research paper step-by-step. formatting first, paginate. here’s how: 1. open a new document in...

Research Paper Step-by-Step

Formatting First, paginate. Heres how: 1. Open a new document in Word and, first, set the font to Times New Roman 12 pt. 2. Click the Insert tab 3. Click Page Number

4. Click Top of Page 5. Click Plain Number 3 6. Type your last name in front of the 1, with a space between. (Now your last name will appear on every page with the page number in sequence.) 7. Click below the line to get out of the header mode.

Double-space the entire paper before you even start writing: 8. Click the Home tab. 9. Click on the corner of the Paragraph box.

10. Choose Double from the Line spacing drop-down window. Check the box for Dont add space between paragraphs of the same style.

11. Type your personal info. on the left, BELOW the imaginary line, so its NOT part of the header (otherwise, it would appear on every page). The personal info. goes only on the first page. You have just set the entire paper to be double-spaced in Step 8-10, so dont do any extra spacing when you type your personal info. Just type it, so that the paper is double-spaced evenly all the way down (no extra white space in the personal info. or before/after the title). Your Name Teacher Name Course Name Day Month (full spelling) Year (no comma)

12. Give your paper a title and center it. Your title can simply be your topic (e.g., The Media in World War II) or something more clever. This title should NOT be enlarged, NOT underlined, and NOT put into quotation marks.

13. Save the document to your network H:\ drive. CAUTION: there are two folders with your initials & ID#. You must save to the H:\ drive initials & ID#, not the desktop one. If you save to the desktop one, it will not be there when you log back on, and technology CANNOT retrieve it! Call the file Research Paper. For back-up: also e-mail it to yourself using Pirate e-mail or Google. Or save it to your own thumb drive. Get into the habit of saving everything in more than one placeyou dont want the stress of losing files because you didnt back them up.

Writing the Essay 1. Make sure you have set the font to Times New Roman 12 pt. for the whole paper (you already should have set it on Step 1 of the formatting). 2. Go to the next line under your title. Make sure the cursor isnt centered anymore. 3. Hit the TAB button to indent the first line of your first paragraph. Type your thesis statement from your outline packet. If you didnt do your outline packet, then write your thesis statement now. Remember, a thesis statement

A thesis statement: is 1-2 sentences in which you take a position on the topic must be appropriate for the sources youve summarized (what are your sources collectively proving?) must be about the media must be an arguable opinion of yours (others could disagree) will be supported by each paragraph of your paper Student Example

A thesis statement: Student Example: In wartime, the peoples right to know isnt as important as national security and the safety of the troops. For that reason, it was a good idea that the medias coverage of World War II was censored, leaving out the details of the war and mostly focusing on what citizens could do to support the troops. If you cant think of one yet, skip down to the next item and come back to the thesis later when you have a better idea of what your sources are collectively proving.

4. Get out your Annotated Bibliographies (Part 1 and Part 2) or your printed articles. 5. After your thesis statement, go to the next line and hit the TAB button to start a second paragraph, where you will put your first piece of information from an article to support your thesisthe next slide will show you how

You will sandwich the information between a top layer of where it comes from (signal phrase) and a bottom layer of opinion. Start setting up the sandwich like this: The top bread: This is very short. It is called the signal phrase. Tell what author--or article title if no author--the information comes from (you may get this from your Annotated Bibliographies). Also put says Student Example: Harry Henderson says Unknown Author: The article Perspectives and Issues says

The meat: After the top bread, summarize the information from the article or use an exact quote--or a mix of both (you may get this from your Annotated Bibliographies). Make sure you dont create sentence fragments. Student Example of an Exact Quote: Harry Henderson says, All these channels of information can be tapped by people interested in persuading other people, thanks to technology like the Internet. Student Example of a Summary: Harry Henderson says that there are so many ways the average person can try to convince the public, thanks to technology like the Internet.

The bottom bread give your opinion about the information/meat that you just put (you may get this from your evaluations on your Annotated Bibliographies). * It is very important that you distinguish where your opinion sentences begin. You dont want the reader to think your opinions are the authors, so start your opinion by commenting on the author, similar to this: - This author (or this article) makes a good point because - This author (or this article) is not very reasonable because - Do NOT start with I think (I, me, my are too informal for a research paper).

Student Example of Bottom Bread: This author makes a good point because reporting seems to have become something that anybody with a blog can do, whether they are qualified to comment on current events or not.

The whole paragraph sandwich would look like this: Harry Henderson says that there are so many ways the average person can try to convince the public, thanks to technology like the Internet. This author makes a good point because reporting seems to have become something that anybody with a blog can do, whether they are qualified to comment on current events or not.

At the end of class each day, make sure you save again to your H drive. For back-up, also e-mail it to yourself using Pirate e-mail or Google. Or save it to your own thumb drive. Get into the habit of saving everything in more than one placeyou dont want the stress of losing files because you didnt back them up.

6. Go to the next line and hit the TAB button to start the next paragraph, where you will put your next piece of information from an article. Follow the sandwich procedure from the previous steps for every paragraph of your paper as you continue to put in information from articles. Without the top bread/signal phrase, you are plagiarizingeven if youre summarizing instead of using an exact quote.

The top bread/signal phrase doesnt always have to be so-and-so says. Choose from these words, so you dont use says too often: acknowledgesaddsadmitsagrees arguesassertsbelievesclaims commentscomparesconfirmscontends declaresdeniesdisputesemphasizes endorsesgrantsillustratesimplies insistsnotesobservespoints out reasonsrefutesrejectsreports respondssuggeststhinkswrites Student Example: Harry Henderson asserts

Amounts 1. The final draft must be 4-6 pages, depending on the grade you want. I wont accept fewer than 4 full pages (not counting the Works Cited page). Every page must be double-spaced, Times New Roman 12-point font, with no oversized margins. If you turn in a paper that doesnt meet those requirements, it will be handed back to you with a zero until you fix it. 2. You must use 5 or more authors/articles in 5 or more different places in your paper. Every place you mention one, it must be easily found in the Works Cited page at the end of your paper.

3. You must use an exact quote from at least 3 of those 5 articles. There is no limit to how many times you can use exact quotes, but they should NOT go past four lines long. Do NOT use back- to-back exact quotes. 4. Your paper must have ONE and only ONE long quote. See the 7 Deadly MLA Rules later in this slideshow for how to do long quotes. 5. You must give your opinion in every paragraph about the information there. You must distinguish where your opinion sentences begin with something like This author (or this article) makes a good point because

Grading The Final Draft gets three major grades: the Contract Grade, the Product Grade, and the Form Grade. 1. Contract Grade The contract grade will be determined by the turning in of your paper on time and on the following:

You may not contract for a lower grade than 80; therefore, the 80 requirements are the minimum requirements. For example, if you try to turn in a 3 -page paper, it will be handed back to you with a zero until you add what is missing. Or if you turn in a paper with only 2 authors or articles mentioned, it will be a zero until you add what is missing. You may still earn less than an 80 because 5 points will be deducted each day until you add what is missing. Unlike other assignments, you cannot perform below the standard and just accept whatever grade you get. If you never meet the minimum requirements of the Contract Grade, you will take zeroes on all three major grades (Contract, Product, and Form), which means you will fail and not graduate.

2. Product Grade The product grade will be based on how well you develop your thesis. Make sure your thesis statement is persuasive, make sure the body of the paper supports your thesis with reasons and evidence, and make sure there are no fragments, run-ons, awkward sentences, or spelling errors. See the rest of this slideshow for help on this.

3. Form Grade The form grade will be given according to how well you follow that nitpicky MLA format for the sandwich method, the works cited page, exact quotes, etc. You will fail this part if you do not pay close attention to the details of MLA format. See the rest of this slideshow for help on this.

Due Date: The Final Draft is due Friday, February 14, 2014. There is only a two-day window after that for lateness. You must turn in your paper by then, even if it is incomplete. Turning it in by the deadline is required for graduation. Leading up to the deadline, there will be separate due dates and grades for progress on the rough draft.

When You Summarize You can NOT simply copy all the information you want to useyou must word it in a different way. Here is how to summarize an article without plagiarizing it: 1. Read the part you want to use. 2. Look away from it. Then write what you remember in your own words. 3. Then compare your version with the original to make sure youve changed the words and their order, so that you are giving the same information but in alternative style (like retelling a story your own way).

4. Remember, you do NOT have to change words like numbers, dates, names of people, companies, organizations, cities, countries, or other proper nouns, names of religions, races, species, titles of books, films, or albums. Follow these instructions carefully! I can tell if you plagiarized even if Turnitin.com doesnt catch it! I only use Turnitin.com as a tool. If it says you didnt plagiarize, but you actually did, I will still catch it myself.

When You Quote Exactly Your exact quotes must be done correctly: 1.Comma after says, and a capital letter to begin the quote. Student Example: Gene Busnar asserts, The Beatles neat, cuddly image was easy to caricature. 2.No comma after says that and no capital letter beginning the quote. Student Example: Alan Axelrod adds that at this point the feud had begun.

3. When you blend an exact quote into your own words, make sure it flows grammatically and use no comma and no capital letter. Student Example: According to John Hudson, King Henrys attempt at transferring these cases was seen to Thomas as a distinct threat to the churchs independence from secular authority.

4. It is okay to put in a quote in the middle of a paragraph, as long as you put a top bread/signal phrase. Student Example: Frederick Lane believes roughly the equivalent of installing a gazillion-channel television set for each employee. Frederick Lane believes that the personal computer has posed new challenges for employers worried about workplace productivity. Technology has become so sophisticated that it now makes non- work-related computer activities easy and inviting. Giving employees access to the Internet is roughly the equivalent of installing a gazillion-channel television set for each employee. The author makes a good point because employees are not being paid to play around, yet that is what essentially happens in most businesses.

5. There is no limit to how many times you can use exact quotes, but they should not go past four lines long. Do not use back-to-back exact quotes because that is equivalent to having one quote that is too long.Student Example: Jonathan Frakes says, The Crusades were a series of Holy Wars launched against the Muslims. In 1065, Jerusalem was taken by the Turks. Three thousand Christians were massacred (Smith). Brent McFadden says, The defeat of the Byzantine army led the Byzantine emperor to appeal to the pope for aid against the Muslims.

When Giving Your Opinions If you arent sure what opinions to give about the information you use in a paragraph, try answering a couple of these questions: 1. Do you agree with the author? Why? 2. Does the author seem biased or overly emotional about the topic? How? 3. How does the information compare to your personal experience? 4. How does the information compare to what goes on in the world?

1. You MUST give a signal phrasee.g. Harry Henderson saysfor every piece of information you include from a source NO MATTER WHAT: When you quote directly When you summarize/put it in your own words When you give statistics ANYTHING THAT ISNT COMMON KNOWLEDGE! 7 Deadly MLA Rules If the author is unknown, you must give the article title: The article Perspectives and Issues says

You quote directly: Harry Henderson says, Out of this torrent of stories, all delivered in about the same tone of importance, it has become hard to tell what really is important. You summarize: Harry Henderson discusses how difficult it is now to determine what information really matters because of the way the news floods us with current events and makes them all seem equally significant. OR

The signal phrase Harry Henderson says indicates that the information came from his article, not from you. Since you gave the authors name, the reader can look up the source in your Works Cited page at the end of your paper. The name in your signal phrase MUST be easily found in your Works Cited page alphabetically.

Works Cited Cunningham, Erin. Egypts Jon Stewart Treads Carefully. Post 25 Oct. 2013. Student Resources in Context. Web. 28 Henderson, Harry. Perspectives and Issues. Power of the News New York: Facts on File, 2004. Student Resources in 13 Nov. 2012. Killough, Ashley. North Carolina GOP Precinct Chair Resigns CNN Wire 25 Oct. 2013. Student Resources in Context. Pollak, Joel B. Krauthammer vs. Stewart on The Daily Show. Newsletter. 24 Oct. 2013. Opposing Viewpoints.in Context.

2. A parenthetical citation (Jones) is NOT needed at the end of the sentence because the author is already stated as the signal phrase. Student Example: David Jones characterizes the Europeans as hunters for gold or pursuers of fame. Unknown Author: The article Media Madness says that Americans dont think the media should be abolished, just repaired. Dont need (Jones) at the end. Dont need (Media) at the end. Article title is the signal phrase. Authors name is the signal phrase.

The signal phrase introduces the information. Readers will understand that everything in the paragraph after the name is from that source: Student Example: Students opinions about the info. cited in this paragraph go here Frederick Lane believes that the personal computer has posed new challenges for employers worried about workplace productivity. Technology has become so sophisticated that it now makes non- work-related computer activities easy and inviting. Giving employees access to the Internet is about the same as giving them their own TVs. Students opinions about the info. cited in this paragraph go here

3. Long quotes: Jones characterizes the Europeans as somewhat brutal: ---------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- --------------. Your paper must have ONE and only ONE long quote. Long quotes must go to 5th line or more, but not beyond 8 lines. Long quotes are DOUBLE indented & have NO quotation marks. Introduced w/ a complete sentence which includes the authors name and ends in a colon.

Special Situations

4. The only time to use a parenthetical citation e.g. (Jones) or (Media)at the end of a sentence is if you weaved in a piece of info. from a new source not mentioned in the signal phrase. Student Example: Stephen Braun has called caffeine the most popular drug on earth. The author has a good point because there is a coffee machine in almost every business building, and when people try to skip their morning coffee they realize they are hooked. Caffeine withdrawal symptoms include fatigue, headache, nausea, and psychological symptoms (Pendergrast). New source, different from Braun but in same paragraph.

In those cases, the parenthetical citation should only be ONE word: Student Example: Stephen Braun has called caffeine the most popular drug on earth. The author has a good point because there is a coffee machine in almost every business building, and when people try to skip their morning coffee they realize they are hooked. Caffeine withdrawal symptoms include fatigue, headache, nausea, and psychological symptoms (Pendergrast). The entire citation is the authors last name. Put the period outside, after the parenthesis. Between the last word of the sentence and the parenthesis, put a space.

In those cases, the parenthetical citation should only be ONE word: Student Example: Stephen Braun has called caffeine the most popular drug on earth. The author has a good point because there is a coffee machine in almost every business building, and when people try to skip their morning coffee they realize they are hooked. Caffeine withdrawal symptoms include fatigue, headache, nausea, and psychological symptoms (Uncommon). And make sure you use quotation marks. Lets say the new source doesnt have an author. Then use the first word of the article title (skip A and The).

5. If you have more than one article by the SAME author, the signal phrase will have to also specify the article title: Situation: If Robert Ballard wrote The Finding of the Titanic and also The Wreck of the Century, how are we to know which article you mean if you only put the author? Add the article title: Student Example: Robert Ballards article The Finding of the Titanic says, The wreck was awe inspiring.

Situation: Two articles have no author, and they are both called Caffeine Harms and Caffeine Harms. Include the magazine title or website: Student Example: The article Caffeine Harms in Science Weekly says that for those people who already lead a healthy lifestyle, drinking a little coffee will not cause heart disease. 6. What if two articles have no author, and they have exactly the same titles? The signal phrase will have to also specify the magazine title or website:

7. If you use an actual book you can hold in your hands, you must give the page number used: Situation: Youre using information from a library book called Buzz: the Science and Lore of Alcohol and Caffeine by Steve Richardson. Student Example: Steve Richardson says, Nearly all the studies linking coffee with increased cholesterol have involved unfiltered coffee (27). Include the page number where you found the information, but dont put pg.

Finishing Your Paper 1.After you finish all your paragraphs, go back up to your thesis statement and make sure it covers everything you wrote about. Also add an interesting hook before the thesis to pull in the reader. You might also have to add more sentences to your thesis to make your topic and opinion clear. 2.Go down to your last paragraph and add a concluding paragraph that sums up your paper and restates your thesis.

3. Go back through your essay and add a topic sentence before the top bread/signal phrase of each paragraph. This topic sentence should give one reason for your thesis or the aspect of your thesis that you address in that paragraph. It might also explain what the situation is with the information in that paragraph (like background). Student Example

Do this to every paragraph. Add a topic sentence to the beginning of your original paragraph: Harry Henderson says that there are so many ways the average person can try to convince the public, thanks to technology like the Internet. This author makes a good point because reporting seems to have become something that anybody with a blog can do, whether they are qualified to comment on current events or not. One author explores how the requirements of reporting are changing because of the Internet. Student Example:

4. You must reiterate your thesis in each paragraph of your essay. Go back through your essay, and at the end of every paragraph, add a sentence that restates your thesis or some aspect of it. Student Example

Student Example: One author explores how the requirements of reporting are changing because of the Internet. Harry Henderson says that there are so many ways the average person can try to convince the public, thanks to technology like the Internet. This author makes a good point because reporting seems to have become something that anybody with a blog can do, whether they are qualified to comment on current events or not. This has turned the media into an octopus with way too many tentacles to control. Do this to every paragraph. Add a sentence that restates your thesis or some aspect of it:

5. Warning: You will lose a substantial amount of points if your essay is one solid body of text with no paragraphs, or if your essay consists of extremely long paragraphs that are full of information but have only one small opinion from you. Instead, your essay should have several paragraphs (sandwiches) that each have opinions from you, as this slideshow has demonstrated.

Works Cited Page 1. After the last paragraph of your essay, hit ENTER until you get to the top of a new page. 2. You must entitle the new page Works Cited (centered).

3. Go to the next line. Make sure the cursor isnt centered anymore. 4. If you saved your Annotated Bibliography files, open both Part 1 and Part 2. Highlight/copy the source citations for only the articles that you used in your essay and paste them under Works Cited in your research paper. Student Example: Works Cited Henderson, Harry. Perspectives and Issues. Power of the News Media. New York: Facts on File, 2004. Student Resources in Context. Web. 13 Nov. 2012.

5. If you didnt save your Annotated Bibliography files, you will have to retype the source citations or cut and paste them from the articles. 6. BE CAREFUL! The Works Cited page is where many students lose the most points! If you kept your graded Working Bibliography (your old list of sources), get it out and follow the corrections I made for the sources that you used in your essay, so you dont make the same mistakes on your Works Cited page. If you dont have a graded Working Bibliography, or if you used any sources not on that list, follow the formats below

If you got the article from a website found through Google (no more than three), you must type the citation information like this: Author(s) if given (name reversed, comma between). Article Title in Quotation Marks with First Letters of Words Capitalized. Website Title (this should never be Google because Google is only the search engine that took you to the website) Underlined with First Letters of Words Capitalized (if none given, put the words Home page). Sponsor of the Site (if none given, skip to the next part), and last update (if no date given, put the letters n.d.). The word Web. Day Month (abbreviated) Year that you accessed the article. Student Example: Kehoe, Bobby. Secrets of the Preseli Blue Stones. Stonehenge Universe. TechMedia Network, 22 Oct. 2009. Web. 11 Nov. 2009.

If you got the article from the News section of the database or the Magazine section, you must type the citation information like this: Author(s) if given (name reversed, comma between). Article Title in Quotation Marks with First Letters of Words Capitalized. Newspaper or Magazine Title Underlined with First Letters of Words Capitalized Day Month (abbreviated) Year of the newspaper or magazine: page. Name of Database Underlined with First Letters of Words Capitalized. The word Web. Day Month (abbreviated) Year that you accessed the article. Student Example: Jefferson, Steve. Senate Passes the Pro-Abortion Mikulski Amendment. Life Science Weekly 15 Dec. 2009: 23. Student Resources in Context. Web. 17 Dec. 2009.

If you got the article from the Academic Journals section of the database, you must type the citation information like this: Author(s) if given (name reversed, comma between). Article Title in Quotation Marks with First Letters of Words Capitalized. Academic Journal Title Underlined with First Letters of Words Capitalized Volume.Issue (Year of publication in parentheses): pages. Name of Database Underlined with First Letters of Words Capitalized. The word Web. Day Month (abbreviated) Year that you accessed the article. Student Example: McCrery, James, and John Wickey. Abortion Diminishes Us All. First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life 19.8 (2009): 3+. Student Resources in Context. Web. 17 Oct. 2009.

If the citation information uses the abbreviation Ed. (for editor), or it gives the name of a city, or it uses the word Press, that means it is from a book, not a newspaper, magazine, nor journal. You must type the citation information like this only for a book from the databases: Author(s) if given (name reversed, comma between). Article Title in Quotation Marks with First Letters of Words Capitalized. Book Title Underlined with First Letters of Words Capitalized. Editors Name in normal order. City: Publishing Company, Year. Name of Database Underlined with First Letters of Words Capitalized. The word Web. Day Month (abbreviated) Year that you accessed the article. Student Example: Harmon, Amy. Aborting a Fetus with a Genetic Disorder Is a Personal Decision. Opposing Viewpoints: Genetic Disorders. Ed. Katherine Swarts. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 17 Dec. 2009.

7. Do not number your list. Instead, list the sources in alphabetical order by authors last names (and by first word of article titles if author not given). To do this a. highlight the whole list b. click on the A over Z icon on the tool bar c. click OK. d. It doesnt work completely if you have any sources with no author. For those, youll have to cut and paste them where they belong to follow the alphabetical flow. For example, if you have a source with the last name Anderson, another source with the last name Christiansen, and an authorless source with the first word in the article title Big, youll have to cut and paste the source starting with Big in between the sources by Anderson and Christiansen.

8. The whole page must be double-spaced and have hanging indent. Heres how to set it: a. Highlight the whole list. b. Set the font to Times New Roman, 12-pt. c. Click on the corner of the Paragraph box.

d. Choose Hanging here. e. Choose Double here. f. Change After to 0 pt.

Hanging indent should look like this: - All lines are indented EXCEPT for the first line of each source. - No extra space between each source. They are double-spaced EVENLY down the page. - If the settings didnt do this for you, then do it manually with the space bar and backspace. Works Cited Stallone 6

9. Read through your essay. Every time you mention an author or article in the essay, check to make sure it is listed in your Works Cited page. If it isnt, add it to the list. If the list has a source NOT mentioned in the essay, remove that source from the list. The list must ONLY include the sources that you mentioned in your essay.

Turnitin.com Required, or your paper will NOT be graded. I can tell if you plagiarized even if Turnitin.com doesnt catch it! I only use Turnitin.com as a tool. If it says you didnt plagiarize, but you actually did, I will still catch it myself. Dont worry about the % number that Turnitin.com gives you--what matters is what it highlights in your essay. See below

1. Go to turnitin.com. 2. Type in your email. 3. Type in your password. 4. Click on English IV. 5. There are different submit buttons. Click on the Submit next to Research Paper, not the one that says Annotated Bibliography and not for the wrong period.

6. From the drop-down window, select single file upload. 7. Type in a submission title: [Your topic] Research Paper. 8. Click on Choose from this computer to locate the file to attach. 9. In your H: drive, find the file, which you should have called Research Paper. Highlight the file, and click Open. 10. Click Upload. 11. It will show you the document you just submitted. Click Submit if correct.

Checking for Plagiarism It may take 15 minutes or more for your originality report to be accessible. You may have to logout and check back later (to login again: go to turnitin.com, type in the email used above, and type in your password from above). 12. Click on Go to Portfolio. 13. Find your class period on the list, and click on the colored box next to the % number. Again, make sure you choose Research Paper, not Annotated Bibliography. 14. Your originality report will come up.

15. The % number is the percentage of your paper that Turnitin.com thinks is plagiarized. Dont worry about the % numberwhat matters is what Turnitin highlighted in your essay: Parts that Turnitin thinks are plagiarized will be highlighted and given a number. The numbers correspond to the column on the right, which contains links to sites that have those same words. Click on those links and compare your words to the sources words.

Ignore highlighted names, titles, numbers, and exact quotes. Instead, focus on the highlighted regular nouns and verbs because those are the parts that will need to be re-worded. Open your Word document of your Research Paper and re-word the necessary parts, so they are true summaries that dont use the same words as the article. Click Save again. Some links wont give you access because sometimes the source is a student from somewhere else in the country and his/her paper coincidentally uses some of the same words as you; Turnitin wont let you see his/her paper.

16. After you have fixed the plagiarized parts of your essay, re-submit it to Turnitin. 17. Warning: I will catch plagiarism that Turnitin doesnt catch, and you will still be penalized for it. Just because you did Turnitin, that doesnt mean you cant still be penalized for plagiarism. Turnitin is just a tool. Its not perfect.

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