Transcript The Writing Process1

The Writing Process
Research, Writing, and MLA
What is MLA?
MLA stands for “Modern Language
Association”
 The formatting of citations recommended
for this class is based on Modern
Language Association recommendations.
 Members of MLA come up with “rules” of
how to document research when writing a
paper. Most English classes in high
school and college follow this format.

So Why Do You Need to Know
MLA’s style of Documentation?
So glad you asked!
 You will need to know how to document
research using MLA style for all of your
English classes in high school, and
literature classes in college, and you’ll
need to know these skills for your EOCT!

The Research Paper Process
Choose a Narrow Topic
 Locate Your Sources
 Evaluate Your Sources
 Develop a Working Bibliography
 Take Notes
 Develop Your Thesis
 Avoid Plagiarism
 Outline Your Paper
 Write that Sucker!!!!

What is a Narrow Topic?
When you decide what your research topic
is going to be, you must decide if it’s too
broad, or if it is narrow enough.
 You want your topic to be as narrow as
possible without being too limiting.
 For example, let’s say you decide to do a
research paper on “Music.” This topic is
too broad. You would need to narrow it
down to a particular type of music, say
“Hip-Hop.” If you want to narrow it even
more, you could focus on the “History of
Hip-Hop.” Now that would be a paper
worth researching and reading!

Where do I look for information on
my topic?
Books
 Journals (located on Galileo)
 Magazines
 Online Journals
 Internet (BEWARE!) - - Tread lightly here!

How do I evaluate my sources?
In other words: How do I know the source is
something I can use?
The source should be authoritative.
The author should be well known in the
field. An author who has written several
books or articles about the subject or who
is frequently quoted may be considered an
authority.
The Source Should Be Reliable

If possible, avoid material from popular
magazines in favor of that from more
scholarly journals. Be especially careful to
evaluate material from on-line sources.
For example, the Web site of a well-known
university is more reliable than that of an
individual.
The Source Should be Timely

Use the most recent available, particularly
for subjects of current importance. Check
the publication date of books as well as
the month and year of publication.
The Source Should be Appropriate

Consider only material that is relevant to
the purpose of your paper. Do not waste
time on books and articles that have little
to do with your topic. If you are writing on
a controversial topic, try to include material
that represents more than one point of
view.
What is a Bibliography?
A bibliography is a working record of the
books, articles, and other sources you will
consult for your paper.
 The bibliography page of your research
paper is located at the very end. It is
referred to as the WORKS CITED page.

How do I take notes from my
sources?
You can use note cards to write down your
notes, or you can simply use a notebook.
 As you find a piece of information you can
use, write down the author’s name, the
title of the source, the page number where
you found the source, and the specific
quote you want to use from this page.

A Personal Tip on Taking Notes
When I have to write really long papers
that require multiple resources, I will use a
sticky note to mark the place in the source
and stack the sources in a pile on my
desk. That way, I have no extra writing or
“note-taking” to do - - it’s all there for me in
a pile and it’s organized!
 The key is to find what works for you!

What is a thesis statement and how
do you write one?
A thesis statement is in essence the
answer to the question your paper
explores.
 For example, let’s say your topic is “The
History of Hip-Hop.” After you’ve gathered
your sources and read from them, you’ve
discovered you can pretty much answer
the question of “What is the History of HipHop, and How has it Contributed to Other
Forms of Music?”
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Sample Thesis For My Hip-Hop
Paper

Hip-Hop has a long-standing history in
American culture, which has been heavily
influenced by ancient African oral
traditions, Jamaican Reggae sounds, and
the invention of looping of records.
Where does my thesis go in the
structure of my paper?
A thesis is almost always in the first or
second paragraph of the paper.
 Often the thesis is the last sentence of the
opening paragraph, but it does not have to
be.
 A thesis statement also does not have to
be just one sentence. If it “flows” better to
have two, then put the info in two. It’s up
to you.

What is Plagiarism?
Plagiarism is presenting ideas or
statements of another writer without
crediting the original source.
 If you use a direct quote without using
quotation marks, or you paraphrase
without giving credit, or you summarize a
source’s ideas without giving credit to the
source, you have committed plagiarism.

Outlining Your Paper
An outline is a summary of your main
points and the ideas that support them.
Outlining will help you organize your
information and help you focus.
 You can organize your paper in many
ways. For example, if your topic centers
around a historic event, you may choose
chronological order. You may want to use
cause and effect or order of importance
instead.

How do you document a direct
quote? (with a lead-in)
Lewis Adams, professor of Musical
Philosophy at Clark-Atlanta University,
notes that “Hip-Hop music is at its very
nature an extension of an oral tradition,
handed down by multiple generations of
African-Americans and their African
ancestors” (437).
 NOTE: Because the author is listed in the
lead- in, only the page number of the text
is needed.
 EXTRA NOTE: Personally, this is the type

How do you document a quote
without a lead-in
Hip-Hop has been called “the most
influential form of modern music” (Butler
46).
 Notice if you don’t have a lead-in that
includes the author’s name, you have to
list his/her last name along with the page
number immediately after the quote.

General Tips for Preparing a Works
Cited Page
Arrange entries in alphabetical order
according to the author’s or editor’s last
name. Last name goes first. For works
with two or more authors, reverse only the
author’s name.
 If no author or editor is given, alphabetize
the entry by title.
 When more than one work by author is
listed, use three hyphens followed by a
period rather than repeat the author’s
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More Tips for Works Cited Page
Titles follow author’s name
 Book and magazine titles should be in
italics or else they need to be underlined
 Article titles should be enclosed in
quotations marks
 Publication information follows the author
and title.
 If an entry runs more than one line, indent
five spaces for every line after the first.

Final Tips on Works Cited
Double-space between the lines of an
entry and between entries
 Continue pagination of your paper on your
Works Cited page. For example, if your
paper ends on page ten, begin your Works
Cited list on page eleven.

Basic Tips for Your Research Paper
According to MLA
Your paper should be double-spaced
 This includes your heading. It should also
be double-spaced.
 Your heading goes on the left-side of your
paper with your name on the first line, the
date the paper is due on the second, and
the teacher’s name on the third line.
 The title of your paper is centered on the
fourth line. It should NOT be written in all
caps. It should NOT be underlined. It
should NOT be written in quotation marks.
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Basic Tips Continued
The page number should be located in the
right-hand corner of your paper, and
should be preceded by your last name.
 For example: Basinger 1 (for the first
page) - - I will show you how to do this in
word…
 There is not a separate title page for the
MLA based research paper.
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FINAL THOUGHTS
Don’t try to memorize all of this!
 Get an MLA handbook (available at most
book stores and any library) and use it as
a resource. (I refer to mine often)
 Don’t get overwhelmed. Ask for help.
Nine times out of ten I will have to look up
the answer to the question you have.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help!!!!
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