will receive 3 extra percentage points if the paper is turned in on the first day of the “turn-in period.” If you do not turn in the paper by the third day and are absent that third day, you must get a parent or friend to deliver your assignment to me (Room 202) by the end of the school day.
HINTS FOR WRITING A RESEARCH PAPER
1. Understand the process (overall and individual steps)
2. Do not hesitate to ask questions!
3. Listen and read carefully
4. Do not miss a step. Keep up and meet deadlines. All parts will be late until the previous part is turned in. Late work gets a zero, but must still be turned in.
5. Be organized.
THE PROCESS OF WRITING A RESEARCH PAPER
1. Decide on the topic
2. Find and photocopy reliable sources
3. Decide exactly what the arguable/provable point of your paper will be (thesis statement)
4. Collect information about your topic from the sources you have. Use a different color of highlighter for each source.
5. Organize this information into a logical, detailed form (topic and sentence outlines)
6. Prepare a speech to present your research to the class in a 2-3 minute speech.
7. Write your rough draft and type it. Save it on the computer.
8. Revise, make corrections, proofread, and check your paper against the grading rubric at the end of the packet.
9. Turn in your final paper.
The most important aspect of your paper is to give credit where credit is due. Since the information you write comes from other places (sources), you must tell the teacher exactly which information comes from which source. You do this by using parenthetical notation. We will use parenthetical notes instead of footnotes or endnotes. With parenthetical notes, you simply give the bibliographic information by using parentheses after the given information. Plagiarism will result in an “E” and reported to the Administration for further action.
2 SOURCE LIST
A source list is where all the information is kept about each source. When the source list is due, turn in a typed sheet formatted just like a WORKS CITED page for a research paper. Include at least 2 books and 1 periodical on your list. Do not tell me that you will find the required sources later. You may not be able to locate what you need, and we need to know that information immediately.
A sheet that explains how to format your sources is enclosed in this packet, “MLA Documentation.” Follow the instructions on this sheet to write your source page.
Order of Information
1. Author information: write the last name, then a comma, then the first name, then a period.
2. Title information: underline the titles of books and magazines. Place a period after the title.
3. Publication information: write the place of publication, colon, the publishing company, comma, date of publication, period.
Note the margins, form, order, punctuation, and location of source. These parts are all necessary for your source page and will be graded strictly. Do not leave out any part.
CLOSELY READING YOUR SOURCES
Gather more sources than you think you will need for the paper. When you first read a source, do not try to absorb all the information presented. Instead, skim the pages in search of material that is relevant to the headings on your working outline. For full-length books, study the tables of contents and indexes to find the sections that apply to your outline.
Photocopy the pages of sources you find helpful. Also Xerox the title and copyright pages of any books you use. It helps in writing the source list later.
When you find information that you think will be useful, highlight that information. Then, take notes on your sources, either on note cards or on notebook paper. Paraphrase, summarize, or use direct quotes.
1. Paraphrasing: restating the author’s ideas in your own words
2. Summarizing: restating only the main points and important supporting details
3. Direct quotation: presents the exact words from a source
Use direct quotes SPARINGLY in a paper and only when quoting a primary source (a famous person’s actual words, an eye witness, words from a novel). Do not quote an author who is explaining someone else’s work (example: an encyclopedia). These are called secondary sources.
3 Note Cards
Note cards came into existence because long ago researchers could not always check out their sources from libraries or purchase the books they needed for research. Note taking on cards was a way to research a topic and gather information before leaving the library. Since the invention and widespread availability of photocopiers, researcher now Xerox their source material and highlight relevant information. The development of the World Wide Web in 1995 has made research easier to accomplish at home, but source material must still be evaluated for credibility and printed out for easy note taking. Three note cards are required for this project, so that I know that you understand how to make them:
SAMPLE NOTE CARD
EPCOT Center Smith 103
EPCOT Center is shaped something like a giant hourglass. Future world fills
up the northern bulb, while world showcase occupies the southern half.
Joey Smoey
Take notes on paper or on note cards. Take notes and THEN write your sentence outline. Create sub points on information you have found—not information that you hope to find.
4 THESIS STATEMENT
After gathering sources and previewing some of the information, you should have a better idea about the focus of your topic. Now it is time to develop that controlling idea into a sentence referred to as the THESIS. State your controlling idea, which must include a subject and an opinion, in a single sentence. The thesis statement has two important tasks:
1. It states the main point of the paper.
2. It suggests the path that your paper will follow by indicating what your 3-5 main points will be
REMINDERS:
** One sentence **No first or second person
** No run-on sentences **No “In this paper, it will be shown…” (Weak!)
PREPARING A TOPIC OUTLINE
A topic outline is a preliminary outline that will guide you in your reading and note taking. Once you have an overview of your topic, you are ready to decide what aspects of the topic you want to cover in your paper and how you want to organize them. Preparing a topic outline helps guide your note taking. As you take notes and highlight your sources, you will revise your topic outline by adding subheadings, changing your major headings, or even dropping some headings entirely. Keep in mind that this is NOT the formal sentence outline you will turn in right before the rough draft. This is simply a listing of the topics and sub- topics for your paper that will help guide your note taking.
PREPARING YOUR RESEARCH SPEECH
After you take notes on your topic, you will be ready to give a 2-3 minute speech to the class on your research. See attached “speech outline notes” page for help in shaping your speech. Do not read your speech. Organize your ideas on paper, and tell us about your research findings.
PREPARING A SENTENCE OUTLINE
Before you took notes, you wrote down ideas and subtopics for your subject. This rough listing of ideas is referred to as a topic outline. As you took notes, you referred back to this working outline for guidance in the kinds of information to gather.
Since taking notes, you know more about your topic. Now you can write a sentence outline. Your rough draft will grow out of your sentence outline. Now you can determine which subtopics may be disregarded and which may be kept and further developed.
Excerpt from a Sentence Outline
5 IV. The working conditions for a teacher are tough, and the rewards do not come from a teacher’s paycheck.
A. The hours are long—teachers may spend 50 hours a week
working, grading papers, and preparing for class.
B. The job is stressful.
C. The salaries are low for a profession:
1. Starting salaries are around $24,000.
2. Average salaries are around $42,000.
3. Even after years of experience, salaries are low.
Here is that same information after it has been turned into a paragraph for a rough draft:
Someone who prepares for a teaching career must be prepared for the working conditions, and the fact that these conditions are not balanced with high salaries. Although the public thinks that teachers’ jobs are over at 3:20, most teachers work around fifty hours a week on grading papers and preparing for classes (Brown 421). Furthermore, teaching is a highly stressful job: dealing with teenagers can be very difficult (Mayer 26). These conditions seem to warrant high salaries, yet teachers’ salaries are low, starting at only $24,000 (Smith 54). The average salary is $42,000 (Smith 55). Even teachers with years of experience and master’s degrees do not earn as much as one might expect (Moss 69). Clearly, the working conditions for teachers are less than desirable, and the salary does not make up for these problems.
Notice that the topic sentence of the paragraph matches the sentence after the Roman numeral
Notice that I added a concluding sentence that was NOT IN THE SENTENCE OUTLINE
Notice that each of the other sentences matches a letter of the outline or a number under a letter.
Also, notice the material in parentheses. What does that come from? It comes from your highlighted sources.
ROUGH DRAFT REMINDERS
Your thesis sentence must be the last sentence in your introductory paragraph. Your introductory paragraph only needs to be 2-3 sentences long. Start off with your quote and explain it. Then, add your thesis at the end of the paragraph.
6 All body paragraphs (does not include introductory and concluding paragraphs) should be 6-8 sentences long.
All paragraphs must have a topic sentence and a clincher sentence of your own. These two sentences need no parenthetical documentation.
NO use of the first or second person (no “I,” “we,” “us,” or “you”)
PARENTHETICAL NOTATION
After you have made a statement, which you have borrowed from a particular source (any sentence that is not a topic or clincher sentence), you MUST tell me that you got it from a specific source. If you do not complete this step, or if you do this step incorrectly, it is considered plagiarism. You must use parenthetical notations whether you used exact words from the author or whether you put the information in your own words using only the main idea. If you used the author’s exact words, you must use quotation marks around the quote.
HOW TO USE PARENTHETICAL NOTES:
Example 1: William Golding uses symbolism to convey the true meaning of evil (Jones 33).
In this example, you put the information in your words. You used the information from page 33 of the book by Jones. This book contained information about the topic of your paper. Notice where the period is, if comes AFTER the parenthesis. For more information on this particular source that you used, one could simply refer to the works cited page and find the book by Jones.
Example 2: Julius Caesar was one of the “greatest leaders in the history of the world” (Smith 156).
In this example, the author’s exact words were used in the paper, so you must put the words in quotation marks when you use them in your paper. Notice where the quotation marks fall at the end of the quote. You use this form when the quotation is four typed lines or less. If the quotation is more than four lines, consult your grammar book for special instructions. In this research paper, you are restricted to using short quotations.
Example 3: According to Baker, the Middle Ages were a time of darkness, despair, and destruction (224).
Notice that since you already mentioned the author’s name (Baker) within the sentence, you only have to write with one page number after the sentence.
FORMAT FOR THE ROUGH DRAFT AND FINAL COPY OF THE RESEARCH PAPER
Rough Draft:
The rough draft should be submitted on time, typed, and stapled. The rough draft must be double-spaced and look like a final draft, except that you do not turn in your highlighted sources. The rough draft should follow proper MLA margins and parenthetical documentation. Include the Works Cited page with the rough draft.
Final Copy: 7 The final copy should include everything from the rough draft—body of paper and works cited—plus a photo of your subject (Appendix A) and your sentence outline. Place these items, stapled together, in the left pocket of your folder. Place all your highlighted sources in the right pocket of your folder before turning in.
Keep an extra copy of your research paper at home The paper is due beginning on ______through ______ONLY. Only your name and period should appear on the outside of your folder. Make sure you have read and spell-checked the paper.
Numbering the Pages:
Begin numbering on the second page of the body. Assuming the first page of the body is page 1, the second page of the body is page 2. Your computer will automatically place your name and appropriate page numbers on your paper if you tell it to. How to accomplish this:
In Microsoft World, click “view” on the top task bar Click on “header and footer” A “header box” will appear on the screen. Press “ctrl” and “r.” Then, type your last name in the box. Then, on the header box task bar, click the # icon. This will tell the computer to automatically number each page of your research paper and
place your name at the top right of each page.
Heading on Page 1
It is a bit different from the rest of your paper. Your heading on page one is in the upper left of the first page, and you have to type it yourself:
Joey Smoey (Your name) English 12 Mrs. Norris Date of Final Paper
Works Cited Page
The name for the page that lists all of your sources is no longer called the “bibliography” page. Bibliography refers to only information gathered from books. Today, your research may come from a variety of sources including books, periodicals, the Internet, computerized databases, CD-ROMs, personal interviews, and e-mail.
a. This page is now called the “Works Cited” page. On this page, you will list the sources you used in alphabetical order. If you have discarded some of the articles that you originally thought you would use, DO NOT include those on this list. I should be able to find ANY source listed on this page parenthetically documented somewhere within the body of your paper. b. Remember to double space between your entries and within your entries c. Use one inch margins on all sides d. Be sure to number this page as next in line numerically after the last page of the paper’s body.
8 Sample from a Works Cited Page
Smoey 6
Works Cited
Blake, James. Russian Life in the 1890s: Savage Raids Crush Jewish
Families. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2000.
Gordon, John, and Jane Smith. “Changes in Russia.” Time 3 March 2001:
16-20.
Walton, Susan. “Russia’s Games.” Newsweek. 5 January 2002: 6.
9 MLA Works Cited Documentation
Note: These citations serve as examples of how to format entries on Works Cited pages of student research papers. These examples may or may not be actual published literary works, and you should not be disappointed if the Internet web site URLs are not functional. Again, this page is simply a set of examples to help you format a paper written in MLA style.
When creating your Works Cited Page, remember to:
Begin the Works Cited on a new page, but number consecutively (i.e., if the last page of your essay is page 3, the Works Cited is page 4) Alphabetize each entry by first letter Underline all titles of books, magazines, films, etc. Put quotation marks around the titles of poems, short stories, and articles Indent the 2nd line, the 3rd line, and all subsequent lines of each citation Double-space all entries...the examples which follow are single-spaced only to save space on this handout
Correct citation Type of citation
Gorman, Elizabeth. Prairie Women. New Haven: Yale University Book (One author) Press, 1986.
Caper, Charles and Lawrence T. Teamos. How to Camp. Philadelphia: Book (Two authors) Doubleday, 1986.
Ellis, Doris et.al. History of Japan. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Book (Three or more World, Inc., 1989. authors)
Vanderkirk, Pamela, ed. Ten Short Plays. Los Angeles: Nowell Book Book (One editor) Co., 1982.
Lockhard, David J. and Charles Heimler, eds. The Oregon Trail. New Book (Two editors) York: Bonanza Books, 1992.
Carlson, David et.al., eds. Encyclopedia of Animal Life. Boston: Book (Three or more Houghton Mifflin Co., 1985. editors)
Allende, Isabel. "Toad's Mouth." Trans. Margaret Sayers Peden. A Book (Single work Hammock beneath the Mangoes: Stories from Latin America. from an anthology) Ed. Thomas Colchie. New York: Plume, 1992. 83-88.
American Medical Association. The American Medical Association Book by Corporate Encyclopedia of Medicine. Ed. Charles B. Clayman. New York: Author Random, 1989.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. Twice-Told Tales. Ed. George Parsons Book Online Lathrop. Boston: Houghton, 1883. 1 Mar. 2002.
Maps ‘n’ Facts. Computer Software. Broderbund Software, 1995. Computer Software
Frost, James. "Strawberries in a Field." Perrine's Literature: Structure, Sound,_and Sense. Ed. Thomas R. Arp and Poem Greg Johnson. New York: Heinle and Heinle, 2002.
Frost, James. "Strawberries in a Field." Literature Resource Center. Alabama Virtual Library. 15 March 2004. Poem Online
Cather, Willa. "Paul's Case." Perrine's Literature: Structure, Sound, Short Story in an and Sense. Ed. Thomas R. Arp and Greg Johnson. Anthology New York: Heinle and Heinle, 2002.
Dunn, Samuel. "Re: Any Ideas for My Country Project." E-mail to E-mail ** Tom Jones. 26 Feb. 2003. Encyclopedia (Signed Barnridge, Thomas H. "Baseball." World Book Encyclopedia. 2001. article) * Encyclopedia "Egypt." The New Encyclopedia Britannica. 2002. (Unsigned article) * Ito, Philip J. "Papaya," World Book Encyclopedia, 1998 ed. The World Encyclopedia (CD- Book Multimedia Encyclopedia, CD-ROM version of The World ROM) * Book Encyclopedia. "Egypt." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Vers. 97.1.1. Mar. 1997. Encyclopedia Encyclopedia Britannica. 29 Feb. 2000 (Internet) *
Cannon, Angie. "Just Saying No to Tests." U.S. News & World Report Magazine, Online 18 Oct. 1999: 3. Alabama Virtual Library. Vestavia Hills High News Subscription School Library, Vestavia Hills, AL. 28 Feb. 2003. Service (Alabama
Elliott, Michael. "The Biggest Fish of Them All." Time. 8 March Online Magazine 2003. 11 March 2003.
Barrow, Matthew. "Skipping School? Plan On Walking." Sacramento Newspaper Article, Bee. 13 Oct. 1999, California final ed.: A1+. (Signed) Newspaper Article, "Gorilla attacks Martian." National Enquirer 16 Mar. 1999: A-14. (Unsigned) Newspaper Article, Bradley, Donald. "Is There a Right Way?" Kansas City Star 23 May Online News 1999: 2-4. SIRS Researcher. Alabama Virtual Library.. 28 Subscription Service Feb. 2003.
"Charles Frazier." Contemporary Authors Online. 2001. Gale Literary Galegroup.com. Alabama Virtural Library. 28 February 2003 Criticism Online
McCarron, Bill. "Images of War and Peace: Parallelism and Antithesis in the Beginning and Ending of Cold Mountain." The Gale Literary Mississippi Quarterly. 52.2 (1999): 273. Galegroup.com. Criticism Online Alabama Virtual Library. 25 February 2003. (Signed)
Achenbach, Joel. "America's river." Washington Post. 5 May 2002. Newspaper Article 20 July 2003
Your Health. New York: Modern Woman, 1996. Pamphlet "Karma Chameleon." Northern Exposure. CBS. KCRA, Sacramento. Television or Radio 29 Feb. 2000. (Live) Smith, Greg. "Rhesus Monkeys in the Zoo." No date. Online image. Published Monkey Picture Gallery. 3 May 2003. Photograph
12 "Castles in Medieval Times." yourchildlearns.com. 2000. Owl and Web Page that is part Mouse Educational Software. 9 March 2003. of a larger web site
Note: If no title for the page is provided, write Home page (do not underline and do not use quotation marks). The Cinderella Project. Ed. Michael N. Salda. Vers. 1.1.Dec. 1997. De Grummond Children's Lit. Research Collection, University of Web page from a Southern Mississippi. 9 March 2003. university (scholarly
*While you may wish to consult a general reference source like a comprehensive encyclopedia for background information, avoid using and citing such resources in documented literary papers. More specialized sources are preferred. **The following resources are NOT credible and should never be used or cited in a documented literary paper: SparkNotes©, Cliff's©Notes, PinkMonkey Notes©,and similar sources. Be very cautious in your use of resources from the Internet. Essays by middle school and high school students should certainly not be deemed reliable. Similarly, comments on books which are randomly submitted by readers lack credibility.
Note: The above citations serve as examples of how to format entries on Works Cited pages of student research papers. These examples may or may not be actual published literary works, and you should not be disappointed if the internet web site URLs are not functional. Again, this page is simply a set of examples to help you format a paper written in MLA style.
13 PARENTHETICAL CITATIONS
(Including a Few Notes on Citation of Electronic Sources)
General Rules for Parenthetical Citations:
USING AUTHOR NAME
The author of a source is always mentioned either in your text or in the parenthetical citation--unless no author is provided. (See " Special Cases " below for information regarding those situations.)
Author's name mentioned in text
Use the author's name in a single sentence to introduce the material. Then, cite the page number(s) in parentheses. Example Pope was clear to point out that, although many of his ideas were idealistic, Rousseau held ambivalent feelings toward women (138).
Author's name not mentioned in text
When you do not include the author's name in the text, place the author's last name in the parenthetical citation before the page number(s). There is no punctuation between the author's name and the page number(s). Example During World War I, British and American women could, for the first time, earn first- class pay for first-class work (Gilbert 236-7).
More than one work by the same author(s)
If you use more than one work from a single author, when you refer to either of the sources, give the author's last name, an abbreviated title of the work, and the relevant page number(s). A comma separates the author's last name and the title; however, there is no punctuation between the title and the page number(s). Example When calculating the number of homeless animals in the United States, the author comically stated that "Maybe man would not overrun the planet, but his pet poodles and Siamese cats might" (Westin, Pethood 6). She then further stated that there are 50 million homeless animals in the country (Westin, "Planning" 10).
Note: If you mention the author's last name in the sentence, you do not need to include the author's last name in parentheses.
Two authors with the same last name
If you use sources by authors with the same last name, always include the author's first and last name in the sentence or in the parenthetical citation. Example Children will learn to write if they are given the freedom to choose their own subjects, Allison Faye argues, citing the city school council study of the early 1970s (42-51); however, Robert Faye believes that children will learn how to write regardless of their school subjects (102-115). 14 Two or three authors in a single source
If a source is written by two or three authors, place all of the authors' last names in the single sentence or in the parenthetical citation. Example Richards, Jones, and Moore maintain that college students who actively participate in extracurricular activities achieve greater academic excellence because they learn how to manage their time more effectively (185). or The authors maintain that college students who actively participate in extracurricular activities achieve greater academic excellence because they learn how to manage their time more effectively (Richards, Jones, and Moore 185).
Four or more authors in a single source
If a source is written by four or more authors, use the first author's last name followed by "et al." (Latin for "and others") either in the single sentence or in the parenthetical citation. You can also name all of the authors in the single sentence or in the parenthetical citation. Example Chazon et al. argued that ethnic groups are culturally based social organizations in which members have multiple identities (105-6). or The authors argued that ethnic groups are culturally based social organizations in which members have multiple identities (Chazon, Riley, Jacobs, and Rutherford 105-6).
MULTIVOLUME WORKS
Citing an entire volume of a multivolume work
When using an entire volume in a multivolume work, it is not necessary to include the page number(s). Give the author's last name and then the volume number, including the abbreviation "vol." A comma separates the author's last name and the volume number. Example Between 1762 and 1796, the economy of imperial Russia experienced profound changes under Empress Catherine II (Spielvolgel, vol. 3).
Using part of one volume of a multivolume work
When using part of one volume of a multivolume work, name the author in the single sentence or in the parenthetical citation. Place the volume number first and then the page number(s) with a colon and one space between them. Example According to Flint, Japanese women of the Tokugawa period had key roles and functions in the home (5: 139).
Classic works available in several editions:
If you use an edition of a classic prose work, poem, or play, you need to give more information than just a page reference because readers might be using other editions.
For prose works:
15 1. If you are basically using writing about 1 or 2 prose sources, include a footnote, which clearly provides information as to the edition that you are using following the first citation. Example: Iago suggests that Othello AStrangle her in her bed, / even the bed she hath contaminated (Othello. 4.1.203-204).1[1]
2. If you are using several prose sources, give information about parts, sections, or chapters in addition to page number(s) in an edition. (You can use standard abbreviations, such as "pt." [part], "sec." [section], and "ch." [chapter].) Use a semicolon to separate the page number(s) from the other information.
Example: When the reader first encounters the character Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky presents the reader with a man contemplating a devilish act but terrified of meeting his talkative landlady on the stairs (1; pt. 1, ch. 1).
For verse plays, supply only the act, scene, and line number(s) (either with Arabic or Roman numerals) separated by periods.
Example As William Shakespeare's play, Othello, begins, Iago lets loose his wicked passion on Brabantino: "Look to your house, your daughter, and your bags!" (I. i. 85). or As William Shakespeare's play, Othello, begins, Iago lets loose his wicked passion on Brabantino: "Look to your house, your daughter, and your bags!" (1. 1. 85).
Verse quotations of more than three lines in length need to begin on a new line. Indent each line one inch (two tabs) from the left margin and double space between the lines. Do not add quotation marks unless they appear in the original text. The parenthetical citation, located at the end of the verse quotation and after the end punctuation, will include the author's last name and the line numbers (unless previously mentioned in text).
Example Othello again displays his calm and control when he speaks to the political authorities and to Desdemona's father in act one scene two: Most potent, grave, and reverend signiors, My very noble and approved good masters, That I have ta'en away this old man's daughter, It is most true; true I have married her. (78-81)
Note: this quotation is from a classic work that has been identified in text through the title character, the act and scene numbers have been identified in the text, and only the line numbers need to appear in the parenthetical citation. Since the quotation is over three lines long, the parenthetical citation appears after the end punctuation.
Note: Be sure to copy the verse exactly as it appears in the text.
For poetry: See Rules for Citing Poetry Below
1 16 SPECIAL CASES:
No author identified in a source
If you use a source that does not supply an author's name, substitute, by using the title or an abbreviated title, for the author's name in the sentence or in the parenthetical citation. In the citation, do not forget to include the page number(s) unless the source is one page or less in length. Be sure to italicize the title if the source is a book, and if the source is an article, place quotation marks around the title. Example Goddess religions are thought to have originated somewhere between 25,000 and 7,000 BCE (When God Was a Woman).
Indirect quotations
If you are citing an author who was quoted by another author, include both names. First, give the name of the author whose words you are citing, followed by "qtd. in." Then, give the name of the author of the source you used. If you include the author whose words you are quoting in your text, you do not need to include the author's name again in your citation. Example In last month's issue of Rolling Stone, Lenny Cravitz admitted that Jimmy Hendrix was an "extraordinary man" (qtd. in Riverwell 220).
Note: Whenever you can, try to take material from the original source and not from a secondhand one. Your credibility as a writer could suffer if you depend too heavily on secondhand sources.
Citing more than one work in single parenthetical reference
If you need to acknowledge two or more works in a single reference, cite each source as you normally would, but use semicolons to separate the reference.
Example
Several critics have noted that Butler is unique in being a female African American writer who has excelled in the science fiction genre (Crossley xii; Salvaggio).
Rules for Citing Poetry:
1. The name of a poem is always enclosed in double quotations B not underlined and not in italics.
2. When quoting or paraphrasing from a poem, always capitalize whatever is capitalized in the original.
3. Be certain to identify the name of the poet in your text or in parentheses following the quotation. This is particularly important if you are writing about more than one poem. Also, be certain to give the line reference in parenthesis following your quotation. Once you have established that the numbers designate lines, it is only necessary to use numbers (and the poet’s name) in subsequent citations.
Example: "For the Anniversary of My Death" begins with the suggestion that after death the soul starts a journey through time "Like the beam of a
17 lightless star" (Merwin, line 5). The poem ends with Merwin's affirmation of concrete experience, behind which lies the mystery of existence:
As today writing after three days of rain Hearing the wren sing and the falling cease And bowing not knowing to what. (11-13) Note: In the 2nd quotation Merwin’s name was omitted because it was part of the text and only the actual numbers of the lines were included, not the word line or lines.
4. When directly quoting only one line of poetry, the line should be worked into the text.
Gerard Manley Hopkins presents his view of life best in a single line: "The world is charged with the grandeur of God" (line 7).
Note: Name of poet is omitted from parenthesis because it is specified in the text.
If you quote two to three lines of poetry, separate each line with a slash (with space before and after the slash) and enclose the entire quotation in quotation marks.
Example: Reflecting on the "incident" in Baltimore, Cullen concludes, “Of all the things that happened there / That’s all that I remember" (lines 11-12).
Note: Name of poet is omitted from parenthesis because it is specified in the text.
Quotations of more than three lines should begin on a new line. Unless the quotation involves unusual spacing, indent each line one inch (or ten spaces on a typewriter) from the left margin and double-space between lines, adding no quotation marks that do not appear in the original. A parenthetical reference for a verse quotation set off from the text follows the last line of the quotation.
Example:
Elizabeth Bishop's "In the Waiting Room" is rich in evocative detail:
It was winter. It got dark early. The waiting room was full of grown-up people, arctics and overcoats, lamps and magazines. (lines 6-10)
5. Put punctuation--except commas or periods that come at the end of the quotation--in where it is in the original. Use double quotation marks around what you quote. Also, cite the line numbers or numbers in parentheses after the quotation. Be sure you put any end punctuation after the parentheses after the quotation. EXCEPTION: If you quote more than three lines of poetry or if you quote something in prose that takes up more than four typed lines of your paper, no quotation marks are necessary because when you set the lines off from your paper by indenting (i.e., a "double" indent--both left and right margins are indented), you make clear that the
18 passage is a quotation. Also, the parenthetical citation goes after the end punctuation.
6. If you need to leave a few words out of a line of poetry you are quoting, make sure you indicate that you have done so by using an ellipsis mark -- 3 periods with a space before each and a space after the last ( . . . ). Use a row of evenly spaced periods to indicate that one or more lines of poetry have been omitted from a quotation.
Example:
Earth has not anything to show more fair ... Dull would he be of soul who could pass by A sight so touching in its majesty ...... Ne'er saw I, nor felt, a calm so deep!
Electronic Citations:
Definitely consult my plagiarism handout! Also check out: http://www.thewritesource.com/mla.htm
In-Text (Parenthetical) Citations
Because Internet sources typically have no page or paragraph numbers, and Web sites in particular are often anonymous, people are often confused about how to refer to these sources within their papers. The answer is to cite the author's name whenever possible and use the source's title otherwise (or a shortened version of the title). If no page or paragraph number is provided in the document (NOT on your printer), leave that portion of the citation blank. Keep in mind that the primary purpose of an in-text citation is simply to point readers to the correct entry on the Works Cited Page.
Example
Despite the many challenges she has faced on the Internet, the author still enjoys the "magic" of the MOO (Dibbell).
If the electronic document does not have an author, use identifying words from the title. Example Each of the teletubbies has his/her own language acquisition level, and, because of this, a child can identify and progress to the next language level when the child feels comfortable ("The Inside Story").
Note: Do not cite page numbers from printouts because pagination may vary in different printouts.
REMINDERS _ Make parenthetical citations brief and accurate. _ To avoid long parenthetical citations, place reference information, such as the author's name, in your sentence. _ Place a citation as close to the relevant material as possible without disrupting the sentence. _ Use one citation at the end of a long section of material that comes from one source and the same page(s)--do not cite at the end of each sentence in this case. _ Parenthetical citations always go outside of a quotation and always before a punctuation mark, such as a period. 19 EXCEPTIONS: 1. If a quotation of over three lines, double indent the quotation, use no quotation marks, and place the parenthetical citation after the punctuation mark. Do not include a period after the parenthetical citation. 2. If a quotation ends with a question mark (?) or an exclamation point (!), include the given punctuation followed by a closing quotation, then insert your parenthetical citation, and insert a period after your parenthetical citation. _ Place the parenthetical citations in your essay as your write. Do not wait until the essay is finished.
Adams, Cindy "Re: MLA Documentation." E-mail to Michelle Garbis. 19 Aug. 2001.
Carmel High School's Web Page. 25 Aug. 2000. 19 Aug. 2001
Chico High School Library Examples of MLA Style Citations of Electronic Sources. Librarian Peter Milbury. 3 Dec. 1999. 5 June 2000
Devoe, Kristina. "MLA Parenthetical Documentation." Literacy Education Online. 14 February 2000. The Write Place. 19 Feb. 2001
Electronic Sources: MLA Style. 21 Feb. 2000. The writesource.com. 19 Feb. 2001
Garbis, Michelle. "MLA Documentation Revised." Email to Cindy Adams. 20 Jan. 2002.
Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 6th ed. New York: MLA, 2003.
20 Sample Research Proposal Letter (Business Letter Format)
Date Street address City, State Zip Code
Mrs. Holly Norris Murphy High School 100 S. Carlen Street Mobile, AL 36606
Dear Mrs. Norris:
This year I have the wonderful opportunity to write a research paper for English. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a key American President of the 20th Century, will be the focus of my upcoming paper. Roosevelt’s political charisma and vision for the future sustained America through the most severe economic depression in US history and led the country victoriously through World War II.
I understand that the research paper is to be my own personal work. Plagiarism is the action of using, without due acknowledgement, the thoughts, scholarship, or inventions of another person. I agree to provide enough information in my paper so that the reader can identify and refer to all the sources I have used in writing my research paper. I will turn in photocopies of all sources. I understand that all word-for-word quotations, any summaries, and any borrowed ideas that are paraphrased or mentioned must have cited sources. I promise not to rely on factual material gathered by any individual other than myself. I understand that plagiarism or turning in another person’s work at Murphy High School will result in a zero for the assignment with no make-up opportunities, and may result in disciplinary action by the school.
I also realize that failure to turn in this school-required research paper will result in my required enrollment in summer school where I will write a research paper before earning any credit for English this year.
Sincerely, Joey M. Smoey
Parent Signature ______
21 SENIOR RESEARCH PAPER CHECKLIST/ GRADING RUBRIC
Elements Maximum Points
FORMAT 50 Titling, page headers, page numbers /10 Spacing and margins /10 Sections in correct order /10 Properly constructed works cited page /10 Parenthetical documentation correct /10
STRUCTURE 100 Strong thesis statement with an opinion /5 in introduction Attention-getting quotation in /15 introductory paragraph Topic sentences relate back to thesis /15 statement Concluding paragraph sums up /15 information and reiterates opinion of thesis Correct grammar, mechanics and usage /25 Correct spelling /25
CONTENT 100 Not repetitive; fresh; interesting /75 Paper convincingly proves thesis /25
Documentation 50 Photocopies of works cited and parenthetical /25 Documentation Highlighted information cited /25
Student Score: ______/ 300
22 Research Paper – Evaluation
Name:
Topic:
Thesis Statement:
Assignment Date Grade Academic Honesty / Informative Letter Mar. 30 /100 List of Sources April 6 /100 Thesis Statement April 8 /50 Note cards April 21 /50 Formal Sentences Outline April 24 /100 Rough Draft April 29 /100 Final Copy (includes all documentation, works cited, May 1(3%) /300 And revision check-list) May 4(1%) May 5 FINAL DAY **Assignments are due on the due date- NO EXCEPTIONS! If you are having printer problems, email me the assignment. I will not accept “My printer…”.
Notes:
23