BHSMS. PENNELL

2013

A Brief Intro to Research

Research Writing …

A research paper is the culmination and final product of an involved process of research, critical thinking, source evaluation, organization, and composition. It is, perhaps, helpful to think of the research paper as a living thing, which grows and changes as the student explores, interprets, and evaluates sources related to a specific topic.

Primary and Secondary Sources …

Primary and secondary sources are the heart of a research paper, and provide its nourishment; without the support of and interaction with these sources, the research paper would morph into a different genre of writing (e.g., an encyclopedic article).

Primary sources give firsthand information, while secondary sources provide interpretations, explanations, and comments on material from primary and other secondary resources.

Research Makes Students Experts …

The research paper serves not only to further the field in which it is written, but also to provide the student with an exceptional opportunity to increase her or his knowledge in that field. It is also possible to identify a research paper by what it is not.

Plagiarism …

Research-based writing in American institutions, both educational and corporate, is filled with rules that writers, particularly beginners, aren't aware of or don't know how to follow. Many of these rules have to do with research and proper citation. Gaining familiarity with these rules, however, is critically important, as inadvertent mistakes can lead to charges of plagiarism, which is the uncredited use (both intentional and unintentional) of somebody else's words or ideas.

While some rhetorical traditions may not insist so heavily on documenting sources of words, ideas, images, sounds, etc., American academic rhetorical tradition does. A charge of plagiarism can have severe consequences, including expulsion from a university or loss of a job, not to mention a writer's loss of credibility and professional standing.

MLA Formatting: The Basics

MLA format follows the author-page method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must appear in the text, and a complete reference should appear on your Works Cited page. The author's name may appear either in the sentence itself or in parentheses following the quotation or paraphrase, but the page number(s) should always appear in the parentheses, not in the text of your sentence.

Internal Citations or Parenthetical Citations or In-Text Citations … Three examples

Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (263).

Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263).

Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the creative process (263).

If the author’s name is in the text preceding the quote and the parenthetical citation, then all that is required in the parenthetical citation is the page number the text was found on.If the author’s name is not in the text preceding the quote or in the quote itself, then the writer must include the last name of the author as well as the page number from where the quote came from.Even if a writer of research is paraphrasing an author, the page number must be documented. If the name of the author is not stated in the paraphrase, then the last name would be required in the parenthesis as well.

Formatting Short Quotes …

Short quotationsTo indicate short quotations (fewer than four typed lines of prose or three lines of verse) in your text, enclose the quotation within double quotation marks. Provide the author and specific page citation (in the case of verse, provide line numbers) in the text, and include a complete reference on the Works Cited page. Punctuation marks such as periods, commas, and semicolons should appear after the parenthetical citation. Question marks and exclamation points should appear within the quotation marks if they are a part of the quoted passage but after the parenthetical citation if they are a part of your text.For example, when quoting short passages of prose, use the following examples:

According to some, dreams express "profound aspects of personality" (Foulkes 184), though others disagree.According to Foulkes's study, dreams may express "profound aspects of personality" (184).Is it possible that dreams may express "profound aspects of personality" (Foulkes 184)?

Formatting Long Quotes …

Long quotationsFor quotations that are more than four lines of prose or three lines of verse, place quotations in a free-standing block of text and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, with the entire quote indented one inch from the left margin; maintain double-spacing. Only indent the first line of the quotation by an additional quarter inch if you are citing multiple paragraphs. Your parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation mark. When quoting verse, maintain original line breaks. (You should maintain double-spacing throughout your essay.)For example, when citing more than four lines of prose, use the following examples:

Nelly Dean treats Heathcliff poorly and dehumanizes him throughout her narration:

They entirely refused to have it in bed with them, or even in their room, and I had no more sense, so, I put it on the landing of the stairs, hoping it would be gone on the morrow. By chance, or else attracted by hearing his voice, it crept to Mr. Earnshaw's door, and there he found it on quitting his chamber. Inquiries were made as to how it got there; I was obliged to confess, and in recompense for my cowardice and inhumanity was sent out of the house. (Bronte 78)

Maintain double spacing

Make sure your parenthetical citation goes after the end punctuation mark of the quote.

Adding transitions to quotes: lead ins and lead outs

When a student quotes a source, s/he must remember to include a transition linking the quote to the student’s research paper. Many students think it is acceptable to have a long list of quotes without this type of explanation, but it is not.

Research writing builds on the work of others – it is critical for a student to include his or her thoughts on the research being commented on.

Adding transitions to quotes: lead ins and lead outs

Transitions help link previous work from other scholars to a student’s work. Here are some examples of transitions or lead-ins or lead-outs in research writing:

Human beings have been described by Kenneth Burke as "symbol-using animals" (3).

Readers can see that the writer is using the concept of human beings as symbol-using animals as discussed by Burke to build on another concept.

Adding transitions to quotes: lead ins and lead outs

Below is an example of a transition or lead-in and a lead-out to a quote:

Although some medical ethicists claim that cloning will lead to designer children (R. Miller 12), others note that the advantages for medical research outweigh this consideration (A. Miller 46).

The writer is free now to build onto both of these concepts and viewpoints.

Works Cited"Blueprint Lays Out Clear Path for Climate Action." Environmental Defense Fund. Environmental Defense Fund, 8 May 2007. Web. 24 May 2009.Clinton, Bill. Interview by Andrew C. Revkin. “Clinton on Climate Change.” New York Times. New York Times, May 2007. Web. 25 May 2009.Dean, Cornelia. "Executive on a Mission: Saving the Planet." New York Times. New York Times, 22 May 2007. Web. 25 May 2009.Ebert, Roger. "An Inconvenient Truth." Rev. of An Inconvenient Truth, dir. Davis Guggenheim. rogerebert.com. Sun-Times News Group, 2 June 2006. Web. 24 May 2009.GlobalWarming.org. Cooler Heads Coalition, 2007. Web. 24 May 2009.Gowdy, John. "Avoiding Self-organized Extinction: Toward a Co-evolutionary Economics of Sustainability." International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology 14.1 (2007): 27-36. Print.Leroux, Marcel. Global Warming: Myth Or Reality?: The Erring Ways of Climatology. New York: Springer, 2005. Print.Uzawa, Hirofumi. Economic Theory and Global Warming. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2003. Print.

Example of a Works Cited Page …

Pay close attention to how books are cited …

Basic Format The author’s name or a book with a single author's name appears in

last name, first name format. The basic form for a book citation is:

Lastname, Firstname. Title of Book. City of Publication: Publisher, Year

of Publication. Medium of Publication.

Examples:

Gleick, James. Chaos: Making a New Science. New York: Penguin,

1987. Print.

Henley, Patricia. The Hummingbird House. Denver: MacMurray, 1999.

Print.

Eliminate Fragments …

15. By displaying and selling their work at crafts fairs. Artisans given people across the country to admire and purchase their works.

By displaying and selling their work at crafts fairs, artisans given people across the country to admire and purchase their works.

Eliminate Fragments …

16. There are many different types of crafts: ceramics, weaving, knitting, and painting are just a few examples.

17. One of my favorite crafts fairs is held every summer in the Berkshire Mountains in Massachusetts.

18. Glassware, rugs, tapestries, vases, and colorful prints are some of the many types of works from which you can choose.

19. One of the artists had the perfect gift for my younger brother which was to display paintings based on nursery rhymes.

Re-Write to Eliminate Comma Splices …

John is always late for work, nobody seems to care.

John is always late for work, but nobody seems to care.

Although hot summer weather is nice, it can be dangerous for various groups of people when certain temperatures get too high.

Emily is in a great deal of pain because she broke her ankle over the weekend.

Re-Write to Eliminate Run-ons …

Our solar system has nine major planets, but only one is known to have intelligent life.

Most asteroids are small and far away; therefore, they are dim and hard to see.

If you look through Angelo’s telescope, you can see Saturn’s rings.

What is the difference between a phrase and a clause?

Phrase – a phrase is a related unit of words that will never contain both a subject and a verb.

A clause is a related unit of words that will always have both a subject and a verb. Independent Clauses Dependent Clauses

Noun, Adverb, and Adjective Dependent Clauses

Underline/Italicize versus Quotation Marks!

Underline/Italicize Quotation Marks

Book Titles or Novel Title Any short work:

Plays Short StoryEpics Poems PoemMovies Song TitleNewspapers Any ArticleMagazines