Writing the Research Paper: A Handbook, 2009 MLA Update Edition

Front Cover......Page 1
Title Page......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
Brief Contents
......Page 6
Contents......Page 7
Preface......Page 21
1 Basic Information about the Research Paper......Page 26
1c Format of the research paper......Page 27
1d Reasons for the research paper......Page 28
1e The report paper and the thesis paper......Page 29
1f Drafts of the research paper......Page 30
1g Writing the research paper: Steps and schedule......Page 33
2 Choosing a Topic......Page 36
2a How to choose a topic......Page 37
2b-2 Topics based on a single source......Page 39
2b-5 Topics that are overused......Page 40
2c Narrowing the topic......Page 41
3 The Library......Page 44
3a-1 The computer......Page 45
3a-2 Online full-text databases......Page 47
3a-4 Stacks......Page 48
3a-8 Audiovisual room......Page 49
3a-10 Newspaper racks......Page 50
3b Organization of the library collections......Page 51
3b-1 The Dewey Decimal System......Page 52
3b-2 The Cutter-Sanborn Author Marks......Page 53
3b-3 The Library of Congress Classification System......Page 54
3b-4 Classification of periodicals......Page 55
3b-5 Classification of nonbooks......Page 57
4 The Thesis and the Outline......Page 60
4a The thesis: Definition and function......Page 61
4a-1 Formulating the thesis......Page 62
4a-2 Rules for wording the thesis......Page 63
4a-3 Placing the thesis......Page 65
4a-4 Choosing a title......Page 66
4b-1 Visual conventions of the outline......Page 67
4b-3 Parallelism in outline entries......Page 68
4b-4 Types of outlines......Page 69
4c Choosing an outline form......Page 73
5 Using the Computer in Your Research......Page 76
5b The Internet......Page 77
5b-3 Understanding Internet addresses......Page 78
5c-1 Databases......Page 79
5c-3 Online public-access catalogs (OPACs)......Page 80
5d Researching with search engines......Page 81
5d-1 Boolean logic......Page 82
5d-4 Useful search engines......Page 83
5e Usenet, Listserv, telnet, and gopher......Page 84
5e-3 Telnet and gopher......Page 85
5f-1 Where was the information found?......Page 86
5f-6 What do the writer's contemporaries have to say?......Page 87
5f-8 What is the context of the writer's opinion?......Page 88
5g Running a search......Page 89
5h Useful Internet sites......Page 90
6 Doing the Research......Page 92
6a-2 General information......Page 93
6b Where to look for information......Page 94
6b-1 General indexes......Page 95
6b-2 Specialized indexes......Page 96
6b-4 Corresponding by e-mail......Page 99
6c Assembling a working bibliography......Page 100
6d Selecting your sources: Skimming......Page 102
6d-2 Evaluating sources......Page 103
6e Note-taking......Page 105
6e-3 Using the computer to take notes......Page 106
6e-4 Using a copy machine to take notes......Page 107
6e-5 Kinds of notes......Page 108
6f Plagiarism and how to avoid it......Page 112
7 Transforming the Notes into a Rough Draft......Page 118
7c Writing with a computer......Page 119
7d-1 Summaries and paraphrases......Page 120
7d-2 Direct and indirect quotations......Page 121
7d-3 Using brief direct quotations......Page 122
7d-4 Using long quotations......Page 123
7d-5 Using quotations from poetry......Page 125
7d-7 Punctuating quotations......Page 126
7d-9 Using the ellipsis......Page 127
7d-10 Overusing quotations......Page 130
7d-11 Personal commentary......Page 131
7e How to use quotations to explore and discover......Page 132
7f-1 Unity......Page 133
7f-2 Coherence......Page 134
7g Using the proper tense......Page 136
7h Using graphics in your research paper......Page 137
7i Writing the abstract......Page 143
8 Revising Your Rough Draft......Page 146
8a-2 Revising the paper from biggest to smallest elements......Page 147
8b Revising the opening paragraph......Page 148
8b-1 Revising the introduction......Page 149
8b-2 Check that your paragraphs follow the sequence of topics in the thesis......Page 150
8b-3 Revising the body paragraphs......Page 151
8b-4 Check paragraph transitions......Page 152
8c Revising sentences for variety and style......Page 153
8c-1 Revise sentences to use the active voice......Page 154
8c-2 Revise to use an appropriate point of view......Page 156
8c-3 Revise sexist language......Page 157
8d Revising words: Diction......Page 158
8d-1 Revise diction for accuracy and exactness......Page 159
8d-2 Revise the overuse of phrases for subjects instead of single nouns......Page 160
8d-4 Revise meaningless words and phrases......Page 161
8e Rules for writers. Not.......Page 162
9 The MLA System of Documentation......Page 166
9a Parenthetical documentation: Author-work (MLA)......Page 167
9a-2 Guidelines for in-text citations......Page 168
9b Format for "Works Cited" (MLA)......Page 172
9b-1 General order in references to books......Page 173
9b-2 Sample references to books......Page 177
9b-3 General order in references to periodicals......Page 181
9b-4 Sample references to periodicals......Page 183
9b-6 General order in references to electronic sources......Page 186
9b-7 Sample references to electronic sources......Page 187
9b-8 Sample references to nonprint materials......Page 190
9b-9 Sample references to special items......Page 195
9c Content notes......Page 202
9c-5 Content note acknowledging help......Page 204
9d-2 Title page......Page 205
9d-4 Pagination and headings......Page 206
9d-7 Illustrations, tables, and other graphics......Page 207
9d-9 Bibliography (titled "Works Cited")......Page 212
9f Submitting your paper electronically......Page 213
10 The APA System of Documentation......Page 216
10a Parenthetical documentation: Author-date (APA)......Page 217
10a-1 Examples of APA in-text citations to books......Page 218
10b Format for "References" (APA)......Page 223
10b-1 General order for books in "References"......Page 224
10b-2 Sample references to books......Page 225
10b-3 General order for periodicals in "References"......Page 227
10b-4 Sample references to periodicals......Page 228
10b-5 Sample references to electronic sources......Page 230
10b-6 Sample references to nonprint materials......Page 235
10b-7 Sample references to special items......Page 236
10c Writing the abstract......Page 238
10d-1 Two kinds of APA papers: The theoretical and the empirical......Page 239
10d-2 Appearance of the final copy......Page 240
10f Submitting your paper electronically......Page 248
11 The Traditional System of Documentation (CMS)......Page 250
11a-1 Formatting of notes......Page 251
11a-2 Rules for numbering the notes......Page 253
11a-3 Sample footnote references to books......Page 254
11a-4 Sample footnotes for periodicals......Page 257
11b Subsequent references in footnotes and endnotes......Page 259
11c Electronic sources......Page 260
11d Finished form of the paper......Page 261
11d-3 Content or reference notes......Page 262
11d-4 Illustrations: Tables and figures......Page 263
11d-5 Use of numbers......Page 264
11e Peer review checklist......Page 265
11f Submitting your paper electronically......Page 266
12 Sample Student Papers......Page 268
12a Paper using author-work documentation (MLA)......Page 269
12b Paper using author-date documentation (APA)......Page 279
12c Paper using footnote documentation (CMS)......Page 293
A1-a Percentages and amounts of money......Page 299
A1-d Dates......Page 300
A2-a Titles underlined or in italic......Page 301
A2-b Titles in quotation marks......Page 303
A3 Italic and underlining......Page 305
A4 Names of people......Page 306
A5 Hyphenating words......Page 307
A6 Spaces and punctuation marks......Page 308
A8 Abbreviations......Page 309
A8-a Commonly used abbreviations......Page 310
A8-b The Bible......Page 314
A8-c Shakespeare......Page 315
A8-e States and U.S. territories......Page 316
A8-f Publishers' names......Page 317
A8-g Abbreviations......Page 319
A9 Spelling......Page 320
B1-a Sources that list books......Page 321
B1-b Sources that list periodicals and newspapers......Page 322
B1-e Sources about words: Dictionaries......Page 325
B1-g Works about people......Page 327
B1-h Resources about government publications......Page 330
B1-i Sources about nonbooks (nonprint materials)......Page 331
B2-a Art 310......Page 334
B2-b Business and economics......Page 336
B2-c Dance......Page 338
B2-e Education......Page 339
B2-f Ethnic studies......Page 340
B2-g High technology......Page 342
B2-h History......Page 343
B2-i Literature......Page 345
B2-j Music......Page 348
B2-k Mythology, classics, and folklore......Page 350
B2-l Philosophy......Page 351
B2-m Psychology......Page 352
B2-n Religion......Page 353
B2-o Science......Page 354
B2-q Women's studies......Page 355
Credits......Page 357
Index......Page 359