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English III Career Exploration Research Paper
Table of Contents
Research Paper Directions 2
Research Paper Points and Due Dates 2
Outline for Research Paper 3
Preparing and Using Outlines 4
Bibliography Cards 6
Sample Bibliography Cards 6
Taking Notes 7
Three Kinds of Notes 7
Information on the Note Cards 7
The Modern Language Association (MLA) Style Documentation 8
Parenthetical Citations 8
Understanding Citations 11
Sample Page from a Research Paper 15
Sample Work Cited from a Research Paper 16
Plagiarism: What it is and How to Recognize and Avoid it 17
How do you evaluate resources 18
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English III Research Paper Directions
Your final draft of the research paper is DUE ON OR BEFORE
________________________. I WILL NOT accept your paper late. The draft
MUST BE TYPED (and printed) before your class period on the due date. I will
not allow you to print it from my computer or to go to the media center to
print it out. That needs to be done before you come to class. The body must
be double-spaced and follow the outline formula that is given to you. It must have a
works cited page.
Your font type must be 12 point Times New Roman. It must also be black ink.
Within the body of your paper, you will use 1” margins for the top, bottom, right,
and left margins. The first page of your paper will not be numbered. Each page
beginning with the second page of the body of your paper will be numbered,
starting with the numeral 2, in the upper right hand corner of each page. The page
numbers will be consecutive and will appear on all pages thereafter, including the
works cited page. Your last name will go before each page number.
Attached are samples of the body page and a works cited page. Follow the
format for each page. NOTE: On the works cited page the second and following
lines of each entry are indented.
You will have at least 8 paragraphs. Your final paper should be at least 4
pages in length (including your works cited page).
You will need at least 3 sources. 2 can be web sites, but 1 MUST be
text (book, article, etc.).
Points and due dates:
Thesis Statement 10 points _________
First Draft Outline 20 points _________
20 Note/Bibliography cards 20 points _________
Final Draft 100 points _________
Final Draft Works Cited 50 points _________
Total Points: 200 points
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OUTLINE
I. Introduction
A. Include thesis statement
B. Sample thesis statement: This paper will discuss [the name of your career].
This profession is worthy to pursue because it offers the person the
opportunity to [name a reason why a person might pursue this career].
II. Your Profession
A. History/Description of the Career (include when/how the career began,
what types of tasks are performed, environment of the profession)
B. Education Required (include what type of education or training is
required, which Florida schools offer degree programs, should any special
courses be taken in high school, cost of education)
C. Economic Considerations/Statistical Information (include salary
information, location of employment, market saturation, employment
opportunities of the 1990s vs. today vs. five (5) years from now)
D. Potential Advancement within the Field (promotion opportunities,
specialists, lateral movement)
III. Positive Aspects of Your Profession
IV. Negative Aspects of Your Profession
V. Conclusion
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Bibliography Cards
You need to a bibliography card for each source that you find on your topic.
You source may be books, encyclopedia articles, newspaper articles, internet sites,
personal interview, etc. A well-researched paper will have a variety of sources.
Your bibliography card should have the information about your source
exactly as it will appear on your works cited page. For example: if something is
underlined on your works cited page, it must be underlined on your bibliography
card; if there is a comma on your works cited page, there should be a comma on
your bibliography card. See pages 15-18 for proper way to document a source.
Bibliography cards will be checked for accuracy. If a card is not perfect, you
will not receive credit for it until it is fixed.
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Plagiarism: What it is and how to avoid it
What is plagiarism and why is it important?
In school, we are continually engaged in other people’s ideas: we read them in
texts, hear them in lectures, discuss them in class, and incorporate them into our
own writing. As a result, it is very important that we give credit where it is due.
Plagiarism is using others’ ideas and words without clearly acknowledging the
source of the information.
How can students avoid plagiarism?
To avoid plagiarism, you must give credit whenever you use
*another person’s idea, opinion, or theory;
*any facts, statistics, graphs, drawings – any piece of information-
that are not common knowledge;
*quotations of another person’s actual spoken or written words; or
*paraphrase of another person’s spoken or written words.
Strategies for avoiding plagiarism
1. Put in quotations everything that comes directly from the text,
especially when taking notes.
2. Paraphrase, but be sure you are not just rearranging or replacing a
few words. Instead, read over what you want to paraphrase carefully; cover up
the text with your hand or close the text so you can’t see any of it (and so you
aren’t tempted to use it as a guide). Write out the idea in your own words
without peeking.
3. Check your paraphrase against the original text to be sure that you
haven’t accidentally used the same words or phrases, and that the information is
accurate.
What is Common Knowledge?
Common knowledge – facts that can be found in numerous places and are likely to
be known by a lot of people.
Example: John F. Kennedy was elected president of the US in 1960.
This is generally known information. You do not need to document this fact.
However, you must document facts that are not generally known and ideas that
interpret facts.
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How do you evaluate resources?
Often it is difficult to recognize the value of a particular resource. How do you
know if the information you find there is accurate or reliable? Below is a list of six
criteria for evaluating resources and questions or topics that you should consider
when identifying the best and most appropriate books, articles, and web sites for
your research.
Remember that, unlike books and articles which are approved by publishers, web
sites can be created by anyone. Be very critical and cautious of the sources you use
on the internet.
Criteria Books Articles Web Sites
Accuracy-Are Is there a table of Does it include Does it include
sources of contents? Does it footnotes & a footnotes & a
information & include footnotes & a bibliography? bibliography?
factual data listed & bibliography?
available for cross-
checking?
Authority- Who is Does it identify the Does it identify the Does it identify the
responsible for the author? Is there author? Is there author? Is there
work & what are biographical info or biographical info or biographical info or
their qualifications & do you need to look do you need to look do you need to look
associations? Can elsewhere? Is the elsewhere? Is the elsewhere? Is the
you verify them? author an expert in author an expert in author an expert in
the field? Is s/he the field? Is s/he the field? Is s/he
associated with an associated with an associated with an
organization that organization that organization that
does research in this does research in this does research in this
topic? topic? topic?
Who is the In what type of What does the
publisher? Is it a journal or magazine domain name tell you
university press, a does the article about the web site?
commercial appear? Is it a .edu=educational
publisher, a scholarly journal, .com=commercail /
professional or trade journal, or a business
tradde association, magazine? .org=non-profit /
the government, or other organizations
is it self-published? .gov=government
.net=network
resources
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Objectivity – Are Who is the intended Who is the intended Who is the intended
biases clearly audience? Is the audience? Is the audience? Is the
stated? Are any book for general article in a web site written for
political / ideologial readers? Students? publication that is children? General
agenda hidden to Researchers? written for general readers?
disquise the Why was the book readers? Students? Researchers?
purpose? Do they written? To inform? Researchers? Why was the web
use a misleading Persuade? Teach? Why was the article site created? To
name or other means Entertain? written? To inform? inform? Persuade?
to do this? Is there a preface Persuade? Teach? Teach? Entertain?
or introduction to Entertain? Just for fun?
identify objectives? What are the What are the
affiliations of the affiliations of the
author? author?
Currency – How up What is the What is the date of Are the dates
to date is the copyright date? the article? listed?
information? Is the info up to How current are the When was the last
date, out of date, or sources listed in the time that the web
does the info never bibliography? site was revised?
go out of date? Are the links still
How current are the available?
sources listed in the
bibliography?
Coverage – What is Is there a table of What are the Are there clear
the focus of the contents? An index? affiliations of the headdings?
work? Is the book author? Is there a table of
organized logically Is there an contents or and
&/or in a manner abstract? index? An abstract?
which makes it easy Does the article Is navigation within
to understand? cover the topic the site clear?
Are there comprehensively, Does the article
appendices to partially, or is it an cover the topic
suppliment the main overview? comprehensively,
text? partially, or is it an
overview?
Relevancy – Does the Does the book support Does the book support Does the book support
resource actually or refute an or refute an or refute an
cover the topic you argument? Does the argument? Does the argument? Does the
book give examples, book give examples, book give examples,
are researching?
results, case studies? results, case studies? results, case studies?
Is it really research or Is it really research or Is it really research or
just commentary? just commentary? just commentary?
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