WritingA

Research PaperGuidelines & Resources

ByMrs. A. Brooks

Name ____________________________________

MLADocumentatio

WorkCited

Paraphrasing

QuotationsParenthetical

Citations

Summarizing1

Note: All material is designed to assist you in correctly citing sources, outlining paper, completing research, writing thesis statements, and formalizing your paper. Because of the length of material provided for you, I will not make additional copies for you. Place this booklet in your binder and DO NOT misplace it.

Goal:

Write a persuasive research paper about a controversial issue.Examples: The media hype surrounding global warming is over exaggerated… Capital punishment in America should be abolished because…The use of embryos in stem cell research is unethical and should be outlawed…Athletes who have used steroids in their particular sports should be heavily penalized

because…

Guidelines:

o Fill out your project proposal worksheet [Appendix A] and conference with me about your topic before committing.

o An outline will be completed and approved by me before you begin your research

oUse 4-5 good sources in your paper. You may use Internet sources; however they must be reputable. At least 1 of your sources must be from the Gale Opposing Viewpoints website.

o I will need to see all your source cards [directions/examples to follow] before you begin writing your paper.

o At least 20 note cards will be required per paper. I will give you a deadline for these.

o You need 4 quotations and at least 10 paraphrases.

o Integrate sources throughout your body paragraphs; do not use only one source per paragraph.

oOn average, there should be 2 instances of parenthetical documentation per body paragraph [examples to follow]. Each body paragraph needs citations!

o All quotations, paraphrases, and summaries of information must have parenthetical citations or you are plagiarizing. [directions/examples to follow]

o Information which is not common knowledge must be followed by parenthetical documentation.

o If you do not use parenthetical documentation, you will earn a ZERO on your paper.oUse MLA format for parenthetical documentation. [directions/examples to follow]

o Include a creative title.

o Anchor each quotation – lead them in and explain their significance afterwards.

o Include all sources used and documented on your works cited page. Follow standard MLA documentation. A Works Cited page will accompany every paper.

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o Follow standard formatting: 12 point font; Times News Roman, Palatino, or Cambria fonts ONLY; 1 inch margins; double-spacing; and no paragraph breaks (big spaces between paragraphs).

o Include a standard header on every page with your last name, first name and page number in the top right corner.

o Submit your final research paper to www.turnitin.com [direction to follow].

o Turn in, on the final paper due date, in a pocket folder, your note cards and source cards (bound with rubber band), your first and final draft, any other notes used, your outline, your self-edit sheet [Appendix B], and two peer-edit sheet [Appendix C].

Attributes of a Strong Research Paper

Strong thesis statement with powerful word choice and strong stance. This is the last sentence of your first paragraph.

Support of your comments and opinions with clear, specific examples, quotations and references.

Integration of sources and research throughout body paragraphs.

Smooth transitions between sentences and paragraphs.

No contractions (don’t, haven’t, wouldn’t, etc.) or slang (like, stuff, swag, etc.) except when part of a direct quotation from a source.

No first person (I, me, we, us) or second person (you) unless part of a direct quotation from a source.

Proper use of mechanics (correct punctuation, spelling, grammar, etc.)

Varied sentence structures (simple, compound, compound-complex, etc.)

Avoid plagiarism; otherwise you will receive an F.

Your grades will come from:

Research Topic Proposal WorksheetResearch Source CardsResearch Notecards Research OutlineSelf-edit SheetPeer-edit Sheets (2)Typed Works Cited PageFirst Draft of Research Paper (typed)Final Draft of Research Paper (typed) *Paper Portfolio

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* Always check the Grading Rubric while preparing your paper. [Appendix D]

***Late Policy: You will lose one letter grade off of your paper grade for every class day your paper is late. Corinth School District make-up policy in the handbook applies.

***Remember: If you choose not to write the research paper and follow directions, you will fail the class. Please ask me for help or clarification if you are confused or struggling at any point in the writing process.

Research Paper Terms to KnowSources Articles from the internet, websites, books, magazines, encyclopedia,

etc. you use to research your topic and write your paper. You need at least 1 source from Opposing Viewpoints database. The additional sources can be from Gale Opposing Viewpoints or other reputable internet websites.

Parenthetical Citation or Parenthetical Documentation

Whenever you take information from your source and use it in your paper, you must add a parenthetical citation after your information. This information may be written in your own words, a paraphrase, or added as a quotation. Either way, you must have a parenthetical citation after the information or you are plagiarizing. A parenthetical citation looks like this: (Lee 205). The author’s last name or title if no author is provided and the page number, if applicable, is included within the parentheses. Your parenthetical citations will correspond to your Work Cited page

Work Cited The Works Cited page is the last page of your research paper; it does not count toward your word count requirement. It contains a citation for all of your sources that you use in your paper. Your parenthetical citations throughout your research paper will correspond to the sources on your Works Cited page. There is a specific way to create a Works Cited page; I will show you how to do so.

Plagiarism You plagiarize when you do not indicate with parenthetical citations from which sources you took your information you used in your paper. Sometimes, this is accidental or “lazy” plagiarism. Intentional plagiarism occurs when you knowingly copy another student’s paper, a paper from the internet, or take portions of your research paper from the internet and claim the writing to be your own. Accidental plagiarism will drastically harm your paper grade. Intentional plagiarism results in an automatic ZERO and is easily detected with turnitin.com.

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Persuasive Research Paper

In a persuasive research paper, you work to convince your reader to believe the same way you do about a particular issue. You must find strong evidence in your sources to persuade your reader that you are correct.

Thesis Statement Your thesis statement is the last sentence of your introduction. Your thesis statement will tell your reader what your position is on the particular issue you are addressing. Example: Year-round schooling is the only type of school system that can bring the most benefit to all the members of the community.

Topic Sentences Topic sentences are ALWAYS the first sentences of your body paragraphs. They state what you are going to discuss in each paragraph. Topic sentences MUST directly connect to your thesis. Topic sentences MUST answer a “How?” or “Why?” question related to your thesis statement. Example of one topic sentence: Year-round schools help students stay safe and have fun during inter-sessions.

Direct Quotation Direct quotations involve incorporating another person’s/writer’s exact words into your own writing. You place double quotation marks around their words and add a parenthetical citation after the quotation.

Indirect Quotation Indirect quotations are not exact wordings but rather re-phrasings or summaries of another person’s words. In this case, it is not necessary to use quotation marks. However, indirect quotations still require parenthetical citations, and you will be committing plagiarism if you fail to do so. Indirect quotations are a form of paraphrasing.

Paraphrase Paraphrasing involves putting a passage from source material into your own words. A paraphrase must have a parenthetical citation. Paraphrased material is usually shorter that the original passage, taking a somewhat broader segment of the source and condensing it slightly.

Quotation Anchor or Lead-in

You cannot simply stick a quotation into a paragraph. You must provide a lead-in, which indicates who said the statement or provide background so that the quotation makes sense. Your quotations should be well-integrated and flow smoothly into your other ideas.

Source Integration Instead of using only one of your sources for each body paragraph, you should try to use at least two of your sources in each body paragraph. Use ideas from different sources to support your topic sentences in each body paragraph. (This is where note cards and your outline will help you.)

Hook This is the first sentence of your research paper. It should grab the reader’s attention. You may use a quotation, a startling statistic, narration or description as a hook. Avoid asking a question or talking to the reader.

Introduction The introduction is the first paragraph of your paper. It contains your hook, background about your topic and what the reader will learn in your paper, and will end with your thesis statement.

Body The body of your paper contains support for your thesis statement, such as statistics, important information about your topic, quotations,

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paraphrases and your commentary. This is where you will work to persuade your reader to adopt your viewpoint on your topic.

Conclusion The conclusion is the last paragraph of your paper. Summarize key points from your paper and provide final thoughts on your topic. This is your last chance to remind your reader why he or she should adopt your viewpoint. You can add a call for action, a solution to the issue you are addressing or end with a warning as to what could happen if your viewpoint is not adopted.

Informal Word Choice

Your research paper is to be written in third person. Do not use first person pronouns (I, me, we, us or you). Avoid non-specific, informal words such as (but not limited to): stuff, things, got, get, gotten, nice, guy, just, awesome, kids, hang out, loads of, T.V., okay, sort of, basically, like, Well…., anyways, lots of, definitely, OK, very. Do not write like you talk—be formal.

**** You will be tested on these terms. The date of that test will be announced at a later date.

MLA Works Cited & Parenthetical Citations Reference Guide

MLA Works Cited: Websites(NOT Databases like Gale Opposing Viewpoints)

Citation Formula for a Website:

Author (if known). “Full Title of the Work in Quotation Marks.” Full Title of the Complete Work (if

applicable) Italicized. Publisher or Sponsor (if not available use N.p.), Date of Publication (if not

available us n.d.) Web. Date of your visit.

**Note: Cite authors on websites in the same format as you would cite them for a book.

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Website Example with No Author

“First new stem cell lines approved for funding under Obama guidelines.” CNN.com. Cable News

Network, 2 Dec. 2009. Web. 10 Jan. 2012.

Website Example with One Author

Kelley, Raina. “Facebook Made Me Do It: Seven lies we tell ourselves about social networking.”

Newsweek.com. Harman Newsweek, LLC., 20 Feb. 2009. Web. 10 Jan. 2012.

Website Example with Two Authors

Duffy, Michael, and Mark Thompson. “What We Can Learn from Flight 253.” Time.com. Time Inc.,

30 Dec. 2009. Web. 10 Jan. 2012.

Website Example with Three Authors

Johnson, Keith, Jack Gillum and William M. Welch. “Rep. Giffords still critical after deadly shooting

spree.” USAToday.com. USA Today, 9 Jan. 2011. Web. 10 Jan. 2012.

Websites Example with MORE than Three Authors

Carbone, Nick, et.al. “Time-Worn Tabby: At 39, is Lucy the Oldest Cat in the World?” Time.com. Time

Inc., 9 Jan. 2011. Web. 10 Jan. 2012.

Website Example with Corporate Author

National Institutes of Health. “Research Ethics and Stem Cells.” Stem Cell Information. National Institutes

of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 24 Mar. 2009. Web. 10 Jan. 2012.

Another Website Example with Corporate Author

Governors Highway Safety Association. “Cell Phone Driving Laws: January 2010.” GHSA.com.

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Governors Highway Safety Association, 2010. Web. 10 Jan. 2012.

Website Example with Associated Press as Author. (Do not include ‘Associated Press’

in entry).

“Koreas Exchange Fire Near Disputed Sea Border.” FoxNews.com. Fox News Network, LLC.,

27 Jan. 2010. Web. 10 Jan. 2012.

Help Locating Website Information for Your Works Cited Entries:

1. The author is listed at the top or bottom of an article. Sometimes, no author is provided.

2. The “Full Title of the Work in Quotation Marks” is the title of your article, not the title of the website itself. Examples include: “What We Can Learn from Flight 253”; “First new stem cell lines approved for funding under Obama guidelines”; “Cell Phone Driving Laws: January 2010”; “Koreas Exchange Fire Near Disputed Sea Border”

3. The name of the website/ full title of complete work is typically listed at the top of the website. Some examples include: FoxNews.com, Time.com, IndyStar.com, Stem Cell Research.

4. Almost always, the publisher or sponsor of the website is listed at the very bottom of the webpage. Some examples include: Time, Inc.; National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Fox News Network, LLC; Governors Highway Safety Association; USA Today. If you cannot find a publisher, type N.p.

5. The date of publication is either listed near the title, author or at the bottom of the page. Sometimes you will only find a year or sometimes just a month and a year. That’s okay. If no date is provided, type n.d. in the appropriate place.

6. The day you looked at the article is the date you visited the site.

*****If you are confused, ask me, but make sure that you read the directions and TRY on your own first.*****

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MLA Works Cited: Database

Citation Formula for a Database (Gale Opposing Viewpoints):

Author (if known): “Full Title of Work in Quotation Marks.” Full Title of the Complete Work Italicized.

Editor (if provided). Publication City: Publisher (if provided), publication date. page numbers (if

available). Name of Reference Database Italicized. Medium of publication (Web). date of access.

Examples of Database Works Cited Citations

Baker, Peter. “Impassioned Senate debate on arms treaty.” New York Times 17 Dec. 2010: A8(L).

Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 10 Jan. 2012.

Boyle, Patrick. “Teen Curfews Create a Sense of Safety.” Youth Today (Nov. 2006): 36-38. Rpt. In Are

Teen Curfews Effective? Ed. Roman Espejo. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. At Issue. Gale

Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 10 Jan. 2012.

Brisbane, Arthur S. “Names in the news, before they can read.” New York Times 14 Nov. 2010: 8(L).

Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 10 Jan. 2012.

“Human Cloning Will Be Accepted When It Is Safe and Effective.” The Ethics of Cloning. Ed. David M.

Haugen, Susan Musser, and Kacy Lovelace. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. At Issue. Gale

Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 10 Jan. 2012.

“Justice for juveniles.” America 5 July 2010: 5. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 10 Jan. 2012.

“Juveniles Should Not Be Placed in Adult Prisons.” America’s Prisons. Ed. Noah Berlatsky. Detroit:

Greenhaven Press, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 10 Jan.

2012.9

Zakaria, Fareed. “We’re Safer Than We Think.” Newsweek 20 Sept. 2010: 20. Gale Opposing Viewpoints

In Context. Web. 10 Jan. 2012.

Opposing Viewpoints Database MLA Citation Shortcut:1. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the article.2. The MLA Works Cited source citation appears at the very bottom of your article

directly beneath “Source Citation”. 3. DO NOT simply copy and paste. Retype the citation because the font type and font

size will be different from the rest of your paper.

*****Other websites may have this “Source Citation” section at the bottom of the page as well.

A works cited page lists all the sources that you acknowledged in your paper.

It is the last page of your paper and should have your last name in the HEADER (12 point font, Times News Roman, Palatino, or Cambria fonts ONLY)

Only those articles/sources you reference in the paper should be included in the works cited.

Use 12 point font; Times News Roman, Palatino, or Cambria fonts ONLY ; and double space from top to bottom.

Guidelines Arrange your sources in alphabetical order by the author’s last name. If an entry

has two or three authors, use the first author’s last name. An entry that has no author should be alphabetized by the first word of the article

title, not counting A, An, or The.10

If you have more than one source by the same author, alphabetize these by their article titles.

Capitalize all major words in the titles of books, articles, etc. Begin the first line of each entry at the left margin, and indent (tab once)

succeeding lines of each entry from the left margin. Double space the entire page, between and within entries. Center the title Works Cited at the top of the page, but do not Italicize or

underline them. Make sure your spacing is set correctly.

MLA Month Abbreviations:On your Works Cited page, make sure to use these month abbreviations. January Jan. February Feb. March Mar. April Apr. May May June June July July August Aug. September Sept. October Oct. November Nov. December Dec.

I know it feels as if I am being ridiculously particular, but this is the way that your college professors will want everything.

MLA Works Cited & Parenthetical Citations Reference Guide

Brooks

Works Cited

Brisbane, Arthur S. “Names in the news, before they can read.”

Your last name goes in the HEADER. Make sure it is 12 pt. font.

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New York

Times. 14 Nov. 2010: 8(L). Gale Opposing Viewpoints in

Context. Web.

10 Jan. 2012.

Elias, Marilyn. “Is adult prison best for Juveniles?” USA Today,

20 Sept.

2006.Web. 10 Jan. 2012.

“Justice for Juveniles.” America 5 July 2010: 5. Gale Opposing

Viewpoints

in Context. Web. 10 Jan. 2012.

“Juveniles Should Not Be Placed in Adult Prisons.” America’s

Prisons.

Ed. Noah Berlatsky. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010.

Opposing

Viewpoints. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 10

Jan. 2012.

Kahn, Huma. “Juvenile Justice: Too Young for Life in Prison?”

ABCNews.com/Politics. ABC News, 12 July 2010. Web. 10

Jan. 2012.

MLA Works Cited & Parenthetical Citations Reference Guide

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Parenthetical Citations: After paraphrasing or summarizing information, which is not common knowledge or inserting a quotation, you must use parenthetical citations/documentation. ‘Parenthetical’ refers to ‘parentheses’ and ‘documentation’ refers to the corresponding Works Cited entry. It is also known as an ‘internal citation’ or ‘parenthetical citation’.

General Rules:After you have written your Works Cited page, look at the first item in the entry. It will be the author, if you have an author. If not, it will be the title of the article/text.

Parenthetical Citation when there is No Author:

Some of your sources may not have an author. If there is not an author, look at the title of the work. You will need to keep the same punctuation as you did on the Works Cited page. If it is a short article title, use the entire article. Long titles may be abbreviated by the first good word.

“Woman gives birth to identical invitro triplets.” CNN.com. Cable News Network, 5 Mar. 2008. Web. 5 Jan. 2012.

Parenthetical Citation: (“Woman”). [Notice you need to keep the quotation marks around the word].

Parenthetical Citation for One Author:

Elias, Marilyn. “Is adult prison best for Juveniles?” USAToday.com. USA Today, 20 Sept. 2006, Web. 10 Jan. 2012.

You will place the last name of the author in the parentheses.

Parenthetical Citation: (Elias).

Parenthetical Citation for Two Authors:

Duffy, Michael, and Mark Thompson. “What We Can Learn from Flight 253.” Time.com. Time Inc., 30 Dec. 2009. Web. 10 Jan. 2012.

Use both authors’ last names in your citation.

Parenthetical Citation: (Duffy and Thompson).

Parenthetical Citation for Three Authors:

Johnson, Kevin, Jack Gillum and William M. Welch. “Rep. Giffords still critical after deadly shooting spree.” USAToday.com. USA Today, 9 Jan.

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2011. Web. 10 Jan. 2012.

Use all three authors’ names in your citation.

Parenthetical Citation: (Johnson, Gillum, and Welch).

Parenthetical Citation for More Than Three Authors:

Carbone, Nick, et. al. “Time-Worn Tabby: At 39, Is Lucy the Oldest Cat in the World?” Time.com. Time Inc., 9 Jan. 2011. Web. 10 Jan. 2012.

If there are three or more authors, use the first author’s last name followed by “et. al.”

Parenthetical Citation: (Carbone et. al.).

Parenthetical Citation for a Corporate Author or Institution:

National Institutes of Health. “Research Ethics and Stem Cells.” Stem Cell Information. National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 24 Mar. 2009. Web. 10 Jan. 2012.

If an institution or corporation is the author of your source, use the corporation’s name in your citation. After you enter the name one time, you may be able to abbreviate for subsequent uses.

Parenthetical Citation: (National Institutes of Health). Then after the first time, (NM) for future uses in the paper.

Parenthetical Citation for a Reference Within a Source (Secondary Source):

If you cite a person’s statement within your source who is not the author of your source, indicate he or she was quoted in your source. For example, if your source is the “Woman gives birth to identical invitro triplets”’ and you reference a scientist’s commentary, write (gtd. in “Woman”), but make sure you write the name of the person speaking as a lead in to your sentence.

Parenthetical Citation: Dr. Victor Klein, the mother’s doctor, remarked, “’This is the first one we’re aware of in the literature in the country in which they only put back one embryo and a woman gave birth to triplets’” (qtd. in “Woman”).

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Parenthetical Citation for Two Works by the Same Author:

If you have two works by the same author, list the author’s last name and the first good word in the title. However, you must still include the author on both.

Linder, Douglas O. “Mississippi Burning Trial.” Famous Trials. University of Missouri-Kansas School of Law, 2011. Web. 10 Jan. 2012.

Linder, Douglas O. “Oklahoma City Bombing Trial.” Famous Trials. University of Missouri-Kansas School of Law, 2011. Web. 10 Jan. 2012.

Parenthetical Citations for Above Sources: (Linder, “Mississippi”) (Linder, “Oklahoma”)

Parenthetical Citation for Two Works with No Author and the Same Title:

If you have two works with no author and the same title, you need to look at the next item in the works cited entry to differentiate them. However, you still must include the title.

“Stem Cells.” NYTimes.com. The New York Times Company, 10 Sept. 2010. Web. 10 Jan. 2012.

“Stem Cells.” Learn Genetics. The University of Utah, 2011. Web. 10 Jan. 2012.

Parenthetical Citations for Above Sources:(“Stem Cells.” NYTimes.com).(“Stem Cells.” Learn Genetics).

Always keep the punctuation the same as it is on the works cited page. If it is italicized on the works cited page, italicize it in the parenthetical documentation.

****I know it sounds like I am being super picky, but you will have professors in college that will count off if something is not italicized or a period is missing. Learn it now!****

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Quotations, Paraphrases, Punctuation & Citations

Quotations- You are required to have between 6-8 quotations in your research paper.- Using a quotation means you copy word for word from one of your sources and

place quotation marks around the words. You will add a parenthetical citation after the quotation.

- Avoid or abbreviate quotations that are longer than 3 or 4 typed lines or your paper.

- Make sure to lead into and add commentary surrounding your quotation.

Direct Quotation from SourceThe following quotations are from the Riback artible below:

Riback, Adam. “Tracking Devices Let Parents Keep Watch on Teen Drivers.” FOXNews.com.

Fox News Network, LLC, 30 July 2007. Web. 5 Jan. 2011.

Simple Quotations:

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Use 2 quotation marks (a double quotation) around quotation.

“Thanks to new systems developed for major insurance companies, parents are able to

track every move their children make behind the wheel” (Riback).

Quotation with Lead-in:

One news reporter explains, “Thanks to new systems developed for major insurancecompanies, parents are able to track every move their children make behind the

wheel” (Riback).

Quotations Integrated into Sentence:

Parents who are concerned about their teenagers’ whereabouts will appreciate a new

GPS technology which allows parents to “track every move their children make behind

the wheel” (Riback).

Quotation with Person Quoted in Article other than Author of Article: Remember to add 3 quotation marks around person’s statement.

Safeco spokesman Jim Haven said, “’You can program the service to notify you whenthe car is going over the speed limit for more than 30 seconds or if the car is being

drivenafter a curfew is set’”(qtd. in Riback).

In regard to the GPS tracking devices, Emily Tsen, a 17-year-old driver, asserts, “’I think that it shows major distrust’” (qtd. in Riback).

“’I think it’s great for getting her from the permit stage to where she is out on her own,’”

explains Guy Thompson when discussing the use of GPS for his 16-year-old daughter(qtd. in Riback).

Quotations, Paraphrases, Punctuation & CitationsParaphrases:

- A restatement from a source of a passage in your own words.- You will have many paraphrases in your research paper.- You must add a parenthetical citation after your paraphrase; otherwise you are

plagiarizing.

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Original Quotation:

“Thanks to new systems developed for major insurance companies, parents are able to track

every move their children make behind the wheel” (Riback).

Simple Paraphrase:

New technology allows parents to monitor their children’s whereabouts when driving, and

is available through insurance companies (Riback).

Paraphrase with Lead-in:

One news reporter explains that new technology allows parents to monitor their children’s

whereabouts when driving and is available through insurance companies (Riback).

Paraphrase Integrated into Sentence:

Parents who are concerned about their teenagers’ whereabouts will appreciate a new GPS

technology which allows them to monitor the locations of their children when driving (Riback).

Paraphrase of Person’s Quotation other than Author of Article’s:

Original Quotation:Safeco spokesman Jim Havens said, “’You can program the service to notify you

when the car is going over the speed limit for more than 30 seconds or if the car is being

driven aftera curfew is set’” (qtd. in Riback).

Paraphrase of Quotation:Safeco spokesman Jim Havens explains that the GPS service can alert parents when

their teens exceed a speed limit or drive their car past curfew (qtd. in Riback).

NOTE: When using qtd. in with either quotations or paraphrases, the parenthetical citation information does not change. EXAMPLES:

If my parenthetical citation for a source was (“Cloning”), it would be (qtd. in “Cloning”) when I was quoting someone other than author from the “Cloning” source.

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(“Public Smoking”) would become (qtd. in “Public Speaking”).

(“Gun Ownership,” Current Issues) would become (qtd. in “Gun Ownership,” Current Issues).

Quotations, Paraphrases, Punctuation & Citations

Quotation and Punctuation Rules:1) When citing using parenthetical citations, omit punctuation before the last

quotation even if a comma or period appears in the original article. After the quotation, add your citation. Place a period at the end.

“Gun control advocates argue that arming teachers is the wrong answer. Schoolshootings are rare, and taking a gun into school makes the students less safe, not safer” (“Up in Arms”).

2) Question marks and exclamation points that were an original part of the quoted material go within the quotation marks. Place a period after the citation.

“Taking a gun into a school creates a security risk that wasn’t there before, guncontrol advocates say. What if a child gets hold of a teacher’s gun and thinks it’sa toy?” (“Up in Arms”).

3) When leading into quotations with an introductory phrase, use a comma to introduce the quotation. The quotation will begin with a capital letter.

The reporter explains, “Pharming—using pharmaceutical drugs to get high—is a growing trend. Studies show that although the use of illegal drugs among teens continues to decline, abuse of prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicinesgrowing” (“Prescription”).

4) When leading into quotations with a complete sentence, use a colon to introduce the quotation. The quotation will still begin with a capital letter.

Many teenagers have the same thought-process regarding the use of prescriptiondrugs: “Because these drugs are prescribed by doctors, teens think the substancemust be safe” (“Prescription”).

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5) Use the exact same words that author uses when directly quoting the article. Make sure your place quotation marks around these words. If you choose to omit part of what an author wrote, use ellipses (3 periods in a row with spaces in between to show what you omitted). However, your quotation still needs to make sense.

“When students at a suburban New York school wanted to party last summer, they took Xanax…It’s prescribed to treat anxiety, but it wasn’t prescribed for any of the kids who took it. It made all of them sick…” (“Prescription).

6) Use brackets when you need to add words or change verb tense in a quotation:

“[Believing all prescription drugs are safe], doctors warn, is a dangerous and incorrect assumption” (“Prescription”).

“When misused, [Oxycontin and Vicodin] can be just as dangerous [as Heroin]”

(“Prescription”).

Quotations, Paraphrases, Punctuation & CitationsIf you have more than one sentence in a row with the same citation : As long as you are in the same paragraph, place your citation at the end of the last sentence from the same source. In the example below, you will see that the first 3 sentences are from the Ewers source. The Ewers parenthetical citation is added at the end of those sentences. When someone is quoted from that source, the citation changes.

Scientific research confirms the dangers of using phones while on the road. In 2007, an important study appeared in The New England Journal of Medicine. The authors, Donald Redelmeir and Robert Tibshirani studied 699 volunteers who made their cell phone bills available in order to confirm the times when they had placed calls. The participants agreed to report any nonfatal collision in which they were involved. By comparing the times of a collision with the phone records, the researchers assessed the dangers of driving whole phoning (Ewers). The results are unsettling to say the least: “’We found that using a cellular telephone was associated with a risk of having a motor vehicle collision that was about four times as high as that among the same drivers when they were not using their cellular telephones. This relative risk is similar to the hazard associated with driving with a blood alcohol level at the legal limit’” (qtd. in Ewers). The news media often exaggerated the latter claim by saying that “similar to” is not “equal to” (Ewers); nonetheless, the comparison with drunk driving suggests the extent to which cell phones use while driving can impair judgment.

Every time your source information changes, your parenthetical citation will change:

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No one can deny that cell phones have caused traffic deaths and injuries. Cell phones were implicated in three fatal accidents in November of 2006 alone. Early in November, two-year-old Morgan Pena was killed by a driver distracted by his cell phone (Bestoff). Morgan’s mother, Pattie Pena, reports that the driver “’ran a stop sign at 45 miles per hour, broadsided my vehicle and killed Morgan as she sat in her car seat’” (qtd. in Besthoff). A week later, corrections officer Shannon Smith, who was guarding prisoners by the side of the road, was killed by a woman distracted by a phone call (Besthoff). On Thanksgiving weekend the same month, John and Carole Hall were killed when a Naval Academy midshipman crashed into their parked car. The driver said in court that when he looked up from the cell phone he was dialing, he was three feet from the car and had no time to stop (Travisano). Many other tragic stories as these exist and future ones can be prevented.

Verbs to Use to Lead Into or Signal Quotations or Paraphrases

Signal phrases often include verbs that indicate the source author’s attitude or approach to what he or she says. These verbs are in the present tense, typical of writing in the humanities.

acknowledges cautions continues explains notes remarks

addresses charges criticizes expresses objects repliesadds claims critiques finds observes reportsadmits clarifies declares grants offers respondsadvises compares demonstrates identifies opposes

revealsagrees complains describes illustrates points out says

analyzes concedes determines implies posits shows announces concludes disagrees indicates postulates specifies answers concurs discusses insists presents states argues confirms disputes interprets proposes

suggests asks considers elaborates introduces raises thinks asserts contends emphasizes maintains refutes

translates believes contests examines mentions rejects

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