The Following Information Was Obtained From

As a lead in to our multi-genre project, you will be writing a short research paper (5 paragraphs) focusing on a famous person of your choice. Your essay should be more than just a string of facts. It needs to have a focus. For this assignment, I am asking you to show how this person changed or impacted the world. It should be in MLA format (Times New Roman, double spaced, size 11 or 12) and should not exceed two pages. I am looking for a well-written and succinct paper. You need to be able to narrow down important and relevant information. Often students write everything about the topic down because they don’t want to take the time to prioritize their facts. The temptation to plagiarize (intentionally or unintentionally) will be very strong…FIGHT IT! I would hate to fail you on this assignment. To help you to avoid this trap, I have put together the following packet from a variety of sources to help guide you. You will be REQUIRED to have two CREDIBILE sources. You will also be required to fill out the notes pages as you go and provide a typed outline. Trust me, this is for your own benefit. If you are not sure if something is plagiarism…ASK! Regardless of intent, if I find any plagiarized work you will fail this assignment.

The following information was obtained from: http://guides.jwcc.edu/content.php?pid=65900&sid=538553

Avoiding Plagiarism

 Plagiarism is presenting another person’s ideas or words as your own work.

 Consequences are quite serious and can result in failure for the paper or even suspension from school.

 You need to understand how to keep from plagiarizing in order to receive a passing grade on a research paper.

Two Kinds of Plagiarism

 Accidental plagiarism: this occurs when a student doesn’t really understand the way in which a research paper is cited. The student doesn’t intend to cheat.

 Intentional Plagiarism: is a form of academic dishonesty where a student passes off another’s work as his or her own. The work can be that of a published writer OR the work of another student.

 Neither is acceptable; students are expected to learn how to properly cite a research paper.

Sloppiness can lead to plagiarism

 The Note taking process has to be done consistently and well in order for students to know whether what they’ve written are their own words or those of the author.

 The information has to refer to the correct source.

 Most instructors will check your sources; some even require you to hand your sources in with the paper.

Procrastination can lead to plagiarism

 Students who put off working on a paper and try to write it in too short a time are often careless and make mistakes or have no time for paraphrasing properly.

Paraphrasing is the hard part

 It takes no skill to copy a direct quote from a source and paste it into a paper.

 Direct quotes have their place in a research paper, but students are encouraged to use primarily paraphrasing to develop a paper.

 Remember, paraphrasing is putting an author’s ideas or information into your own words. By doing this you show your instructor that you have understood what you’ve read. You are also able to choose from the source just the information relevant to your thesis or focus. How to Paraphrase

 The trick to paraphrasing is to do it as you are reading an article, while the context of the entire article is fresh in your mind.

 Read a passage once or twice until you feel you understand, then without looking back, write the general meaning. If it is a complex idea, a little mini outline of key points can help.

 You then read the original and look at your paraphrase and make sure the language, syntax (order of words) and phrasing are different.

Substitution trap

 DO NOT SIMPLY SUBSTITUTE SYNONYMS for words in a sentence; this is plagiarism. For example:

o Original: “War and disease were prevalent throughout the Middle Ages but never more devastatingly than during the fourteenth century”(Abrams et al. 10).

o Plagiarized: Conflict and illness were common throughout the Dark Ages but were especially bad during the 1300’s (Abrams et al. 10).

o Acceptable: The fourteenth century was a time of extreme war and disease even when compared to the rest of the Middle Ages (Abrams et al. 10).

 As you can see, you may have to use some of the same basic vocabulary of the original, but by really explaining it in your own words, you can usually avoid plagiarism. When you cannot, use direct quote either in part of the note or for the whole thing.

Combo Platter

 For many students a perfect solution for technical subjects or for passages that seem really hard to translate any other way, is a combination of mostly paraphrase with direct quote mixed in. For example:

o Original: “Elizabethans had a taste for elaborate ornament in language as in clothing, jewelry, and furniture, and, if we are to appreciate their accomplishments, it helps to set aside the modern preference, particularly in prose, for unadorned simplicity and directness” (Abrams et al. 485).

o Combo: The complex “elaborate” language of the Elizabethans also existed in their taste for how they dressed and decorated their homes; it can help to “set aside” our “modern preference. . . for unadorned simplicity” when trying to read and understand their literature (Abrams et al. 485).

The Highlighter

 We all love highlighters, and they are quite useful. I would never discourage a student from using this wonderful tool on sources printed out –never on library books.

 However, thinking that highlighting passages is a substitution for taking notes is a BIG MISTAKE. The only “notes” you have are direct quotes when you highlight.

 Paraphrasing takes time. Once you’ve highlighted a source, it is best to write your paraphrases while the article is fresh in your mind or you will have to reread in order to refresh your memory, wasting time. The building blocks of your paper

 Your notes, especially your paraphrases become the building blocks of your paper.

 In an informative paper your notes make up the majority of the work; you probably will not have much common knowledge of your subject. However, how you connect these facts will be your contribution.

 In an argumentative paper your notes become your backup for your points of argument.

What doesn’t need citing

 Not every single fact needs citing, even if you didn’t know it before looking it up.

 For example, the date of the Pearl Harbor attack, Dec. 7, 1941; I double checked it and looked it up, but if I refer to that date in a paper, that information is common knowledge, it isn’t derived from research, or isn’t someone else’s idea.

 Common facts, especially dates, general events that occurred, and your own ideas aren’t cited.

 When in doubt always cite; it is better to cite too much rather than not to cite.

Umbrella Quotes

If you are getting a large amount of information from one source (and are paraphrasing) you still need to give the author credit. It would look something like this:

EXAMPLE: All the information obtained in this paper is from JFK: The True Story by Allen Smith unless otherwise noted.

Now, your reader understands that you are paraphrasing the information from this book. However, you would still need to put (Smith 10), or whatever the page number, after the paraphrased info. Any time after that you are referencing someone else you would state it. This doesn’t save you a whole lot of time, but eliminates the need for introducing the author over and over.

Overview: Citing a paper in MLA or APA

Don't Remember?

 As odd as it sounds, students should NEVER try to rely on memorizing MLA or APA or any other kind of format for citations and parentheticals.

 You need to find reliable manuals, guides, or software that demonstrate how to create entries and COPY the pattern. See tutorial on “MLA” and “APA” for more details on this.

 If you try to memorize, it is a waste of brain cells, you will almost always make mistakes, and the guidelines change periodically.

 Learn to use the manuals, textbooks, and websites (e.g. Son of Citation Machine.)

Works Cited or References

 This page is always a part of the research paper; a paper handed in without a works- cited or list of references is not complete and will most likely be failed.

 “Cited” means that sources have been referenced inside the paper.  It is always a separate page headed “Works Cited”(MLA) or “References” (APA).

 A single page at the end is an efficient way to give the complete bibliographic information without repeating it over and over again in footnotes as we did in the “old days.”

Referenced/Cited/Used

 The words "reference" "cite" and "use" mean the same thing when talking about a source within a research paper.

 There are three ways in which you can “use” a source:

o Direct quote

o Paraphrase

o Summary

Direct Quote

 A direct quote— is the simplest. You quote verbatim (word for word) from a source into your own paper using quotation marks to indicate it is word for word. Long quotes (4+ lines) need block format (all lines of quote indented 10 spaces to set it off).

 It is usually best to use a “tag line” (signal phrase) with quotes, e.g., According to John Smith, director of housing, "The completion of these new units will offer mid-priced housing for our residents " (2002, p. 6). APA or (6). MLA.

Paraphrase

 A paraphrase is putting someone else’s ideas into your own words.

 Even though you haven’t used the author’s exact words, you still have to indicate that the author’s ideas are being referenced in your paper.

Summary

 Don’t confuse your own ideas with the summary of an author's ideas.

 Summary and paraphrase aren’t all that different; they differ only in the amount of detail retained.

 Summary, like paraphrase, takes a source’s ideas and puts them into the student’s own words, but with less detail.

 Don’t really worry about distinguishing between summary and paraphrase; they are both cited the same way, usually with a tag line or with a parenthetical.

Inside the paper

 Within a research paper, it must be clear what ideas are the student’s and what ideas come from the sources.

 This is done in two ways:

o Tag lines (signal phrases) , using the author’s name, e.g., “according to Jones” or “Jones goes on to say” or “Jones believes” followed by the quote, paraphrase, or summary.

o Parenthetical references—the use of parentheses to enclose information that will refer to one citation on the works cited or reference page. Parentheticals

 What is included in the parenthetical references is one of the primary format differences between MLA and APA

 MLA – contains the author’s last name or a key first word from an anonymous work and a page number with NO COMMA separating the two

 APA—contains the author’s last name or a key word from an anonymous work and the year of publication and a page number for direct quotes WITH COMMAS.

Examples of parentheticals

 MLA: Americans are consuming on average over 50 gallons of soda each a year (Schlosser 53). This wouldn’t change in MLA if you quoted.

 APA: Americans are consuming on average over 50 gallons of soda each year (Schlosser, 2002).

 APA if you quoted : “Americans already drink soda at an annual rate of about fifty-six gallons per person” (Schlosser, 2002, p. 53).

Cross reference

 The parentheticals or “tag line” references will then correspond to the Works Cited page (MLA) or References page(APA)

 Each reference within a paper needs a corresponding entry on the reference or works cited page and each entry also must be referenced at least once in the paper.

 You may reference multiple times from a source, but you only need a single entry per source on the reference or works cited page.

Examples of reference entries

 The previous examples of parenthetical references from a book source would then correspond to an entry on the “Works Cited” (MLA) or “References”(APA) at the end of the paper

MLA Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. Print.

APA Schlosser, E. (2002). Fast food nation. New York: Houghton Mifflin.

Organize Notes Before Writing

 When it comes time to draft your paper, organize your notes first and think of sections of your paper.

 You may have holes, places you realize you will need more research; that’s ok, get started on the most complete section first and go on from there

 Note taking can be a form of stalling; get to the draft in a reasonable amount of time.

Taking Notes

 The bulk of the work on a research paper is the note taking.  As you read your sources, you may write down word-for-word what a source says (Direct Quote), put the ideas into your own words (Paraphrase) or, also using your own words, put the general idea of a larger piece in a shorter version (Summary).

Writing a Research Paper: Note-Taking Effectively This page is located at: http://www.owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/ResearchW/notes.html. Copyright © 1995-2004 by OWL at Purdue University and Purdue University. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site, including printing and distributing our handouts, constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use, available at: http://owl.purdue.edu/lab/fairuse.html

To take notes, you need to know what to take notes on; by analyzing the text, you've likely already located the sections or chapters most useful to you. What should my notes look like?

The point-form or sentences debate (on loose-leaf or on 3x5 index cards for easy shuffling) is simply a matter of preference. Some students are comfortable with points; others prefer summarizing and paraphrasing right into rough sentences to make drafting easier. Try both methods and see which one you prefer. Some students also prefer good ol' fashioned loose-leaf for note-taking while others religiously use index cards with one point on each card. Again, both techniques have their pros and cons so try them out and see which one is for you. Above all, note-taking involves writing. Highlighting can be an important first step, but used alone, it's simply too passive.

So what should I write down? Anything and everything that will flesh out your thesis statement or research question. Be succinct in whatever you write, but don't rely too heavily on mental notes because you're afraid of writing too much down. Even if it's just background data, boil it down to a short phrase on paper and save the taxing of your memory for exams, not research papers. Remember, notes are a bit like drafts: you will not end up using everything you write down. Luckily, the next step on outlines will help you to sift the gold from the debris. Remember that it's fine to copy down duplicating facts. You may need them later on to defend your thesis. For major issues, having more than one person who agrees with you strengthens your point. Just make sure to record who said what each time. It's also okay to copy down contradictory information. Analytical papers often include opposing views and even for argumentative papers, acknowledging an opposing viewpoint that is easily disproved by its counterpoint is always a good rhetorical tool.

Whatever you take notes on, be sure to take them from more than one or two key sources. Using a variety will lend weight to your argument, broaden your horizons on the topic when you need varying viewpoints anyway, and demonstrate to your teacher the thoroughness of your research.

The final piece of data to record is a working bibliography of all the sources you consult. Begin jotting one down as soon as you begin researching so that you won't forget when it comes time to draft the paper (a common error and stress-inducer). Therefore, before you even take notes, neatly record all the pertinent bibliographical information you'll need for any citation format you decide to use (author, title, (editor, translator, and/or edition number if there is one), publisher, city of publication, year of publication, issue number, volume, and page numbers).The call number of a book, the search terms you entered into any database, and any URLs (web site addresses) for online information come in handy for easy RE-access to a resource should something come in question later on. In short, throw out nothing! And date it all too. Again, it doesn't matter that you may not need all the info you write down. But, boy, will it come in handy if your instructor ends up telling you later that he/she wants a Works Consulted as well as a Works Cited list at the end of the paper.

With bibliography in hand, you can answer that challenge with a smile instead of a panic attack because you couldn't remember what you read.

Writing a Research Paper: Note-Taking Effectively Specific tips to avoid plagiarism · Paraphrase most of the time. That is, compress and write in your own words what you understand to be the basic meaning of a sentence or a block of text. Think of it as making notes instead of taking notes. Highlighting key passages or photocopying key pages can be good first steps towards extracting important information, but before you start your draft, translate and rewrite your notable research findings now. Don't count on doing it later when the temptation of keeping beautifully-crafted sentences in the body of your paper (without acknowledgment) is even greater. · Take care to distinguish between: -background or commonly known facts in the field that you can assume your audience already knows (e.g., "Radio has evolved into an incredibly portable and music-based medium"). Your own knowledge acquired from a course makes you a great source of such background data! -other not-so-commonly-known facts such as some unbelievable statistic you found that you'll have to cite at the point of discussion (e.g., "Research has shown that 95% of students listen to the radio while they study") -opinions which are usually the most debatable of all. If Dr. Z "believes" something is the case, then record that he believes it. · Though you should limit this, if you absolutely must take a direct quotation, (1) change to a different colored pen, (2) put huge quotation marks around it, and (3) don't forget the page number and source. Don't count on remembering later that it was copied down word for word; you might accidentally believe you paraphrased it in which case careless plagiarism will probably take place. · Be wary of special short-hand you or someone else has developed. Keep a legend of unusual abbreviations and symbols or else you might be confused come drafting time. · Make sure you know where every note comes from. A good way to keep track is to number each entry in your working bibliography and then label each page with notes from a source with its corresponding number. · Put a page number next to all notes just in case you need to know where it came from to come back to the source or to use the note in your paper. · If you don't understand what a particular resource is saying, don't use it or you'll risk misinterpreting the information and undermining your argument. A good rule of thumb is that if a note doesn't make sense at the point of writing, it won't magically make sense later. · If you find ideas or reactions coming to you while you're researching, make sure you keep your thoughts and insights separate from your other notes. Using different colored pens is a great way to maintain the distinction. · Above all, keep everything as legible as possible; you'll thank yourself later.

EXAMPLE OUTLINE

I. INTRODUCTION - (Brief comment leading into subject matter - Thesis statement on Shakespeare) II. BODY - Shakespeare's Early Life, Marriage, Works, Later Years A. Early life in Stratford 1. Shakespeare's family a. Shakespeare's father b. Shakespeare's mother 2. Shakespeare's marriage a. Life of Anne Hathaway b. Reference in Shakespeare's Poems B. Shakespeare's works 1. Plays a. Tragedies i. Hamlet ii. Romeo and Juliet b. Comedies i. The Tempest ii. Much Ado About Nothing 2. Sonnets C. Shakespeare's Later Years 1. Last two plays 2. Retired to Stratford a. Death b. Burial III. CONCLUSION A. Analytical summary B. Thesis reworded C. Concluding statement