This document provides guidance for writing a research paper, including questions to ask the teacher about requirements and guidelines to follow. It discusses formatting, in-text citations, quoting and paraphrasing sources, and creating a works cited page in MLA format. Key points include asking the teacher about the required format, length, approval of topics, and use of sources. Guidelines cover spending 60% of time on research and drafting, typing requirements, citations, and concluding without new information.

1. Let’s Write a Research Paper
Getting started: Step 1, make
sure you understand what
the topic is. (more coming)

2. What to ask your teacher.
1. What format should this be done in?
It could be MLA, APA, Turabian,
known as Chicago Manual.
2. How long should it be? Does that
include the outline and Works Cited
page?
3. Does your teacher expect to
approve the topic and/or thesis
statement in advance?
4. Does the teacher want an outline?
Does the teacher want to see your
note cards?
5. Will the teacher want to see your
outline or rough draft.

3. Cont-- questions
1. Does the teacher want a cover? Some
may not want plastic covers.
2. What information does the teacher want
on the cover page?
3. Will the teacher expect all research turned
in with the paper?
4. Does the teacher want a Works Cited (only
the sources used in the paper) or a
Bibliography (everything you looked at).
5. Is this an informative or a persuasive paper?
6. May you uses any sources (encyclopedias,
magazines, Internet, etc.). How many
should you use and are there any
restrictions?
7. Ask your questions now because excuses
aren't accepted later.

4. Basic Guidelines for a Research Paper.
1. Plan on spending about 60% of your
time planning, researching, and
preparing the first draft.
2. It must be typed unless your teacher
states otherwise. Even then, statistics
point to higher grades for typed
papers.
3. Use 10 or 12 point type and a
standard font such as Arial or Times
New Roman.
4. Type on only one side of the page
and double space all text.
5. Use parenthetical in-text
documentation.

5. Guidelines-cont
1. When you look at any possible source
material, always copy down the
bibliographical information (See Works
Cited).
2. Even if you use note cards, it helps to
photo copy pages you might use.
3. You must give credit to both exact
quotes and paraphrases.
4. Unless otherwise stated the margins are
to be 1 inch all around.
5. TCC offers special writing classes all
semester- current schedule.

6. Ima Student Class and Section
Your Teacher
Date the paper is due
How to Write a Research Paper
One must double space and indent 5 spaces
when one begins a paragraph. However, for the sake of
space this will be single spaced. As stated earlier the writer
will use the standard one inch margins all the way around.
This is normally the default setting if using a word
processing machine or computer. Use left justification for
the margins. If one needs a topic, one may go to the TCC
handouts- Research Paper Topics or visit the TCC
Learning Resource Center for ideas. Unless the teacher
specifies otherwise, this is to be written in third person (he,
she, they).
This is called a research paper because the writers must
do research and include it in their paper. One must include

7. Last Name 2
a combination of direct quotes, paraphrases, combination
notes, and your own conclusions. In a direct quote the writer
will use the authors exact words and place quotation marks
("quote") around it. It will be followed by the author's last name
and the page number in parenthesis. In a paraphrase, the
whole idea in the writer's own words. With a combination note,
one uses some of one's own words and an direct quote. The
writers' own conclusions are the ideas that come to the writers
as contemplate the research. In the event of a long quote,
more than 4 lines, the writer must set it off by indenting 10
spaces. This will not need quotation marks.
Laughter is also an elixir for the mind. Tests
administered by Swedish psychologist Lars Ljungdahl before
and after humor therapy reveal a reduction of stress
and depression and a heightened sense of mental well being
and creativity. More and more we are discovering that it only
hurts when we don't laugh. (Lederer 10)

8. Last 3
(Page 2 and all subsequent pages will have the
author's last name and the page number as a header
at 1/2 inch from the top of the paper. The actual text
will begin at the 1 inch margin.) In the event there is
a quote inside your quote, use a single quote mark
for the interior quote. This is a combination quote
with an interior quote. A teacher read this to her
students, " 'If you subscribe to the summer Weekly
Reader you will receive ten issues.' One of her
students waited all summer for a pair of tennis
shoes" (Lederer 147). Please notice that there is no
punctuation inside the parenthesis, and the closing
punctuation from the sentence is placed after the
parenthesis.

9. Last 4
If one mentions an author's name in the text, one need only
give the page number in the parenthesis. This is also the
case if one is continuing to quote from one author. "She's a
real Pre-Madonna" (152). In the event the quote comes from
a book with 2 authors, list both in parenthesis. (Author1 and
Author2 10). With 3 authors it will be (Author1, Author2, and
Author3 10). Beyond 3 authors one may name them all, or
name the first followed by the abbreviation for "and others"
et al. (Author1 et al. 10). In the event the quote is a quote
from another work which can't be found, one must indicate
that it was quoted from another place (qtd. in Author 10).
In the event one uses an abbreviation, always spell
out the name first. For example, the Modern Language
Association (MLA) is the source of this information. In the
event one doesn't wish to use a whole quote, one may use
an ellipsis (...) to indicate that text is missing. For example:
"... and the quote" or "The ... quote" or "The quote ..."

10. Last 5
Should the writer need to to offer an explanation
about the quote or extra details, this may be done by
placing the explanation in square brackets [ ]. If you
see [sic] it means there is an error made by the
original author—colour[sic].
When the writer feels sure that he/she has proven
the point of the thesis, the writer will prepare the
conclusion. This section will sum up all that has been
written without introducing any new topics.
Like any project make sure that you allow enough
time. Prepare a schedule. It is a simple process if
you take it in steps and allow enough time. To quote
from Murphy's Law: "If anything can go wrong, it will."
This is never more true than when you leave a
project to the last minute. Good Luck.

11. Last 6
This is a list of all the works that you have included in
your paper. It will be listed in alphabetical order by
author. In the event that no author is given, use the title
of the work and place it in alphabetical order between
the authors. Continue the page numbering with your
name and the page number in the header. The title,
Works Cited, is at the 1 inch margin and just the first
letters are capitalized. The first line of the entry will
begin at the 1 inch margin with the second and
subsequent lines of the entry being indented 5 spaces.
Continue to double space your work. Make sure you
place the punctuation exactly as you see it here. The
publisher's name may be abbreviated-- see your text
or MLA Home page. When you give the full date, it
should be given as day month year (16 May 1978). In
some cases your instructor may want you to list every
source you looked at regardless of whether you used it
or not. This is called a Bibliography. This is intended to

12. LAST 7
be a basic instruction if you need more detail visit TCC
Writing Center- Handouts- MLA Parenthetical In-Text
Documentation Guidelines or go directly to the MLA
Home page
Works Cited
(Books 1 author. Last, First. Title of the Book in
Italics/or underlined if you can't print in italics. City of
Publication: Publisher's Name, year published.)
Lederer, Richard. More Anguished English. New
York: Delacorte Press, 1993.

13. Books 1 author.
Last, First. Title of the Book in Italics/or underlined if you can't print in
italics. City of Publication: Publisher's Name, year published.
Lederer, Richard. More Anguished English. New York: Delacorte Press,
1993.
2 Books by the same author- use the form above for the first entry-
the second entry follows this sample.
---. Title. City: Publisher, year.
Books 2 or 3 authors
Last1, First, and First Last2. Title. City: Publisher, year.
Last1, First, First Last2 and First Last3. Title. City: Publisher, year.
Books 4 or more authors
Last1, First., et al. Title. City: Publisher, year.
Book with an editor.
Last, First, ed. Title. City: Publisher, year.
Magazines, periodicals, journals or newspapers.
Last, First. "Title of the Article in quotes." Title of the Magazine in italics or
underlined. Volume or Issue Number (Year) OR full date: Starting page-
ending page (for newspapers include the section letter with the page
number). Treat articles with no author just as you treated the book with no
author.

14. Government Publications.
Last, First (if given) OR the State OR United States
Department or Committee. City whereit is printed like--
Washington, D.C.: the agency preparing it like--GPO
(Government Printing Office)/ State Dept. of Education,
year.
E-mail
Last, First. E-mail to the author. full date.
Listserv or Usenet, bulletin board, or discussion group.
Last, First. "The title in quotes." full date of the posting. Online
Posting (type those words). Name of the group- may include
the subject. Your source (Like- Usenet).
Date you took it off-line. The electronic address though
optional is important. Ask your instructor his/her preference.

15. Periodical CD-ROM with a print version
Last, First. "Title." Print Source full date, section and page
numbers if given. Title of the CD-Rom Name of the
distributor or vendor. Full date of electronic publication.
CD-Rom or other source with no print edition.
Last, First. Title of the article. Title of the CD-Rom. The
medium- CD-Rom, magnetic tape, or diskette. Place of
Publication: Publisher, year of publication.
An Online source with a print version.
Last, First. "Title of Work." Name of the Print Source
(Magazine). Full date, pages and section. Name of the
Online Source. Name of the Online service. Date you found
this online. Optionally- electronic address.
An Online source without a print version.
Last, First. "Title." Date written. Name of Source. Online
source. Date you found this online. Optionally-electronic
address.
A movie or video. Title of the Work. Dir. director's names.
Perf. performers' names (only main ones). Name of the
studio/distributor, year.
Television or radio. "Title of the Episode." Name of the
show. Network. Local station, local city. Full date.

16. Preparing the Formal Outline Page This is different from
the working outline which you used to begin organizing your
paper. This is an outline which shows how your paper is
actually organized. You may find that this is an excellent way
of conducting a final edit of your paper since you can
compare it with the original working outline and verify that you
have adequate detail. This is a topic outline and uses
phrases or words after the thesis statement but no
sentences. Unless your instructor gives other instructions use
the following format. As you can see, as you indent each level
of information, it goes in another 5 spaces. Each level
requires that you have 2 levels of detail- 1 must have a 2
although a 3 does not have to have a 4.

17. Ima Student Professor I.M. Wise
Class and section numbers
April 24, 1998 - Date submitted or due date.
Outline
Thesis Statement: Yes, you do type the words thesis
statement and
underline it. This is presented as a single sentence and must
match
the thesis statement found in the paper's introduction. This is a
statement of your plan for your paper. It will include the
research topic and your assertion-- your focus.
I. Introduction
A. Supporting Detail
1. Sub-detail
a. Detail about the sub detail
(1.)
(2.)
(a.)
(b.)
b.
2.
B.
II.

18. Student ii
III. If you go to a second page, you must have your last
name in the upper right hand corner and use lower
case Roman numerals (ii).

19. Preparing a Works Cited Page
Bonnie Startt Spring 2002
Using the following information, prepare a sample works cited
page using MLA format. Please note that you do not need to
use everything given.
1. The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat and other Clinical
Tales. Oliver Sacks. New York. Summit Books. “The Autist
Artist.” No year of publication listed. Pages 204 through 223.
2. Barbara Tuckman. Practicing History. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
Copyright 1936, 1959, 1966, 1974, 1981. Introduction copyright
1981. New York.
3. CD-ROM. CD Plus. Jan. 1991. “Responsible Weight Loss in
New Jersey.” New Jersey Medicine 87(1990): M.A. Kirchner, et
al. Pages 901-04. Medline.
4. “Beware Liquid Diets.” Healthtouch Aug. 1996: Available
http://www.healthtouch.com:80/cane/wcin002.html. Harriet
Cane. N. page. Online. Internet. 4 Mar. 1997.

20. 5. Double Belonging, Interchurch Families and Christian Unity.
George Kilcourse. Paulist Press. New York, NY. Mahwah,
N.J.1992 .
6. Jennifer Siebel Trainor and Amanda Godley. College
Composition and Communication. The Journal of the
Conference on College Composition and Communication and
the National Council of Teachers of English Volume 50 Number
2 December 1998 “After Wyoming.” 1111 W. Kenyon Rd,
Urbana, Illinois 61801-1096 pp 153-182
7. Black, Craig Summers. Volume 76 Number 11 November
1998 “A Bloom in Every Room, Indoor Plants that Flower with
Ease.” Better Homes and Gardens pages 181-188.
8. The New Encyclopedia Britannica: Macropedia. Herman F.
Marks. 15th Edition 1991 “Polymers.
9. Time. 101. October 11, 1976. “The Right to Die.”
10. An interview with your English teacher. At school Feb. 26,
1999. Taped for posterity.