Guidelines for writing
Term Papers, Essays and Research Reports
Term
papers, essays and research reports all have a variation in format
according to the Department
and the Instructor. Following is basic information on
mechanical elements, plagiarism, formatting
a report and some other hints. The use of an accepted
style guide (APA, MLA, etc.) is necessary as
there are few general rules which apply to all reports.
Mechanical
Elements
Punctuation,
quotations, abbreviations, documentation of sources, construction of
tables, headings,
citation of references and statistics are presented using
one of the various styles; APA, MLA, Chicago,
Turabian.
Our English classes at
APA styles.
MLA
(Modern Language Association) Style
Two
handbooks are available which contain the authoritative explanation of
MLA style. High school and
undergraduate college students should consult the Fifth
edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of
Research Papers. Graduate students should consult the
Second edition of the MLA Style Manual and
Guide to Scholarly Publishing. Additional information can
be found on the Internet.
An
example of citing a reference from a book using MLA style follows;
Conklin, John E. Criminology.
Note: Additional lines for the same reference are
indented 1/2 inch farther than the first line.
Spacing after punctuation: MLA style calls for single
spacing after all punctuation marks. It is
indicated on the MLA website that two spaces are
acceptable unless an instructor requests one space.
MLA Citation Style
|
Author(s) |
Title of Book |
Title of Article |
Title of Periodical |
Volume |
|
Place of Publication |
Publisher |
Date |
Other Information |
Pages |
Book Article or Chapter
James, Nancy E. "Two
Sides of Paradise: The Eden Myth According to Kirk and
Spock."
Spectrum of the Fantastic. Ed. Donald
Palumbo.
Book
Okuda,
Michael, and Denise Okuda. Star
Trek Chronology: The History of the Future.
New York: Pocket,
1993.
Journal Article
Wilcox, Rhonda V.
"Shifting Roles and Synthetic Women in Star Trek: The Next
Generation."
Studies in Popular Culture 13.2 (1991):
53-65.
Newspaper or Magazine Article
Di Rado, Alicia.
"Trekking through College: Classes Explore Modern Society Using the World of
Star Trek." Los Angeles Times 15 Mar. 1995: A3.
Encyclopedia Article (well known reference books)
Sturgeon, Theodore.
"Science Fiction." The
Encyclopedia Americana. International ed.
1995.
Encyclopedia Article
(less familiar reference books)
Horn, Maurice. "Flash
Gordon." The
World Encyclopedia of Comics. Ed. Maurice Horn.
2 vols. New York:
Chelsea, 1976.
Gale Reference Book (and other books featuring reprinted articles)
Shayon, Robert
Lewis. "The Interplanetary
Spock." Saturday Review
17 June 1967:
46. Rpt. in
Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Sharon R. Gunton.
Vol. 17.
Detroit:
Gale Research,
1981.
403.
ERIC Document
Fuss-Reineck,
Marilyn. Sibling
Communication in Star Trek: The Next Generation: Conflicts
between
Brothers. Miami: Speech Communication Assn., 1993. ERIC Document Reproduction
Service ED364932.
Website
Lynch, Tim. "DSN
Trials and Tribble-ations Review." Psi
Phi: Bradley's Science Fiction Club.
1996.
Bradley University. 8
Oct. 1997 <http://www.bradley.edu/campusorg/psiphi/DS9/ep/503r.html>.
Newspaper or Magazine Article on the Internet
Andreadis, Athena.
"The Enterprise Finds Twin Earths Everywhere It Goes, But Future Colonizers
of Distant Planets Won't Be So
Lucky." Astronomy Jan. 1999: 64- .
Academic
Universe. Lexis-Nexis. B. Davis
Schwartz Memorial Lib., Brookville, NY. 7
Feb. 1999
<http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe>.
Literature Resource
Center
Shayon, Robert
Lewis. "The Interplanetary
Spock." Saturday Review
17 June 1967:
46.
Rpt. in Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Sharon R. Gunton.
Vol. 17.
Detroit:
Gale
Research, 1981. 403. Literature Resource Center. Gale Group. B. Davis
Schwartz
Memorial Lib., Brookville, NY.
16 Oct. 2001 <http:// infotrac.galegroup.com/menu>.
APA (American Psychological Association) Style
A common
misconception is by changing several words or the order of the
sentences, one is avoiding
plagiarism by not presenting a
"exact copy" of the original writer's work. If the writer's work is
original material and not common knowledge, you can use
your own words to paraphrase. However,
you must acknowledge the source of the information. If
the information you present is common
knowledge, the original source does not need to be cited.
Common knowledge is found in numerous
places and known by many people. An example is George
W. Bush was elected President of the
Basic
aspects of standard report formats
Reports should have a logically structured form:
(a) title page which includes the title, your name,
course number, and date.
(b) an
introduction states the subject of the paper, the goals and how you
will go about it.
(c) body
of report or developmental sections.
(d) a
conclusion sums up the findings and supports your analysis.
(e) references
should not include any publication not cited in your report. The
references
should
begin on a separate page and all entries must be single-spaced and
double spaced
between
entries, listed alphabetically by last name and senior author, and
chronologically
for
two or more titles by the same author. For unusual references, include
all information
needed
to enable the reader to identify and locate the source.
Headings:
Headings help in organizing your paper and assist when the topic
changes.
Main
Heading
Main headings are flush left on the page.
Each word is capitalized and the heading is underlined.
The first line of text under a main heading is indented 5
spaces.
Secondary Heading
Secondary
headings are indented 5 spaces.
Each
word is capitalized and the heading is underlined.
The
first line of text under a secondary heading is indented 5 spaces.
Tertiary Heading
Tertiary
headings are indented 10 spaces.
Each
word is capitalized and the heading is underlined.
The
first line of text under a tertiary heading is indented 5 spaces.
Spacing: Double spacing is required for all reports,
except indented block quotations, references
cited, notes, captions, and headings.
Quotations and periods and commas: In the
marks regardless of logic.
Quotations: Quotations longer than 40 words should be set
off from the text in single spaced block
quotations. Brackets [ ] should be used to indicate your
own insertions.
When a quotation is used as a part of your sentence, it
should begin with a lower case letter.
This is the case even if the original is a complete
sentence beginning with a capital letter.
Hyphenation: Do not break or hyphenate words at the end
of lines to keep the paper justified to the
right. If using hypenation,
divide words only between syllables. One letter divisions are not
proper.
Ellipsis: Ellipsis (. . .) indicate
an omission of words or letters or an incomplete statement, etc.
Margins: One inch margins are required around the edges
of each page. Do not use
extra-wide margins, leave extra spaces between paragraphs
and headings, or
using large size type fonts to lengthen a paper or do the
opposite to compress it.
Paragraph: The last line of a paragraph should not be
typed as the first line of a new page.
A minimum of two lines should be carried over to the next
page. This also applies
to a heading and the first line of a paragraph. Begin the
heading and paragraph on
the next page.
Use transitions between paragraphs such as "On the other
hand," "Still," "Also," "Nevertheless,"
"However,".
These help the reader get from one thought to another and smooth the
reading process.
Also, use past, present and future tense when
appropriate, but make sure the verb tense is consistent
within paragraphs.
Page numbering: Each page is numbered consecutively,
including title page and reference page.
Font: Reports must be typed using a 12 point font size
and a clearly readable font such as Times New Roman.
Paper: The report should be typed on one side of 20 lb.
or greater 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper.
Securely fasten the
paper together using a stapler.
Grading: A strong "A" paper will;
a) follow APA or MLA format and other formats referenced here.
b) be
virtually free of spelling and grammatical errors.
c) list
at least one reference other than the textbook.
d) analyze
an opposing view through logical thinking.
e) be well articulated and presented.
f) follow the Term Paper
insturctions in the syllabus.
Take care of yourself by getting what
you deserve. After working hard on your paper, you can relax
by getting a pizza and watching a ball game or going to
the movies. Congratulations!