SHAWNEE HIGH SCHOOLMEDFORD, NEW JERSEY

GUIDE TO WRITING RESEARCH PAPERS

REVISED 2008-09

Table of Contents

Statement of Purpose and Research Committee Members 3

Suggested Scope and Sequence 4

Procedure 5

Calendar of Due Dates and Requirements 6

Previewing, Skimming, Reading /Record Keeping 7

Organizational Instructions/Helpful Hints/Narrowing the Topic 8

Thesis Statement Instructions 9

Outline Instructions 10

Sample Outline 11

Basic Structure of Paper 12

Typing the Report 13

Format of First Page 14

In-Text (within your paper) Cit ations of your sources 15

Paraphrasing 16

Incorporating Quotations 17

Plagiarism 18

Use of Standard Written English 19

Works Cited Page Instructions 20

Sample Paper and Corresponding Works Cited Page 21-24

Sample Scoring Rubrics Your Teacher Might Use 25

Glossary of Terms Used 26-27

Works Cited Page Citation Format Examples 28-29

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Statement of Purpose

The purpose of this research paper guide is twofold. First, it is intended to simplify the process of writing a research paper. It provides an overview of the entire project followed by a step-by-step process. Each step in the process is accompanied by sample student work. All examples have been taken from sources in use at high schools to make them easy to understand. The calendar of due dates is designed to help students complete the assignment in a timely manner according to each individual teacher’s instructions. Use of this guide will enable the writer to use a credible organizational format that is widely accepted. It will also help the writer effectively communicate ideas to the reader.

The secondary purpose of this guide is to provide the Shawnee staff a unified, comprehensive approach to research paper assignments so that expectations are standard. Since most research papers are assigned in the English classes, the committee who designed this guide decided to adhere to the MLA (Modern Language Association) format. The scoring rubrics have been provided as a sample for grading. Teachers must complete the calendar of due dates and requirements as needed for individual subjects.

Because this format will be used in many different subject areas and in different grades, it is recommended that students keep this booklet throughout high school. Copies of this booklet can also be found on the Shawnee Media Center web page.

Portions of this guide have been borrowed liberally from the Cherokee web page, the Purdue University Writing and Research (OWL) website located at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/, the Dennis G. Jerz webpage at http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/academic/thesis.htm, handouts available for students using the UCLA website at http://write.oid.ucla.edu/handouts/ Thesis_statement_ lit.rtf , The New Century Handbook, and 2006 Secondary Solutions from the Essay Architect.

Research Paper Committee

The research paper revision committee consists of five Shawnee staff members, four of whom are English teachers, and one of whom is the Media Center Specialist. English teachers involved in the project were Timothy Moran, Susan Meimbresse, Angela Miller, and Janet Takemoto assisted by Raina DiMarco, Shawnee Media Center Specialist.

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Suggested Scope and Sequence – Research papers

Freshman Mini Research Paper in the second or a subsequent marking period

o Argumentative in Natureo topic related to one literary curriculum themeo Standard MLA formato Maximum two pages in lengtho Two sources – one in print or non-print – (book or eBook); second from any

Media Center database

Sophomore Controversial issues research paper

o Argumentative in Natureo Standard MLA formato 3 -5 pages in lengtho Five sources – Print or –non-Print (1 book or eBook); research databases; 1

accredited website (.edu, .gov, .org only)

Junior Create a research paper based on an original thesis statement utilizing literature within

the curriculumo Argumentative in natureo Standard MLA formato 3-5 pages in lengtho Five sources (related poetry, primary source material, research databases,

accredited website, print or non-print material (book or eBook)

Senior Create a research paper based on an original thesis statement utilizing literature within

the curriculumo Argumentative in natureo Standard MLA formato 3-5 pages in lengtho Five sources (related poetry, primary source material, research databases,

accredited website, print or non-print material (book or eBook)

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Research Paper Procedure

1. Choose a topic of interest within the context of the given assignment.

2. Read a brief overview of the topic using preliminary works.a. Access the Media Center’s databases, e-books and printed sources. b. Begin to narrow your focus as you become more familiar with your chosen topic. c. Some students may read the sources with a specific thesis statement in mind, while others

will not construct a thesis statement until after they have gathered information on the topic.

3. Prepare a working bibliography of sources you plan to use in your paper. a. Make sure that you have enough information related to your topic.b. Plan sufficient time for ordering/delivery of materials if you are using additional printed

sources.c. You should have at least the minimum number of sources specified by the teacher. d. This list of sources may change during the process of the research paper.

4. Read and take notes from the sources on your working bibliography.a. Use a variety of sources.b. Add your notes to your bibliography. Be sure to list page numbers.c. Have the minimum number of facts specified by the teacher.

5. Prepare a working thesis based on your reading.a. Construct the major point or argument of the paper.b. Compose a complete sentence that clearly states your argument and supporting reasons.c. Your thesis may change during the writing process.

6. Prepare a preliminary outline to show how you will develop your thesis throughout the paper.a. Decide upon the major arguments/categories to be included.b. List the subdivisions of each category.c. Include relevant information from your bibliography with notes.

7. Write the introduction and the topic sentences for each body paragraph. a. The introduction should follow the general-to-specific format. b. Each topic sentence should connect to one of your thesis supports.

8. Write and type a rough draft. a. Adhere to the MLA formatting guidelines. b. Papers must be submitted to Turnitin.com.

9. Revise the rough draft.a. Read for meaning: logic, sequence, explanation.b. Read for grammatical correctness: complete sentences, agreement, tense consistency.c. Read for spelling and punctuation. d. Finally, read again to make sure parenthetical references are correct.

10. Type the final draft. a. Submit a hard copy to the teacher to ensure credit.b. Include photocopies of the sources used to create the Works Cited page.

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Calendar of Due Dates

Assignment Total Point Value Due DateWorking Bibliography

Bibliography with Notes

Working Thesis

Preliminary Outline

Introduction and Topic

Sentences

Rough Draft

Final Draft

General Paper Requirements ( to be determined by each teacher)

1. All papers MUST be neatly typed in 12 point Times New Roman font and double-spaced. Papers must follow the MLA format in the Shawnee Research Paper Guide, found on the Media Center website as well as on the English Department eBoard. Students who do not have the equipment at home can make arrangements to use the school’s equipment.

2. The content must be a minimum of three and a maximum of five pages, not including your Works Cited page.

3. You must use in-text citations. Each source included on the final list of Works Cited must be included in the paper.

4. The Works Cited page must be included at the end of the paper.

5. Copies of all sources listed on the Works Cited page must accompany your research paper.

6. Final copies must be stapled in the upper left-hand corner and placed in manila envelopes with your name, class period, and the date on the outside.

7. Any components of the research project that are received late will receive a MAJOR deduction of points – NO EXCEPTIONS.

8. You must save all materials for this paper on your computer (hard drive, disk, etc.).

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Previewing, Skimming, Reading

1. Before beginning to read a book or other source, look it over to see how much information about the topic is included.2. Skim the material to find key words or ideas from the outline.3. Read carefully and take notes.

Record Keeping/Note Taking Procedures

Note-taking Will Be Random - don't try to take notes in the same order as the outline; however, you should make the connection between things you will be using in your paper and where you will note these on your outline. Use Quotation Marks for anything that is quoted directly. Remember to include the page number, if known.

Paraphrased material (information you learned in your research, use in your paper, but put in your own words) will have to be cited.

Include the name of the person quoted if different from the author.

If there is no page number (for interviews, movies, some online sources, etc.), you may use the number 1 or np.

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Organization and Record Keeping

A list of works cited appears at the end of each research paper and includes all of the sources used to prepare the paper. The students will directly quote or paraphrase information from such sources in the context of their paper. Although the use of bibliography cards is no longer necessary since we have internet access to much material, information regarding the sources you will be using is critical. For this reason, you should cut and paste online information into a file which you can easily locate. Media Center personnel can help you with this task, and your teacher will also review these procedures in class. You may also email yourself this information or print out the information. Be sure to document the information stated below for all sources regardless of whether this material was accessed from printed (something that you actually had possession of at the time, like a book or magazine) or online sources. For online information, record the following: Author (if known), Title / Name of Website, Title of Article/Publication, Original Source of Publication, Number of pages (if known), Date information was added online, Website address, Date you accessed the information.

Information from printed sources will be found in the front of the book, magazine or document. You must copy the following information: Author(s), Title of book/article, Date and Place of Publication, Name of publisher.

At the end of your process, these sources will be listed alphabetically on your works cited page and will have corresponding entries within the paper itself referred to as in-text citations. In-text citations are a means of documenting/citing information from various sources within the context of the research paper.

Helpful Hints

1. Keep all material organized within a folder or envelope. Your first one will be provided by the Media Center; however, if you lose your material, you will have to purchase a new folder/envelope and find a way to replace your material.

2. Be sure to record all source information mentioned in the organization section; you will need it later.

3. Label each source consecutively for quick reference later.4. For the place of publication, list the major city nearest you.5. Copy volume numbers or year numbers exactly as found in the source.6. When there is no author, start with the first item of information available in the citation.

Sample MLA formats begin on page 9.

Narrowing the TopicAs you preview the sources available on your topic, consider how you could narrow your focus. Degree of Focus Example 1 Example 2 Example 3General Major religions of the world Outer Space Elizabethan England ↓ ↓ ↓ Islam Planets’ habitats Shakespeare ↓ ↓ Teachings of Mohammed Alien Life Shakespeare’s plays ↓ The Koran UFO’s The Merchant of VeniceSpecific Islamic Beliefs about Holy Wars Existence of UFO’s Protest elements in MVThe last three are topics that are specific enough for a cohesive, concise paper on an issue.

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Thesis Statements

What is a thesis?The thesis statement is one of the (if not the) most important parts of your paper. It should be introduced in the first paragraph and serve as the focus of your analytic argument. The thesis is the thread (a strong one!) that ties together your interpretations of all the significant moments, patterns, developments, changes, and/or contradictions that you will develop in the body of your paper. Think of the thesis statement as a contract between you (the writer) and the reader. The thesis makes certain promises to your reader; it then becomes your job to fulfill that promise using specific textual moments. The more specific your promise, the easier it will be to find specific passages to support your argument.

A thesis statement is the single, specific claim that your paper supports. A good thesis statement is not simply an observation, a question, or a promise. It includes a topic, a precise opinion (assertion), and why (a blueprint for your reasoning).

The limited subject tells the reader exactly on what, or whom the article focuses (topic). 

The precise opinion (assertion) gives your answer to a question about the subject. A good precise opinion is vital to the reader's comprehension of the goal of the essay.

The why/blueprint is your plan. In the blueprint, the author signals an intention to support the precise opinion by listing the reasons/evidence which will be used as supporting information in the paper. Informed by this blueprint, the reader expects to encounter one section (a paragraph or more) devoted to each reason or piece of evidence.

If you're not sure whether you have a good thesis statement, see whether you can fit your ideas into one of these basic patterns.

[Something] [does something] because [reason(s)]. Because [reason(s)], [something] [does something]. Although [opposing evidence], [reasons] show [Something] [does something].

Some Problems with Thesis Statements

They are not summaries of the plot from anything you have read They cannot attempt to prove a universal theme e.g. love can conquer death They cannot be general statements but must be specific in nature, e.g. If other students

could use your thesis statement to support their paper on a different topic, then your statement is more than like too general

They should not contain a cliché, e.g. “Love conquers all.” They should not list the items to be discussed without making reference to what these

things will mean to your reader, e.g., if you want to discuss dialogue, structure and characterization from a novel, you must state why/how/what that connects them and its importance

They should not mention your anticipated reader response, e.g. This paper will get my to reader understand that…

They should not be written in first person, e.g., In this paper, I am going to…. In fact, first person voice is only acceptable when specifically requested by your teacher.

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Outline: Divide and Conquer

Purpose: The outline gives order to the paper. It includes the important elements of the topic and promotes unity in the paper. Using an outline can help organize material and form connections between pieces of information that will be presented in the body of the paper. It can also expose material that is not really relevant to the purposes of the paper or material that has been covered before and should therefore be removed. The creation of the outline should help you answer the following questions:

How will I prove my thesis statement and develop my argument? In what order will I arrange my paragraphs? What will the main idea of each paragraph be? What supporting details will I include and in which paragraphs will I include them?

Developing an outline can help you to see the logical progression of your argument. Therefore, the order in which you present your headings and your subheadings should be the same order in which you present your information in the research paper. Your research paper should reflect the organization of the outline.

Organizing Principles: The structure of your outline will depend on your chosen method of organization. Below are just a few common organizing principles.

chronology: useful for historical or biographical information cause and effect: useful for historical events and scientific discoveries process: useful for explaining the means to an end deductive logic: useful for moving from general to specific

(ex. violence in schools Virginia Tech massacre) inductive logic: useful for moving from specific to general

(ex. Virginia Tech massacre violence in schools)

Form: The thesis statement should be included at the top of the outline. The outline should correlate to the components of the thesis statement. Introductions and conclusions typically are NOT included in the outline. The topic of the paper should be divided into at least two major divisions, marked by Roman numerals. Each heading must have two or more subheadings. There must be a II to complement a I, a B to complement an A, and so forth.

Headings (I, II, III, etc.) are more general, while subheadings (A, B, C, etc.) are more specific. Supporting details (1, 2, 3 etc.) may include quotations and source information.

Types: The two primary types of outlines are sentence outlines and topic outlines. Topic outlines are more common and usually easier to write.

A sentence outline uses complete sentences in all divisions. End punctuation is used. A topic outline uses only short phrases throughout. No end punctuation is used.

Parallelism: If subdivision A is a noun, subdivision B must also be a noun. If subdivision l is a verbal phrase, subdivision 2 must also be a verbal phrase.

I. HeadingA. Subheading

1. specific detail / quote2. specific detail / quote

B. Subheading

II. Heading A. SubheadingB. Subheading

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Sample OutlineThe following outline corresponds to the sample compare and contrast research paper on John

Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, located on pages 21 to 24 of this booklet.

Terry Gish

Mr. English Teacher

English I, II, III or IV

1 June 2008

Winners and Losers

Thesis: The Gishes and the Joads shared these three obvious similarities; yet, due to their piety, family unity and perseverance, the Gishes felt less than a tremor of the economic quake that shook the fictional lives of the Joads.

I. PietyA. Gishes

1. held strong religious beliefs2. habitually attended churchgoers 3. focused on the wealth of the church rather than on the Great Depression

B. Joads1. criticized God 2. saw God as economically prejudice

a. Heaven is for the richb. Hell is for the poor

II. Family UnityA. Gishes

1. possessed strong family bonds2. prayed together

B. Joads1. family members left the fold2. developed unhealthy relationships

III. PerseveranceA. Gishes

1. worked hard and owned land despite the trying times2. were respected by the townspeople despite being the minority

B. Joads1. part of the white majority2. chastised rather than respected by the townspeople3. lost their land

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Basic Structure of Paper

All research and term papers must consist of three distinct parts. These are the introduction, body, and conclusion.

The introductory paragraph begins with a general statement about the topic. It narrows like a funnel from that broad statement to your main arguments and ends with your thesis.

The body of the paper states your analysis, argument, or exposition. This should be presented in logical sequence. Some papers begin with the most important information and proceed to less important information. Other papers reverse that order.

The concluding paragraph is like a pyramid leading from a restatement of the thesis to a summary of the main points and ending with a broad general statement of the topic again. See the diagram below.

Introductory Broad statement introducing topicParagraph Main points

Thesis

First paragraph - main pointSupporting pointSupporting point

Middle Second paragraph - main pointParagraphs Supporting point

Supporting point

Third paragraph - main pointSupporting pointSupporting point

Concluding Thesis Paragraph Main points

General statement of the topic

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Typing and Formatting the Report

1. Always double-space; use one side of the paper only.

2. Margins should be l" on all sides.

3. Indent each paragraph 5 spaces. By definition, a "paragraph" is two or more related sentences based on one idea. There is no paragraph consisting of one sentence.

4. Do not put additional space between paragraphs.

5. On each page of the body after the first, include your last name followed by a hyphen and the page number in the upper right-hand corner.

6. Format all quotes according to the MLA guidelines. a. For fewer than three lines of quoting, write the quote right into the body of the paper. Use quotation marks. CITE.b. For four full lines of quoting or more, indent ten spaces from each side margin. This is known as a hanging indent. Use no quotation marks. CITE.

8. Never end a page with fewer than two typed lines of a new paragraph. If they will not fit, carry the entire paragraph to the next page.

9. Don't fall into the "Quote-Paraphrase Trap"! Instead, elaborate on the significance and relevance of each quote in your OWN words.

10. Start a separate page for the list of works cited.

11. In addition to saving your paper on a computer, make copies of your paper before handing it in. This will provide a back-up if the paper is lost or not returned. However, the original paper, not a photocopy, should be submitted.

12. Put one staple in the upper left corner of the final copy. No plastic covers or more than one staple down the side of the paper. Papers should be stapled before coming to class.

13. An ellipsis, or three dots (…), is used to indicate that some words have been left out.

14. Hyphens (--) are used to indicate a dash on the word processor.

15. Anything appearing in italics in your source must be italicized in your paper. If you are using a typewriter rather than a word processor, underline the words.

16. The thesis is not the title. Do not use the title of a book or article as your title.

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Format of First Page

_____________________________________________________________

1" at .5” Yourlastname 1

Your Name (first, last)

Instructor's Name

Course Date

Double spaceTitle of the Paper

Double space Body of the paper begins here. Entire paper is double spaced which should be set up using the Format on your toolbar.

1"

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Citing Sources

A source must be cited if any of the following are used in the research paper:

an author's exact words any idea, argument, or theory that is not the student's own, even if it is paraphrased facts which would not ordinarily be known, such as statistics, translations, dates, etc. first person accounts of incidents that are not common knowledge

In-text citation or parenthetical documentation is now used in research papers to give credit to sources of information. This approach is short and located within the paper itself. It replaces the need for footnotes or endnotes.

1. If in doubt, document!

2. Place the reference immediately after the quoted or paraphrased information.

3. Include the author's last name and the page number. For example, (Rhodes 381).

4. If there is no author, use all or an abbreviated but clear version of the title plus the page number. (For example, An Eye for People 381).

5. If you refer to the same source consecutively in the same paragraph, put only the page number in the parenthetical reference.

6. Except for documentation having to appear in mid-sentence, the closing period always follows the parenthetical reference. (See sample paper.)

7. For up to three joint authors, include the last name of each author. For example, (Epstein, Brown and Pope 71).

8. When there are four or more joint authors, use the name of the first author listed followed by et al. and the page number. (Starrett et al. 84).

9. Page numbers are not used with non-print sources and may be omitted when citing alphabetically arranged encyclopedias.

10. There must be at least one citation from a source in order to list it on the Works Cited page. The number and type of source may vary depending upon the teacher and assignment.

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Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing means putting someone else's ideas into your own words. It is an important element in writing a research paper because it enables the writer to avoid a string of quotes. Paraphrased ideas, since they are not original, must be cited. The examples below show the original passage from a science book and two different student versions, one bad example and one good example.

Examples

Original Passage

Octopuses and squids are active shell-less mollusks that pursue live prey. The octopus has eight tentacles covered with suction disks and used for locomotion and grasping. The squid has ten similar appendages but uses water for locomotion by jet propulsion. When evading an enemy, it camouflages itself by discharging a screen of inky fluid.

Student A

Octopuses and squids are mollusks. They pursue live prey and do not have any shells. The octopus has eight tentacles and the squid ten. They are covered with suction disks. They grasp things with their suction disks. They also help them to move about. The squid sprays out inky fluid to camouflage itself.

This is not a good example of paraphrasing. It is more like "parroting" because it has none of the student's ideas and does not reflect any of the writer's thoughts on the subject.

Student B

Mollusks are soft shell fish like oysters and snails. But octopuses and squids are much larger than oysters or snails, and they do not carry shells or live in them as the small mollusks do. The octopus has eight tentacles and the squid has ten. The octopus is a little rounder than the squid. Both have suction cups on their tentacles which they use to grab their food. The octopus uses the suction cups to pull himself around and over things like rocks on the bottom of the ocean. The squid has jet propulsion, like jet engines, to move him along in the water. Sometimes the squid meets an enemy. Then he squirts a black ink into the water through this jet and hides behind it (Gilbronski 321).

This is a good example of paraphrasing. All the facts from the source passage are included, but the writer also drew on her own knowledge. At the end of the paragraph, the student put a citation. Notice there are no quotation marks in the passage, but it still needs to be cited because material contained in the paragraph is not common knowledge.

.

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Incorporating Quotations(Taken from Essay Architect, 2006 Secondary Solutions)

When writing a research paper, it is absolutely essential to include quotations. It is also imperative that you document each quotation using proper MLA formats. The following illustrations, which are based on the same quote shown below, will help you to properly insert quotations into your paper in a variety of ways:

“Many writers omit or improperly use quotations in their papers.”

1. Paraphrase (indirect quotation): using different words to express the same idea; do not use quotation marks at all.

Teachers and professors alike find that many students often misuse quotations in their papers (Watson 43).

2. Direct phrase or word quote: using only one or a few words; use quotation marks around those words only.

Many teachers find that their students “omit or improperly use” quotes when writing papers (Watson 43).

3. Full sentence quote with he/she said before the quotation; place comma before the quotation mark.

Watson claims, “Many writers omit or improperly use quotations in their papers” (43).

4. Full sentence quote with he/she said after the quotation; comma replaces the period at the end of the quote.

“Many writers omit or improperly use quotations in their papers,” he argued (Watson 43).

5. Full sentence quote with he/she said dividing the quote; commas separate the quote. “Many writes,” Watson admitted, “omit or improperly use quotations in their papers”

(43).

6. Full sentence quote with he/she said at the beginning of the quote; the word that takes the place of the comma.

He affirmed that “Many writers omit or improperly use quotations in their papers” (Watson 43).

7. Full sentence quote with full sentence introduction to the quote; use a colon before the quote.

Scientific evidence supports many scholars’ argument: “Many writers omit or improperly use quotations in their papers” (Watson 43).

8. Omitting words within a quote; use the ellipses between (…). “Many writers…improperly use quotations in their papers” (Watson 43).

9. Adding or changing words within a quote; use brackets to set off the change. “Many writers [often] omit or improperly use quotations in their papers” (Watson 43).

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Plagiarism

(Taken from the Cherokee Web Page.)

A research paper by its very nature requires one to use various sources of information. It is a form of dishonesty to take and pass off as one's own the ideas, writing, or opinions of the people who produced those sources. This practice is known as "plagiarism" and must be avoided scrupulously in order to maintain academic integrity. Plagiarism can be avoided by documenting sources properly as explained in this booklet.

Please be aware that plagiarism can be identified easily. In cases where plagiarism is suspected, students will be required to submit copies of the reference materials used. Be advised that both plagiarism and false documentation of references or no documentation of references will result in a total loss of credit for the paper. Research papers submitted with the Works Cited page missing will also be considered incomplete and receive no credit.

Additionally, purchasing or borrowing another's work is also plagiarism. Students who engage in this practice will earn a "0" on the paper. This applies to both the student who shares his/her work and to the student who borrows or purchases this work. Incidents of plagiarism will be noted in the student's school record.

In Sharon Sorenson's book The Research Paper (Amsco Publications, Inc., MJY, 1999; 107), the following caveat is given: "plagiarism is theft…It is such a serious offense that most colleges and universities have policies that severely penalize students who engage in plagiarism. These penalties include automatic failure in the class involved or student expulsion."

Parents and other family members are naturally encouraged to serve as proofreaders and to give any reasonable help they can. However, they must be cautioned against assuming the role of "ghost writer," even inadvertently. A research paper is meant to reflect the student's best work, and providing an inappropriate level of assistance is counterproductive to educational goals as well as unethical.

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Use of Standard Written English

1. Avoid using first or second person.

2. Avoid using the passive voice.

3. Numbers one through nine must be spelled out in the body of the report; for 10 and above, use numerals.

4. Use the last and not the first names in referring to famous people. For example, refer to "Shakespeare" not "William."

5. Never hyphenate unless you can get at least three letters on each end of both lines. a. Do not hyphenate any proper name at the end of a line.b. Do not separate proper names at the end of a line.

6. One period only ends a sentence. Never add a second period.

7. Be sure that pronouns agree with antecedents.

8. Be sure that verbs agree in number and person with their subjects.

9. Place all modifiers as close as possible to the word(s) they modify.

10. Make sure that all sentences have both a subject and a verb.

11. Be sure that all elements that express parallel ideas are in the same form.

12. Use a comma and a coordinating conjunction to separate the two main clauses in a compound sentence, or separate the two main clauses with a semicolon.

ex: John left the room, but Mary stayed behind.ex: John left the room; Mary stayed behind.

13. Never use "Well" at the beginning of a sentence.

14. Use linking and transitional words and phrases to connect ideas between sentences and paragraphs.

15. Use a variety of sentence beginnings and sentence structures.

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WORKS CITED PAGE

A list of works cited appears at the end of the research paper and includes all of the sources used to prepare the paper. Only those materials actually referred to in the body of the paper should be included on the Works Cited page. The form should follow that used on the bibliography cards. The works cited should be arranged in alphabetical order by the first word in each entry. The Works Cited page should be double spaced.

SAMPLE

Works Cited

Caldicott, Helen. If You Love This Planet: A Plan to Heal the Earth. New York:

Norton, 1992.

Czapski, Silvia. "Grassroots Environmentalism in Brazil." The Conservationist

July- Aug. 1991: 42-47.

Dietrich, William. The Final Forest: The Battle for the Last Green Trees of the

Pacific Northwest. New York: Simon, 1992.

Frome, Michael. Regreening the National Parks. Tucson: U of Arizona Pr.

1992.

If more than one work by the same author is used, they should be in alphabetical order by title. Give the author's last name for the first work. Use three hyphens in place of the author's name in subsequent works.

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. 1939. New York: Penguin, 1976.

---. Their Blood Is Strong. San Francisco: Lubin, 1938.

Refer to the Citation Formats which begin on page 28 for correct format for bibliographic citations.

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Gish 1

Terry Gish

Mr. English Teacher

English I, II, III or IV

20 June 2008

Winners and Losers

In John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, the difficulties of the Great Depression drove

the Joad family from their home and forced them to become nomads. On the other hand, the

Gish family had no trouble holding onto their land during this period of economic crisis. In

many respects, the two families shared common backgrounds. Both families were from the

South; both started out in the Depression as landowners; both had families with multiple

children. The Gishes and the Joads shared these three obvious similarities; yet, due to their

piety, family unity and work ethic, the Gishes felt less than a tremor of the economic quake that

shook the fictional lives of the Joads.

Piety is often one of the strongest life preservers in the sea of despair, even in the

financial despair of the Great Depression. Strong religious beliefs, something the Joads lacked,

pulled the Gish family through tough times. The Grapes of Wrath character Casey, an unofficial

member of the Joad family, moves from preaching about God to criticizing Him. Even though

he is a former servant of God, Casey ultimately professes that he dos not “know nobody named

Jesus: (24) and says he “heart ain’t in it” (24) ANYMORE. On the contrary, the Gish family

marched ceremoniously into church every Sunday and sat in the pews with straight backs and

wide eyes. The church was small and could not hold a great many people, but it did hold a great

deal of love for God. The poverty of the outside world was forgotten when the wealth of heaven

was at hand. Under the circumstances, however, perhaps the Joads should not be compared to

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Note: Page margins must be set at 1 inch all around. Use Page set up under File on toolbar.

Introductory statement makes a reference to the literary work.

Thesis Statement: topic, assertion, why

First topic sentence

Details from the literature

Identifies page number in novel from which quote was taken – Author name not needed because it was already mentioned

Transitional phraseReader criticism, if required

Gish 2

the Gishes. It is impossibly difficult to thank God for food when there is none. It is hard to pray

for more good health when nothing but sickness and death loom. The Gishes’ fortune was that

they had the will and the opportunity to believe in their religion. The Joads, on a sadder note,

lived in a world where God and heaven were for the rich, and the poor knew only hell (Wagner).

Another key in surviving the Great Depression was family unity. As James Owen Gish

stated in a personal interview, his family “was very close” (12/31/91). Whenever a crisis came

to one of its members, the family would band together to face it. Even a son coming home after

a long day of planting was met with the welcome of his entire family. The family that prayed

together did, indeed, stay together; and the Gishes prayed very often. The Joads, on the other

hand, fell apart like their car. Although Ma Joad “savagely protests to the break-up of the

family” (Bluestone 105), her protests do not stop Al, Connie, and Noah from leaving the fold.

Another nail is struck into the family coffin when Ma appears to go “jackrabbit” (Steinbeck 185)

and even tells Pa to “drive on” (249) while she bumps along in the back of the car with Grandma

Joad’s corpse. Whether because of poverty or insanity, the Joads cannot attain the winning

power of family togetherness possessed by the Gishes. The cliché that blood is thicker than

water must certainly be true; but in the Dust Bowl, blood satisfied no one’s thirst.

Some traits that might have seemed like advantages at the time of the Depression were

ultimately insignificant. The fact that the Joads were white Anglo-Saxon Protestants, for

example, did not help them in their time of need. Surprisingly, however, race did not adversely

affect the Gishes. As Steinbeck’s biographer Richard O’Conner claims, the white Joad family

are forced to move after their “farm mortgage is foreclosed, and they lose their land.” The

implication in historian William Katz’s comments bears consideration: “There was not enough

work,” (24) even for the white males. On the contrary, Grandfather Gish, whose father was

biracial, went through the Depression as if it were nothing more than a rumor. At a time when,

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Second topic sentence

Critical support from novel

Gish 3

as analyst, Peter Lisca writes, “truth had run amuck, drunken among prejudice” (79), no one

gave any trouble to the Gishes or their farmland which spanned nearly a hundred acres. The

family was never rich, yet never poor. They were a respected family despite their mixed

heritage, while the Joads were called “degenerate, sexual maniac” (Steinbeck 312) despite their

place among the majority. Apparently, during the Great Depression, the color of someone’s skin

was not nearly as important as the color of money he could earn.

Historians suggest that the Great Depression dramatically affected everyone, but some

faced far more difficulties than others. The Joads suffered greatly, while the Gishes felt virtually

no effects. Several matters could give an edge over economic despair, but the Joads knew none

of them. What was the use of keeping a family together if they could never agree? Even though

they were “racially correct,” the Joads went wrong. The Depression was like a terrible game that

truly divided the economy’s winners and losers.

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Note: Commas inside quotation mark

Concluding simile: restates title

Gish 4

Works Cited

Bluestone, George. “The Grapes of Wrath . Steinbeck: A Collection of Critical Essays .”

Ed. Robert Murray Davis. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1972. 102-121.

Carpenter, Frederic I. “The Philosophical Joads.” College English 2:4 (1941): 315-325. Rpt. in

Contemporary Literary Criticism. Vol. 59. Detroit: Gale Research, 1990.

Gish, James Owen. Personal Interview. 23 December 1991.

Katz, William. An Album of the Great Depression. New York: Franklin Watts, 1978.

Lisca Peter. The Grapes of Wrath . Steinbeck: A Collection of Critical Essays .”

Ed. Robert Murray Davis. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1972. 75-101.

O’Conner, Richard. “John Steinbeck.” Reference Guide to American Literature. 5th ed., 1999.

Literature Resource Center. Gale Group. Burlington County Library System, Marlton,

NJ. 26 September 2004 <http://galenet.galegroup.come/servlet/LitRC>

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin Books, 1979.

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Sample Scoring Rubrics

_____ OutlineWas the thesis sentence included?Did it comply with standard outline form?Was it to short or too long?Did it reflect the report well?

_____ BodyIntroductory Paragraph

Was it written in the third person?Did it introduce the thesis?Did it show the intent of the report?

ParagraphingWere paragraphs indented properly?Were ideas within a paragraph related?Were paragraphs too short, too long, or choppy?Were transitions supplied between paragraphs?

GrammarWas it mechanically correct?Were all sentences complete?Was punctuation correct?Were pronoun references clear and correct?Did verbs agree with their subjects?Was sentence structure varied?

Spelling - a typing error is a spelling errorCitation

Were quotation marks used correctly?Were extended quotes formatted correctly?Was more paraphrasing needed?

Concluding ParagraphDid it reemphasize the thesis?Did it summarize the findings?

Thesis DevelopmentWas the thesis proven?Was there an appropriate balance between fact and opinion?

_____ List of Works CitedWas it in alphabetical order?Was the name order correct?Was the spacing and indentation correct?Was the punctuation correct?Were there enough sources?Does it match the citations?Were page numbers provided as needed?

_____ CopyWas the paper neatly done?Was standard format followed?Was it double-spaced?Were margins correct?Was the page order correct?

_____ Following Directions - were all requirements met?

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Glossary of Terms Frequently Used in Booklet

annotated bibliography: List of printed sources followed by a brief summary of the information contained within the source (book, article, etc..).

bibliography:   List of printed sources usually organized alphabetically by author last name. Student bibliographies consist of all of the works you referred to while drafting and writing the paper but may or may not use in the paper.

cite: To cite something means to show the reader (in a footnote or an endnote) where you found particular. Be careful not to confuse cite with site, which is a place on the internet where the information is located.

database:   Electronic information (documents, articles, statistics, pictures) organized for rapid search and retrieval by a computer. Databases are found both on CD-ROM discs and on the internet.

documentation:   See cite, in-text citation, and works cited page in-text citation: The notation within your paper showing that the information immediately

preceding the citation has been borrowed from a source of information other than from your own knowledge.

outline:   List of the parts of your theme that need to be researched and a tentative ordering of the parts.

paraphrase:   Restatement in your own words of a phrase or idea that you found in your research sources. When you paraphrase, be extra careful to give credit to this information using both an in-text citation and notation on the works cited page.

plagiarism:   To knowingly or unknowingly use information from a source in your own paper. It is a serious offense. Even if you use your own words or paraphrase this information, you are stealing the work/research of another unless you give credit to the author/publication which provided you with the material you use in the paper.

primary documents:   See primary sources

primary sources:   Materials containing firsthand evidence of historical events, usually recorded by someone who participated in, witnessed, or lived through the event. Physical objects such as arrowheads, furniture, or documentary films can be primary sources. Your college transcript is a primary source that describes the history of your academic experience.

research bibliography:   List of sources that may be needed to research a theme It contains all of the publication information needed to create the works cited page of the research paper.

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research paper:   Formal writing assignment on a specific theme that usually requires the reading and analyzing of primary and/or secondary sources. Each piece of information taken from sources must have an in-text citation and a corresponding entry on the works cited page of the paper.

rough draft:   First version of a written assignment. It is revised and improved in later drafts.

search engine:   Software program that helps you to find items on the internet which contain specific search terms; we use these as a tool for searching for information on the internet.

theme:   Particular part of a general topic that you have chosen or been assigned for research. A theme sets limits on the area to be investigated and the points that will be made.

thesis:   a clear statement of the principal point you intend to make in your paper. This statement is part of your introductory paragraph and includes the topic, reason and proof to be discussed in the paper.

topic:   General subject area chosen or assigned for preliminary research.

works cited page: Last page of the research paper where each source is listed in alphabetical order by either the name of the author of the information (if known) or the title of the source. It includes publication dates and information which enables the reader to refer to the material mentioned, if necessary.

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Works Cited Page Citation Formats For Print Materials

BooksBOOK BY ONE AUTHORLast name, First name. Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Date.

Smith, Eric S. Seals. Boston: Little Brown, 2000.

BOOK BY TWO OR THREE AUTHORSLast name, First name, First name Last name, and First name Last name. Title. Place of Publication:

Publisher, Date.

Markman, Roberta H., Peter T. Markman, and Marie Waddell. 10 Steps in Writing the Research Paper. New York: Barron's, 1999.

BOOK BY AN EDITORLast name, First name, ed. Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Date.

Mazer, Anne, ed. A Walk in My World. New York: Persea, 1998.

BOOK BY AN ORGANIZATION OR GROUPName of Organization. Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Date.

American Medical Association. The American Medical Association Encyclopedia of

Medicine. New York: Random, 1998.

BOOK WITH NO AUTHORTitle. Place of Publication: Publisher, Date.

A Day in the Life of the Soviet Union. New York: Collins, 1999.

BOOK FROM A MULTIVOLUME SETLast name, First name, ed. "Title of Article." Title of Book. Vol. #. Place of Publication:

Publisher, Date.

Sadie, Stanley, ed. "Bassoon." The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.

Vol. 2. London: Macmillan, 1980.

General Encyclopedias – not from internet sitesENCYCLOPEDIA ARTICLE WITH AUTHOR AND STATED EDITIONLast name, First name. "Title of Article." Title of Book. Edition. Date.

Blanchard, Wendie. "Weaving." The Encyclopedia Americana. International ed. 2001.

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ENCYCLOPEDIA ARTICLE WITHOUT AUTHOR "Title of Article." Title of Book. Edition.

"Norfolk Terrier." World Book Encyclopedia. 2002 ed.

MULTIMEDIA ENCYCLOPEDIA (CD-ROM Format)Last name, First name. "Title of Article." Title of CD-ROM Program. Format. Publisher. Edition.

Hoffman, Gary. "Detroit, Michigan: History." Compton's Encyclopedia 2000 Deluxe.

CD-ROM. Broderbund. 2000 ed.

Print Articles – not from internet sitesMAGAZINE ARTICLE (in paper format)Last name, First name. "Title of Article." Title of Magazine Day Month Year: Page Number(s)

of Article.

Newman, Richard J. "The Best University." U.S. News and World Report 28 Sept. 2000:

114-15.

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE (in paper format)Last name, First name. "Title of Article." Title of Newspaper Day Month Year, Edition: SectionPage.

Manning, Anita. "Curriculum Battles from Left and Right." USA Today 2 Jan. 2001, late ed.:

D5.

All other sources should be documented utilizing the instructions on the Shawnee Media Center site which can be found by using the following link:http://www.lrhsd.org/822920751259340/site/default.asp

This site is constantly updated as internet sources continue to develop and change.

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