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Table of Contents Research paper overview 3 Selecting a limited topic 4 Write a Thesis Statement 5 Prepare a Working Bibliography 6-9 Make a Preliminary Outline 10 Outline Guidelines 11 Sample Outline 12 Read and Take Notes 13 Sample Note Cards 14 Organize Notes and Make Final Outline 15 Write the First Draft 15-16 Guidelines for Parenthetical Citations 17 Prepare the Final Copy 18 Prepare the Works Cited Page 19 Works Cited MLA Guidelines 20-21 Example First Page of Essay 22 Example Works Cited Page 23 Troubleshooting MLA Guidelines 24 General Troubleshooting 25 How to Properly Format MLA Headers 26

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Research Papers—An Overview

1. This research paper guide follows the guidelines of the Modern Language Associations (MLA). Teachers you have in the future might use different guidelines. There are several. Just be sure to follow the format your instructor assigns.

2. A high school research paper is a long composition setting forth in a formal manner

using information taken from several sources to support a stated topic.

3. Every research paper must include a Works Cited Page. This is a list of sources containing information on your subject. Common sources are the following:

a. Magazines: Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature of CD-Rom b. Books: Card Catalog c. Newspapers: Microfilm d. Internet and CD-Rom

4. PARAPHRASING is simply putting the information you gather from various sources into your own words.

5. PLAGIARISM is not acceptable. This is a very serious matter and means automatic

failure on any research paper. Plagiarism refers to a form of cheating that has been defined as “the false assumption of authorship: the wrongful act of taking the product of another person’s mind, and presenting it as one’s own” (Alexander Lindsey, Plagiarism and Originality). Plagiarism is using another person’s ideas or expressions in your writing without acknowledging the source. Plagiarism is intellectual theft.

6. Steps in preparing a research paper:

a. Select a limited topic b. Write a Thesis Statement c. Prepare a Working

Bibliography d. Make a Preliminary Outline e. Read and take notes

f. Organize notes and make a Final Outline

g. Write First Draft—include Parenthetical Citations

h. Write the Final Copy—Include Works Cited Page

Important Advice 1. Keep all of your note cards, bibliography cards, etc. Do not throw anything away. 2. You will turn in all note cards. Any idea that appears in the paper must have a note

card from which it came.

3. Save your paper on the hard drive of you computer and on a flash drive. 4. Your finished paper must be typed and placed in a 9 x 12 manila envelope. In addition

to the final copy of the research paper, the envelope should include the bibliography cards, the note cards, the rough copy, and all printouts. Individual teachers may have different directions.

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Select a Limited Subject 1. Select a subject that interests you and that you can research in the sources available

to you. In a sense, you become an authority on your subject. You will spend a lot of time with the subject. Thus, choose something that will keep your attention. Also, check to see that sources are available in the library.

2. Get an overview of your subject Do some simple reading to gain a general understanding of your topic. This will help you limit the topic. Take notes as you research as you may use this information later.

3. Limit your topic so that you can cover it adequately within assigned length of paper.

Example Topics—Broad to Narrow

Broad: Marathon running Narrow: Women gaining the opportunity to run marathons Broad: Vachel Lindsay Narrow: Lindsay as a “misfit” who was understood by few Broad: Abraham Lincoln Narrow: Lincoln’s courtship of Anne Rutledge Broad: Robots Narrow: Use of robots in the home Broad: Van Gogh Narrow: Van Gogh’s landscape Broad: Statue of Liberty Narrow: The renovation of the Statue of Liberty Broad: Fads among the world’s teenagers Narrow: Strange fads of college students during the 1950’s Broad: The Brain Narrow: Recent brain research to improve memory

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Write a Thesis Statement 1. Once you know more about the specific information for your topic, write a Thesis

Statement. 2. A Thesis Statement is a declarative sentence, and is where you state your point of

view on the topic directly, usually in one sentence.

3. This statement limits the scope of your topic and reveals your purpose and attitude. It is like a map that controls the direction of your paper.

4. You will provide this statement with the information that you collect and assemble. In a

sense, the Thesis Statement is your answer to the question or problem you are researching.

5. The Thesis Statement is a formal statement. Do not use words that suggest informal

tone (you, I think, in my opinion, I believe).

6. You may find that you must revise your Thesis Statement several times, depending on what the research reveals to you.

5. What does a thesis statement do?

a. Tells the reader your stance on the subject b. Becomes a road map for the paper—it guides the reader’s expectations of the

material discussed, and is essential to the writer’s ability to maintain focus in the rest of the essay

c. Will directly answer the question, if one has been asked. d. Creates interest by making a claim or assertion with which others may disagree e. Provides a one-sentence, main idea of the written piece, typically at the

beginning of the paper

6. How to determine if your thesis is strong- a. Does it answer the question in one sentence? b. Does it state a position that others might challenge? c. Is it specific? Does it avoid vague, unclear language? d. Does it create interest in the topic? e. Does it pass the “how” and “Why” test? f. Does it avoid using first person language (I think)? g. Does the rest of the writing prove that the thesis is valid? h. Does the rest of the essay focus on proving the assertion in the thesis?

Examples Although females were not permitted to run the marathon for many years, it is now a popular event for women throughout the world. Vachel Lindsay loved Springfield, but he was a misfit who was understood by few in “the City of [his] Discontent.”

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Prepare a Working Bibliography A Working Bibliography is a collection of sources you may use during your research. (You probably will not use all of them.) You will record the information about these sources on notes cards. The Working Bibliography will eventually evolve into the Works Cited page of your research paper.

1. Keep these sources on separate note cards. This will help you later as you discard, alphabetize, and organize cards.

2. Prepare the cards with care. This information is needed for the Works Cited page at the end of your paper—it is extremely important that you are accurate.

3. Each card must have ALL of the information illustrated in the cards that are shown here.

4. Prepare your cards exactly as the following examples are prepared.

Book (Punctuate each item with a period)

1. Author’s full name (last name, first name—separated by a comma) 2. Full title—including any subtitles (italicized) 3. City of publication (note only the first city if several are listed) 4. Publishing Company 5. Most recent copyright date 6. Write “Print” at the end. 7. Call number from library in the upper right hand corner (optional) 8. Consecutively number the cards for each source—upper right hand corner

Book with Two or More Authors (Punctuate each item with a period)

1. All author’s names in order (of last name), last name first for first author, first name first with remaining authors

2. Full title—including any subtitles (italicized) 3. City of publication (note only the first city if several are listed) 4. Publishing Company 5. Most recent copyright date 6. Write “Print” at the end. 7. Call number from library in the upper right hand corner (optional) 8. Consecutively number the cards for each source—upper right hand corner

1 Aaseng, Nathan. World-Class Marathoners. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Co., 1982. Print.

2 Liquori, Marty And Skip Myslenski. On the Run. New York: William Morrow & Co., 1979. Print.

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Book with Editor (Punctuate each item with a period) 1. Last name, first name, ed. (ed—stands for editor) 2. Full title—including any subtitles (italicized) 3. City of publication (note only the first city if several are listed) 4. Publishing Company 5. Most recent copyright date 6. Write “Print” at the end. 7. Call number from library in the upper right hand corner (optional) 8. Consecutively number the cards for each source—upper right hand corner

Magazine or Newspaper Article (Punctuate each item with a period) 1. Author’s full name (last name first) 2. Title of article (in quotation marks) 3. Title of magazine or newspaper (italics) 4. Date of publication 5. Page numbers of the article 6. Write “Print” at the end 7. Consecutively number the cards for each source—upper right hand corner

Internet (Punctuate each item with a period) 1. Author’s full name—if applicable (last name first) 2. Title of article (in quotation marks) 3. Page or site name (italics) 4. Date that you used the site 5. Write “Web” at the end 6. Consecutively number the cards for each source—upper right hand corner.

3 Rogers, Bill, ed. Running Stories. Boston: Marathon Publishing, 1984. Print.

4 Harpaz, Beth J. “Author: Next Generation Full of Nincompoops.” State Journal Register. 30 Oct. 2010: 13-14. Print.

5 “First Women in Marathon.” Marathon Running. 2 Jan, 2002. Web.

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Film or Videos (Punctuate each item with a period) 1. Full title (italics) 2. Director’s full name (last name first) 3. Production Company 4. Date of production 5. Write “DVD” at the end 6. Consecutively number the cards for each source—upper right hand corner.

Personal Interview (Punctuate each item with a period)

1. Full name of person interviewed (last name first) 2. Write “Personal Interview” 3. Date of interview 4. Consecutively number the cards for each source—upper right hand corner.

Broadcast Radio or Television Show (Punctuate each item with a period) 1. Title of episode (quotation marks) 2. Name of program or series (italics) 3. The network name 4. Call letters of the station followed by the city 5. Date of broadcast. 6. End with the publication medium (e.g. Television, Radio). 7. Consecutively number the cards for each source—upper right hand corner.

6 Bowling for Columbine. By Michael Moore. Dir. Michael Moore. Perf. Michael Moore. Alliance Atlantis Communications, 2002. DVD.

7 Roadrunner, Rhonda. Personal Interview. 1 Feb. 2002

8 "The Blessing Way." The X-Files. Fox. WXIA, Atlanta. 19 Jul. 1998. Television.

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Electronic Databases (i.e. Student Resource Center-Gold) 1. Last Name, First Name. 2. “Title of Article”. 3. Title of Source (Magazine, Newspaper, etc.) in italics. 4. Date of publication or Volume.Issue (Year): 5. Page Numbers. 6. Title of Database. 7. Medium of Publication. (Web) 8. Date You Accessed the Material. 9. Consecutively number the cards for each source—upper right hand corner.

9 "Back to basics; India and climate-change negotiations." The Economist (US). 393.8660 (2009): 57EU. Student Resource Center - Gold. Web. 26 Feb. 2010.

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Make a Preliminary Outline

A preliminary outline is an informal list of ideas in which you plan to cover in your paper—in the order that you plan to cover them. The outline does not have to be detailed (your detailed outline will be). Its purpose is to GUIDE and ORGANIZE your research. Throughout the research you will add, delete, and rearrange the material found in the preliminary outline. Begin the outline by thinking through your topic and asking yourself questions that you want to learn about the topic. Then, use these questions to form topics and subtopics for the outline. Example—if you are planning to research the idea that women run marathons today, but they were excluded from the event for many years, you might ask yourself:

o Who excluded women from this running event?

o What did women do to gain acceptance to this event?

o What events were they able to run at the Olympics?

o What struggles occurred in their gaining acceptance for the marathon?

o How many women run marathons now?

o What do they do in order to run well?

o What are some of the successes women have achieved in marathons? Then, as you prepare your Preliminary Outline, you will follow the outline guidelines

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Outline Guidelines

There are two major types of outlines: a topic outline in which the ideas are stated in words or brief phrases, and a sentence outline in which the ideas are expressed in complete sentences. We will be using the topic outline, which is simpler and easier to read. Writing a topic outline is the next step in writing your research paper. A well-constructed topic outline serves a dual purpose. It organizes what until now has been a hodgepodge of information, notes, and cards, and it makes the actual writing of the paper relatively easy. All that is left to do when the topic outline is finished is to write a sentence outline, revise, and proofread your writing. Follow these outlining rules:

1. Place the thesis statement above the outline. 2. Do not use introduction, body, or conclusion in the outline. 3. Number the main topics with Roman numerals (I, II, III, etc.)

Under the main topics, letter the subtopics with capital letters (A, B, C, etc.) Use Arabic numerals for divisions of subtopics (1, 2, 3, etc.)

4. Never allow a subtopic to stand-alone. If there is an A, there must be a B, and if there is a 1, there must be a 2.

5. Begin each topic and subtopic with a capital letter as you would with the first word in a

new sentence

6. In a topic outline, do not follow a topic or a subtopic with a period as you would after a sentence.

7. Use a parallel form for each main topic and for each group of subtopics.*

*For example, if the first main topic is a noun, the other main topics must be nouns. If the first subtopic is an adjective, the other subtopics in the group must be adjectives.

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Sample Outline Example Outline 1 Although females were not permitted to run the marathon for years, it is now a popular event for women throughout the world.

I. History A. Views prohibiting women B. Olympics—experiment C. Dr. Von Aaken D. Roberta Gibb E. Kathy Switzer

II. Training A. Motivation B. Form C. Diet/Liquids

III. Injury Prevention A. Rest B. Stretching C. Sleep

IV. Racing A. Shoes B. Clothing C. Mental D. Strategy/Pace

V. First Women’s Olympic Marathon A. History-length B. Los Angeles C. Joan Benoit

Example Outline 2 Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a strong president in a time when the United States needed one

I. Strong leadership needed A. Great Depression

1. High unemployment 2. Hungry people 3. No job security or old age pensions

B. Much unrest in the world 1. Hitler and the rise of fascism

a. First wanted to conquer Europe b. Then wanted to conquer the world

2. Japan and the conquest of China a. Wanted to conquer China b. Wanted to control the Pacific

II. Roosevelt able to make firm, but difficult decisions

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Read and Take Notes After completing your thesis statement, bibliography cards, and outlines, use the below items during the research process.

1. Take notes as you read on blank note cards. The notes you write on your note cards will be the information you include in your essay as evidence of your research. (4x6 cards are recommended but are not necessary—you can write more information on each card. Your teacher may request a different format.)

2. Start with what seems to be a good, reliable source.

3. If other sources repeat this information, you don’t need to record it again

4. Write most of the notes in your own words. SUMMARIZE to record main ideas or

PARAPHRASE to restate ideas in your own words.

5. If you do use QUOTES occasionally, put quotation marks around these even on your note cards.

6. The paper should reflect your writing style and not be a collection of quotes.

7. Whether you summarize, paraphrase, or quote, you MUST credit your sources. If you

use another person’s words or ideas without giving credit, you have committed PLAGIARISM. You will fail the paper and receive disciplinary action—this is a Level II Offense.

8. As you take notes, write in PHRASES to avoid copying the author’s words and to save

time.

9. Do not put notes about two different topics or subtopics from your outline on the same card.

10. Put the “slug” in the upper left hand corner of the card. This is a topic or subtopic from

your outline and is the key word for the contents of the card.

11. Do not put notes from two different sources on the same card.

12. Put the bibliography card number in the upper right hand corner of the note card.

13. At the bottom of the note card, write the page number(s) of the page(s) where the information was found.

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Sample Note Cards

Kathy Switzer 4 • Official ran up to her—2 miles after start—tried to stop her

• One of Switzer’s 3 male friends pushed him away

• She was registered as “K. Switzer”—officials assumed male

p. 55

Information on this card is from bibliography card #4

Take notes in phrases

This is topic from outline called the “slug”

Page # of source

Views Prohibiting Women 7 • “The ancient Greeks beheaded any female who dared watch the

warrior athlete perform. In more recent times, females have been

psychologically beheaded if they even acted as if they might enjoy

vigorous physical activity.”

pp. 22-23

When quoting, copy words exactly as they appear in source

If there are multiple page numbers, write all of the pages.

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Organize Notes and Make Final Outline

After you have completed you research, you will be able to add more specific topics to your first outline. Remember, these main topics and subtopics should correspond with the topics at the top of your note card. When you are ready to prepare this outline, organize your note cards by putting them in stacks according to the topics of the outline (according to slug words).

Write the First Draft

DOCUMENT YOUR SOURCES AS YOU WRITE!

1. Before you begin writing, arrange the note cards according to the outline. 2. Double space your typing* or write on every other line and write on only one side of

the paper. This will give you plenty of room for revisions and additions. *Typing is best so that you do not have to retype the information later

3. Work on you introductory paragraph. This will include you thesis statement, but it

should also include an attention—grabber that leads naturally to the thesis. The first paragraph is important. If you struggle with this at the beginning, wait until the end to write the first paragraph.

4. Follow the main points of your outline as you write, and develop one idea from the

outline before moving on to the next.

5. Remember, each sentence must relate logically to the sentence that it follows, and you must connect paragraphs by transitions.

6. When using quoted material, let the quotation flow naturally into your paper.

Ex. Dr. Van Aaken pointed out that “women are built for endurance rather than explosive power, and if properly trained, should excel at long distances” (Ulyott 40). 7. Long quotations which are more than four lines when typed are separate from the

body paragraph. Indent ten spaces (or tab twice) off the left margin without using quotation marks. These are block quotes and are double-spaced. Introduce the quote in your own words, followed by a colon, and following the quote with your own words.

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Ex. Every nation was allowed three runners; there were fifty entrants from twenty-eight nations for this historic race: When the ancient Olympic Games were revived in 1896 in Greece, the program included a marathon. Like all other events there, in track and field and other sports, the race was for men only …On Sunday, that will change, and the first women’s marathon in the Olympics seems so competitive that it may become one of the highlights of these L.A. Games (Women’s Debut 52). 8. Occasionally you may need to shorten a quote by leaving out words. Use an ellipsis,

three periods (…), to show where the words have been omitted. It is wise to shorten a quote when there is information that you do not need.

9. In your research paper you must document the material used. In MLA format

PARENTHETICAL CITATIONS are used following summarized, paraphrased, or quoted material.

Parenthetical citations are very brief. Their purpose is to refer the reader to the complete source information, which will be found on the Works Cited page at the end of the paper. When you use an author’s words or ideas, follow these with parentheses in which you place the author’s last name and page number(s) where the information was found: ex—(Jones 15).

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Guidelines for Parenthetical Citations Parenthetical citations link the quote, paraphrase, or summary in the paper to the Works Cited page. 1. Place the parenthetical citation before the punctuation mark at the end of a sentence

containing a quotation or idea from a source. Notice, no comma is used. ex—It is not wise to go into the race thinking that one can slow down when fatigue sets in; pick a pace that is comfortable and stick with it the whole 26.2 miles (Ulyott 26). 2. If there are works by authors with the same last names, use both authors’ first and last

names. ex—(Richard Jones 26). (Samuel Jones 95). 3. If a work has two or three authors, se the first author’s last name followed by the

words : et al. (Latin, meaning “and others”). If there are more than three authors, you must use et al.

ex—(Thompson et al. 15)

4. IF there is more than one book by the same author in your bibliography, use the

author’s last name and the title or a shortened form of it in your citation. Place a comma between the author’s name and the title. The title must be italicized.

ex—(Twain, Huckleberry 25). (Twain, Pudd’nhead Wilson 18).

5. If the author’s last name is used within the text of your paper, the parenthetical citation

will contain only the page number of the material. ex—Ulycott states that “the marathon was considered a physical impossibility for females” (39). 6. If you are using a source that does not have a known author, use a shortened version

of the title, followed by the page number. The title is italicized. ex—(Females 32).

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Prepare the Final Copy

1. Proofread the first draft and make all necessary corrections and improvements. 2. Leave a 1” margin at the top, bottom, and sides of your paper.

3. Type the paper—use double spacing throughout, including quotations and

bibliography. The only writings that are not double-spaced are block quotations.

4. You will use Times New Roman, 12-point font throughout the paper, including quotations and bibliography.

5. A research paper does not include a title page.

6. First page—beginning one page from the top of the first page at the left margin, type

your name, your instructor’s name, the course number, and the date on separate lines, double spacing between each part.

7. Double space after this information and center the title. Double space to first line of

body of paper. Titles do not receive specialized font—keep clean (no underline or italics) Times New Roman, 12-point font.

8. Page Numbers—

A. Do not number the first page.

B. Number all other pages consecutively throughout the paper in the upper

right hand corner, one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin. This starts on the second page.

C. Do not use the abbreviation “p.” for page or # for number.

D. Type your last name before the page number, as a precaution against

misplaced papers. See sample research paper in this guide for an example.

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Prepare the Works Cited Page To prepare to write this page, organize the bibliography cards in alphabetical order by the author’s last name.

1. This is the final page of your paper 2. Number this page consecutively with the rest of your paper.

3. Center the title Works Cited at the top of this page—1” from the top. Do not underline,

italicize, or put quotes around the title unless you are quoting a title.

4. Double space throughout this page

5. Start the first line of the entry (usually the author’s last name) flush with the 1” margin.

6. If the entry is two or more lines, indent the second and third lines1/2”—this is called a hanging indent.

7. Keep entries in alphabetical order, typically starting with author’s last names. 8. If the author is unknown, alphabetize by title—ignoring the following articles: a, an, and

the.

9. Do not number or bullet the sources listed on the Works Cited page.

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Works Cited MLA 2010 Guidelines

Instructions for a Works Cited entry for a book:

1. Author’s last name, followed by a comma, his/her first name and middle initial, followed by a period and two spaces.

2. Title of the book, in italics, followed by a period and two more spaces.

3. City where it was published (usually listed on the first page inside the front cover),

followed by a colon, name o the publisher, followed by a comma, and the year in which the book was published, ending with a period. Lastly is the medium of publication (usually, “print”). By now your entry should look like this:

Last name, First name I. Title of the Book is Italicized. City: Publisher, 1994. Medium of publication. Print.

4. When you run out of room on the first line, indent 5 spaces (or ½ inch) from the left margin for the second, third, and fourth lines of that same entry.

5. Arrange entries alphabetically by author’s last name. If there is not author, begin

with the title of the article, magazine, or book and use that title when you alphabetize.

6. Be sure to include 6 pieces of information for books (author, title, city, publisher, date, medium of publication) and 6 pieces of information for magazines (author, article title, magazines title, date, page numbers, medium of publication).

For Books: For Magazines:

Author yes yes, if there is one

Title yes yes, of article and magazine

City yes no

Publisher yes no

Date yes (year only) yes (include date, month& year)

Page number(s) usually, no yes

Medium of Publication yes yes

7. Please type your Works Cited List.

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Type Example

Book

Booth, Wayne C. The Rhetoric of Fiction. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1961. Print.

Online Magazine Article

Bremner, Brian. “Japan Take the First Step to Recovery.” Business Week. 10

Oct. 2000. Web.

Book with 2 or more authors

Chargill, Oscar, William Charvat, and Donald D. Walsh. The Publication of

Academic Writing. New York: MLA, 1966. Print.

Magazines (weekly)

Cohen, Hennig. “Why Isn’t Melville for the Masses?” Saturday Review 16

August 1969: 19-21. Print.

Scholarly Journal

Frey, John R. “America and Her Literature Reviewed by Postwar Germany.”

American-German Review 20.5 (1954): 4-6 Print.

Magazine (monthly)

Howe, Irving. “James Baldwin: At Ease in Apocalypse.” Harper’s September

1968: 92-100. Print.

Online Newspaper Article

TenBruggencate, Jan. “Blue Shark May Be on Road to Recovery.”

HonoluluAdvertiser 18 June 2000. Web. 6 Nov. 2000.

Electronic Database

"Back to basics; India and climate-change negotiations." The Economist (US). 4393.8660 (2009): 57EU. Student Resource Center - Gold. Web. 26 Feb. 2010.

Website

The Purdue OWL Family of Sites. The Writing Lab and OWL at Purdue and Purdue U, 2008. Web. 23 April 2008.

Stu Dent

Teacher Name

Class

Date

We’ve Run a Long Way

“Stop for a moment and take a slow, deep breath. Picture yourself coming through the

tunnel and listen to the roar of 110,000 people standing and screaming for you as you complete

the lap around the track at the end of the marathon of your life. There is no greater thrill in all of

sport” (“Marathon” 1). Today men and women enjoy some form of thrill on a regular basis.

Although females were not permitted to run the marathon for many years, it is now a popular

event for women throughout the world.

For years, women were prohibited from running a marathon because of the “fragile

women myth” (Female Runner 26). Orthodox, uniformed, medical opinion tried to protect

women from over-exerting themselves and possibly killing themselves by attempting even a

half-mile run. Women, considered to be the “weaker sex,” were limited to sprint events until

very recently. “The marathon was considered a physical impossibility for females” (Ulyot 39).

In the 1928 Olympic games, there was an early experiment for long distance running for

women. The 800 meter race was introduced; however, the women who entered the race were 100

and 200 meter runners. They were used to sprints and short distances, so when the women went

out at a 200 meter pace, the result was a disaster. They were not trained for the distance and

collapsed in pain at the end. Officials were horrified and convinced that women were not capable

of distance running. The 800 meter race was banned from the Olympics until 1964 (Ullyot 39-

40).

Dent 1

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Works Cited

The Female Runner. Mountain View, CA: World Publications, 1974. Print.

“Marathon.” 1 Jan. 2002: 3. Web.

Ulyott, Dr. Joan. Women’s Running World. Mounting View, CA: World Publications, 1976.

Print.

Dent 7

Troubleshooting MLA (Modern Language Association) Guidelines Paper Formatting 1. Typed, printed on standard, white 8.5 x 11-inch paper

2. Double-space the text of your paper

3. Times New Roman

4. 12 pt. font (includes title and heading)

5. Leave only one space after periods or other punctuation marks

6. Set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides. (File, page setup)

7. Indent the first line of paragraphs one half-inch from the left margin. Use the Tab key as

opposed to pushing the Space Bar five times.

8. Use italics throughout your essay for the titles of longer works and, only when necessary, providing emphasis.

First Page Formatting 1. Do not make a title page for your paper unless specifically requested.

2. In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list your name, your instructor's name, the

course, and the date. Again, be sure to use double-spaced text.

3. Double space again and center the title. Do not underline, italicize, or place your title in quotation marks; write the title in Title Case (standard capitalization), not in all capital letters.

4. Use quotation marks and/or italics when referring to other works in your title, just as you would in your text:

5. Double space between the title and the first line of the text.

6. Create a header in the upper right-hand corner that includes your last name, followed by a space with a page number; number all pages consecutively with Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin. (View, Header Footer, Right Align, Click the # sign in the Header-Footer menu-bar)

25

General Troubleshooting

1. Common mistake for parenthetical citations: incorrect-- (Miller, p. 22) instead of (Miller

22)—correct 2. If you use the Internet, you will not have page numbers. When there is not an author,

abbreviate the title for in-text citations.

3. Quotations: a. Short quotations are preferable to longer ones. You should have a parenthetical

citation at least after every 3rd sentence. You need parenthetical citations for summaries and paraphrases too.

b. If the quotation is 4 lines or less, use regular paragraph formatting. c. If the quotations is 5 lines or more, block indent each line 10 spaces in from the

left margin. When you block indent, you will not use quotation marks.

4. Structure a. Be sure that each paragraph relates back to what you are proving. b. Use transitions to help hold your paper together. c. Be careful not to add paragraphs just for “filler” reasons. Sometimes students

will have page-long quotations.

5. Information: Be careful not to overuse a source. 6. Format: Follow MLA formatting. You do not need a title page.

7. The Works Cited Page refers to your sources from your bibliography cards that you

use in your paper. a. Center Works Cited. Alphabetize by first significant world. Usually you will have

an author—if not, use the first significant world of the title (do not use articles: a, an, the).

b. The first line of each entry is out to the left margin. Indent additional lines from that entry. Make sure you follow proper format.

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How to Correctly Format MLA Headers

Open the View menu and

select “Header and Footer”

This will change the view of the page on your screen.

The area inside the dotted

box is the information that will appear in the Header.

Right Justify the text in the Header by pressing this icon

Write your last name and

press the space bar.

Insert the page number by pressing the Page number icon. *NOTE* if you do not use the page number button, the header will use the same number for every page—all of your pages will be page 1!

Press Close on the Header and Footer toolbar to go back to normal view.