Supporting a thesis

First you have to form a tentative thesis, and then organize your evidence

To form a tentative thesis you have to do 2 steps:

- The first step is to do a rough draft:. Once you have read a variety
of sources and cosiderd all sides of your issue, you are ready to form
a tentative thesis.
- The second step is to revise your thesis:. Once you have written a
rough draft and perhaps done more reading, you may decide to
revise your tentative thesis.

Your thesis must be: - One_sentence statement for your central idea
(or occasionally a two_sentence).
-An answer to the central research question.
- At the end of the introductory paragraph.

Organize your evidence to support your thesis:.

- The body of your paper will consist of evidence in
support of your thesis.

- You can start with an informal plan that organizes your evidence in bold
strokes, and then after you have done with your rough draft, a more formal
outline can be a useful way to shape the coplexities of your argument

Avoiding Plagiarism:
Your research paper is a collaboration between you and your sources.
To be fair and ethical, you must acknowledge your debt to the writers of
those sources. If you don't, you are guilty of plagiarism, a serious academic
offense.

Three acts are considered plagiarism: (1) failing to cite quotations and
borrowed ideas, (2) failing to enclose borrowed language in quotation
marks, and (3) failing to put summaries and paraphrases in your own
words.
Cite quotations and borrowed ideas:
You must cite all direct quotations and any borrowed ideas from
a source; summaries and paraphrases; statistics and other specific
facts; and visuals such as cartoons, graphs, or diagrams.

The only exception is common knowledge- general

information that your readers may know or could easily locate in any
number of reference sources. For example, it is well known that Toni
Morrison won the Nobel Prize in 1993 in literature. As a rule, when
you have seen certain general information repeatedly in your
reading, you don't need to cite it. However, when information has
appeared in only a few sources, when it is highly specific ( as with
statistics), or when it is controversial, you should cite it.

The Modern Language Association recommends a system of

in-text citations. Here, is how the MLA citation system usually
works:
First: the source is introduced by a signal phrase that names its
author.
Second: the material being cited is followed by a page number in
parentheses.
Third: at the end of the paper, a list of works cited (arranged
alphabetically according to authors' last names) gives complete
publication information about the source.

Enclose borrowed language in quotation marks:

To show readers that you are using a source's exact phrases
or sentences, you must enclose them in quotation marks unless
they have been set off from the text by indenting. To omit the
quotation marks is plagiarism even if you have cited the source.

Put summaries and paraphrases in your own:

A summary condenses information from a source; a
paraphrase repeats this information in about the same number
of words. When you summarize or paraphrase, it is not enough
to name the source; you must restate the source's meaning using
your own language. You are guilty of plagiarism if you half copy
 the author's sentences- either by mixing the author's phrases with
your own without using quotation marks or by plugging your
synonyms into the author's sentence structure.

To avoid plagiarizing an author's language, resist the temptation to

look at the source while you are summarizing or paraphrasing. Close the
book, write from memory, and then open the book to check for accuracy.
This technique prevents you from being captivated by the words on the
page.

Integrating sources:
In a research paper, you summarized, paraphrased, or quoted ideas from
readings to help develop your points. Being able to integrate sources is
helpful because it helps you :-

1- Confirm your point with the credibility with the source.

2- Identify others’ opinions and personal explanations.
3- Present fact that is open to dispute.
4- Present statistics .
5- Establish your own ideas and opinions.
6- Let readers know where to find information on your topic.

There are three ways to integrate sources:-

-summary: shoe the main ideas in a source page in your ideas and your
style.
-paraphrase: a restatement of a passage of a text on your own words. Its
structure reflects the structure of the source passage, and may be the
same length as the passage, but doesn’t use exact wording.
-quote: using the exact words of the source. But don’t allow quotes speak
for themselves. You should communicate your ideas, your explanation
of the quote to show your readers that you understand how the quote
relates to your ideas by analyzing its significance.

When you can use a quotations?

1- When language is vivid or expressive.
2- When exact wording is needed for technical accuracy.
3- When it is important to let the debaters of an issue explain their
positions in their own words.
4- When the words of an important authority lend weight to an
argument.
5- When language of a source is the topic of your discussion.

Rules for punctuating quotes :

a- If your quotations are less than four lines along, place them in your
text and enclose them with quotation marks , and remember to include
parenthetical citation for each quotation used. Ex: “history is a people’s
memory” (43).
b- If your quote is not introduced the author’s name , you will need to
put that name in the parenthetical citation. Ex:”without memory man is
demoted to a lower animals”(malcolom x 43).
c- If a quotation is more than four lines long, set it off from your text
by indenting. Introduce the quote with a complete sentence and a colon.
Indent 10 spaces ,double space the lines, and don’t use the quotation
marks. Don’t indent the opening line unless the quote begins anew
paragraph.
d- Using the ellipsis mark and brackets: we use the ellipsis mark(three
spaced period) to indicate when you have omitted unnecessary words
from a direct quote. What remains must be grammatically complete .
MLA recommends putting brackets around ellipsis dots to make it clear
from the original text. Also, don’t use an ellipsis mark at the beginning
or at the end of a quotation.

BRACKETS: it allows you to insert your own words into quoted

material. You can insert words in brackets to explain a confusing
reference or to keep a sentence grammatical in your context.

SIGNAL PHRASES: it is used to introduce the source material and to

indicate where the source material comes from. They can appear before
or after a quote, paraphrase or summary. When you are citing a fact or
a statistics, a signal phrase is often not necessary.
 4-A-Documenting sources
According to MLA citation should be written as follows:-

1- the author of the source name should be written in a signal phrase.

2- The page number should be put in parenthesis.
3- At the end comes the list of publication information about the source.
4- The list is alphabetized by author’s last names.
Basic rules for print and electronic sources

The MLA system of in-text citations was created in 1970 with print sources
in mind . the basic rules are the same for both print and electronic sources.
there are five models that show how the MLA system works:-

1- author named in a signal phrase

it introduces the material being cited with a signal phrase that includes the
author’s name. the signal phrase allows you to keep the parenthetical
citation brief. When a quotation ends with a question mark or an
exclamation point leave the end punctuation inside the quotation mark and
add a period after the parenthesis.

2- author named in parentheses

if a signal phrase doesn’t name the author , put the author’s name in
parentheses with the page number without using any punctuation between
them.

3- author unknown
whether we use complete title in a signal phrase or use a short of the title
in parentheses .titles of the books are underlined ,titles of articles and other
short works are put in quotation marks.

4- Page number unknown

MLA recommends treating printouts from websites as unpaginated.

5- One – page source

If the source is one page,MLA allows to omit the page number.
 Variations on the basic rules

This section describes the MLA guidelines for handling a variety of

situations not covered by the basic rules.

6- Two or more titles by the same author

If the list of cited works includes more than one title by the same author,
mention the title of the work in the signal phrase or in parentheses. titles of
articles and other short works are placed in quotation marks. titles of books
are underlined. In some rare cases when both the author’s name and a short
title must be given in parentheses, separate them with comma.

7- Two or Three Authors

We must put them in the signal phrase or include their last names in the
parenthetical reference.

8- Four or More Authors

Name all the authors or include only the first author’s name followed by
“el”.

9- Corporate author
When the author is a corporation or an organization ,name it either in the
signal phrase or in the parentheses.

10- Authors with the same last name

If the list includes works by authors with the same last name include the
author’s first name in a signal phrase or first initial in the parentheses.

11- Indirect source (a source quoted in another source)

When a writer’s or a speaker’s quoted words appear in a source written
by someone else ,begin the citation with the abbreviation “qtd.in”.

12- Encyclopedia or dictionary

Unless it has an author , it will be alphabetized in the list of works cited
under the word not under the title of the reference work itself.

13- Multivolume work

If the paper cites more than one volume , indicate which volume you are
referring to ,followed by a colon and the page number in the parentheses
. if it cites only one volume, include the volume number in the list of
works cited and willn’t include it in the parentheses.

14- Two or more works

To cite more than one source , separate the citation with a semicolon.

15- An entire work

To cite it , use the author’s name in a signal phrase or a parenthetical
reference. There is no need to use page number.

16- Work in an anthology

Put the name of the author in the signal phrase or the parentheses not the
editor of the anthology.

Literary works and sacred texts

If the list contains literary works or sacred texts you should specify which
edition you are using, and the page number from the edition you
consulted.MLA suggests to give more information about it such as book
parts, play divisions or line numbers.

17- Literary works without parts or line numbers

Many literary works such as short stories ,novels and plays don’t have
parts or line number that you can refer to. In that case, simply cite the
page number.

18- Verse plays and poems

For verse plays MLA recommends omitting page numbers in the
parenthetical citation. Instead include act , scene , and line numbers that
can be located in any edition of the work .use Arabic numerals, and
separate the numbers with periods.

19- Novels with numbered divisions

If the novel has numbered divisions , put the page number first, followed
by a semicolon and then indicate the book , part, or chapter using
abbreviations such as “bk” and “ch”.

20- Sacred texts

 When citing such texts , name the edition , give the chapter and verse
separated by periods. Common abbreviations are acceptable.

General guidelines for listing authors:

The name of author is important because citations in the text of the paper
refer to it and readers will be looking for it at the beginning of an entry in
the alphabetized list.

The following examples show how to begin an entry for a work with a
single author,multiple authors,a corporate author, an unknown author .
and multiple works by the same author .

1_single author: for work with one author, begin the entry with the
author's last name, followed by comma, then give the author's first name,
followed by a period.

Tannen, Deborah.

2_Multiple authors: for work with two or three authors,name the authors
in the order in which they are listed in the source.Reverse the name of
only the first author.

walker, Janice R.,and Todd Taylor.

For a work with four or more authors . either na,e all of the authors or
name the first author , followed by " et al ."(and others )

Sloan, frankA.,Emily M. Stout, Kathryn Whetten-Goldstein,and Lan

Laing.

Sloan ,Frank A., et al.

3_corporate author:When the aythor of a print document or Web Siteis a

corporation, a goverment agency, or some other organization, begin your
entry with the name oh the group.

United States. Bureau of the Census.

4_unknown author:When the author of a work is unknown, begin with the

work's title.Titles of articles and other short works are put in quotation
marks. Titles of books and web sites are underlined.

Article

"Cell Phone Use Increases Risk of Accidents ,but Users Willing to Take
the Risk."

BOOK

Atlas of the World.

web site

Caracol:The Offical Website of the Caracol Archaeological Project.

5_Two or more works by the same author:use the author's name only for
the first entry,For other entries use three hyphens followed by a period.

Atwood, Margaret. Alias Grace:A Novel . New york: Doubleday, 1996.

---.The Robber Bride. New York: Doubleday, 1993.

Books

6_Basic format For A Book:For most books ,arrange the information into
three units,each followed by aperiod and one apace :(1)the author's name
, the title and subtitle,underlined,and(3)the place of publication, the
publisher,and the date.

Tan,Amy.(1)The Bonesetter's Daughter.(2)New York: Putnam, 2001.(3)

6_Author with an editor or translator:Begin with the author and title,

followed by the name of editor (Ed.) translator(Trans.)

Kemuac, Jack.Atop an Underwood . Ed. Paul Marion. New York:

Penguin, 2000.

Allende,Isabel. Daughter of Fortune . Trans. Margaret Sayers Peden. New

York: Harper, 2000.

8_ work in an anthology: Begin with (1)the author's name of selection,(2)

the title of the anthology (3) name of editor(4) publication information (5)
the pages on which the selection appears.
Desai, Anita.(1)"Scholar and Gypsy."(2)The oxford Book of Travel
Stories.(3) Ed. Patricia Craig. (4)Oxford: Oxford UP, 1996.(5)251-73.(6)

9_Edition other than one : If you are citing an edition other than the first ,
include the number of the edition after the title

Auletta, Ken.The Underclass .2nd ed . Woodstock ,NY:Overlook, 2000.

10_Multivolume work : Include the total number of volumes before the

puplication information , abbreviate "vols". when you are citing only one
of the volumes, give the volum number before the puplication
information and give the total number of volumes after the date.

Conway, Jill Ker , ed . Written by Herself. vol. 2.NY: Random, 1996.2

vols.

11_Encyclopedia or dictionary entry:When an encylopedia or a dictionary

is well known , list the author of the entry"(if threr is one ), the title of the
entry, the title of the reference work, the edition (if any), and the date of
the edition .

Posner, Rebecca."Romance Languages."The New Encyclopaedia

Britannica:Macropaedia. 15th ed .1987.

12_Foreword,introduction,preface,or afterword:Begin with the author of

the foreword or other book part( if has title) Then give the title of the
book , the author of the book preceded (by), and the editor of the bok( if
any ) , and publication information, give thee page numbers for the part
of the book being cited.

Ozick, Cynthia." Portrait of the Essay as a Warm Body."Introduction.

The Best American Essays 1998. Ed. Ozick . Boston :Houghton
,1998.xv-xxi.

13_Book in a series:Before the publication information , cite the series

name as it appears on the title page , followed by the series number (if
any)

Malena,Anne. The Dynamics of Identity in Franceophone Caribbean

Narrtive. Franceophone Cultures and lits. Ser. 24. New York: Lang, 1998.

14_Republished book : after the title of the book , cite the origional
publication date , followed by the current publication information

Hughes, Langston. Black Misery.1969. Afterword Robert O'Meally. New

york:Oxford UP ,2000 .

15_publisher's imprint:if a book was published by an imprint of a

publishing company , link the name of the imprint and the name of the
publisher with a hyphen

Truan, Barry, Acoustic Communication .Westport : Ablex-Greenwood,

2000.

MLA list of works cited: Electronic sources

As a general rule use the following order to cite the types of
documents listed below:

- The author's name

- Title of the work

- The title of the site underlined

- The name of the editors

- The date of publication

- The name of any sponsors

- Date you acessed the source

- The URL in an angel brackets

Note1: the date you acessed the source and the URL are only for
the online websites.
Note2: the name of the points or the iformation that you
should cite may differ among different types of
documents, like for istance the name of the auther will be
the name of the composer if are citing a musical
composition.
Note3: you have to include as much information as
available.

Types of documents that can use that general rule :

- An entire web site

- A short work from a web site
- Online book
- Work in a scholarly project
- Work of art
- Advertisement
- Map or chart
- Musical composition
- Sound recording
- Radio and television interview
- Government puplication
- Pamphlet
- Dissertation
- Puplished interview
- Personal letter
Exceptions :

- Work from a service such as lexis-nexis

- CD-ROM
- E-mail
- Posting to a MUD or MOO
- Film or vedio, radio or television program, and live
performance

- Work from a service such as lexis-nexis

Give as much of the following information as is available:
- Publication information for the source
- The name of the database underlined
- The name of the service, neither underlined nor in
quotation marks
- The name and location of the liberary
- The date on which you ratrieved the article

- CD-ROM

As any other source, but name the medium before the publiation
information.

- E-mail

To cite an E-mail, begin with the writer's name and the

subject line. Then write "E-mail to" followed by the name
of the recipient. End with the date of the message.
- Posting to a MUD or MOO

- MUDs and MOOs are forums that allow communication

in real-time.
- Include the writer's name, a description and date of the
event, the title of the forum, the date of access, and the
electronic address, beginning with the prefix telnet://.

- Film or vedio, radio or television program, and live performance

- Begin with the title of the work.

For film or vedio "underlined", for radioand television program begin with the title
of the episode "in quotation marks" followed by the title of the program "underlined"

- Give as much information about the work as available.

NOTE: use abbreviations as for director "Dir", Performance

"Perf", host "Host", choreographer "Chor", and for conductor
"Cond".

MLA information notes:

Types of infrmaotion notes:

1. Footnotes: at the foot of the page

2. Endnotes: apear on a separate page at the end of the paper.

Purposes of using information notes:

1. Providing material with not interrupting the flow of the paper yet
is important enough to include
2. To refer readers to any sources not discussed in the paper.
Formatting the paper:
Papers written in MLA style should be formatted as follows.

Materials:
-Use good-quality “8½ × 11” white paper.
-If your instructor does not require a specific font, choose one that is standard and
easy to read (such as Times New Roman).

Title and identification:

-MLA does not require a title page.
-On the first page of your paper, place your name, your instructor’s name, the
course title, and the date on separate lines against the left margin.
-Then center your title.

-If your instructor requires a title page, ask for formatting guidelines.

This is “an APA title page” which may be acceptable.

Pagination:
-Use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, and so on).
-Put the page number preceded by your last name in the upper right corner of each
page, one-half inch below the top edge.

Margins, line spacing, and paragraph indents:

-Leave margins of one inch on all sides of the page.
-Left - align the text.
 -Double-space throughout the paper.
-Do not add extra space above or below the title of the paper or between paragraphs.
-Indent the first line of each paragraph one-half inch from the left margin.

Long quotations:
-When a quotation is longer than four typed lines of prose or three lines of verse, set
it off from the text by indenting the entire quotation full inch “or ten spaces” from the
left margin.

-Double-space the indented quotation, and do not add extra space above or below it.
-Quotation marks are not needed when a quotation has been set off from the text by
indenting. See this example.

Web addresses:
-When a Web address mentioned in the text of your paper must be divided at the
end of a line
-Do not insert a hyphen which could appear to be part of the address.
<http://www.susanlynnpeterson.com/index_files/luther.htm >.

Headings:
-MLA neither encourages nor discourages the use of headings and provides no
guidelines for their use.
Visuals:
-MLA classifies visuals as tables and figures (figures include graphs, charts, maps,
photographs, and drawings).
-Label each table with an Arabic numeral (“Table 1,” “Table 2,” and so on) and
provide a clear caption that identifies the subject.
-The label and caption should appear on separate lines above the table, flush with
the left margin.
-Give the source below the table in a note like the following:

Source: John M. Violanti, “Cellular Phones and Fatal Traffic Collisions,”

Accident Analysis and Prevention 30 (1998): 521.

-For each figure, place a label and a caption below the figure, flush left.
-They need not appear on separate lines.
-The word “Figure” may be abbreviated to “Fig; include source information
following the caption.
-Visuals should be placed in the text, close to the sentences that relate to them
unless your instructor prefers them in an appendix.

Preparing the list of works cited

-Begin the list of works cited on a new page at the end of the paper.
-Center the title “Works Cited” about one inch from the top of the page.
-Double-space throughout.
Alphabetizing the list:
-Alphabetize the list by the last names of the authors (or editors).
-If a work has no author or editor, alphabetize by the first word of the title other
than A, An, or The.
-If your list includes two or more works by the same author, use the author’s name
for the first entry only.
-For subsequent entries, use three hyphens followed by a period.
-List the titles in alphabetical order.

Indenting:
-Do not indent the first line of each works cited entry, but indent any additional
lines one-half inch. This technique highlights the beginning of each entry, making it
easy for readers to scan the alphabetized list.

Web addresses:
-If you need to include a URL in a works cited entry and it must be divided across
lines, break the URL only after a slash.
-Do not insert a hyphen at the end of the line.
-Insert angle brackets around the URL.
-If your word processing program automatically turns URLs into links (by
underlining them and changing the color), turn off this feature.

**On the following pages is a research paper on the topic of Cell phones and driving,
written by Angela Daly, a student in a composition class. Daly’s paper is documented
with in-text citations and a list of works cited in MLA style.