Chapter 14

Copyright © 2012 by Pearson Education, Inc.


CHAPTER 14: USING RESEARCH TO STRENGTHEN ESSAYS


CHAPTER OUTLINE AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES

In this chapter, you will be able to strengthen your essays by:

incorporating supporting details from valid sources,

using proper MLA documentation for internal citation and Works Cited entries, and

blending direct quotations and effective paraphrasing.


THE ROLES OF RESEARCH

The ability to include supporting material from outside sources to strengthen your writing. Starting with a Basic Outline and Essay An Essay Without Research


FINDING RESEARCH TO STRENGTHEN ESSAYS

Locating Material in Your College Library Online Catalog

Lists all of the library’s books and major holdings.

Popular Periodical Indexes College libraries subscribe to several index

services that provide access to complete articles from periodicals.

• EBSCOhost• InfoTrac• WilsonWeb


FINDING RESEARCH TO STRENGTHEN ESSAYS

Internet Search Engines Search engines that help users locate specific

Web sites and potential sources if they do not show URL addresses.

• Google• BING• AltaVista• Yahoo!

Checking for Validity of Sources Check author’s credentials Evaluate sources, both print and online, carefully.


INCORPORATING AND ACKNOWLEDGING YOUR SOURCES

Gathering and Organizing Sources Print out articles and photocopy sources. Organize and label sources.

Taking Notes and Acknowledging Your Sources Documentation involves acknowledging the

source. When you provide the documentation within a

research essay, you are using an internal citation. Works Cited is the last page of the essay where

you list all of the sources you cited within the paper.



Avoiding Plagiarism Plagiarism occurs when you use a source’s

words or ideas and fail to give proper credit to the author and/or course of the work.

Even if you paraphrase, you must give credit to the original source.

Options for Acknowledging Your Sources English and Humanities instructors prefer

students to follow MLA (Modern Language Association) system of documentation.

MLA handbooks are readily available.



MLA Internal (“In-text”) Citation Several options for incorporating and giving

credit to the source of your information. Parenthetical documentation.

Signal Phrases Phrases that enable you to lead smoothly into

documented information. Examples: According to Smith; As Smith

notes; Smith suggests that; Smith reports that



Documenting Information from a Source with an Unknown Author If there is no author listed for a source, introduce

the full title of the work after a signal phrase or place an abbreviation of the title in parenthesis at the end of the information cited.


WORKS CITED ENTRIES: MLA FORMAT

Works Cited list of sources contains only the works you cited in your paper.

The list is alphabetized and starts on a separately numbered page after the essay itself.

Entries should be double-spaced and the second and subsequent lines of each entry should be indented five spaces.

Double spacing should also be used between each entry.

The medium of publication is now required to be listed for all Works Cited entries.


WORKS CITED ENTRIES: A COMPREHENSIVE LIST (MLA) Books

Book by One Author Book by Two Authors A Short Work in an Anthology Introduction from a Book Dictionary or Encyclopedia

Periodicals Newspaper Article Newspaper Editorial Magazine Article (from a Monthly or Bimonthly

Publication)


WORKS CITED ENTRIES: A COMPREHENSIVE LIST (MLA)

Magazine Article (from a Weekly Publication)

Journal Article Electronic Sources

Entire Web Site Article or Short Work Article from an Online Magazine Article from an Online Subscription Service Email



Other Sources: Non-Print Personal Interview Radio or Television Program

At a Glance: Seven Common Types of Works Cited Entries Book Magazine Article Newspaper Article Journal Article Article from an Online Magazine



Article from an Online Database Subscription Service

An Entire Web Site (No Named Author)


INCORPORATING RESEARCH INTO YOUR OUTLINE

Include research information in the outline

A Draft of an Essay with Research


PREPARING THE FINAL VERSION OF AN ESSAY WITH RESEARCH

Making Final Changes and Refinements Include refinements, changes, and MLA

documentation


WHEN CHECKING FOR VALIDITY OF ONLINE SOURCES, A STUDENT SHOULD

A. check the author’s credentials.B. assume that the information is valid because it

appears online.C. disregard any information about the background

of the company.


WHEN CHECKING FOR VALIDITY OF ONLINE SOURCES, A STUDENT SHOULD

A. check the author’s credentials.B. assume that the information is valid

because it appears online.C. disregard any information about the

background of the company.

incorporating supporting details from valid sources,


MLA FORMAT IS PREFERRED BY

A. psychology instructorsB. engineering instructorsC. English instructorsD. art instructors


MLA FORMAT IS PREFERRED BY

A. psychology instructorsB. engineering instructorsC. English instructorsD. art instructors

using proper MLA documentation for internal citation and Works Cited entries

Chapter 14

Documents

pearson education

list of sources

sources documentation

sources mla internal

valid sources

sources english

potential sources

photocopy sources