The Research Process & MLA Formatting Mrs. Huynh-Duc 9 th Grade Honors

First of all…What is Plagiarism? Essentially, plagiarism is not giving credit where credit is due.

What Happens If I Plagiarize?  You receive an “F” on your project  I will have to write you up for administrative consequences  It may be on your permanent record  I’ll contact your other teachers

How to Avoid Plagiarism Don’t copy anything verbatim- paraphrase as you take notes If you do copy something word-for-word, put in quotation marks and make a note of the page number Use a system to keep track of your sources Choose your sources carefully Don’t borrow the structure of another author’s phrases or sentences (no cut-and-paste) DO NOT USE another writer’s IDEAS without proper citation DO NOT USE another writer’s WORDS without proper citation

Using MLA Format  MLA (Modern Language Association) is a commonly used method for documenting sources in a written work.  For the beginner, MLA can be daunting, but there are many resources for the student to use, and in time, this method will become a piece of cake.

Why use MLA format?  Provides consistent format within a particular discipline  Gives you credibility as a writer  Protects you from plagiarism  Allows readers to cross reference your sources easily

Where do I find MLA? Your project materials give you the basics MLA Handbook for Writers of Research, 6 th ed.

Two Parts of MLA PARENTHETICAL CITATIONS within your outline (or, in the future, your research paper) WORKS CITED PAGE

Parenthetical Notation (In-text Citations) The Two Basic Features Always Used When Citing a Source In Your Paper:  The last name(s) of the author (or authors)  The page number(s) where the information is located, unless the source is online or only one page long Do not include the abbreviation “p.” (or “pp.”) or the word page or pages

Parenthetical Notation (Examples)  One Author, named in your introductory phrase According to Jane Leeves, there are too many rules when it comes to writing a research paper (21).  Author not named in the text In the last ten years, the guidelines for writing an “A” paper have become very stringent and selective (Leeves 17-18). Two or more authors: (Leeves and Smith 71).  Work cited indirectly in another source “Writing became a way to become coherent in the world.” (Morrison qtd. in Samuels 7).

What is the format for a long quote? If a quotation is four lines or longer, indent each line of text ten spaces on the left; quotation marks are omitted; no period after citation: When Ambrose asked Tom Hanks if he is an optimist, Hanks replied: Shamelessly so. I apologize to my friends and family because I say it all the time, but if you had told me in 1966 that I’d be an actor and make movies, I would have thought you were insane. If you told me in 1966 I’d be married and have four great kids, I could never have imagined it. (68)

How do I paraphrase?  Original Text: The amazingly fast recovery of the cancer patient baffled the doctors and scientists. The cancer patient’s amazingly fast recovery surprised the scientists and doctors.  Acceptable Paraphrasing When they were informed about the speedy recovery of the cancer patient, neither doctors nor scientists could provide a reasonable explanation.  Unacceptable Paraphrasing

What is Works Cited?  At the end of your paper, you must list the authors’ names alphabetically (last name first) of all the sources you refer to in your paper  Most citations should include: Author’s Name Title of Publication Publication Information (Location, Publisher, Year)