Research Paper Notes

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Research Paper Notes
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There are 5 parts of the MLA research paper

• Title page
• Outline (double spaced)
• Research paper (double spaced)
• Works cited (double spaced)
• Note cards
• We will look at each of these elements in
  detail.

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Title Page

• An MLA title page includes
• Title of paper (all caps)
• Your name
• Due date of paper
• Class name (ex Period 3)

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How to create a title page

• Type your paper title in all caps in the center
  of the page.
• Skip 4-6 more lines and type your name.
• Skip 2 more lines and type the due date.
• Skip 2 more lines and type the class name.

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What does a title page look like?
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Outline

• An MLA outline isnt really different than other
  formal outlines you may have done.
• Use Roman Numerals
• Double space
• Type your thesis at the top

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How to create an outline

• Type the thesis (double spaced) at the top
• Skip a couple of lines and start your outline
  with Roman Numeral I.
• Below that I use an A, B, and C to list your
  supporting details.
• Continue in this format until you have 3 main
  topics and supporting details for each.
• Remember, you cant have a Roman Numeral I
  without having a II. You cant have an A without
  having a B, etc.
• Note You do not outline introductions and
  conclusions
• Note Outline must match the order of your paper

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What does an outline look like?
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The research paper

• Double spaced
• Length will be 5-7 pages
• Written in paragraph form
• No contractions or slang
• Use transitions
• Do not use headers/footers
• Use parenthetical documentation (PD)
• Page numbers belong in the upper right corner
• The first page of the paper will include name,
  teacher, class, and date in the upper left corner

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Things to remember about the research paper

• The organization of your paper needs to match the
  outline EXACTLY.
• For example, if the main points in your outline
  are family, education, and career, then your
  first body paragraph in the paper should be about
  family. The second about education. The third
  about career.

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Parenthetical Documentation

• What does parenthetical mean?

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Parenthetical Documentation

• What does parenthetical mean?
• Inside of parentheses (like this)

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Parenthetical Documentation

• What does parenthetical mean?
• Inside of parentheses (like this)
• What does documentation mean?

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Parenthetical Documentation

• What does parenthetical mean?
• Inside of parentheses (like this)
• What does documentation mean?
• Written down, documented

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How do you write a PD?

• Authors last name and page number
• (Huguley 46)
• Notice I did not use pg or page before I
  listed the number. Dont do that.
• Very important!! Whatever name you list in the
  PD must match your works cited. More on this
  later.

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What does the paper look like?
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Lets take a closer look at the PD in that paper
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Works Cited

• You might know the term bibliography better,
  but its the same as a works cited.
• A WC page lists (in a very detailed manner) each
  of the sources you used in research.
• Use Son of Citation Machine for citation formats.
  www.citationmachine.net

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How to cite a book

• Citing a Book
• 1. authors last name, first nameperiod
• 2. title of book (underlined or
  italicized)period
• 3. city of publicationcolon
• 4. publishing companycomma
• 5. year of publication (use the year that is
  closest to 2010)period
• Example of book citation
• Smith, Jane. For the Love of Puppies.
  Philadelphia Harper Collins, 1999.
• Notice the indention of the second
  line!

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How to cite a website

• authors nameperiod
• Article title in quotesperiod
• Websites title (in the blue bar)
• Article date--period
• Date you accessed the website--period
• URL of the websiteperiod (just use the basic
  website, not the whole crazy URL)  
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•  Example...
• Schuster, Alan. "Spa and Hot Tub Chemical
   Questions." Ask Alan. Aqua-Clear Industries.  18
  Aug. 2008. 10 Oct. 2008. www.askalan.com.
• Notice the indented lines!

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What do I do when all my resources have been
cited?

• Alphabetize them according to the first word of
  the citation
• Double space everything
• Make sure every line under the first one is
  indented
• Type Works Cited at the top of the page in the
  center.

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What does the final WC page look like?
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What is a research note card?

• Note cards are 3x5 index cards with only one,
  just one, no more than one fact per card.
• There are 4 components to making an MLA note
  card. Example on next slide.

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4 Items to include on card

• .

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So, what goes on the Note Card??

• As you find interesting facts about your topic,
  you will write them down.
• Each idea should be paraphrased/summarized (in
  your own words) or quoted and written on a card.

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How do you record information on the note card?

• Paraphrase/Summarizeshorter, in your own words
  rewrite what the author said
• Quotestating exactly what the author said must
  use quotation marks
• DONT PLAGIARIZE!!!! ALWAYS GIVE THE CREDIT TO
  THE REAL AUTHOR!

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PLAGIARISM

• It's like lip-synching to someone else's voice
  and accepting the applause and rewards for
  yourself.
• IF YOU PLAGIARIZE, YOU WILL FAIL!!! any time you
  take a writers words and use them as your own,
  you are plagiarizing

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1. Card Topic
Topic is the kind of information on the
card. Think of it as the title, or main idea of
the card. After writing down the information,
figure out how you could briefly categorize, or
title it.
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2. Source Title

• The source title is the name of the book,
  magazine, website, etc., in which you found the
  information.

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4. page numbers

• It is important to be accurate with the page
  numbers on your note cards, as you will need them
  for citations throughout your research paper.

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Sample Note Cards

• Organized by Card Topic

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Citing my source!!

• Information for this presentation came from the
  following source
• Researching and Organizing Your PaperThe Note
  Card System. English Works! at Gallaudet
  University, Washington, D.C. Published
  1997-present. Retrieved 7 March, 2006.
  lthttp//depts.gallaudet.edu/englishworks/writing/n
  otecard.htmlgt

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THE END!