A Thesis is a single, concise, grammatically correct sentence that presents the argument that you prove in your research paper.

This sentence should be declarative and in the third person, active voice.

The thesis should clearly present your point of view, and usually appears as the last or second to last sentence in the first paragraph.

Use a Because Statement to create your thesis.For example: Because of growing fears of global

warming, the government should implement mandatory recycling program in all of its offices.

Your research paper should be 2-5 pages if you are in the non-language class.

You will need to choose relevant and credible sources to help you prove your thesis.

Students in the non-language class use at least 1 source from each category.

1 primary source -an interview or survey 1 Internet source -from a .edu, .gov, .mil, or .us OR

a preapproved .com, .net, or .org *never an editable website

1 written source -scholarly journals, books, or newspapers. *no reference books

An annotated bibliography is an MLA formatted citation, followed by a brief description/evaluation of the source (about 150 words; 4-6 clear concise sentences.) 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 Please remember that these are sources that you

plan to use in your paper.

How to set up your Annotated Bibliography & Works Cited

page The title of each page should be centered without italics,

underlines, or quotations. The annotation begins on a separate line than the

citation. The citations and annotations are indented after the first

line. Before going to a second line, fill the first to the margin.

As on the Works Cited page, all citations should appear on the Annotated Bibliography in alphabetical order by author’s last name.

Like a sentence, every citation ends with a period. Remember, like all MLA documents, the Annotated

Bibliography should be double spaced and in 12 point Times New Roman font. It should also have 1 inch margins.

When writing your annotated Bibliography, formal writing must be used. For example, use 3rd person without slang or abbreviations .

Basic formula to citing in MLA formatAuthor’s last name, author’s first name.

Title. City where the work was published: Publisher, year published.

Smith, Mary. The Truth in Lying. Chicago: Putmun, 1999.

How to Cite on your Works Cited page & Annotated Bibliography

Author’s last name

Comma

Author’s first name

Underlined Title of work

City where work was published Publishin

g company

Year published(most recent)

Author info Title info Publishing information

PeriodPeriod

coloncomma Period

Book with one authorAuthor’s last name, author’s first name. Title. City where the work was published: Publisher, year published.Keating, James. Building a Future Today. New York: HarperCollins, 1992.Book with 2-3 authors1st Author’s last name, author’s first name,2nd author’s first name last name, and 3rd author’s first name last name. Title. City where the work was published: Publisher, year published.Hutts, Kenneth, James Harper, and Ben Jameson. Reading for Today. Cambridge: Harvard College, 2003.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.James, Kate, et al. Technology in the Classroom. New York: HarperCollins, 1998.

Citing format and examples

Survey Surveyor’s last name, first name. “Title of survey.” Survey. City

where it was given: Location, year published.Thompson, Lindsey.”Research Methods.” Survey. Dunmore:

Marywood University, 2009.Book with author and editorAuthor’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 published.

Genner, Gerald. Cities with Crime. Ed. Carry Early. New York: Putnum, 2002.

InterviewPerson interviewed’s last name, first name. Mode of interview.

Date interviewed.Mataloni, Patricia. Telephone Interview. 21 Septemeber, 2009.Internet siteAuthor’s last name, Author’s first name. “Title of article.” Ed.

Editor’s first name last name. Date site was updated/copyrighted. Name of sponsoring website. Date the information was retrieved by researcher <full URL>.

Burke, Jennifer.”Schooling for the future.” Ed. Tyler Simpson. August 2007. Susquehanna University. 2 October 2009 <http://www.susqu.edu/education/article/future>.

Magazine

Author’s last name, Author’s first name. “Name of article.” Name of Publication. Date of issue: Pages.

Stevens, Lauren.”Researching the Past.” Teaching Pre-k through 6. September 2007: 19-23.

Journal

Author’s last name, Author’s first name.”Title of article.” Name of Journal. Issue/volume number (Date published) : Pages.

DeSota, Gary. “Using advertisements in your Favor.” Professional Quarterly. 11 (Spring 1999): 2000-2031.

Newspaper article

Author’s last name, Author’s first name. “Title of article.” Name of Newspaper. Date published: Section Page.

Brown, Andrea.”Schools for the Children.” New York Times. 23 September 2007: D 19.

Smith, Mary. The Truth in Lying. Chicago: Putmun, 1999. Smith’s book focused on a study that evaluated the reactions of adolescents faced with the decision to lie or to tell the truth. This book supports the concept of the relationship between lying to a child & his/ her recognition of the benefits of lying for self preservation. Also, the study shows despite a child’s lack of life experience, he/she still knows that lying goes against acceptable behavior. Ms. Smith has a Doctorate in Child Psychology and is a Professor at Brown University. Interestingly enough, these traits appear in children as young as eighteen months of age.

EXAMPLECitation Focus of

SourceRelation to my topic

Author’s authority/credibility

Observations

Notice that all lines after the first are indented.

Microsoft Office Word Document

The proposal consists of the thesis and the outline of your paper.

The outline is a way to organize your thoughts for your paper, so you should follow your basic outline when writing your research paper.

When creating your outline, the first and last Roman numeral will be “Introduction” and “Conclusion.”

Please remember 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. Microsoft Office

Word Document

Formatting 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.)

The heading, which appears on the left side, includes your name, the teacher’s name, the class, and the date (day month year.)

The title is centered (not underlined, in quotations, or italicized)

Paraphrase Verse Direct Quote Paraphrasing is when you take

information from a source and put it all into your own words.

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.

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.

**We always cite both!!

Citing in text (parenthetically) Remember if you are using another person’s

words or ideas, you must give him/her credit by citing the work parenthetically in the text and on the Works Cited page. Whether you are using a direct quote, word for word, or paraphrasing, putting the sources ideas in your own words, you must cite!

When citing in text, the author’s last name and page number should be in parentheses following the paraphrased or quoted information.

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.

Examples of Parenthetical Citations

“It has been evident to this committee that the guilty verdict passed down from the lower court will be upheld” (George 234).

Despite the evidence presented by the defense attorney, the New Jersey Supreme Court decided to agree with the district court. Because of this, Kennedy was once again declared guilty (George 234).

According to Herman George, the author of A Man of Guilt, both the District and Supreme Courts decided the evidence against him was sufficient, so he was convicted on all charges (234).

The following are examples of three ways to cite the same information. Notice all give credit to the author and provide the page number where the information came from.

Works Cited Page The Works Cited page is the last page of your

research paper. The font is still Times New Roman point 12,

everything is double spaced, and margins are still one inch on all sides.

Since it is a part of your research paper, a new heading is not included on the Works Cited page, and the page numbers (in the header) continue from the prior page.

Entries are not separated according to whether they are primary or secondary, and they are not numbered or bulleted.

All sources are cited in alphabetical order by the author’s last name. If there is no author, an entry is alphabetized by its title.

Citations are in the same format as on the Annotated Bibliography (refer back to entry notes).

Microsoft Office Word Document

Test Review What is a thesis? What is presented in a

thesis? Can you use reference

books as a source? What is an Annotated

Bibliography? Why have an Annotated

Bibliography? What elements go into

an Annotated Bibliography?

How do you organize citations?

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.

An annotated bibliography is an MLA formatted citation, followed by a brief description/evaluation of the source (about 150 words; 4-6 clear concise sentences.)

The annotation should inform the reader of the source’s relevance, accuracy, & quality.

The annotation should include the following: a summary of the source, relevance of the source to your topic, credibility of the source’s author, conclusions/observations reached by the author and/or reader.

All sources are cited in alphabetical order by the author’s last name.

What should every citation end with?

Does the annotation continue on the same line as the citation?

What is the format of the Annotated Bib?

How is citing a book with one author different from citing a book with 4+?

How do you cite an Internet source?

What number goes in the header of the Works cited page?

Like a sentence, every citation ends with a period.

The annotation begins on a separate line than the citation, and citations & annotations are indented after the first line.

The Annotated Bibliography is double spaced and in 12 point Times New Roman font. It should also have 1 inch margins, and we must use formal writing must be used. For example, use 3rd person without slang or abbreviations .

Keating, James. Building a Future Today. New York: HarperCollins, 1992.

James, Kate, et al. Technology in the Classroom. New York: HarperCollins, 1998.

Author’s last name, Author’s first name. “Title of article.” Ed. Editor’s first name last name. Date site was updated/copyrighted. Name of sponsoring website. Date the information was retrieved by researcher <full URL>.

Since it is a part of your research paper, the page numbers (in the header) continue from the prior page.

Why do we need a 2 if we have a 1?

What kind of outline are we doing?

Why use an outline? What is a header &

when do you use it? What is the

difference between a direct quote & a paraphrase?

Why would you give the source’s name in text instead of with the page number?

Please remember you must have at least two elements to break down a topic.

Remember we are making a topic outline, not a sentence outline.

The outline is a way to organize your thoughts for your paper.

In an MLA formatted paper, 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.)

You must give a source credit by citing the work parenthetically in the text and on the Works Cited page. Whether you are using a direct quote, the source’s info word for word in quotation marks, or paraphrasing, putting the sources ideas in your own words, you must cite!

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.