Fayette County Schools

Research Paper Survival Guide

June 2009 (revised November 2011) Compiled by: Jillian Bowen, Joanne Dirring, Monica Dorner, Greta Jackson, Shery Kearney, Ann Richardson, and Cheryll Thompson-Smith Based on the work of: Linda Brem, Kathy Franks, Cathy Nix, Ann Richardson, and Cynde Snider

Table of Contents
Plagiarism………………………………………………………………. Plagiarism Statement - Middle School……………………………..... Plagiarism Statement - High School……………………………….... English Research Requirements…………………………………….. Middle School Requirements…………………………………... 9th Grade Requirements………………………………………… 10th Grade Requirements………………………………………. 11th Grade Requirements………………………………………. 12th Grade Requirements………………………………………. Frequently Asked Questions…………………………………………. Annotated Bibliographies……………………………………….. Citation Formats…………………..……………………………... Common Mistakes………………………………………………. Documentation and Plagiarism…………..…………………….. Internet and Databases…………………………………………. MLA Manuscript Form…...……………………………………… Note Cards…..…………………………………………………… Outlines…………………………………………………………… Paraphrases and Quotations..…………………………………. Parenthetical Documentation……………………………...…... Quoting Poetry……………………………..……………………. Research Papers..………………………………………………. Research Process……………….……………………………… Research Projects……….……………………………………… Source Cards..…………………………………………………… Works Cited Page……………………………………………….. Research Glossary……………………………………………………. Online Resources……………………………………………………… Works Cited…………………………………………………………….. Documenting Sources Using MLA Format………………………….. 3 4 5 6-11 7 8 9 10 11 12-49 13-14 15 16-19 20 21 22-24 25-26 27-31 32-35 36-38 39-40 41 42-43 44 45-46 47-49 50-62 63 64 65-71

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the representation of another’s ideas or writing as his own. There are two common types of plagiarism: • A deliberate attempt on the part of the student to pass off as his own writing or ideas of another person (student, parent, published or unpublished author, et al.) • A failure to acknowledge indebtedness to outside material that results from the student’s lack of attention to proper procedures for documentation. Both types of plagiarism are serious violations of the principles of academic integrity. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. See the Fayette County Schools “Statement of Plagiarism” for middle schools and high schools and the Code of Conduct for more information on penalties associated with plagiarism. Steps to avoiding plagiarism: 1. Always write down the sources that you use in your research. Most teachers require Source Cards to track the sources you use. You can keep a research log before you make Source Cards if this is easier. Research log format. You may use this form, one your teacher provides, or one that you design yourself. Just make sure that you record all the information necessary to complete Source Cards and later the Annotated Bibliography or Works Cited page for your research paper or project. N.B.: It is easier to record this information when you first find it, than it is to have to go back and find it again if your information was not complete or accurate. Trust us on this one! 2. If you have used an idea from another author, cite it in both parenthetical documentation and the Works Cited page. All ideas that are not your original thoughts must be cited. This includes all direct quotations and paraphrases. Failure to include both parenthetical documentation and a Works Cited page is an act of plagiarism. 3. If you are in doubt about whether to cite a source or not, cite it. If later you realize the information is common or general knowledge that does not require documentation, you can always remove the citations. Please note: Your paper may be reviewed by anti-plagiarism software.

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Statement of Plagiarism Fayette County Schools Middle School: Grades 6-8 Definition of Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the representation by a student of another’s ideas or writing as his own. Basically, two types of plagiarism are common. The first, which is more serious, involves a deliberate attempt on the part of a student to pass off as his own the writing or ideas of another person (student, parent, published or unpublished author, et al). This type of plagiarism generally consists of the straight copying or slight paraphrasing of a source that the student attempts to conceal. The second, which results from the student’s lack of attention to proper procedures for source acknowledgments and use, involves one or more technical errors. The student in this case fails to acknowledge indebtedness to outside material. Both types of plagiarism are serious violations of the principles of academic integrity. They will not be tolerated. Penalties, especially for those involved in deliberate plagiarism, may be quite severe. Penalties for Plagiarism: A. A student who has unintentionally plagiarized will receive no grade until citation errors are corrected, at which time he will receive a grade reduction just as he would for any other format error. Should a student fail to resubmit his paper with corrections, he will receive a grade of zero. B. A student who has intentionally plagiarized by purchasing, downloading, or submitting a previously-submitted paper will receive no credit for the assignment. No substitute assignment will be given. C. A student who submits a paper with no parenthetical citation or bibliography will receive no credit for the research assignment. D. A student who allows another student to copy his or her paper or assists in the act of plagiarism will be subject to disciplinary action. * A parent conference will be held for any student accused or suspected of B. or D. Evidence will be presented by the classroom teacher and reviewed by that teacher, the principal, and an assistant principal. NOTE TO PARENTS: All students will be instructed about what constitutes plagiarism. Teachers will give this instruction orally, in writing, and through specific examples. I have read and understand the above statement on plagiarism. ____________________________________________ Student signature ____________________________________________ Parent/guardian signature __________________ Date __________________ Date

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Statement of Plagiarism Fayette County Schools High School: Grades 9-12 Definition of Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the representation by a student of another’s ideas or writing as his own. Basically, two types of plagiarism are common. The first, which is more serious, involves a deliberate attempt on the part of a student to pass off as his own the writing or ideas of another person (student, parent, published or unpublished author, et al). This type of plagiarism generally consists of the straight copying or slight paraphrasing of a source that the student attempts to conceal. The second, which results from the student’s lack of attention to proper procedures for source acknowledgments and use, involves one or more technical errors. The student in this case fails to acknowledge indebtedness to outside material. Both types of plagiarism are serious violations of the principles of academic integrity. They will not be tolerated. Penalties, especially for those involved in deliberate plagiarism, may be quite severe. Penalties for Plagiarism: A. A student who has unintentionally plagiarized will receive no grade until citation errors are corrected, at which time he/she will receive a grade reduction just as he/she would for any other format error. Should a student fail to resubmit the paper with corrections within five school days, he/she will receive a grade of zero. A pattern of documentation error will be considered as intentional. B. A student who has intentionally plagiarized a major research assignment in an English class will receive no credit for the assignment. No substitute assignment will be given. C. A student who submits a paper or assignment with no parenthetical citation or works cited will receive a grade of zero for the assignment. No substitute assignment will be given. D. A student who allows another student to copy his or her paper or assists in the act of plagiarism will be subject to disciplinary action. E. All incidents of intentional plagiarism will result in a disciplinary referral. NOTE TO PARENTS: All students will be instructed about what constitutes plagiarism. Teachers will give this instruction orally, in writing, and through specific examples. I have read and understand the above statement on plagiarism. ____________________________________________ Student signature ____________________________________________ Parent/guardian signature __________________ Date __________________ Date

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Research Paper Survival Guide

English Research Requirements
Middle School: Fayette County middle school students must complete an annotated bibliography each year in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades.

High School: 9th grade Research project (10% of final grade) Documented essay (10% of final grade) 10th grade Annotated bibliography (15% of final grade) Research paper (15% of final grade) 11th grade Research paper (20% of final grade) Research project (20% of final grade) 12th grade Research paper (20% of final grade) Research project (20% of final grade)

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Middle School Research Requirements
6th Grade Product: Annotated Bibliography with 3 sources 7th Grade Product: Annotated Bibliography with 3 sources chosen by student from 6 sources provided by the teacher. 8th Grade Product: Annotated Bibliography on a literary or historical topic with 4 sources: • 1 student-selected • 3 chosen by student from 6 sources provided by the teacher. The Annotated Bibliography will contain a thesis statement, citations in MLA format and brief summaries of the sources. In addition to the citation and summary for each source, the student will write an evaluation of the source he or she has chosen. (5 total paragraphs) Documentation Required: Source Cards Students will create source cards for all four sources. Sources may include: • Book • Electronic Source (for example, GaleNet) • Magazine • Newspaper • Scholarly Journal

The Annotated Bibliography will contain citations in MLA format and brief summaries of the source (a citation and single paragraph for each source).

The Annotated Bibliography will contain citations in MLA format and brief summaries of the sources (a citation and single paragraph for each source).

Documentation Required: Source Cards Students will create Source Cards for three teacher-provided research sources • Book • Encyclopedia • Electronic Source (for example, GaleNet)

Documentation Required: Source Cards Students will create Source Cards for three research sources, selecting three from the six provided by the teacher. Sources may include • Book • Electronic Source (for example, GaleNet) • Magazine • Newspaper Note Cards Students will complete at least seven Note Cards from their three sources: • Three direct quotations (one from each source) • Three paraphrases (one from each source) • One summary of a paragraph or section from one of the sources

Note Cards Students will complete at least five Note Cards from their sources • Three direct quotations (one from each source) • Two paraphrases (from the direct quotations)

Note Cards Students will complete at least 12 Note Cards from their four sources: • Three direct quotations (one from each source) • Three paraphrases (one from each source) • Three summaries of paragraphs or sections (one from each source)

All Source and Note Cards must be completed following guidelines in the Research Survival Guide. Wikipedia and other user-edited information sites are not allowed as sources for information in any research assignment in Fayette County Schools. High school research papers should not be reports, but persuasive literary analysis or essays. Products should be produced by a single-student, not a group, except where noted. All research will be reviewed for plagiarism. This may include the use of online plagiarism services and programs.
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Research Paper Survival Guide

9th Grade
First Semester Research Project 10% of the semester grade This grade is calculated to include the component parts of the activity along with the final product. Requirements: Student-generated research must be a component of the activity. Works Cited page using MLA format for all documentation must be included. Second Semester Documented Literary Analysis 10% of the semester grade This grade is calculated to include the component parts of the paper along with the final product. Requirements: Literary analysis must contain a studentgenerated thesis statement. Sources should include 1 primary source and 2 critical articles from scholarly journals or journals available, such as those on GaleNet’s Literature Resource Center. At least one of these three sources must be from an anthology (for example, an edited collection of criticism or the textbook). 3 Source Cards 9 Note Cards • 3 direct quotations, 1 from each source • 3 paraphrases, 1 from each source • 3 summaries, 1 from each source Final product must be a 2-page minimum, 3page maximum paper in MLA manuscript form. Length requirements refer to typed papers. The required Works Cited page is not included in length requirements. Suggested topics/products: The research paper must be a documented literary analysis related to plays, novels, short stories, poems, or non-fiction taught as part of the 9th grade English curriculum.

Suggested topics/products: I-search paper/project Cultural literacy trading cards on Shakespeare sayings Travel brochure (The Odyssey) Theme-based informational brochure or pamphlet Biographical speech on literary character, significant authors, historical figures PowerPoint presentation

All Source and Note Cards must be completed following guidelines in the Research Survival Guide. Wikipedia and other user-edited information sites are not allowed as sources for information in any research assignment in Fayette County Schools. High school research papers should not be reports, but persuasive literary analysis or essays. Products should be produced by a single-student, not a group, except where noted. All research will be reviewed for plagiarism. This may include the use of online plagiarism services and programs.
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Research Paper Survival Guide

10th Grade
First Semester Annotated Bibliography 15% of semester grade This grade is calculated to include the component parts of the activity along with the final product. Requirements: Student-generated research question 5 sources, at least 2 of these sources must be by the same author. Sources may be a combination of teacher-provided and studentselected. A minimum of 5 Source Cards Annotated Bibliography will include: research question, citations, summaries of both primary and secondary sources, and evaluation of all secondary sources (min. 9 paragraphs). Topic: Annotated bibliography must be on a teacherapproved topic. (The purpose of an annotated bibliography is to evaluate strengths and weaknesses of researched sources.) Second Semester Research Paper 15% of semester grade This grade is calculated to include the component parts of the paper along with the final product. Requirements: 3 page minimum, 4 page maximum At least 1 primary source At least 3 secondary sources Note cards must include a mixture of direct quotations, paraphrases, and summaries (12 min., 1 from each source) Documented sentence outline (teacher discretion) The required Works Cited page is not included in length requirements. Topic: The research paper must be a documented literary analysis related to plays, novels, short stories, poems, or non-fiction taught as part of the 10th grade English curriculum.

All Source and Note Cards must be completed following guidelines in the Research Survival Guide. Wikipedia and other user-edited information sites are not allowed as sources for information in any research assignment in Fayette County Schools. High school research papers should not be reports, but persuasive literary analysis or essays. Products should be produced by a single-student, not a group, except where noted. All research will be reviewed for plagiarism. This may include the use of online plagiarism services and programs.

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Research Paper Survival Guide

11th Grade
First Semester Research Paper 20% of semester grade This grade is calculated from the final research paper. Research process components are not included in this calculation but will be included in other grading categories. Requirements: 3 page minimum, 5 page maximum Documented Sentence Outline (teacher discretion) Source Cards and Note Cards are recommended; however, at the teacher’s discretion alternative methods of research documentation, such as article photocopies, may be used. The required Works Cited page is not included in length requirements. Second Semester Research Project 20% of semester grade This grade is calculated to include the component parts of the activity along with the final product.

Requirements: Final product at the teacher’s discretion, but it must include student-generated research, documentation, an oral presentation, and a written product. Must have at least 5 sources Source Cards and Note Cards are recommended; however, at the teacher’s discretion alternative methods of research documentation, such as article photocopies, may be used. Works Cited must follow MLA guidelines. Topic: The research activity may be related to contemporary issues, career or college planning, or literary topics.

Topic: Research paper must be related to American literature, preferably a documented literary analysis of a short story or longer poem.

All Source and Note Cards must be completed following guidelines in the Research Survival Guide. Wikipedia and other user-edited information sites are not allowed as sources for information in any research assignment in Fayette County Schools. High school research papers should not be reports, but persuasive literary analysis or essays. Products should be produced by a single-student, not a group, except where noted. All research will be reviewed for plagiarism. This may include the use of online plagiarism services and programs.

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Research Paper Survival Guide

12th Grade
First Semester Research Paper 20% of semester grade This grade is calculated from either the final research paper or 3 documented essays. Research process components are not included in this calculation but will be included in other grading categories. Requirements: Research paper related to a topic in British literature Minimum 3 sources, maximum 6 sources 5 page minimum, 7 page maximum Documented Sentence Outline (teacher discretion) Source Cards and Note Cards are recommended; however, at the teacher’s discretion alternative methods of research documentation, such as article photocopies, may be used. The required Works Cited page is not included in length requirements. -or3 short documented essays, 1 on a topicrelated to British literature and 2 others on topics at the teacher’s discretion including personal interests of students or contemporary issues 2 page minimum, 3 page maximum The required Works Cited page is not included in length requirements. Topic: Research paper must be related to British literature. At least 1 of the documented essays must be about British literature. Second Semester Research Project 20% of semester grade This grade is calculated to include the component parts of the activity along with the final product.

Requirements: Final product at the teacher’s discretion, but it must include student-generated research, documentation, an oral presentation and a written product Minimum 3 sources, maximum 6 sources Sources may include personal interviews. Works Cited must follow MLA guidelines. Group projects are permissible as long as there is a clearly defined and assessable division of labor.

Topic: These projects should be personal, powerful, and authentic. They should provide seniors an opportunity to reflect and write about personally meaningful topics.

All Source and Note Cards must be completed following guidelines in the Research Survival Guide. Wikipedia and other user-edited information sites are not allowed as sources for information in any research assignment in Fayette County Schools. High school research papers should not be reports, but persuasive literary analysis or essays. Products should be produced by a single-student, not a group, except where noted. All research will be reviewed for plagiarism. This may include the use of online plagiarism services and programs.
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Research Paper Survival Guide

Frequently Asked Questions About…
Annotated Bibliographies…………………………………………….. Citation Formats……………………..………………………………... Common Mistakes……………………………………………………. Documentation and Plagiarism…………..…………………………. Internet and Databases………………………………………………. MLA Manuscript Form…...…………………………………………… Note Cards…..………………………………………………………… Outlines………………………………………………………………… Paraphrases and Quotations..………………………………………. Parenthetical Documentation……………………………………...… Quoting Poetry……………………………..…………………………. Research Papers..……………………………………………………. Research Process……………….…………………………………… Research Projects……….…………………………………………… Source Cards..………………………………………………………… Works Cited Page…………………………………………………….. 13-14 15 16-19 20 21 22-24 25-26 27-31 32-35 36-38 39-40 41 42-43 44 45-46 47-49

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Annotated Bibliographies
What is an annotated bibliography? A bibliography is a list of the sources you have used for your research on a topic. A bibliography usually just includes the bibliographic information—the author, the title, and the publication information. An annotation is a summary of the source and sometimes an evaluation of the source. An annotated bibliography is a list of sources with the citations in MLA format. A summary and/or evaluation of each of the sources is required. Be sure to ask your teacher if you must include just a summary or both a summary and an evaluation in your annotated bibliography. How do I summarize a source? If someone asked you what your research source was about, what would you say? Your answer is the summary for your annotated bibliography. Write a paragraph that explains the main ideas of the article, book, or other information source. How do I evaluate a source? If someone asked you how useful your research source was, what would you say? Your answer is the evaluation for your annotated bibliography. How do I tell if the source is useful? Here are some questions you can answer when trying to determine if a source is useful: • Is the source authoritative? An authoritative source is one that can be relied upon to provide accurate information. Consider the reputation of the publication and of the author. Are they well respected? • Is the source unbiased? An unbiased source is one whose author lacks any prejudices that would make his or her work unreliable. • Is the source up-to-date? For some topics, such as ones associated with current science or technology, up-to-date sources are essential, so check the date on the copyright page of your source. For other topics, the copyright date may be less important or not important at all. • Is the work written at an appropriate level? Materials that are written for children are usually simplified and may be misleading in some respects. Other materials are so technical that they can be understood only after years of study. • Does the source come highly recommended? One way to evaluate a source is to ask an expert or authority whether the source is reliable. You can also check the bibliography in a reputable source. If a source is listed in a bibliography, then it is probably reliable source. Example:
Source: Shepherd, Robert D. Writing Research Papers. Evanston, IL: McDougall Littell, 2001. 31-32.

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Annotated Bibliographies (continued)
Why do I have to write an annotated bibliography? Annotated bibliographies help you learn about your topic. Sometimes they are the end product of a research assignment, and sometimes they are the preliminary research for a longer research paper. When you summarize and evaluate your sources, you are reading the information you have found critically to decide if it will be useful when you write your research paper. Even when you are not assigned an annotated bibliography before you write a research paper, you should still summarize and evaluate your sources before deciding to use them. The skills you learn writing annotated bibliographies in middle school and 10th grade will help prepare you to conduct research in your junior, senior, and college classes. What should my annotated bibliography look like? Your annotated bibliography will be in MLA manuscript form with a citation, a summary, and sometimes an evaluation. Use the guidelines on this handout for the format of your annotated bibliography. Be sure to check with your teacher to make sure you include all the elements that are required in your annotated bibliography. Where can I find more information on annotated bibliographies? The Online Writing Lab at Purdue University has information on how to write annotated bibliographies and some samples written on the college level.

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Citation Formats
Is MLA style the only way to format citations? No, the Modern Language Association (MLA) format you learn in English classes is the standard for research in the languages, literature, and the humanities. In the social sciences, science, and mathematics, writers often use the American Psychological Association (APA) style. APA style is similar to MLA style but just different enough to be confusing. Be sure that any time you are assigned a research paper or assignment you ask what style you should use for documentation. All of your English classes in Fayette County schools will require documentation and citation in MLA format. How do I cite Google? Google is an Internet search engine that provides an index of web pages on the Internet. Google itself is not a publisher of web content that needs to be documented. Can I use an electronic citation program? Of course, you can. They are available free on the Internet. Your English teachers know that you probably use them when we are not looking. The real question is “Should I use an electronic citation program?” That depends on how you are using it. You need to learn the components of MLA citation format so you know how to cite books, journals, and sources from online databases. Without knowing how a citation fits together, you will not know what information you need to look for in a publication to accurately document it. You must also know what information to type in the forms on these citation programs and whether to capitalize words or not. Finally, you need to know MLA format so you can recognize the errors in these citation machines. If you make an error on your Works Cited page, telling your teacher “That’s what EasyBib gave me” is not going to help your grade. So when is it okay to use these citation machines? Occasionally, new information sources are invented before MLA has had a chance to update its handbooks. Electronic citation programs can sometimes help with these. When do I need a URL in my entry? Only use a URL in your entry when your reader cannot locate the source without it. Consider searching both the website title and author’s name provided by your citation. If your page is not near the top of the first page of results, you must provide a URL in your citation. When a URL is required, it is usually acceptable to shorten the entry after the first slash mark. Example: The URL - can be shortened to- .

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Common Research Paper Mistakes
Is it okay to use the first or second person? No. In formal research papers, avoid using the pronouns “I, we, you, your, me, my” as in “You would think that . . . “ “In my opinion . . .” “I didn’t realize that . . .” “I feel that . . . “ “You might be surprised to know that . . .” My teacher says not to refer to my research paper in the paper. What does she mean? She is telling you to hide the organizational structure more artfully, reduce the wordiness, and get to the point more quickly. Avoid saying, “This paper will consider the three following works . . .” or “In this paragraph, the reader will learn that . . .” When do I use the present tense? When do I use the past tense? Use past tense to talk about the biographical facts concerning an author or the publication of a literary work but the present tense to write about what happens in the literary work itself. Example: A Confederacy of Dunces was published posthumously more than 11 years after John Kennedy Toole committed suicide. The book traces Ignatius J. Reilly’s search for employment in New Orleans. Should I underline or use italics? The MLA Handbook recommends italics but use underlining for handwritten assignments. What are some other common mistakes? No Works Cited page Either you didn’t do research or you plagiarized. MLA Citation format and style errors Check, double check, and then get a friend to recheck to make sure that your in-text (parenthetical documentation) and Works Cited citations are in the correct format. MLA Manuscript form Make sure that you have paid attention to margins, page numbers, headers, title format, font choice, font size, paper, and double spacing. Double-space everything but do not include extra space between any paragraphs or citations.

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Common Research Paper Mistakes (continued)
Attribution/citation of authority Failing to introduce and attribute quotations, not just document them. Wrong: “Journeys are the midwives of thought” (4). Correct: University of London philosophy professor Alain de Botton writes in his 2002 book The Art of Travel, “Journeys are the midwives of thought” (4). Forgetting the main idea Remember to prove your thesis. Do not get bogged down in so much plot summary you forget to analyze the connections between ideas. Provide just enough summary that the reader knows the main characters and an overview of the plot. Focus on developing your main point. Apostrophes NEVER use an apostrophe to create a plural. Example: heroes is the plural, hero’s is the singular possessive. Also, double check to make sure those atrocities against the language like "city's" for "cities," "dog's" for "dogs," and "TV's" for "TVs" haven't been committed. Remember, apostrophes indicate possession or contraction. They are never used for pluralizing nouns; it's one of the few rules in English that has no exception. Its/It’s Now, a word about "it's." "It's" means "It is" and should probably not be used in the final research paper since contractions are avoided in Academic English. If the possessive form of "it" is required, "its" is the proper form. This is easy to remember since no possessive pronouns take the apostrophe: his, hers, theirs, yours, ours, its. Homonyms Use of homonyms for the intended word. There/they’re/their. If you avoid using the first and second one in your paper, you narrow your chances of making these errors. “There” is too vague in a research paper, and “they’re” is a contraction, which is too informal. All you have to worry about is the possessive “their.” Also watch out for the nasty to/too/two. Spell checkers do not catch this mistake. A lot “A lot” is always two words, but they are two words that can be eliminated from your writing a lot of the time.

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Common Research Paper Mistakes (continued)
Words, phrases, or symbols to eliminate • avoid starting sentences with “there” and “it” • the intensifiers “very,” “too, “really” or “extremely” • “I think,” “I believe,” “In my opinion” • Abbreviation • Contractions • etc. • & • + Comma mistakes The worst one: comma splices. Do not link two independent clauses together with a comma. Example: (comma splice) Jung believes that there is a collective unconscious, Campbell writes about the monomyth. Correction: Jung believes that there is a “collective unconscious”; Campbell writes about the monomyth. Do not insert a comma between an independent clause and a subordinate clause at the end of the sentence. Example: He believes that images had universal connections, because all cultures share a “collective unconscious.” Correction: He believes that images had universal connections because all cultures share a “collective unconscious.” While we are at it, look at that last sentence. Remember, to put commas and periods before the quotation mark, not after it. Period: If parenthetical documentation is added to the sentence, the period goes after the documentation. Example: He believes that images had universal connections because all cultures share a “collective unconscious” (Jung 4).

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Common Research Paper Mistakes (continued)
Sentence Fragments Make sure your sentences are complete (subject and predicate). Fragments often happen when you try to introduce examples or elaborations without linking the idea to the previous sentence. Example: (fragment): Many works of literature have heroic journeys. For example, the Harry Potter series. Correction: (full sentence) Many works of literature have heroic journeys, for example, the Harry Potter series. Academic English Double check for inappropriate use of first or second person pronouns (i.e., "I," "Me," "Mine," "We," "Us," "Ours," "You" and "Yours") and slang language (e.g., "kids" when the word "children" is meant).

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Documentation and Plagiarism
Why do I have to document my sources? Failing to document sources in a research paper is plagiarism. Authors deserve credit for their ideas and words. Researchers give credit to others ideas by documenting in both parenthetical documentation and a Works Cited page. Citing authorities gives credibility to your own argument. Documenting sources is essential to all research. What is plagiarism? Plagiarism is the representation of another’s ideas or writing as his own. What are the kinds of plagiarism? A deliberate attempt on the part of the student to pass off as his own writing or ideas of another person (student, parent, published or unpublished author, et al.) A failure to acknowledge indebtedness to outside material that results from the student’s lack of attention to proper procedures for documentation. What happens if I plagiarize? Plagiarism is a serious violation of academic integrity. In most cases in can result in a grade of zero on an assignment and a disciplinary referral. See the Fayette County Schools “Statement of Plagiarism” for middle schools and high schools and the Code of Conduct for more information on penalties associated with plagiarism. How do I document my sources? Documenting sources means carefully recording the sources you use when you are conducting research. All ideas that come from another source must be credited to that source in the paper and in the Works Cited. All paraphrases and direct quotations must use correct parenthetical documentation. In the research process, writers document sources with Source Cards and Note Cards. Some writers also complete a Research Log.

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Internet and Databases
Why can’t I use Wikipedia? Wikipedia is an open source site, written and edited by users. Since anyone can make changes on it, the information is sometimes inaccurate. For instance, in the fall of 2006, the Sumerian king Gilgamesh was identified as a student at McIntosh High School. While Wikipedia may be a good place to get initial background information, it is not a reliable source of information for any documented research paper. The co-founder of Wikipedia Jimmy Wales agrees with your English teachers on this matter: “I would agree with your teachers that that isn’t the way to use Wikipedia. The site is a wonderful starting point for research. But it’s only a starting point because there’s always a chance that there’s something wrong, and you should check your sources if you are writing a paper” (6). To read Wikipedia’s statement concerning the use of its site for research, see Wikipedia: Disclaimer on Academic Use at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Academic_use Why can’t I use Google? Google is a search engine. It can be used to locate sources on the public Internet. Many of the websites Google will index for you contain information that is not appropriate for academic research. Additionally, many of the best sources for academic research are not indexed on Google. These sources are usually indexed in subscription databases. Some examples of databases are GaleNet and Galileo . These require passwords to access. Contact your school’s media specialist or your teacher for the current passwords. What’s the difference between the Internet and a database? The Internet provides a loose collection of material that is constantly being added or eliminated. There is no single index that tracks all of the content. Anyone can post information to the Internet. A reference database is a searchable collection of magazine, newspaper, and journal articles or material from reference books like encyclopedias. You may actually access your online database through the Internet, but when you search on the database you are searching a controlled set of publications. Databases usually index material that has been reviewed for publication by editors. Since the compilers have the database have evaluated the content, your own evaluation of the material is easier. Information from databases is more reliable and scholarly than information found on the Internet.

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Research Paper Survival Guide

MLA Manuscript Form
What is the correct font and size? MLA recommends 12-point Times New Roman. Seek teacher permission for any variation. What if I think my paper looks better in Arial or Vivaldi? You may create a copy for yourself in that font, but the paper you turn in for class should be written in 12-point Times New Roman. My computer sets the paper margins at 1¼ inches. Is that okay? No. Re-set the margins on the page or margin setting to 1 inch. That is the correct format for MLA manuscript form. What is the correct format for a date in MLA manuscript form? Full dates appear in international format: date month year. For example, 26 July 2007. Months may be abbreviated using the following abbreviations: Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec. Note: May, June, July are all spelled out. How do I create the pagination in the header? In the header (under ), type your last name and insert # on the header format box. Make sure that you right justify. This should paginate all of your pages. All pages including Works Cited follow this format and are numbered consecutively. Should my paper have a title page? In MLA manuscript format, papers do not have title pages. Your teacher may require one as an exception. Follow the instructions for creating a title page for your assignment if one is required. Is it okay if I want to make my title fancy? No! The title should appear in 12-point Times New Roman. Do not use Word Art, italics, boldface, different fonts, larger or smaller point sizes, colored type, or anything else that alters the format of the title. What words are capitalized in titles? “The rules for capitalizing are strict. In a title or subtitle, capitalize the first word, the last word, and all principal words, including those that follow hyphens in compound terms” (MLA 86). These are commonly referred to as heading caps. Do not capitalize the following unless they begin a title or follow a colon: • Articles: a, an, the • Prepositions: against, between, in, of, to • Conjunctions: and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet • Infinitive: to

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Research Paper Survival Guide

MLA Manuscript Form (continued)
What if my title is too long to fit on one line? The longest part of the title should go on the first line. The second line should come at a natural break such as a colon and be centered under the first line forming a funnel or inverted pyramid. The title should be double-spaced. Example: Heroism Is Just a State of Mind: Natty Bumppo and Hawkeye Pierce as the Archetypal Byronic Heroes Is it all right to turn in my paper in a binder cover? Unless your teacher specifies a binder cover, you should use a single staple or paper clip in the upper left-hand corner of your paper. Binder covers make the paper difficult to grade. Many teachers will require the final draft of the research paper to be turned in with other parts of the research paper in a manila envelope. Follow your teacher’s instructions precisely. What should I do with my research paper drafts, notes, source cards and any other preliminary works? Keep it. Your teacher will give you further instruction. You may be required to turn this with the paper, or your teacher may ask for it at any time during the semester. My computer printer is out of ink, and my paper is due tomorrow. What should I do? For most teachers, this is not a valid excuse for a late paper. You may write your paper by hand following the same MLA manuscript form—double-spaced, one-inch margins, correct heading, and pagination. Your paper should be written on lined loose-leaf notebook paper (not composition book paper) in blue or black ink. Note: If you use anything other than traditional blue or black ink (gel pens in baby blue, mechanical pencil, green ink), you may risk having your paper returned ungraded or lose points for manuscript form. Your paper must be consistent—entirely handwritten or entirely typed.

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Research Paper Survival Guide

MLA Manuscript Form (continued)

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Note Cards
Is a Note Card the same as a Source Card? No. A Note Card contains the direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary of one main idea from a book, article, or other document you are using for your research paper. A Source Card contains bibliographic information about those sources. You should never write a Note Card until you have created a Source Card for the work you are using. Sometimes teachers have students use 4”x 6” index cards for Note Cards to distinguish them from the 3” x 5” Source Cards. Can I use photocopies instead of Note Cards? With teacher permission in the upper grades (11th and 12th), you may be allowed to photocopy pages from books rather than be required to keep Note Cards. If allowed to photocopy, highlight the information you will be using. Be sure to write the pertinent bibliographic information on the photocopied page. If you choose to use photocopies, you must turn them in to your teacher. What goes on a Note Card? Not all teachers require Note Cards to be done in the same way. Check with your teacher to make sure you are following the correct format for your class. Most teachers will require a slug, a note, and parenthetical documentation. Some will require source numbers, your name, or type of note you have taken. See the Parts of a Note Card diagram. What is a slug? A word or phrase written on the first line of a note card indicating a subtopic for the information used on the card. Use slugs to organize the Note Cards before you begin writing. The slug often corresponds with a subtopic in the outline. Why is it called a slug? The term means “heading” and comes from newspaper journalism where the identifying word or phrase on top of news copy is also called a “slug.” The word came from the slug of lead used by a linotype machine to set the type for the copy before newspapers became computerized. What is parenthetical documentation? A system for giving credit to authors and work for their words or ideas by writing the source and the page number in parentheses within the text of the research paper. What does a Note Card look like? See the Parts of a Note Card diagram.

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Parts of a Note Card
Source Number: Information on a Source Card written in the upper right-hand corner of the card and circled. Assign a different number to each source you find. You will use this number to refer to sources on Note Cards containing material from that source. This number will not appear in your paper.

Slug: A word or phrase written on the left side of a Note Card indicating a subtopic for the information used on the card. Use slugs to organize the Note Cards before you begin writing. The slug often corresponds with a subtopic in the outline.

Bumppo’s mission

3

Natty Bumppo’s mission was to hunt, to protect the wilderness, and to live among the earth and understand it (Lawrence 49).
Summary

Parenthetical Documentation: The information specified by MLA to indicate the source on the Works Cited page, usually but not always the author’s last name and page number.

Note Type: Indicates if the note is a direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary.

Note: A single idea from a source in the form of a direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary.
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Research Paper Survival Guide

Outlines
What are the different types of outlines? Scratch outline An ordered jot list, an informal way to organize your ideas in the pre-writing stage. Topic outline An ordered list of brief phrases or single words that are numbered or lettered to show the order and relative importance of your ideas. Note: Do not outline your introduction or conclusion, only your body paragraphs. Sentence outline An ordered list in which each topic and subtopic is expressed in a single, complete sentence. Documented sentence outline A sentence outline which incorporates parenthetical documentation for information in the outline which comes from Note Cards. It follows the same format for a sentence outline. What is the most important thing to remember about outlines? • If you have a I, you must have a II. • If you have an A, you must have a B. • If you have a 1, you must have a 2. • If you have an a, you must have a b. What do all these Roman numerals and letters mean? • Roman numerals (I, II, III, IV, V) refer to the highest level in your outline, usually the topic sentences. • Capital letters (A, B, C, D, E) refer to the next level in your outline, usually the supporting statements. • The sentences at these levels (Roman numerals and capital letters) are usually student-generated. - Sentences at Roman numeral level are almost always student-generated. - Sentences at capital letter level are a combination of student-generated and paraphrases from sources. • Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) and lower-case letters (a, b, c, d, e) are usually quotations and paraphrases from your notes and must be documented. - These levels are the concrete illustrations in your research paper.

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Outlines (continued)
What is the format for a topic outline? A topic outline is used as a plan for arranging your ideas in a way that groups similar ideas or themes together. A topic outline begins with the thesis statement followed by a series of numbers and letters that outline the important points of the paper. On an outline, the thesis statement is usually double spaced with a hanging indent, but the topic outline is singled spaced. Be sure to use the tab key or hanging indent for the outline indentions. Do not use the space bar to create indentions. The basic structure of a topic outline might look like this: Thesis: When you type your thesis statement, imagine that your sentence is contained in a box. Do not return to the left margin until you are ready for Roman numeral I. I. Main topic A. Important subtopic 1. Detail a. Sub-detail b. Sub-detail 2. Detail a. Sub-detail b. Sub-detail B. Important subtopic II. Main topic A. Important subtopic 1. Detail a. Sub-detail b. Sub-detail 2. Detail a. Sub-detail b. Sub-detail B. Important subtopic III. Main topic A. Important subtopic 1. Detail a. Sub-detail b. Sub-detail 2. Detail a. Sub-detail b. Sub-detail c. Sub-detail B. Important subtopic 1. Detail 2. Detail
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Research Paper Survival Guide

Outlines (continued)
What is the format for a sentence outline? The sentences should be statements rather than questions, all written in the same tense. Sentence outlines follow the same numbering format as topic outlines using Roman numerals and letters and indention. Unlike a topic outline which contains phrases which are not punctuated, the headings in a sentence outline must be punctuated following Standard English rules for capitalization and punctuation. Every sentence of your paper will not appear in a sentence outline. For example, transitional elements and explanations or elaborations may not be in the outline. Thesis: When you type your thesis statement, imagine that your sentence is contained in a box. Do not return to the left margin until you are ready for Roman numeral I. I. Roman numeral one is usually a student-generated topic sentence that introduces this section of your paper. A. Subtopic A can be a student-generated sentence or it can come from your Note Cards. 1. This sentence is a detail from your Note Cards, providing support for A. 2. This sentence is a detail from your Note Cards, providing support for A. B. Subtopic B can be a student-generated sentence or it can come from your Note Cards. 1. This sentence is a detail from your Note Cards, providing support for B. 2. This sentence is a detail from your Note Cards, providing support for B. II. Roman numeral two is usually a student-generated topic sentence that introduces the section of your paper. A. Subtopic A can be a student-generated sentence or it can come from your Note Cards. 1. This sentence is a detail from your Note Cards, providing support for A. 2. This sentence is a detail from your Note Cards, providing support for A. B. Subtopic B can be a student-generated sentence or it can come from your Note Cards. 1. This sentence is a detail from your Note Cards, providing support for B. 2. This sentence is a detail from your Note Cards, providing support for B. Do I outline my introduction and conclusion? Do not outline your introduction or conclusion. Outline only your body paragraphs.

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Outlines (continued)
What should I put on a documented sentence outline? DOCUMENTATION! You must use proper MLA formatting, in-text references and parenthetical citations to cite your sources within your outline. Failure to cite source information constitutes plagiarism even when you do not mean to cheat. You must complete an MLA Works Cited page to accompany your documented sentence outline. Your outline must be in complete sentences as with any sentence outline. You must also include the information from your Note Cards, including quotes and paraphrased information. If your Note Cards do not effectively support your thesis, you may need to return to your sources for more information. What is the format for a documented sentence outline? Use the format for the sentence outline. Thesis: When you type your thesis statement, imagine that your sentence is contained in a box. Do not return to the left margin until you are ready for Roman numeral I. I. Insert the topic sentence for your body paragraph and begin to build support for your thesis. A. This sentence can be student-generated or can come from your Note Cards. If it is from your Note Cards, copy that note here now. Remember to document if necessary (Author page#). 1. This sentence should deepen, elaborate, or clarify your topic sentence and will probably be from your Note Cards (Author page#). 2. This sentence should connect the previous sentence to the next sentence (Author page#). B. Cite the same or another source here, making a clear connection between this evidence and the last evidence given. This can be student-generated or can come from your Note Cards. If from your Note Cards, copy that note here now. Remember to document if necessary (Author page#). 1. This sentence should deepen, elaborate, or clarify your topic sentence and will probably be from your Note Cards (Author page#). 2. This sentence should connect the previous sentence to the next sentence (Author page#). II. Follow this same format for all subsequent body paragraphs. Remember that you do not have to follow this format exactly. You may have A, B, and C, for instance, under I, or A-1, 2, and 3. Your outline should fit your content. Doesn’t a documented outline look a lot like my finished paper? Absolutely. Students who invest time in creating a thoughtful, polished documented outline rarely have trouble finishing a final draft.

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Outlines (continued)
What are common outlining mistakes? • Faulty parallel structure Remember to use the same grammatical structure (parallel structure) on your topic outline. If the first item on the list is a noun, all the other items must be nouns. If the first item is an infinitive (to walk, to jump, to swim), all the other items must be infinities. If the first item is a gerund (. . .-ing) phrase, all the items must be gerund phrases. • Faulty coordination Items of equal significance must have comparable numeral or letter designations. An A is equal to a B, a 1 to a 2, an a to a b. • Faulty subordination The outline must be organized from general to specific, abstract to concrete. The more general or abstract a term is, the higher its level or rank on an outline.

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Paraphrases and Quotations
What is a paraphrase? A restatement of the author’s information in your own words and in your own style. A paraphrase is as long as or longer than the original text being paraphrased. What is a quotation? Any information copied directly from a source. When you type or write a quotation, you must enclose it in quotation marks. Are there different types of quotations? Yes. Direct Quotations: The exact replication of an author’s words; usually referred to as a “quotation.” Indirect Quotations: An indirect quotation occurs when the meaning but not the exact words of something someone spoke is referred to; this is often used when a writer does not remember the exact phrase but generally remembers a conversation’s gist. Quotation marks are not used with indirect quotations. Indirect quotations frequently begin with “that” or “if.” Example: He said that he believed the author intended the bird as a symbol of freedom. Partial Quotations: A word or a phrase from a speaker or a source rather than the full sentence; partial quotes must be enclosed in quotation marks and include documentation; often used when the full sentence may be too long or confusing but a few words are particularly worthy of including for support. Quotation within a Quotation: A quotation embedded inside a larger quotation; single quotation marks are used with the embedded quotation, double with the larger quotation. Quoted in (also known as an indirect source): Sometimes you will find an important author quoted in a critical source you are using, but you do not have access to the source of the original quote. You must use the format for an indirect source. Your parenthetical documentation must begin with the abbreviation "qtd. in."

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Paraphrases and Quotations (continued)
What is the difference between a quotation and a paraphrase? When you quote, you put a writer’s exact words in your paper. Each time you quote, you must acknowledge that you have done so by putting the writer’s words in quotation marks and by following the quotation with a citation. When you paraphrase, you rephrase a writer’s ideas in your own words and put them in your paper. A paraphrase should capture the meaning of what a writer said but shouldn’t use his/her language or sentence structure. As with quotations, paraphrases are followed by citations. Quotation Dr. Abigail Smith, professor of art history at Kenyon College, states, “Seeking rest from the demons that continually tormented him, Van Gogh left Arles in the spring of 1889 and entered the asylum at Saint-Rémy-de-Mausole” (29-30). Paraphrase with author’s name in the text of your paper Dr. Abigail Smith, professor of art history at Kenyon College, explains that after leaving Arles Vincent Van Gogh entered an asylum where he hoped his torment would be calmed (29-30). NOTE: The inclusion of the appositive—professor of art history at Kenyon College—in the two samples is an example of citing authority. The practice of citing authority indicates your awareness of the validity of the source of your information and allows the reader to judge the critical weight the information should be accorded. Paraphrase with no author’s name in the text of your paper When Vincent Van Gogh finally left Arles, he entered an asylum where he hoped his torment would be calmed (Smith 29-30). For more information, consult Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/563/01/ . How do I know whether to paraphrase or quote? Use a paraphrase as your basic note form unless you have a good reason to quote or summarize. Use a quotation • When an idea is especially well-stated • When a passage is memorable • When the exact quotation is important because of its literary or historical merit

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Paraphrases and Quotations (continued)
How do I punctuate quotations? Short quotations - Fewer than four lines • Use quotation marks • Double space as usual • Use parenthetical documentation Note that the period goes after the parenthetical documentation Example: with author’s name in the text According to Jay, “Colonel John M. Matheson, a commander at the time of the attacks, reported to the Senate Committee that when they were told to spray the herbicide, no one knew it was the Agent Orange” (30). Now it evident that four of the men loaded the chemical. Example: without author’s name in the text “Colonel John M. Matheson, a commander at the time of the attacks, reported to the Senate Committee that when they were told to spray the herbicide, no one knew it was the Agent Orange” (Jay 30). Now it evident that four of the men loaded the chemical. Long quotations - More than four full lines • Indent 10 spaces at the left margin, using a hanging indent • Use no quotation marks • Double space as usual • Use parenthetical documentation Note that the period goes before the parenthetical documentation Example: with author’s name in the text Peter J. Opie, author of The Classic Fairy Tales, recognizes the important contribution made by the Grimm Brothers. He writes: The Grimms were visionaries: the first substantial collectors to like folk tales for their own sake; the first to write the tales down in the way ordinary people told them. . . ; and the first to include the identity of the people who told the tale. The Grimms revived popular interest in the oral tradition at the same time that they instituted critical interest, beginning an interest in a previously unexamined literary past. (39)

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Paraphrases and Quotations (continued)
Example: without author’s name in the text The author of The Classic Fairy Tales recognizes the important contribution made by the Grimm Brothers. He writes: The Grimms were visionaries: the first substantial collectors to like folk tales for their own sake; the first to write the tales down in the way ordinary people told them . . . ; and the first to include the identity of the people who told the tale. The Grimms revived popular interest in the oral tradition at the same time that they instituted critical interest, beginning an interest in a previously unexamined literary past. (Opie 39)

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Parenthetical Documentation
What is parenthetical documentation? A system for giving credit to authors and work for their words or ideas by writing the source and the page number in parentheses within the text of the research paper. All items which receive parenthetical documentation in your research paper must have a corresponding citation on the Works Cited page. Do I have to use parenthetical documentation every time I use information from one of my sources? Yes, unless the information is general, factual information. An example of information that would not have to be documented is an author’s date and place of birth. Do I have to use parenthetical documentation when I use a quotation? Yes. Do I have to use parenthetical documentation when I use a paraphrase? Yes. Even if I put the idea into my own words? Yes, that is what a paraphrase is. You must still document the source of the idea, not just the words. Won’t I have a lot of parenthetical documentation? Yes. Research papers and documented essays have parenthetical documentation. If you do not document the sources you use, you are plagiarizing. Can I have too much parenthetical documentation? Yes. If your documented evidence outweighs your original argument, you are writing a list of facts and not a proper research paper. Where should parenthetical documentation be placed? Parenthetical documentation generally goes at the end of the sentence where the quotation or paraphrase appears. Example: More was vocal about the corruption and abuses within the Catholic Church, and he did not blindly support it or the church: “ [. . .] More was not a papalist as the film makes him. He believed that the popes erred [. . .]” (Marius 73).

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Parenthetical Documentation (continued)
Where should parenthetical documentation be placed? (continued) Sometimes it will be necessary to move the parenthetical documentation from the end to the interior of the sentence for clarity. To avoid interrupting the flow of your writing, place the parenthetical documentation where a pause would naturally occur, as close as possible to the quote or paraphrase documented. Example: According to a well-known anthropologist, we should define a culture not by its notable customs but by the ways it specifically works to govern how its members act (Geertz 44), a definition that can help us revise our usual understanding of a primitive culture's "ignorant" or "superstitious" religious beliefs, for example. What goes in the parenthetical documentation? According the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th Edition), “References in the text must clearly point to the specific source in the list of works cited. The information in your parenthetical references in the text must match the corresponding information in the entries in your list of works cited” (214-215). Your parenthetical documentation must direct the reader to the source listed on your Works Cited page. Generally the name of the author and the page number will identify the source where you borrowed the information you have documented. If you use the author’s name in your sentence, the page number alone goes in the parenthetical documentation. With author not mentioned in the text of your paper: Physical blindness may sometimes symbolize understanding or prescience as in the case of Tiresias (Foster 234). With author mentioned in the text of your paper: Thomas Foster theorizes physical blindness may sometimes symbolize understanding or prescience in the case of Tiresias (234). What if my source has more than one author? Two authors A Byronic hero often has a “chip on his shoulder that is symbolized by another character or object” with which he interacts (Ringe and Davis 345). Three authors A Byronic hero often has a “chip on his shoulder that is symbolized by another character or object” with which he interacts (Ringe, Campbell, and Davis 345). Four or more authors A Byronic hero often has a “chip on his shoulder that is symbolized by another character or object” with which he interacts (Ringe et al. 345). Note: et al. means “and others” in Latin. “Et” is not an abbreviation, but “al.” is and requires a period.
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Research Paper Survival Guide

Parenthetical Documentation (continued)
What if my citation on the Works Cited page does not have an author? For anonymous works alphabetized by title in your works cited, use the first word of the title in the parenthetical documentation. If it is a book title, underline it. If it is an article title, put it in quotation marks. Example: Water often symbolizes passage to another world (“Archetype” 22). For more help on alphabetizing entries, see Works Cited in Frequently Asked Questions. What if there is more than one citation on my Works Cited page by the same author? Use the author’s last name followed by the shortened title to distinguish the sources. The title must correspond with the title on your Works Cited page. Example: Charles Darnay’s identity as Evrémonde is eventually clear to Carton (Dickens, Tale 367). How do I punctuate parenthetical documentation? Generally, the parenthetical documentation goes between the quote or paraphrase and the end punctuation mark. Example: Learning to punctuate parenthetical documentation is a key ingredient to successful research papers (Altamira 56). Commas and periods that directly follow quotations go inside the closing quotation marks, but parenthetical documentation should intervene between the quotation mark and the end punctuation. If a quotation ends with a period, the period appears after the parenthetical documentation. Example: Altamira emphatically states, “The correct placement of the period is a critical component of the punctuation of parenthetical documentation” (56). How do I punctuate long quotations? See the information on long quotations in the Paraphrases and Quotations section of Frequently Asked Questions. What about the other exceptions? See Paraphrases and Quotations and Poetry Quotation.
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Research Paper Survival Guide

Poetry Quotation
Short quotations from poetry You can quote up to three lines of poetry by incorporating the quotation within your text. To indicate line breaks, use a slash with a space on each side ( / ): Example: T.S. Eliot uses a metaphor to compare the fog to a cat in “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” “For the yellow smoke that slides along the street, / Rubbing its back upon the window-panes” (25-25). Long quotations from poetry If you quote more than three lines, you need to set off the quotation using the same formats as with other set-off quotations, including a one-inch left indent. You also need to reproduce the poem's appearance as best you can, which means attention to line indentations. Example: The final lines of T.S. Eliot’s The Wasteland show the many influences on his writing: London Bridge is falling down falling down falling down Poi s'ascose nel foco che gli affina Quando fiam ceu chelidon—O swallow swallow Le Prince d'Aquitaine à la tour abolie These fragments I have shored against my ruins Why then Ile fit you. Hieronymo's mad againe. Datta. Dayadhvam. Damyata. Shantih shantih shantih (426-433) Quoting drama If you are quoting dialogue or more than three lines of a single speech, indent the quotation. Begin each speech with the character's name in all capitals, indented one inch and punctuated with a period. Subsequent lines of that speech are indented a further quarter-inch. For other details follow the usual formats for prose and poetry. The parenthetical documentation includes the act, scene, and line numbers. Note, like long quotations, the period goes before the parenthetical documentation. Example: In King Lear, Shakespeare has the sisters Goneril and Regan plotting against Cordelia and Lear. Goneril’s initial scheming can be heard in the following passage: GONERIL. …. Pray you, let’s hit together: if our father carry authority with such dispositions as he bears, this last surrender of his will but offend us. REGAN. We shall further think on ‘t. GONERIL. We must do something, and i’ the heat. (1.2.296-300)
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Research Paper Survival Guide

Poetry Quotation (continued)
Quotation within a Quotation Enclose the quotation within the quotation in single quotation marks. Example: Dr. Harold Bloom, Sterling Professor Emeritus of Humanities at Yale University, says in his introduction to Julius Caesar: Major Literary Character: “Entering as the Ghost of Caesar, Shakespeare would have had the pleasure of identifying himself as: ‘Thy evil spirit, Brutus.’ It is a lovely touch, whoever first played it, and it hints at the true relation between Caesar and Brutus, father and son, king and regicide” (3). Indirect Source Sometimes you will find an important author quoted in a critical source you are using, but you do not have access to the source of the original quote. You must use the format for an indirect source. In this example, the student writer is quoting Jung but found the quote in a source by Walker. Since Walker’s name is in the parenthetical documentation, the reader would expect to find Walker, not Jung, listed on the Works Cited page. Example: Jung uses the phrase “urtümliches Bild,” or “primordial image,” a term borrowed from 19th century cultural historian Jacob Burckhardt, to describe his concept of the archetype (qtd. in Walker 3).

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Research Papers
How much does research assignment count? For 6th, 7th, and 8th grade, teachers determine how many points the annotated bibliography counts. In 9th grade, the research counts 10% of your final grade each semester. In 10th grade, research counts 15% of your grade each semester. In 11th and 12th grades, research counts 20% of your grade each semester. How long does it have to be? See the requirements for your grade level. Can I use a paper I wrote in another grade or another class? No. This is a form of academic dishonesty. There may be occasions when you will be assigned to do one research assignment that counts for two classes such as research for a science project that may count for an English class or a paper for both American literature and U.S. history. Be sure you are clear about your teacher’s expectations for the assignment. How many paragraphs does a research paper have? There is no set number of paragraphs for a research paper. In high school, most research papers will be five or more paragraphs with clear introduction and conclusion paragraphs and at least three body paragraphs. Check with your teacher for exact requirements.

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Research Process
What are the steps in the research process? The Big6™ Skills are: 1 Task Definition 1.1 Define the information problem 1.2 Identify the information you need 2 Information Seeking Strategies 2.1 Determine possible sources 2.2 Select the best sources 3 Location and Access 3.1 Locate the sources 3.2 Find the information within sources 4 Use of Information 4.1 Engage 4.2 Extract relevant information 5 Synthesis 5.1 Organize information from multiple sources 5.2 Present the information 6 Evaluation 6.1 Judge the product 6.2 Judge the process Source: http://www.big6.com/kids/7-12.htm For more information on The Big6™ Skills, see the handouts for high school and middle school. Where do I start? After you have identified your topic, begin searching in the media center. Your media specialist will be able to help you get started if you have never conducted research in the media center before. Public and university libraries have specialized librarians called research librarians who may be able to help you. How can I tell if a web resource is reliable? Good question. Evaluating the information you find on the Internet is important. Not all information published on the Internet should be used in research papers. You can use this handout to evaluate sources you find on the Internet, or your teacher may have another handout or set of guidelines to use. Students are not allowed to cite useredited resources (i.e. Wikipedia.org) according to FCBOE policy. How can I keep track of everything I find? I keep going back to the same sources over and over. Try using a research log. (See sample on next page)

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Research Log
Today’s Date_______________ Research Location________________________________________________________

Source #_____
Author(s) Title of article, book, or webpage

Call Number ____________________
Publication name Publisher and publication location

Database name

Page numbers

Volume, edition, or issue number

Copyright or date issued/created

Website title

URL

Search terms used

Biographical information on author to use later for citation of author’s authority

Other information that might help you document the source later

Medium of publication

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Research Projects
What is the difference between a research paper and a research project? A research paper is a formal documented essay with Note Cards, source cards, outlines, and a works cited page. A research project involves the same research process but the product may be an alternative to a paper: a PowerPoint presentation, a poster, a brochure, an oral presentation, a set of trading cards, or many others. Do I have to document sources for a research project? Yes. Anytime you use someone else’s ideas you must document the source of those ideas. Most research projects will include a Works Cited page or some other format for the citations that you used such as include a slide at the end of a PowerPoint or including the sources on the back page of a brochure. Is it possible to plagiarize on a research project? Yes. If you do not document the sources you used, it is plagiarism whether you are writing a research paper or creating a project. Do I have to use Source Cards or Note Cards? Check with your teacher. Requirements vary depending on the project and the teacher. If I use illustrations or photographs from the Internet, do I have to document the sources? Absolutely. This is just like borrowing someone’s idea. Unless you have taken the photographs or created an original illustration, you must document the source of your artwork. See the handout on Documenting Sources Using MLA Format.

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Source Cards
Is a Source Card the same as a Note Card? No. A Source Card contains bibliographic information about your sources. A Note Card contains the direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary of one main idea from a book, article, or other document you are using for your research paper. You should always create a Source Card first, and then create your Note Cards. Sometimes teachers have students use 4”x 6” index cards for Note Cards to distinguish them from the 3” x 5” Source Cards. Source Cards are sometimes called Bibliography Cards or Bib Cards for short. What goes on a Source Card? Not all teachers require Source Cards to be done in the same way. Most teachers will require a source number, the bibliographic entry in correct MLA format with a hanging indent, and a source location (where you originally found the source and the call number). See the Parts of a Source Card diagram. What is Bibliographic Information? It is the information about the book, article, or other source written in MLA style. Generally, the author (last name, first name), the title of the work, the place the work appeared, the place the work was published, the publisher, the date. Consult the MLA handbook or this guide for specific formats. What is a Source Number? Information on a Source Card written in the upper right-hand corner of the card and circled. Assign a different number to each source you find. You will use this number to refer to sources on Note Cards containing material from that source. This number will not appear in your paper. What is a Call Number? A call number is the group of numbers or letters and numbers which help you locate a book on the shelf of the library. You may hear some teachers refer to it as the Card Catalog Number. What does a Source Card look like? See the Parts of a Source Card diagram.

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Parts of a Source Card

Bibliographic Information: The information about the book, article, or other source in MLA style. Generally, the author (last name, first name), the title of the work, the place the work appeared, the place the work was published, the publisher, the date. Consult the MLA handbook or this guide for specific formats.

Source Number: Information on a Source Card written in the upper right-hand corner of the card and circled. Assign a different number to each source you find. You will use this number to refer to sources on Note Cards containing material from that source. This number will not appear in your paper.

Lawrence, D.H. “Fenimore Cooper’s Leatherstocking Novels.” James Fenimore Ed. Wayne Fields. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall Inc, 1979. Print.

3

Cooper: a Collection of Critical Essays.

MHS Media Center PS1438 .R5

Source Location: Information on a Source Card that tells where you found the source, for example: the Fayette County H.S. Media Center, the Peachtree City library, Google search engine keyword: archetype. The source location may also include a call number if appropriate.
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Call Number: A call number is the group of numbers or letters and numbers that help you locate a book on the shelf of the library.

Research Paper Survival Guide

Works Cited Page
What is a Works Cited page? A page at the end of the paper alphabetically listing all sources used in the paper— without this page you are plagiarizing. What should I put on my Works Cited page? A Works Cited page contains an alphabetical listing of all the bibliographic entries for the sources you have actually mentioned (cited) in your research paper or project. Do not include works that you consulted but did not use in the body of your research paper. If you are asked to include these works, the page is called a Works Consulted page. What is the difference between a bibliography and a Works Cited page? Although the terms are often used interchangeably, they mean different things. A bibliography is a complete list of all the works that relate to a topic and includes works that are not cited in a research paper. A Works Cited page is limited to the sources a writer has actually mentioned in the research paper. Should I boldface, underline, or put quotation marks around the words “Works Cited”? No. Use the same guidelines for a paper title. Both words are capitalized and centered. How do I format the Works Cited page? Use one-inch margins, double space the entire document, and use the hanging indent for each entry. Do not insert extra spaces between entries. The Works Cited page does not require a separate heading (i.e. your name in MLA format); however, it does require a header with continuous pagination (i.e. your last name and page number). How do I order the entries? Alphabetize by the first word in the entry in proper MLA format. The first word is usually the author’s last name; however, it can be the last name of an editor or the first word of a title. Exclude the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” when alphabetizing works. Do not number, bullet, itemize, or classify entries. What if I have more than one entry by the same author? To cite two or more books by the same author, give the name in the first entry only. Thereafter, in place of the name, type three hyphens, followed by a period. Alphabetize the entries with the same authors by the title of the publication excluding articles. Example: Anderson, Thomas. Introduction. The Grapes of Wrath. By John Steinbeck. 1939. New York: Scribner’s, 1997. ---.“Tom Joad as a Quest Hero in Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath.” Journal of American Literature 22.3 (Fall 2001): 65-73

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Works Cited Page (continued)
How do I list page numbers? List page numbers of sources efficiently, when needed. If you refer to a journal article that appeared on pages 167 through 185, list the page numbers on your Works Cited page as 167-85. What is the correct format for a citation? The correct MLA format citation depends of the type of work you are using. Refer to the handout Documenting Sources Using MLA Format for more information. How do I format a really long URL on my works cited page? If the URL is from a searchable page and contains a long list of random characters, you may cut the URL at the first slash. For instance: Biography Resource Center http://www.galenet.com/servlet/BioRC?vrsn=149&OP=contains&locID= peac17207&srchtp=name&ca=1&c=3&AI=U13009891&NA=beethoven& ste=16&tbst=prp&tab=8&n=10&docNum=A141913823&bConts=5URL Instead of this long URL, you could just use: http://www.galenet.com My computer automatically turns the URL into a hyperlink. How do I get rid of it? Right click on the link and select Remove Hyperlink if you are using Microsoft Word. If you are using a Mac, type Command-Z. How do I punctuate a title within a title? In a citation if you have a book title that contains the title of a book within the title, italicize the title of the source book but remove the italics from the title within the title. Example: This citation is for a book about Their Eyes Were Watching God. Janie’s Odyssey: Their Eyes Were Watching God as Quest Literature Example: If the work is a short work that would normally appear in quotation marks, keep the quotations marks and add the italics. “To Build a Fire” and Jack London’s Other Stories For more help on title punctuation

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Works Cited Page (continued)
MLA Works Cited 1 inch
Works Cited Adams, Mason. J.D. Salinger: Recluse. New York: Penguin, 2005. Print. Alan Lomax, compiler. Southern Journey, Vol. 1: Voices From The American South – Blues,

1/2 inch
Lastname 5

1 inch

Hanging indent

Ballads, Hymns, Reels, Shouts, Chanteys and Work Songs. Rounder Series, 1997. CD. Carter, Bridget, Amy Madigan, and Thomas Lipton. Tricksters in Native Navajo Legends. Albuquerque: U of New Mexico P, 2007. Print. Jenrette, Ed. Home page. N.P. 20 Dec. 2005. Web. 1 Jan. 2007 . “John Keats.” Encyclopedia of World Biography. Ed. Paula K. Byers. Second Edition. Vol. 8. Detroit: Gale, 1998. 470-1. Print. Titanic. Dir. James Cameron. Perf. Leonardo Di Caprio, Kate Winslett, and Billy Zane. Paramount-Twentieth Century Fox, 1997. DVD. Updike, John. “A & P.” Pigeon Feathers and Other Stories. New York: Knopf, 1962. Rpt. in Fiction 100. Ed. James F. Pickering. 4th ed. New York: Macmillan, 1992. 1086-89. Print. Walker, Alice. The Color Purple. New York: Washington Square-Simon, Schuster, 1982. Print. —. “Everyday Use.” 1973. The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women. Eds. Sandra M. Gilbert and Susan Gubar. New York: Norton, 1985. 2366-74. Print. —. “In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens.” 1974. The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women. Eds. Susan M. Gilbert and Susan Gubar. New York: Norton, 1985. 2374-2382. Print.

1 inch

“World Briefing Europe: Britain: coroner in Diana inquiry steps down. (Foreign Desk)." The New York Times. 25 April 2007: A14. Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. Web. 27 June 2007.

1 inch

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Research Glossary
Annotated Bibliography An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to research materials, including books, articles, or other documents. Each citation is followed by a brief descriptive paragraph and sometimes an evaluative paragraph, the annotation. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the content, usefulness, and quality of the sources used in the research. Annotation A descriptive and/or evaluative comment about a source Descriptive: briefly summarizes what the source is about Evaluative: briefly explains the quality, relevance, and usefulness of the source Attribution Giving information credit to a source; see citing authority Audience The person or people you intend to read the paper Questions to ask about your audience: What does the audience already know about my topic? What do I need to define so the audience will understand my terms? What do I need to explain in more detail to give the audience a clearer picture of my main ideas? Can I assume my audience is familiar with the literary work or works about which I am writing? Brainstorming Prewriting technique used to generate ideas Call Number The group of numbers or letters and numbers that help you locate a book on the shelf of the library

Shakespeare’s Tragic Heroes
833.9 Sh

Call Number

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Research Glossary (continued)
Cause and Effect An organizational pattern used in writing; establishing a relationship between two or more things where there is a motive and a consequence Cause and Effect Topic: Influences on a feminist writer Economic forces Political forces Psychological forces Domestic forces Cultural forces Chronological Order An organizational pattern used in writing; traces an idea in time order from first to last, earliest to latest, or sometimes, for effect, from latest to earliest; sometimes called “time order” Time Order Topic: Writing an essay I. Choose a topic II. Brainstorm ideas III. Write a final draft IV. Revise a final draft Citation Often referred to as “in-text” citations or parenthetical documentation; a note used after quotations and paraphrases that gives the author and page number of the source Document. Do not confuse this word with “site.” Citing Authority Incorporating information about the credentials of the authors you cited in your papers, usually through an appositive phrase following the first reference to the author in the text of your essay Example: Dr. Harold Bloom, Sterling Professor Emeritus of the Humanities at Yale University, says . . . Cliché A word or expression used so often that it has lost its freshness and meaning. Avoid them like the plague! A good list of clichés to avoid (including that last sentence) is found at http://suspense.net/whitefish/cliche.htm

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Research Glossary (continued)
Coherence Words or phrases (transitions) that make your ideas in the paper relate logically to each other Common knowledge Any information that can easily be accessed from a number of sources, such as an author’s birth date Comparing and contrasting An organizational pattern used in writing to compare two or more things; explains likenesses and differences; comparisons can be written two patterns of organization (block or point-by-point) Comparison/Contrast (Block) Topic: I. Literary Work #1 A. Point #1 B. Point #2 C. Point #3 II. Literary Work #2 A. Point #1 B. Point #2 C. Point #3 Comparison/Contrast (Point-by-Point) Topic: I. Point #1 A. Literary Work #1 B. Literary Work #2 II. Point #2 A. Literary Work #1 B. Literary Work #2 III. Point #3 A. Literary Work #1 B. Literary Work #2

Conclusion The conclusion of a research paper is the last paragraph or paragraphs. The concluding paragraph is essential to the research paper; otherwise, the paper is incomplete. Do not merely reach the required length of the paper and stop writing. The paper must be taken to completion with a conclusion that reflects the thesis statement. A successful conclusion should: Wrap up the ideas you have developed Follow logically from the rest of your composition Leave the reader with something to think about A conclusion should not Introduce new fact, opinions, or arguments Change the point of view by introducing the pronoun “I” Simply repeat the introduction Repeat the thesis verbatim Techniques for concluding a research paper Review and summarize the main points presented in the body
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Research Paper Survival Guide

Research Glossary (continued)
Conclusion (continued) Restate the central idea (thesis) in a new way, reflecting the deeper understanding you have developed in the paper Make a generalization about the information you have presented, relating the topic to a larger context Make a prediction based on your understanding of the topic End with a quotation from someone discussed in the paper End with a question that leaves the reader something to think about Database A collection of logically stored information that can be accessed by computer Diction Choice of words and the level of formality of writing based on the kinds of words used Direct Quotation The exact replication of an author’s words; usually what is meant by quotation; see also indirect quotation Documentation Proper credit given to another author for words or ideas. Documentation must match in text and works cited. Documented Sentence Outline A sentence outline which incorporates parenthetical documentation for information in the outline which comes from Note Cards. It follows the same format for a sentence outline. Double-Space Double-space means to skip every other line. Do not hit return or enter at the end of the lines. This will cause the first word of the next line to be automatically capitalized on most word processing programs. Instead, format the paragraph line spacing to “double” for automatic double-spacing. This glossary entry is double-spaced. Editing Reading carefully and changing mechanical errors in your paper Editing is different from revising. Revising is making changes to improve the paper by rearranging ideas, omitting or adding information, refining the thesis and word choice. Editing is making corrections in the grammar, usage, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and typing errors in your paper. Editing is done throughout the writing process, but the final editing and proofreading process is done just before printing the final draft for submission.
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Research Paper Survival Guide

Research Glossary (continued)
Ellipsis ... Three spaced periods indicating that words from a direct quotation have been omitted. You are guilty of academic dishonesty if you use an ellipsis to change the intended meaning of a quotation. To distinguish between your ellipses and the spaced periods that sometimes appear in works, place square brackets around the ellipsis points that you add. Leave a space before the second and third periods but no space before the first or after the third. Example: of how the meaning can be changed by using ellipsis The Bible even says, “[. . .] There is no God” (Ps.14:1). The complete quote reads: “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Ps. 14:1). The first writer truncated the quote to suit his argument but ended up changing the actual meaning of the quote by removing the context. To use ellipsis at the end of a quotation, enclose the three dots in brackets, close the quotation with quotations marks, then add appropriate parenthetical documentation followed by a period. Example: In surveying various responses to plagues in the Middle Ages, Barbara Tuchman writes, “Medical thinking, trapped in the theory of astral influences, stressed air as the communicator of disease [. . .]” (101-102). Evidence Facts, examples, statistics, and expert testimony that are used to support claims Final draft The final written product turned in for a grade First draft Often called the rough draft; the first prose (not outline) format of the paper; used to discover the writer’s ideas and direction Format How the written product looks; includes headings, subheadings, type fonts, text, graphics style, page layout, and white space; often referred to as manuscript form Heading Caps The words in a title which must be capitalized in MLA format: the first word, the last word, and all principal words. Do not capitalize: articles, prepositions, conjunctions, or the infinitive “to”
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Research Paper Survival Guide

Research Glossary (continued)
Imprint Publishers sometimes group their books under "imprints." The publisher Simon and Schuster, Inc., for example, publishes under imprints such as Washington Square Books, Touchstone, Fireside, Free Press, and Pocket Books. If there is an imprint on the title page of your material along with the publisher's name, use the name of the imprint followed by a hyphen (no spaces) and the name of the publisher. Example: The Free Press-Simon and Schuster. Indirect Quotation An indirect quotation is when the meaning but not the exact words of something someone spoke is referred to; often used when a writer does not remember the exact phrase but generally remembers a conversation’s gist. Quotation marks are not used with indirect quotations. Indirect quotations frequently begin with “that” or “if.” Example: He said that he believed the author intended the bird as a symbol of freedom. Indirect Sources Sometimes you will find an important author quoted in a critical source you are using, but you do not have access to the source of the original quote. You must use the format for an indirect source. Also see “qtd. in.” Integrated Quote To integrate a quotation properly within a paragraph, a good writer usually writes one sentence to introduce the quotation, a second sentence that includes the quotation, and a third sentence to comment on the significance of the quotation. Introduction The structured paragraph or group of paragraphs used to begin a research paper; presents the background, purpose, and focus of the paper and summarizes the writer’s position in a thesis statement; often organized in a funnel shape with the most general ideas at the beginning and the most specific (the thesis) at the end Manuscript Form The way a finished paper appears on a page—margins, type size, font, pagination, spacing, types of ink and paper. MLA manuscript form is very specific about the appearance of research papers and Works Cited pages. Mechanics The elements of writing corrected in the editing/proofreading stage: some grammar errors, usage, punctuation, capitalization, spelling
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Research Paper Survival Guide

Research Glossary (continued)
Medium of Publication The physical form of the information you are citing MLA format now requires researchers to provide the medium of publication in all citations. Examples include: print, web, film, television, DVD, videocassette, CD, audiocassette, LP, audiotape Modern Language Association (MLA) The professional organization that publishes the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers This handbook is the standard reference for documentation and writing format for research papers in languages, literature, and the humanities. Note Card Contains the direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary of one main idea from a book, article, or other document you are using for your research paper With teacher permission in the upper grades, you may be allowed to photocopy pages from books rather than be required to keep Note Cards. If allowed to photocopy, highlight the information you will be using. Be sure to write the pertinent bibliographic information on the photocopied page. Order of Importance An organizational pattern used for writing; the ideas are organized from least important to most important or most important to least important. Some writers prefer to organize persuasive essays by starting with the most important reason and ending with the second most important. This structure buries the least important reason in the middle and leaves the reader with a strong reason. Order of Importance Topic: Reasons for choosing a career in the computer field I. Job availability (most important) II. Aptitude (second most important) III. Personal interest (least important) Order of Importance (alternative) Topic: Reasons for choosing a career in the computer field I. Job availability (most important) II. Personal interest (least important) III. Aptitude (second most important) Organization The way ideas are tied together to provide a logical order to a paper

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Research Glossary (continued)
Outline A type of format for showing the relationships of major and minor ideas; an informal or formal way to organize your ideas in the planning stages of writing; outline formats include topic, sentence, and documented sentence Pagination Any system of numbering pages In MLA style, the pagination follows this format:

In the header, type your last name and insert # on the header format box. Make sure that you right justify. This process should paginate all of your pages. All pages including “Works Cited” follow this format and are numbered consecutively. Paragraph A unit of writing that generally has a stated topic sentence and develops one idea in support of the thesis Paraphrase A restatement of the author’s information in your own words and in your own style. A paraphrase is as long as or longer than the original text being paraphrased. Use a paraphrase as your basic note form unless you have a good reason to quote or summarize. All paraphrases, just like quotations, must be documented. Parenthetical Documentation A system for giving credit to authors and work for their words or ideas by writing the source and the page number in parentheses within the text of the research paper All items that receive parenthetical documentation in your research paper must have a corresponding citation on the Works Cited page. Partial Quotations A word or a phrase from a speaker or a source rather than the full sentence; partial quotes must be enclosed in quotation marks and include documentation; often used when the full sentence may be too long or confusing but a few words are particularly worthy of including for support.

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Research Glossary (continued)
Peer reviewers Classmates and others who may read your writing and make suggestions for improvement Place Holders Abbreviations in a bibliographic entry when essential information is not available. For example, write n.d. for no date, n.p. for no place of publication or no publisher and n. pag. for no pagination. Be sure to use a good faith effort to find this information. Don’t use these abbreviations because you just did not record the accurate information on note or source cards. Plagiarism Using another author’s words or ideas as if they were your own. Plagiarism is academically dishonest. It has dire disciplinary consequences in high school and college, and in many cases, it is against the law. Primary Source The literary work or works which inspire your thesis. In English classes, the primary source means the text about which you are writing. Proofreading Reviewing your final draft of a paper for accuracy; checking your latest version of a paper against the version with changes marked to ensure that you have made all corrections Quotation Any information copied directly from a source. When you type a quotation, you must enclose it in quotation marks. Use a quotation: • When an idea is especially well-stated • When a passage is memorable • When the exact quotation is important because of its literary or historical merit Quotation within a Quotation A quotation embedded inside a larger quotation; single quotation marks are used with the embedded quotation, double with the larger quotation

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Research Glossary (continued)
Qtd. in The abbreviation used in parenthetical documentation to indicate the source of the quote in the previous sentence is indirect Example: Jung uses the phrase “urtümliches Bild,” or “primordial image,” a term borrowed from 19th century cultural historian Jacob Burckhardt, to describe his concept of the archetype (qtd. in Walker 3). Research The process of finding, evaluating, and using information on a given subject; the body of information about a given subject; writers may quote from, summarize, or paraphrase information they have found through their own research in primary and secondary sources Research Question A question you will seek answers to as you conduct your research Example: What elements of archetypal duality are represented by Cain and Abel? Revision The making of changes in order to improve the paper by rearranging ideas, omitting or adding information, refining thesis and word choice. Revising is different from editing. Revising is making changes in order to improve the paper by rearranging ideas, omitting or adding information, refining the thesis and word choice. Editing is making corrections in the grammar, usage, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and typing mistakes in your paper. Revision is done in the middle stages of drafting between the first draft and the final draft. Avoid worrying too much about editing and proofreading during this stage because you are still changing content, organization, and sentences. Save editing and proofreading until later. Scholarly Journal Journal used by scholars and recognized for its accuracy of information and depth of thought. Scholarly journals are considered the preferred source for literary research and analysis. Scholarly journals are often available electronically on GaleNet and Galileo. Secondary Sources Writings and discussions about the primary sources, such as works of literary criticism found in books and journals Sentence Outline An outline in which each heading is expressed as a complete single sentence

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Research Glossary (continued) sic [sic] is used to indicate the writer is aware of an error in the quoted source. The word immediately follows the indicated error and appears in brackets. Example: Smith concludes, “Huck’s traetment [sic] of Jim ruins Twain’s intended effect” (76). Site A site is a location on the Internet. Do not confuse this word with “cite.” Slug A word or phrase written on the left side of a note card indicating a subtopic for the information used on the card. Use slugs to organize the Note Cards before you begin writing. The slug often corresponds with a subtopic in the outline. Spatial Order An organizational pattern in writing used to describe information in a logical sequence based on location (for example, top to bottom, east to west) Topic: Describing spring in the South I. Coastal areas II. Midland areas III. Mountain areas Source The material you used to find the quote or paraphrase; may be primary or secondary; must be documented Source Card The publication information on your source written on an index card. Sometimes this is called a bibliography card. A Source Card contains: • The bibliographic information • A source location • A source number • A call number, if appropriate. Source Location Information on a Source Card which tells where you found the source, for example: the Fayette County H.S. Media Center, the Peachtree City Library, Google search engine keyword: archetype. The source location may also include a call number if appropriate.

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Research Glossary (continued)
Source Number Information on a Source Card written in the upper right-hand corner of the card and circled. Assign a different number to each source you find. You will use this number to refer to sources on Note Cards containing material from that source. This number will not appear in your paper. Summary A brief restatement of an idea expressed in a source; a summary says the same thing in fewer and different words. Use a summary when a passage is too long to be effectively quoted or paraphrased. Both summaries and paraphrases are written in your own words, but a paraphrase is about the same length as the original while a summary is a much shorter condensed version of the original. Thesis The controlling idea supported throughout the paper. A thesis has a premise and a conclusion. A thesis is not a statement of fact. Rather, it is a position supported by argument and evidence. Topic Outline An outline of brief phrases or single words that are numbered or lettered to show the order and relative importance of your ideas. Transitions Words or phrases that help bridge gaps from one idea or section of the paper to the next. Good writers embed transitions into their sentences and paragraphs to link one idea to the next seamlessly. Transitions hook sentences, phrases, words, and ideas together. Avoid “watch this” statements that call attention to your organizational structure. Beginning writers often number their paragraphs or ideas (First(ly). . ., Second(ly) . . , Third(ly) . . ). However, this calls attention to your organizational structure without showing your reader any logical link between the ideas. Avoid this type of transition. Also avoid: In this paper (paragraph) I will . . . , in this paper (paragraph) the reader will learn . . . , In conclusion . . . Unity Arrangement of ideas and support within a paragraph and within an entire essay so that each contributes to the defense of the thesis Working Thesis The draft thesis a writer uses to begin writing the assignment; often develops from the research question; this thesis changes as the writer revises the draft to make it final.

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Research Glossary (continued)
Works Cited A page at the end of the paper alphabetically listing all sources used in the paper— without this page you are plagiarizing. Works Consulted This is a list of all sources you looked at during your research including those you did not use in your paper; also known as a bibliography. Papers in English classes required Works Cited. Consult teachers in other subject areas to see if they prefer Works Cited or Works Consulted.

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Online Resources
MLA Formatting and Style URL: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/ Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab is a reliable source of information about MLA style citations and documentation. Research and Documentation Online URL: http://www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/home.html This website from Bedford-St. Martin’s Press contains guides to research in the humanities, social sciences, history, and sciences and sample papers which show how to cite sources and format your work. The site also contains a glossary of research terms, list of style manuals, and tips for evaluating sources. Saying It Like It (Exactly) Is URL: http://web.ku.edu/~edit/quotes.html Designed for journalists, this website provides guidelines for how and when to use quotations effectively in writing.

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Works Cited
Carter, Quent. MLA Citation Format. Solano College Library. 4 May 2006. Web. 26 June 2007. Eisenberg, Michael B. and Robert E. Berkowitz. The Big6. 1987. Web. 24 June 2007. Handel, Randolph. MLA Style for Online Resources. n.d. Web. 27 June 2007. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 7th ed. New York: Modern Language Association of America, 2009. Print. Shepherd, Robert D. Writing Research Papers. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell, 2001. Print. Wales, Jimmy. "10 Questions." Time 2 Apr. 2007: 6. Print.

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Documenting Sources Using MLA Format (Check site or MLA for most current pattern)
Type of Source Article or work in an Anthology (does not include a multi-volume work or works in a series) Pattern Author of entry’s Last name, First name. “Title of Entry.” Title of Anthology. Ed. Editor’s First name and Last name. # of ed. Place of publication: Publisher, year. Page numbers #-#. Medium of publication. How it Appears in Works Cited Updike, John. “A & P.” Fiction 100. Ed. James F. th Pickering. 4 ed. New York: Macmillan, 1992.

How It Appears in Parenthetical Documentation (Updike 1087)

1086-89. Print.

Article or work in an Anthology with the original publication information

Author of entry’s Last name, First name. “Title of Entry.” Title of Original Publication. Place of publication: Publisher, year. Rpt. in Title of Anthology. Ed. First name and Last name. # of ed. Place of publication: Publisher, year. Page numbers #-#. Medium of publication.

Updike, John. “A & P.” Pigeon Feathers and Other Stories. New York: Knopf, 1962. Rpt. in Fiction th 100. Ed. James F. Pickering. 4 ed. New York:

(Updike 1087)

Macmillan, 1992. 1086-89. Print.

Artwork (reproduction)

Artist’s Last name, First name. Title of artwork. Name of Museum or Gallery. City, State. Title of Publication where the artwork is reproduced. By Author’s First name Last name. Publication City: Publisher, Date. Medium of publication.

Degas, Edgar. Four Dancers. National Gallery of Art. Impressionists Side by Side; Their Friendships, Rivalries, and Artistic Exchanges. By Barbara Ehrlich White. New York: Knopf. 1996. 192. Print.

List the artist and the name of the artwork in the text of your paper so that no parenthetical documentation is required.

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Type of Source Artwork (original)

Pattern Artist’s Last name, First name. Title of artwork. Name of Museum or Gallery. City, State. Medium of publication.

How it Appears in Works Cited Bellows, George. Anne in a Blue Chair. High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA. Print.

How It Appears in Parenthetical Documentation List the artist and the name of the artwork in the text of your paper so that no parenthetical documentation is required.

Artwork (photo, painting, graphic) from the Web

Artist’s last name, first name. Title of Art Work. Year created. Name of owner (usually a museum), City. Title of Complete Site. Medium of publication. Accessed date month year.

Hopper, Edward. Nighthawks. 1942. Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago. Edward Hopper Home Page. Web. 2 July 2007.

(Hopper)

Book: Single Author

Author’s last name, First name. Title. Place of publication: Publisher, year. Medium of publication.

Adams, Mason. J.D. Salinger: Recluse. New York: Penguin, 2005. Print.

(Adams 56)

Book: Two Authors

First author’s last name, First name, and Second author’s first name [space] Last name. Title. Place of publication: Publisher, year. Medium of publication.

McGonegal, Arnold, and Charlotte Weathers. Wild Women Archetypes. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1995. Print.

(McGonegal and Weathers 75)

Book: Three Author.

First author’s last name, First name, Second author’s first name [space] Last name, and Third author’s first name [space] Last name. Title. Place of publication: Publisher, year. Medium of publication.

Carter, Bridget, Amy Madigan, and Thomas Lipton. Tricksters in Native Navajo Legends. Albuquerque: U of New Mexico P, 2007. Print.

(Carter, Madigan, and Lipton 234)

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Type of Source Book: No Author

Pattern Title. Edition (if given). Place: Publisher, Date. Medium of publication.

How it Appears in Works Cited Chicago Manual of Style. 15th ed. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 2006. Print.

How It Appears in Parenthetical Documentation (Chicago 207)

Book with more than three authors

Author’s last name, First name, et al. Title. Place of publication: Publisher, year. Medium of publication.

Bailey, Bethany, et al. The Dawning of Democracy: th American Literature in the Early 18 Century.

(Bailey et al. 756)

Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1995. Print. Ormani, Fabio. Il Penserosa. Trans. Robert Pinsky. Boston: Boston UP, 2007. Print. (Ormani 1840)

Book with editor, translator, or compiler, and an author

Author’s last name, First name. Title. Ed. (Trans., Comp.) Editor’s/ translator’s/compiler’s first and fast name. Place of publication: Publisher, Year. Medium of publication.

Book with editor, translator, or compiler, and no author

Editor’s/translator’s/compiler’s Last name, First name, ed. Title. Place of publication: Publisher, Year. Medium of publication.

Sutherland, James, ed. The Oxford Book of Literary Anecdotes. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1987. Print.

(Sutherland 85)

Book with Group Author

Group Name. Title. Edition (if given). Place: Publisher, Date. Medium of publication.

American Psychological Association. Publication Manual of the American Psychological th (American Psychological Association 276)

Association. 5 ed. Washington: APA, 2006. Print.

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Type of Source Book Review

Pattern Author of review’s Last name, First name. “Title of Review.” Rev. of Title of book being reviewed, ed. (by) Book’s editor’s or author’s first and last name. Title of Magazine or Journal Day Month Year: pages #-#. Medium of publication.

How it Appears in Works Cited Amundsen, Liv. “New Ideas.” Rev. of In the Light of Day, ed. Judith Smithson. New Yorker 23-30 Dec. 1996: 142-49. Print.

How It Appears in Parenthetical Documentation (Amundsen 147)

Book Review, in a journal

Author’s last name, First name. Rev. of Title of Book, by Author’s first name and last name. Title of Magazine or Journal Vol # (Year): page #-#. Medium of publication.

Clignet, Remi. Rev. of Urban Poverty in a CrossCultural Context, by. Edwin Eames and Judith Granich Goode. American Journal of Sociology 80 (1974): 589-90. Print.

(Clignet 589)

Encyclopedia. No author.

“Title of article.” Encyclopedia. Year ed. Medium of publication.

“Madagascar.” Encyclopedia Britannica. 2000 ed. Print. Dickinson, Robert. E. “Norman Conquest.” The World Book Encyclopedia. 1976 ed. Print.

(“Madagascar”)

Encyclopedias and Biographical Dictionaries (no page numbers required)

Author of entry’s Last name, First name. “Title of Entry.” Encyclopedia. Year ed. Medium of publication.

(Dickinson)

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Type of Source Film

Pattern Title of Film. Dir. First Name Last Name. Perf. First Name Last Name, First Name Last Name, and First Name Last Name. Studio, Year Released. Medium of publication (film, DVD, videocassette, television, web)

How it Appears in Works Cited Titanic. Dir. James Cameron. Perf. Leonardo Di Caprio, Kate Winslett, and Billy Zane. Paramount-Twentieth Century Fox, 1997. DVD.

How It Appears in Parenthetical Documentation List the director and the title in the text of your paper so that no parenthetical documentation is required.

Journal from online database

Author (if given). “Article title.” Journal Volume. Issue (Year): Page#(s). Database. Publisher. Medium of publication. Date of access in date month year format.

Scragg, Leah. "The Form of Things Unknown: Renaissance Metaphor in Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer's Night Dream.” The Review of English Studies. 48. 92 (Nov. 1997): 526-28. Literature Resource Center. Gale. Web. 27 June 2007.

(Scragg 526)

Magazine

Author’s Last name, First name (if given). “Title of Article.” Title of Magazine Date: pages #(s). Medium of publication.

Lange, Karen. “Hunting the Mighty Python.” National Geographic May 1997: 110-117. Print. Robertston, Robbie. “Canada’s New Ska Scene.” Time 13 Feb. 1998: 15-16. Print.

(Lange 112)

(Robertson 15)

Magazine from online database

Author’s last name, First name. “Title of article.” Title of magazine. Vol.no. (Date Month Year): page #-#. Database. Publisher. Medium of publication. Date of access in date month year format.

Lerner, Barbara. "How Shakespeare Can Save Our Kids." National Review. 44.1 (20 Jan. 1992): 30-36. Student Resource Center Gold. Gale. Web. 27 June 2007.

(Lerner 32)

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Type of Source Newspaper article

Pattern Author’s last name, First name. “Title of Article.” Title of Newspaper Day Month Year, edition (if given).: Section and Page (i.e. D1+). Medium of publication.

How it Appears in Works Cited Apple, R.W. “The Crisis at the White House.” The New York Times. 15 Dec. 1973, late ed.: A1+. Print.

How It Appears in Parenthetical Documentation (Apple A1)

Newspaper article from online edition

Author’s last name, First name. “Title of Article.” Title of Newspaper. Day Month Year. Medium of publication. Day Month Year of Access.

Hendon, Keith. “UGA’s Adams Entangled in Controversy Again.” The Atlanta Constitution. 15 Dec. 2002. Web. 27 June 2007. “World Briefing Europe: Britain: coroner in Diana inquiry steps down. (Foreign Desk)." The New York Times. 25 April 2007: A14. Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. Web. 27 June 2007.

(Herndon)

Newspaper from online data base

Author (if given). “Article title.” Newspaper Day Month Year, ed. (if needed): Page #(s). Database. Publisher. Medium of publication. Date of access in date month year format.

(“World” A14)

Newspaper signed editorial

Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of the editorial.” Editorial. Newspaper Day Month Year, ed.: Section and Page. Medium of publication.

Tucker, Cynthia. “Too Little, Too Late.” Editorial. The Atlanta Constitution 15 June 2007, state ed.: A15. Print. “Teachers Need Respect.” Editorial. Wall Street Journal 14 Dec. 2005, national ed. B4. Print.

(Tucker A15)

Newspaper unsigned editorial

“Title of editorial.” Editorial. Newspaper Day Month Year, ed.: Section and Page. Medium of publication.

(“Teachers” B4)

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Type of Source Play in an anthology

Pattern Author’s last name, First name. Title. Title of Book. Ed. Editor’s first and last name. # of ed. Place of publication: Publisher. Year. Pages # - #. Medium of publication.

How it Appears in Works Cited Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. The Riverside Shakespeare. Ed. G. Blakemore Evans. 2 nd How It Appears in Parenthetical Documentation (1.2.1-5) ed. Cite Shakespeare by act, scene, and lines. If you are citing more than one play add the abbreviation for the play.

New York: Houghton-Mifflin, 2007. 241-328. Print.

Sacred texts

Title of text. Ed. Editor’s First and last name. Publication City: Publisher, Date. Medium of publication. Version.

The Nelson Study Bible. Ed. Earl D. Radmacher, Th.D. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997. Print. New King James Version. Alan Lomax, compiler. Southern Journey, Vol. 1: Voices From The American South – Blues, Ballads, Hymns, Reels, Shouts, Chanteys and Work Songs. Rounder Series, 1997. CD.

(Matt. 1:12-15) Use book, chapter, verses. The abbreviations for the books of the Bible are listed in the MLA Handbook.

Sound recording

Artist’s first name last name. Title of work. Manufacturer, year of issue. Medium of publication.

List the artist and the title of the work in the text of your paper so that no parenthetical documentation is required.

Specialized reference work

Author’s last name, first name. “Title of article.” Title of reference work. Ed. Editor first name last name. # of ed. Vol. number. Place of publication: Publisher, Year. Medium of publication.

“John Keats.” Encyclopedia of World Biography. Ed. Paula K. Byers. Second Edition. Vol. 8. Detroit: Gale, 1998. 470-1. Print.

(“John” 470-1)

Television or radio program

Title of Program. Network, City. Date Month Year of Original Airdate. Medium of publication (television, radio).

The Commanders: Douglas MacArthur. NBC-TV, New York. 17 Mar. 1975. Television.

List the title of the program in the text of your paper so that no parenthetical documentation is required.

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Research Paper Survival Guide

Type of Source Web Page Professional (Sponsoring Organization) with an author

Pattern Author or Editor’s Last name, First name. Page title. (If no page title, use Home page) Sponsoring organization. Date of Last Web Update in Date Month Year format. (If no date, use n.d.) Medium of publication. Date accessed in Date Month Year Format.

How it Appears in Works Cited Alaimo, Abby. Rescuing Pets During Disasters. American Red Cross. September 2006. Web. 27 June 2007.

How It Appears in Parenthetical Documentation (Alaimo)

Web Page— personal page with a title

Author or Editor’s Last name, First name. Page Title. Publisher. (If no publisher, use N.P.) Date of Last Web Update in Date Month Year format. (If no date, use n.d.) Medium of publication. Date accessed in Date Month Year Format.

Brians, Paul. Study Guide for H. G. Wells: The War of the Worlds (1898). N.P. 25 Jan. 2005. Web. 27 June 2007.

(Brians)

Web Page— personal page without a title

Author or Editor’s Last name, First name. Home page. Publisher. (If no publisher, use N.P.) Date of Last Web Update in Date Month Year format. (If no date, use n.d.) Medium of publication. Date accessed in Date Month Year Format .

Jenrette, Ed. Home page. N.P. 20 Dec. 2005. Web. 1 Jan. 2007 .

(Jenrette)

Adapted from: Carter, Quent. MLA Citation Format. Solano College Library. 4 May 2006. Web. 26 June 2007.

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Research Paper Survival Guide

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Research Paper Survival Guide