Research & Documentation Using MLA Formatting Melissa Goodner, ENGL Dept., ASH

Where to Begin Choose issue: For an informative research paper, develop a position on your issue. Search sources: Look for information that supports your position on your issue.

Types of Sources Primary Sources Literature: novels, poems, short stories, dramas Essays Autobiographies Biographies Informational sources on your issue Secondary Sources Biographies Histories Reference Books Literary Criticism Journal articles Magazine articles Online databases Websites Informational sources Journals/magazines Websites/databases

Choose sources that concern the issue. Using Sources Choose sources that concern the issue. Choose sources that support your position on that issue.

EASY TO SORT FOR ALPHA ORDER ON WORKS CITED PAGE Bibliography Cards EASY TO MANIPULATE EASY TO SORT FOR ALPHA ORDER ON WORKS CITED PAGE

Bibliography Card Format Author of work cited Title of work cited Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York: Penguin Books, 1994. M. Goodner City of publishing Publishing Company Year of publishing Student’s name if required to submit

Book with One Author Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York: Author of work cited Title of work cited Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York: Penguin Books, 1994. M. Goodner City of publishing Publishing Company Year of publishing

Title of work cited within the larger book Edited Anthology Author of work cited Title of book Title of work cited within the larger book Chopin, Kate. “A Pair of Silk Stockings.” Elements of Literature: 5th course. Ed. Richard Sime. Austin: HRW, Inc., 2000. 437-43. M. Goodner Publishing Company Name of editor City of publishing Year of publishing Page #’s of work cited

Information from Lecture Format in which lecture was given Title of handout Author of handout Lowell, James Russell. “The First Snowfall.” English III. Melissa Goodner. Alexandria Senior High School. October 2007. M. Goodner Lector or Speaker Location of lecture or speech Date of lecture or speech

Title of reference book Volume # of reference book Gale Group References Title of reference book Author of article Title of article Yoder, Jon A. “Upton Sinclair.” Contemporary Literary Criticism. Vol. 15. Detroit: Gale Group, 1980. 501-03. M. Goodner Year of publishing Publishing Company Page #’s of work cited Volume # of reference book City of publishing

Online Database References Author of article Title of article Deneau, Daniel P. “Chopin’s ‘The Story of an Hour.’” Explicator 61.4 (Summer2003): 210-13 (4p). EBSCOhost. 28 April 2007. <http://ebscohost.com>. M. Goodner Original print source information URL address Title of online database Date of your access

Article within a Website Website copyright date Title of article Author of article Howard, Ann B. “A Woman Far Ahead of Her Time.” English Web. 1997. Virginia Commonwealth University. 6 May 2007. <http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/eng384/chopin.htm>. M. Goodner Sponsor of site Title of Web site URL address Date of access

Note Cards EASY TO SORT INTO PARAGRAPHS BY QUOTATION TOPIC EASY TO KEEP TRACK OF SOURCE INFO FOR PARENTHETICALS EASY TO KEEP TRACK OF COMMENTARY

Note Card Format Of Mice and Men Steinbeck 15 character Last name of author quoted & page # of quotation Title of the work in which quotation is found Of Mice and Men Steinbeck 15 character “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place.” [ This shows how George and Lennie, because of who they are, feel that they don’t fit in the way society expects MG them to fit in.] Quotation, Paraphrase, or Concrete Detail Topic of quotation Commentary concerning quotation or concrete detail Student initials

Organizing Note Cards Review note cards: Examine topics of the quotation on each note card. Categorize: Separate note cards according to the topic of quotation Analyze: Which topics yield the most note cards? Choose: The three-four topics with the most note cards are the ones you should use.

Writing the Thesis Review: Reflect on the common theme, message, or position focused on when choosing sources. Analyze: Survey the top three-four topics (points that further your position on your main issue) chosen that support & qualify the common theme, message, or position. Synthesize: Write your thesis statement answering this question—

Thesis Question What is the position you take on the issue of _____, what are the causes, and how does society address and attempt to solve the issue?

Outlining the Paper Intro Paragraph: includes brief explanation of issue & thesis (position). Body paragraphs: each includes two secondary (info) source CD’s and one primary (novel) source CD. BP1 Topic: background of issue BP2 Topic: causes of issue BP3 Topic: individual steps taken to eliminate or alleviate issue BP4 Topic: community solutions to attempt to solve issue Concluding Paragraph: As young adults, what can you do to ensure the awareness of future generations? Sums up entire paper without repeating key words or phrases. Goes Global! Big Picture!

MLA Format: First Page Double Spacing ½” Header 1” 1” ½” Indent 1”

MLA Format: Quoted Material Can be single word or entire paragraph Choose carefully Keep as brief as possible Be careful NOT to MISQUOTE Check cap., punc., sp. Clearly mark changes for your readers Changes within quotation enclosed in brackets [like this] Source info enclosed in parentheses at end of quot. before closing punc. (like this).

MLA Format: Short Quotations If a quotation is four typed lines or fewer, work it into the body of your paper and put quotation marks around it. Paraphrase less than three lines Source info in parentheses Direct quotation worked into sentence Author not included in parenthetical—already mentioned in sentence

MLA Format: Long Quotations More than four typed lines Indent 10 spaces Do NOT use quotation marks Debussey: Use colon to introduce quotation Indent 10 spaces (2 tabs) Set off quotation more than four typed lines Do NOT use quotation marks Parentheticals placed AFTER closing punc.

MLA Format: Quoting Poetry Three or less lines of poetry—work into body of paper Use diagonal (/) to show where each line of the poem ends Place line numbers in parentheticals instead of page numbers For four or more lines of poetry, follow rules for LONG quotations

MLA Format: Quoting Poetry Four or more lines—indent 10 spaces Line #’s in parentheses after closing punctuation Three or less lines—work into sentence Line #’s in parentheses before closing punctuation Diagonal to separate lines of poetry

MLA: Works Cited Page Lists all sources cited in paper Begin on new page (the next page after text of paper) Page # continues from last page of text Center title: Works Cited one inch from top Begin each entry at left margin Subsequent lines of each entry indented five spaces All uniformly double-spaced Each entry listed alphabetically (excluding A, An, The)

Another work by same author ½” Header Title centered Alpha- order 1” Double spaced Page # con’t. ½” Another work by same author All Double spaced Alpha- order 1” 1”

www.easybib.com Additional Resources This website is most useful in helping you to correctly format your paper according to MLA standards

Works Consulted Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 4th. ed. New York: MLA of America, 1995. Meyer, Michael. “The Literary Research Paper.” The Bedford Intorduction to Literature. 6th. ed. Boston: St. Martin’s P, 2002. 2165-84. Sebranek, Patrick, Dave Kemper, and Verne Meyer. “MLA Documentation Style.” Writers INC. Wilmington, Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin, 2001. 259-83.