Ms. Forrester's Guide to Research Papers 2015

Ms. Forrester’s Guide
to Research Papers
(Otherwise known as How to Write a Research Paper that Does Not
Drive Your Teacher Crazy)
1
from “King Size Homer,” The Simpsons. Fox Television: 1995

Table of Contents
Section Page Number
A Note from Ms. Forrester 4
Formatting 5
Formatting Titles Within Your Paper 6
Formatting: Setting the Margins 7
Formatting: Setting the Font/Font Size 8
Formatting: Running Header/Page Number 9
Formatting: Line Spacing 11
Formatting: Heading 12
Introduction and Thesis Guidelines 13
When to Cite 15
Summarizing and Paraphrasing 16
Using Quotes 18
In-text Citations and the Works Cited Page 21
2

Table of Contents (cont.)
Section Page Number
Citing Your Sources: The Bible 22
Citing Your Sources: Books 23
Citing Your Sources: Chapters/Short Stories 24
Citing Your Sources: Constitution (U.S.) and the Declaration of
Independence
25
Citing Your Sources: Dictionary Definitions 26
Citing Your Sources: General Internet Sources 27
Citing Your Sources: Interviews 28
Citing Your Sources: Movies 29
Citing Your Sources: Newspaper and Magazine Articles 30
Citing Your Sources: Plays 31
Citing Your Sources: Poetry 32
Citing Your Sources: Scientific/Scholarly Journals 33
Citing Your Sources: Television Shows 34
Additional Resources 35
3

A Note from Ms. Forrester
• This Guide is meant to help you with general formatting and
citation issues using Microsoft Word 2007 and newer. It is
assumed that you have completed the “Research” part of
your Research Paper and followed the usual prewriting steps
on your own.
• Please see your teacher and check the Additional Resources
page before submitting a draft of your research paper.
• As always, make sure you read and follow ALL of the given
directions for all research assignments.
Happy “Paper-ing”!
--Ms. Forrester4

Formatting
• In general, your research paper should meet the following
guidelines. Set up your formatting FIRST so that you don’t have to
worry about it later. Your teacher may have different requirements,
so you should ask him/her in order to be sure:
• Times New Roman size 12 font – black ink only on white paper (click here for instructions
on how to set this up)
• running header with the student’s last name, a single space, and the
page number; this should be ½ inch from the top right edge of the
paper. (click here for instructions on how to set this up)
• 1-inch margins: that means that there should be one inch of space
between the words and the edge of the paper on all sides, except for the
running header (click here for instructions on how to set this up)
• doubled line-spacing: twice the normal space between each line of print
(click here for instructions on how to set this up)
• a ½ inch of extra space at the beginning of the first line of each new
paragraph—this is usually accomplished by pressing T once
• no extra spaces between paragraphs or around the title of your paper 5

Formatting Titles Within Your Paper
Remember that when you refer to other works—even outside of your
citations—you need to format the title properly.
6
If you are discussing a(n): the title should
be in:
Example(s)
album italics • Thriller by Michael Jackson
episode of a television show “quotes” • “The Cushion Saturation” episode of The Big Bang Theory
magazine, newspaper, or
scientific journal
italics • Sports Illustrated
• American Journal of Physics
magazine, newspaper, or a
scientific article
“quotes” • “Brooklyn Apartment Fire Leaves One Man Dead and
Another Injured” in The New York Times
movie italics • Wall-E
• Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
novel or a play italics • To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
poem, short story, or a song “quotes” • “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe
• “The Lazy Song” by Bruno Mars
specific page in a website “quotes” • “Arthritis Health Center” page on WebMd
television series italics • The Fairly OddParents
website italics • The Huffington Post
• Buzzfeed

Formatting: Setting the Margins
• The margins (space between the text and the edge of
the paper) for ALL sides—except for the running header—
should be 1 inch (2.54 cm).
• In Microsoft Word, go to the “Page Layout” tab, then click
on “Margins” and set margins to “Normal”. If you are still
having trouble, go to “Custom Margins” at the bottom of
the “Margins” menu to make further adjustments.
7

Formatting:
Setting the Font and Font size
• In general, the font for your ENTIRE paper (all headings, page numbers,
text, quotes, Works Cited, etc.) is black Times New Roman size 12. Your
font should not be in bold. You should ONLY use italics/underlining for
appropriate titles or if the text you are quoting uses them.
• Go to the “Home” tab and set font to Times New Roman size 12.
8

Formatting:
Running Header/ Page Number
• Click on the “Insert” tab, then click on the “Page
Number” menu. Insert the page number at the top of
the page using “Plain Number 3”.
9

Formatting:
Running Header/ Page Number
• Click to the LEFT of the page number. Type in your
last name/family name, then insert ONE space. If
you must, highlight the whole thing (name AND
page number) and adjust to make sure that it is in
Times New Roman size 12 font.
10

Formatting: Line Spacing
• You should adjust your line spacing AFTER you’ve formatted your
running header so that the line space settings do not interfere with
the page numbering settings.
• Right-click on the mouse and go to “Paragraph”
• Make sure the Alignment is “Left,” the line spacing “Doubled,” with no
extra spaces between paragraphs—the “Before” and “After” boxes
should be set to 0, and the box underneath should be checked.
11

Formatting: Heading
• After you’ve set up your line spacing, you can begin the first page of your
paper.
• The first page needs a special heading with your name, the teacher’s
name, the class/period, and the DUE DATE (not the day you wrote the
paper).
• On the fifth line, center the title of your paper. There should be no extra
space around the title, and the first letter of the important words should be
capitalized. Do NOT boldface, italicize, underline, “quote,” or FULLY
CAPITALIZE your paper’s title.
12

Introduction and Thesis Guidelines
13
Sometimes the biggest challenge in writing is getting started. The good
thing about beginning your research paper early is that you don’t have to
write your paper in the order that it is read. However, you should realize
that a well-written Introduction can have a powerful effect on the entire
essay.
A well-written Introduction should:
• get the reader’s attention, usually through a relevant general statement,
an interesting fact, or a controversial (yet appropriate) opinion.
• establish the writing style and logic that will be used within the paper.
• state the main point of the paper (thesis).
from “Brian the Bachelor,” Family Guy. Fox Television: 2005

Introduction and Thesis Guidelines
• A well-written thesis has three parts:
• a topic
• an opinion – usually indicated by the words “should” or “must”
• a reason/result for that opinion—in some subject areas, you might be
asked to provide a three-part reason/result.
o Example: The climate-change debate should be taught in high schools because it
shows the interaction between science and society.
o Example (with a three-part reason/result): Schools should reconsider
assigning nightly homework, as it creates stress on students and their families,
creates extra work for teachers, and does not seem to help students learn better.
• Avoid the following:
• stating the obvious or a fact as your thesis. There is no thesis without an
opinion or viewpoint.
• telling the reader what you will do in your paper, as opposed to just
doing it. Do not begin with “This paper will argue that . . . “ or “In this
paper I will write . . . ” This is your chance to ACTUALLY argue and
ACTUALLY write. The pointless filler is pointless. 
14

When to Cite:
• Presenting someone else’s ideas and/or words as your own is
called plagiarism. It is a form of cheating. In high school, it
will get you punished. In college and graduate school, it may
get you expelled. In the professional world, it can get you
fired.
• When preparing a research paper, you should read several
sources carefully and come to your own conclusions. In your
paper, you are explaining these conclusions, but you still must
show the origins of your ideas. This is called citing your
sources. You should cite your source when you:
• summarize—give an overview or shortened form of a passage
• paraphrase—put another writer’s ideas into your own words
• quote—present someone else’s words within your paper.
• If you are not sure if you should cite a part of your paper, cite
the source anyway and then ask your teacher.
15

Summarizing and Paraphrasing
•A summary gives an overview of a
passage. It is NOT replacing a few
key words and calling it something
else. This is still plagiarism. You
should look at the ideas, put them
into your own words (which is called
paraphrasing) and relate the ideas
to the point you are trying to make.
16

Example:
Summarizing and Paraphrasing
• Look at this passage from News of a Kidnapping by
Gabriel García Márquez and then look at the summary:
17
Passage Summary
Father García Herreros’s message created an opening in
the impasse. It seemed a miracle to Alberto Villamizar, for at
the time he had been going over the names of possible
mediators whose image and background might inspire more
trust in Escobar. Rafael Pardo heard about the program and
was disturbed by the idea that there could be a leak in his
office. In any case, both he and Villamizar thought Father
García Herreros might be the right person to mediate Escobar’s
surrender.
By the end of March, in fact, the letters going back and
forth had nothing left to say. Worse yet: It was evident that
Escobar was using Villamizar as a means of sending messages
to the government and not giving anything in return. His last
letter was nothing more than a list of interminable
complaints—that the truce had not been broken but he had
given his people permission to defend themselves against the
security forces, that these forces were on the list of people to be
killed, that if solutions were not forthcoming then
indiscriminate attacks against police and the civilian population
would increase. He complained that the prosecutor had
discharged only two officers, when twenty had been accused by
the Extraditables.
Officials hoped that Father García Herreros could help them
communicate with Pablo Escobar and rescue the kidnapping
victims, but it soon became clear that Escobar was only
interested in using the letters to complain, threaten, and make
demands (García Márquez 230-231).

Using Quotes
• Your paper is supposed to reflect YOUR thoughts and opinions, so
most of it should be in YOUR words. However, sometimes it is
necessary to reference someone else’s words in order to support
your point. ONLY use quotes if you are trying to make a point about
the language used.
• Do NOT simply stick a quote in your paper and leave it to the reader
to make sense of it. EVERY time you use a quote, you need to have
the following:
• lead-in: one or two sentences that introduce the quote, the
person who says it, and the context of the quote.
• the quote itself: short quotes are put in quotation marks, with a
citation before the last period, but after the closing quotation
marks. Long quotes (longer than 3 lines) do NOT use quotation
marks. They are separated as a “block” and indented an extra
inch. They are still cited at the end of the passage.
• analysis: an explanation of how the quote supports the point
you are trying to make. In general, your analysis should be
about twice the length of the quote itself.
18

Using Quotes: Short Quotes
• Remember, all quotes need:
• lead-in
• quote
• analysis
• citation
• Look at the following example:
• In Go Tell It on the Mountain, the character Florence
remembers that her mother had always loved her brother
best, even during prayer. Florence has only once heard her
mother make a prayer that “demanded the protection of
God more passionately for her daughter than she demanded
it for her son” (Baldwin 68). Religion may aim to get
people closer to God, but it can be affected by personal
conflicts. Florence’s mother turns to God during hard
times, and Florence tries to do the same. However,
Florence’s negative feelings toward her mother still come to
her mind, even though she is trying to follow her mother’s
religious example.
19

Using Quotes: Block Quotes
• Remember, all quotes need:
• lead-in
• quote
• analysis
• citation – this is the one time in which the citation comes AFTER the
period/closing mark
• Look at the following example:
• Stephen King is one of the most successful writers in the world, but his book On
Writing states that professional novelists should not worry too much about literary
techniques:
Book-buyers aren’t attracted, by and large, by the literary merits of a novel;
book-buyers want a good story to take with them on the airplane, something
that will first fascinate them, then pull them in and keep them turning the
pages. This happens, I think, when readers recognize the people in a book,
their behaviors, their surroundings, and their talk. When the reader hears
strong echoes of his of her own life and beliefs, he or she is apt to become
more invested in the story. (King 160)
Even though King does not seem to care about “literary merits”, most of the
common techniques studied in school will help writers meet the goals he sets.
Figurative language such as metaphor and simile can “fascinate” a reader by
presenting ideas and emotions in creative ways. Quality characterization will help
readers connect with the characters by showing them who the characters are and
what motivates them. Strong themes usually connect the ideas in books to real life
struggles, and realistic conflicts can draw the reader in and get readers to compare
book conflicts to their personal struggles.
20

In-text Citations and the Works
Cited Page
• Your sources need to be cited within the paper (in-text
citation) AND listed on the Works Cited page.
• The Works Cited page is a list of all the sources used
within your paper. The sources must be listed
alphabetically and follow the same text and spacing
format as the rest of the paper. The Works Cited page
does not have special numbering, but is usually not
considered part of your paper’s page count. It is still
double-spaced, with one-inch margins.
• The Works Cited page begins on a separate page
after your paper. If you need to insert a page for your
Works Cited list, press C + E at the same time.
This will create an automatic page break in your
document.
21

Citing Your Sources:
The Bible
• In-Text Citation Format:
(Abbreviation for the book of the Bible. Chapter.Verse).
• Example:
As a result of his hatred and murder, Cain and all his descendants were
both cursed and protected by God (Gen. 4.11-15).
• Works Cited Format:
Title. First and Last Names of anyone who wrote Introduction or
notes—if applicable. City: Publisher, Year. Type of Media.
Version of the Bible.
• Example:
Holy Bible. New York, NY: American Bible Society, 1995. Print.
Contemporary English Version.
22

Book or Novel
23
• In-Text Citation Format: (Author’s Last Name Page Number).
• Example:
Surprisingly, the chaotic politics of Jamaica in the 1960s and 1970s
influenced the creation of rap and hip-hop (Chang 23).
Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of the Book. City: Publisher,
Year. Type of Media.
• Example:
Chang, Jeff. Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-hop
Generation. New York, NY: Picador/St. Martin’s Press, 2005.
Print.

Chapters or Short Stories
24
• In-Text Citation Format: (Author’s Last Name Page Number).
• Example:
The city of Omelas seems to be an ideal society, but the happiness
of its people depends on making a single child suffer in prison (Le
Guin 269-270).
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Name of Chapter or Short Story.”
Ed. Editor’s First and Last Name. Title of Book. City: Publisher,
Year. Page Numbers. Type of Media.
• Example:
Le Guin, Ursula. “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas.” Ed.
Louis P. Pojman. The Moral Life: An Introductory Reader in
Ethics and Literature. New York, NY: Oxford University Press,
2004. Print.

The Constitution and
Declaration of Independence
25
• The title of the United States Constitution or Declaration of
Independence is always in plain text, with the important words
capitalized. Do NOT boldface, italicize, underline, “quote,” or FULLY
CAPITALIZE the title.
• In-text citation depends on the part of the Constitution being used. In
general, the format is as follows:
• (Name of Document, Section).
• Preamble: (U.S. Constitution, Preamble).
• Articles: (U.S. Constitution, art. 1, sec. 3).
• Amendments/Bill of Rights: (U.S. Constitution, Amendment V). – note
that Amendments use ROMAN numerals. For example, if you
wanted to reference the 13th Amendment, you would cite as follows:
(U.S. Constitution, Amendment XIII).
• The United State Constitution and the Declaration of Independence
themselves do not need to be listed on your Works Cited page.
However, any book, website, newspaper article, etc. ABOUT these
documents must be cited and listed on the Works Cited page.

Dictionary Definitions
26
• In-Text Citation Format: (“Word,” def. #).
• Example:
Interestingly, the tennis definition of love applies to the romantic
relationship between Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet because so
many people lost everything as a result of it (“Love,” def. 8).
• Works Cited Format: It is assumed that you will be using a web
site for definitions.
“Word.” Name of Website. Dictionary Company. Date of Publication.
Web. Date of access
• Example:
"Love." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 18 July
2015.

General Internet Sources
27
• In-Text Citation Format: (Author/Company, “Title of Web Page”).
• Example:
Although Serena Williams has dominated tennis for many years, she
still faces public pressure because of her race and gender (Zirin,
“Serena Williams is Today’s Muhammad Ali”).
Editor, author, or organization name (if available). “Web Page Title.”
Name of Site. Company. Date of Publication (if available). Type of
Media. Date of access.
• Example:
Zirin, Dave. “Serena Williams is Today’s Muhammad Ali.” Edge of
Sports. 14 July 2015. Web. 19 July 2015.

Interviews
28
(Interviewee Last Name, Format Interview).
• Example:
Disney World seems geared for children, but adults have a greater
appreciation of the fun and wonder there (Zambelli, Telephone
Interview).
Interviewee Last Name, First Name. Format Interview. Date.
• Example:
Zambelli, Laura. Telephone Interview. 22 July 2015.

Movies
29
• In-Text Citation Format: Italicize the name of the film in your lead-
in. No parenthetical documentation needed.
• Example:
In Finding Nemo, Marlin learns that being over-protective of his son
Nemo will prevent Nemo from living life to the fullest.
Name of Film. Dir. Director(s) Name. Perf. Star#1, Star #2.
Production Company, Year. Format.
• Example:
Finding Nemo. Dir. Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich. Perf. Albert
Brooks, Alexander Gould, Ellen DeGeneres. Pixar, 2003. DVD.

Newspaper and Magazine Articles.
30
• In-Text Citation Format: (Author’s Last Name, “Name of Article”)
• Example:
Some may mock a child named Disani, but her name comes from her
mother’s hope for a better life (Elliott, “Invisible Child”).
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Name of Article.” Name of
Newspaper or Magazine. Published date. Format. Access date (if
Web).
• Example:
Elliott, Andrea. “Invisible Child.” The New York Times. 9 December
2013. Web. 22 July 2015.

Plays
31
• In-Text Citation Format: (Name of Play Act.Scene.Lines/Page
Number).
• Example:
Nick Bottom remained confused after his transformation, and felt that
his “dream” was so wondrous that no one could explain or understand
it (A Midsummer Night’s Dream 4.1. 216-225).
Playwright’s Last Name, First Name. Name of Play. Ed. Editor’s
Name. Name of Book or Collection (if applicable). City of
Publication: Publisher, Year. Format.
• Example:
Shakespeare, William. A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2010. Print.

Citing Your Sources: Poetry
32
• In-Text Citation Format: Reference “the poem” and poet in your lead-in, then cite
the line numbers in parentheses (Line Numbers).
• Example:
Although the rhythm is bouncy and the poem seems cheerful, Silverstein’s description
of the foolish and crying unicorns in “The Unicorn” changes the overall tone of the
poem (37-40).
• Works Cited Format (web):
Poet’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Poem”. Name of Web Site. Web. Access Date.
• Example:
Silverstein, Shel. “The Unicorn.” LyricsBox. Web. 23 July 2015.
• Works Cited Format (Book):
Poet’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Poem”. Ed. Editor’s Name. Name of Book.
City of Publication: Publisher, Year. Page Numbers. Format.
• Example:
Silverstein, Shel. “The Unicorn.” Where the Sidewalk Ends: 30th Anniversary Edition.
New York, NY: Harper Collins Publisher, 2004. 76-77. Print.

Scientific/Scholarly Journals
33
• In-Text Citation Format (print): (Author’s Last Name Page Number)
or (Author’s Last Name, “Shortened Title of Article”).
• Example:
The New Horizons spacecraft alternates between “awake” and
“hibernation” modes so that it can get a complete picture of the outer
planets and moons in Earth’s Solar System (Riddle, “Far Out!”).
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Name of Article.” Name of
Journal. Volume.Issue (Year): Page Numbers or Name of
Database. Format. Access Date (if Web article).
• Example:
Riddle, Bob. "Far out! Exploring the Outer Reaches of Our Solar
System." Science Scope. Summer 2015: 92. Academic OneFile.
Web. 26 Aug. 2015.

Citing Your Sources: Television Shows
34
Italicize the name of the television series in your lead-in (“ Name of
Episode”).
• Example:
Even popular sitcoms such as Everybody Loves Raymond acknowledge
that teachers can become frustrated and bitter when students bring their
personal dramas into the classroom (“Ally’s F”).
“Episode Title.” Television Series Name. Network. Date aired.
Television.
• Example:
“Ally’s F.” Everybody Loves Raymond. CBS. 18 October 2004.
Television.

Additional Resources
• Citation Machine Online Citation Generator:
http://www.citationmachine.net/
• EasyBib Online Citation Generator:
http://www.easybib.com/
• The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th
Edition by the Modern Language Association of America
• Purdue University Online Writing Lab:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
• Thesis Statement Generator and Guidelines:
https://awc.ashford.edu/writing-tools-thesis-generator.html
35

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