Senior Research Paper What?!?! An MLA style research paper…. Oh, No!!!

How can I get this done? The best thing you can do is to pick a topic that you already like, are curious about, or think might be interesting to you. Develop thesis from topic.

Focused Topic + Assertion = Thesis

Research Paper Writing Process 1.Assignment Clarification Don’t Panic – This covers 5 page. MLA style papereverything! 2.Time Management Final copy due Feb 15th 3. Topic Selection Narrow to 2 today; final choice due in writing Tuesday 1/29 th 4. Library Visit to Locate/Select Sources You’re here! Use time well to: Look for info on possible topic; create Bibliography of sources on Word Document & Works Cited page to list all sources you might cite (quote)

5. Read Articles Take notes; print & highlight 6. Thesis & outline Write your thesis & make a brief outline of how you will organize your paper 7.Draft Paper Use outline to guide you; write clear thesis and write paper to support it. Don’t forget to include parenthetical citations to support thesis. 8. Revise Paper Make corrections; check for plagiarism ; look at rubric 9. Final copy !!!! Format MLA style and type your last high school English research paper!!

Wait a Minute!! I forget - What does MLA style mean?

But what about the first page?

And Citations?!? You must acknowledge in your paper the source of A direct quotation A statistic An idea Someone else’s opinion Concrete facts not considered “common knowledge” Information not commonly known Information taken from the computer (CD ROMS, internet, etc.) Illustrations, photographs, or charts – if not yours

Parenthetical Citations …a system in which you give your source in parentheses immediately after you give the information. Four Common Citations: – Author and page number – Title and page number – Page number only – Secondhand quotations The first word of your citation match the corresponding entry on your Works Cited page!

Parenthetical Citations: Author & Page Number (Keeling 125) Notice there is no “p” and no comma. The struggle for identity is common during puberty (Keeling 125).

Parenthetical Citations: Title & Page Number Her distinctive writing style adds to her mystique (“Plath” 19). Often, articles, editorials, pamphlets, and other materials have no author listed; thus, give the first distinctive word of the title followed by page #

Parenthetical Citations: Page Number Only If you have already mentioned the author’s name, put a page number only: Keeling states that Plath’s work stands in stark contrast to other confessional poets (58).

In-Text Citations- Electronic Sources If possible, electronic and online sources are cited just like print resources in parenthetical references. Often electronic resources will not have page numbers. In these cases omit numbers from the parenthetical reference: (Smith) (“The Best Article Ever Written”)

Sample Works Cited Page Sources are listed alphabetically Indent all lines after the first ½ inch for each work listed The entire Works Cited page is double-spaced Title “Works Cited” is centered at the top of the page

Done!!!!