 your topic must be arguable & have ample/reliable sources  It also must not be too narrow or too broad  A Thesis is a single, concise, grammatically correct sentence that presents the argument that you prove in your research paper.  The thesis should clearly present your point of view, and usually appears as the last or second to last sentence in the first paragraph.  You will need to choose relevant and credible sources to help you prove your thesis  Like a sentence, every citation ends with a period.  The citations and annotations are indented after the first line. Before going to a second line, fill the first to the margin.  Since it is a part of your research paper, a new heading is not included on the Works Cited page

 An annotated bibliography is an MLA formatted citation, followed by a brief description/evaluation of the source The annotation should inform the reader of the source’s relevance, accuracy, & quality.  The annotation should include the following:  The main focus/ a summary of the source  The worth, effectiveness, usefulness, and relevance of the source to your topic  A verification/critique of the authority, credibility, or qualifications of the source’s author  Conclusions/observations reached by the author and/or reader

 As on the Works Cited page, all citations should appear on the Annotated Bibliography in alphabetical order by author’s last name.  When outlining, you must have at least two elements to break down a topic (if you have a 1, you must have a 2)  Remember we are making a topic outline, not a sentence outline.  The outline is a way to organize your thoughts for your paper, so you should follow your basic outline when writing your research paper.  An MLA formatted paper is in 12 point times new roman font. Everything, including the heading, is double spaced. The margins are one inch and the header is ½ inch from the top of the page on the right side. The header includes your last name and the page number (no punctuation.)

Book with one author Author’s last name, author’s first name. Title. City where the work was published: Publisher, year published. Book with 2-3 authors 1st Author’s last name, author’s first name,2nd author’s first nam, last name, 3rd author’s first name last name. Title. City where the work was published: Publisher, year published. Book with 4+ authors 1st Author’s last name, author’s first name, et al. Title. City where the work was published: Publisher, year published. Book with author and editor Author’s last name, author’s first name. Title. Ed. Editor’s first name editor’s last name. City where the work was published: Publisher, year.Corporation or Organization as author Company Name. Title. City where the work was published: Publisher, year.

Magazine Author’s last name, Author’s first name. “Name of article.” Name of Publication. Date of issue: Pages. Journal Author’s last name, Author’s first name.”Title of article.” Name of Journal. Issue/volume number (Date published): Pages. Newspaper article Author’s last name, Author’s first name. “Title of article.” Name of Newspaper. Date published: Section Page. Book with multiple editions Author’s last name, Author’s first name. Title. #th ed. City where the work was published: Publisher, year published.

Anthology Dramm, Robert.”Classroom Stories.” A Teacher’s Anthology. Ed. Brian Varvas. Los Angeles: Thompson, Introduction/Preface/Afterword Sohns, George. Introduction. Working for Today. By Stanley Burger. Pittsburg: Penguin, Internet site Burke, Jennifer.”Schooling for the future.” Ed. Tyler Simpson. August Susquehanna University. 2 October Internet site with editor (no author) Smith, Sarah.”My Career as a Pilot.” United States Air Force. 22 October Internet site - no author or editor “Your Money, Your Education.” 17 August United States Treasury Department. 3 September 2009.

 Paraphrasing is when you take information from a source and put it all into your own words. Cite it!  With quoting, you take information from a source and use it word for word in your paper. If you use a direct quote, you must put the source’s words in quotation marks. Cite it!  Whether you are paraphrasing a source’s information or using it word for word, you must cite the source parenthetically in the text and on the Works Cited page.  To avoid plagiarism, it is important to distinguish your analysis from your source’s information. To avoid confusion, introduce the source’s name and authority, give the information, and then add the parenthetical citation.  If you introduce the source’s name before giving his/her information, you only put the page number in the parentheses.