The School Living Room inspired by Holly Frilot
RESEARCH FUN!
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CITING YOUR SOURCES!
In general, you will be using MLA format and style guidelines which have been developed as a way of standardizing the writing and layout of papers and projects. MLA format and style is especially helpful when you must show how the papers and projects of those people who have influenced your thinking or from where you got your information. There are some overall formatting rules you're going to want to follow for the entire paper. Then there are two places in your paper or project where you should show from whom you got your information, i.e. the in-text citation (parenthetical citation) and on the Works Cited page. Ever wonder why you have to do this citation thing anyway? Here are several reasons: 1. To make you look good. Citing your sources tells your readers you know what you're talking about. Your paper also looks polished and professional. 2. Helps organize your work. Your reader knows what to expect when you use proper formatting. Formatting and style guidelines provide a structure for you too. 3. Helps you critique sources of information. By making sure you cite your sources correctly, you have chosen between good and bad sources of information. For example, if you cannot find the author of a source, chances are you shouldn't be using that source. 4. Plagiarism protection. If you have cited your sources, you have told your reader you have done your best to give credit to those people whose work helped you write your paper. 5. It’s the right thing to do! When you cite your sources, you are respecting the author's rights to their work. MLA Research and Citation Links MLA Example Essay (pdf) OWL at Purdue 2009 MLA Guide MLA Internet Sources Research & Citation Guides (MLA 2009) Citations for a Research Paper (MLA) Research Papers: Outline Citation Styles Handbook: MLA from OWL Creating Note Cards Research Paper Format Creating the Works Cited Parenthetical In-Text Citations Typing & Formatting Your Paper Abbreviations to use in MLA citations Writing Tips: Essay Builder Abbreviations from OWL Online Thesis BuilderQuotations in a Research Paper Writing a Thesis Statement MLA Style Guide EasyBib - Online Citation Maker BibMe - Online Citation Maker (Remember- if you use a citation maker then check with the MLA citation format to make sure it was done correctly) GoAnimate.com: Beam Me Up Databases! by gwyneth
Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun! Not sure if your internet source is credible? Use the school's databases! You will need a password to access these databases at home. Stop by the media center to get these passwords. In the meantime, check out these videos on what the databases can do for you and why they are better than google!
GoAnimate.com: Why You Should Love Subscription Databases by ldelia
Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun! Reference Sources and
Other Libraries MLA Style Guide Medford Library-USCL Gale Literary Index Library of Congress NY Public Library Image Collection LibrarySpot.com |
GoAnimate.com: Plagiarism by Eric Bookstrom
Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun! PLAGIARISM FACTS YOU MUST KNOW
1. It is illegal to copy someone else's ideas. Period. 2. If you plagiarize, you will face consequences. 3. It's easy to avoid plagiarism, by citing your sources. What is plagiarism? (1) failure to cite quotations and borrowed ideas; (2) failure to enclose borrowed language in quotation marks; and (3) failure to put summaries and paraphrases in your own words ("PHS English Department" 1). Why is this important? For a detailed explanation of copyright law, click here. Taking someone's words and thoughts is the same thing as taking their physical belongings. Their intellectual property is protected by law, just as yours is! Do you want someone taking credit for your ideas? No way. So, don't take theirs. You could be sued for copyright infringement, disciplined at school, evicted from college, fired from your job, etc. Then, of course, there is karma. If you rip someone off, you can be sure that someone will rip you off someday. Why set yourself up? If you decide the universe won't catch up with you (it's not nice to mess with the universe), your teachers will. Here's how: If your teacher suspects plagiarism: 1. The media specialist will review websites and print materials for matches. 2. Your teacher will ask you if you have plagiarized. 3. If evidence exists that you have plagiarized, you will be referred to the administration and receive no credit or diminished credit for your work. 4. Remember that turning in a paper for one class that you have already turned in for another class is not acceptable. How do I avoid plagiarizing? (Visit Avoiding Plagiarism for more information) 1. Start your paper early. Don't cram the night before it is due, and then start surfing the web for ideas. 2. Use a good note taking system. Using either the MLA card system, or the Cornell Note taking system will help you. Always use quotation marks when writing down a direct quotation. Summarize what the author said in your own words, by reading, writing keywords, and then writing a summary without looking at your notes. Make sure you understand the author's ideas so that you aren't tempted to copy them word for word. Don't be a parrot. On each card or page, cite your source so you can find it easily. 3. Keep your notes, so that you can show the teacher your sources and your efforts. 4. Don't write sentence by sentence. Make yourself an outline of what you want to write about, write about it, then go back and review your notes to see if you missed anything you wanted to cover. Writing papers is not like playing scrabble- rearranging the words in the sentence is STILL PLAGIARISM. Changing a few of the words with the help of a thesaurus is STILL PLAGIARISM. 5. Make sure your paper contains your original thinking, not just canned words. Give your brain a workout! 6. Cite all your sources. This means all graphics, too- from anywhere on the net or in print. Don't forget to cite your graphics in your powerpoint presentations. It's so much easier to cite your source (Smith 107), then to forget to and pay later. For more information on how to cite sources, see your handbook, or click here. 7. Ask your teacher or media specialist for help if you have any questions. Works Consulted Benander, R.E. "Standard Essay Outline Format." Preparatory Reading and Writing. Raymond Walters College English Department. 02 Mar. 2006. "The Cornell Note Taking System." Cornell University. 02 Mar. 2006. <http://www.clt.cornell.edu/ca mpus/learn/LSC%20Resources/cornellsystem.pdf>. "Modern Language Association Citation Guidelines." The Ohio State University Libraries. 02 Mar. 2006 <http://library.osu.edu/sites/guides/mlagd.html> "PHS English Department Statement on Plagiarism." Pelham High School English Department. 02 Mar. 2006 |
