The Research Essay

There are several steps to the research essay!:

* FIVE “WORKS CITED” CARDS

* ANNOTATED “WORKS CITED”

* 60 NOTE CARDS

* OPENING PARAGRAPH/OUTLINE

* WRITE ESSAY USING NOTE CARDS AND PARENTHETICAL DOCUMENTATION

* “WORKS CITED” PAGE

* SUBMIT FINAL DRAFT WITH finalized OUTLINE, RESEARCH ESSAY & WORKS CITED PAGE as well as any drafts of preliminary work involved in the final product.

“WORKS CITED” CARDS

• You should have 5 sources (minimum)• Using the MLA format for bibliographic

entries

(Letter)

Bibliographic Entry.

FRONT OF CARD

A few sentences explaining how this resource will be helpful in the completion of your essay.

BACK OF CARD

Sample WORKS CITED Card

FRONT

A

Ferris, Timothy. “Edgar Allan

Poe’s Wonderful Year.”

Literature Abounds.

Nov. 1984: 61-63.

This magazine article details the last year of Edgar Allan Poe’s life. It examines the difficulties that he experienced throughout his life. This is helpful in understanding why his writing is so gloomy and depressing.

BACK

ANNOTATED “WORKS CITED” PAGE

• Place your WORKS CITED cards in alphabetical order by the first word of each entry.

• DOUBLE SPACE each bibliographic entry and SINGLE SPACE each annotation.

• You should have at least FIVE entries with an annotation for each.

LastName #

Annotated Works Cited

Ferris, Timothy. “Edgar Allan Poe’s Wonderful Years.” Literature Abounds. Nov.

1984: 61-63.

This magazine article details the last year of Poe’s life. It examines the difficulties of his life. This is helpful in understanding why his writing is so gloomy and depressing.

Lessing, Doris. A Small Personal Voice: Annabel Lee. New York: Knopf, 1974.

This journal explores the relationship between Poe and Annabel Lee. Their relationship had a significant impact on his poetry writing.

“Poe’s Impact is felt by all.” New York Times June 30, 1970: A20.

This article details the way in which Edgar Allan Poe is ingrained in our world. It identifies companies and shows that utilize the ideas and archetypes present in Poe’s work.

NOTE CARDS• Write bibliography source letter in upper right

hand corner (just like on WORKS CITED cards).• Focus on only one idea/piece of info per card.• Make a conscious effort to use your own words

when you take notes.• Complete sentences are not necessary.• Enclose direct quotes in quotation marks.• Write page number in upper left corner of note

card so you can locate information again.• When all is said & done, you should have 60

note cards.• Each note card should fit into your outline

somewhere!

Types of Note Cards

• DIRECT QUOTE– Word for word– In quotation marks

• PARAPHRASE– Summary of a

paragraph in your own words

– Read…close book…jot notes

• STATISTICS– List stats as needed– Explain content of

chart or graph

• BRIEF NOTES– General knowledge

information– Background notes– Biographical facts

THESIS STATEMENT• The thesis statement

should include the following:– What you are planning on

proving– The various supporting

aspects of your research, which will make up the main aspects of your outline

– This is your “road map” which will direct the layout of your outline.

PRELIMINARY OUTLINE• This is a working outline. It may change over

the course of your research. • Try to find information to cover each aspect of

your outline.• Use internet resources for information on writing

an outline.• Think about best order for presenting

information.• Think about what evidence/focus points will

support your thesis.

The Research Essay• Organize note cards according to outline.

– Label an envelope with a section of the outline.– Go through notecards one by one.– Place notecards in their respective envelope.

• Check for a relatively even distribution of note cards throughout essay.

• If sections of outline are lacking information, you need to “beef” them up with a bit more research.

• Once you have enough information, WRITE THAT ESSAY!WRITE THAT ESSAY!

• We will be discussing Parenthetical Documentation; note cards will be important when we do this!!