Mrs. Hagan's Handout

Guide to the Research Paper
 

The basis for this format is the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Seventh Edition.

SUGGESTED STEPS IN WRITING A RESEARCH PAPER

I.          Topic Selection: Topic selection may be done in a variety of ways. The instructor may assign a topic or expect the student to choose a subject for the paper. A term paper can be argumentative, analytical, or explanatory.

II.        Limiting the topic: Limit the topic by focusing on the aspects of that topic that are manageable within the scope of the paper. Choosing a topic like "British Poets" is far too broad. It could be narrowed further to "a comparison of the poetry of John Milton and William Blake," but even that could be too time consuming. This topic could be managed more easily if it were a comparison of religious symbolism in selected poems of Milton and Blake."

Remember to check the library to see that sufficient research material is available before proceeding to the next step.

III.       The Proposal: The proposal is a short paragraph that details the scope of the paper and states specifically what will be researched. It also indicates what the writer intends to include as his or her original contribution. First person pronouns may be used in a proposal but not in a thesis statement.

Example of what to write: In my paper on Sylvia Plath I will give a brief biography of Plath‘s life, describe her major works and her writing style. I will show what influenced Plath and give examples of how that influence can be seen. I will chronicle Plath‘s major achievements and honors and in addition cover critical reaction to Plath‘s works. For my original contribution I will read "Lady Lazarus" and The Bell Jar and examine similarities in theme and style. I will also explain why I feel Plath has a significant place in American literature.

IV.          The Working Bibliography: The working bibliography consists of a listing of sources compiled on 3" x 5" index cards, each containing information on a source that the student expects to use in his or her research paper. The information on these cards will later become the basis of the "Works Cited" page. To prepare the working bibliography, consult all available references. Put only one source, book, or magazine on each card.

Indicate the following items on the 3" x 5" card as shown in the example.

For Books or Pamphlets

1. Source number in upper right-hand corner

2. Library call number in upper left-hand corner (books only)

3. Author or editor

4. Title (and volume if necessary)

5. Place of publication

6. Publishing company

7. Year of publication

For Magazines

1. Source number in upper right-hand corner

2. Author (unless article is anonymous)

3. Title of Article (in quotation marks)

4. Name of magazine or newspaper (underlined)

5. Volume

6. Date of magazine or newspaper

7. Page numbers

V.         Preparing a Preliminary Outline: Before proceeding into notetaking, the student should prepare a preliminary outline of the items to be covered in the paper. The areas to be researched may become clear through reading, or the teacher may specify certain items to be covered. These items should be written down in the form of an outline with major and minor ideas indicated. This outline can be changed, with new items added or others deleted as progress is made. The preliminary outline represents the researcher’s first thoughts on the topic to be covered in the research paper.

VI.       Evaluate Your Source Material: A preliminary outline can show where to concentrate one's researching efforts. The appropriateness of the material must then be considered.

A. Use recent sources. Don’t rely on scientific or technical books that may be outdated. Use up-to-date research. Always look for the most recent studies.

B. Use reliable information. Beware of biased reporting. Look for the most scholarly journals for your    information. Some magazines may use material that is sensationalized.

C. Look for the experts. Certain names appear over and over in research. Look for these "experts." Citing the top scholars in a field will demonstrate thoroughness and depth of perception.

D. On-line sources may be unreliable. Evaluate sources carefully and be prepared to provide a hard copy to the instructor. Student web sites are not always the best sources for factual material.

VII.      Reading and Taking Notes: Never read sources for a research paper without taking notes. Enter the notes on 4" x 6" or larger note cards classified by topics taken from the preliminary outline. References should include:

A. The topic from the preliminary outline - - use only one topic per card.

B. The number of the source from the working bibliography — use one source per card

C. Clear notes on the reading - - these entries may either be the author’s exact words or a paraphrase. Keep the notes brief.

D. Keep everything!!

VIII.     Assembling Notes: Each note card has a topic heading in the upper left corner. Shuffle through the cards and sort them into piles with all other cards bearing the same heading. These stacks should cover the major divisions of the paper. Study these groupings of cards in terms of the information that each contains. While     looking through the note cards, some topics will emerge as main divisions of the subject, some as sub-divisions, some may even be rejected entirely. Don’t be afraid to discard information that is not pertinent; each researcher picks up some material that is extraneous. After choosing the main topics and subtopics,

    test every note card for its relevancy. Begin to prepare your final outline

IX.       Final Outline: The thesis statement is the main idea of the whole paper and is not included in the outline. Place it above the actual outline. The final outline organizes the completed research into clear, logical categories. List the most important headings as Roman numerals. Coordinate ideas that relate logically, whether it is to show cause and effect or to indicate a sequence.

           Terms such as "introduction," "body," and "conclusion" are too vague to be used in the final outline.

            Indicate the information contained in the body segments only.

X.         The First Draft: Begin the actual writing of the paper well in advance of when it is due. The thesis and outline provide the blueprint to follow in constructing the paper.

With the final outline completed and notes sorted to conform to that outline, begin to put ideas and information down on paper. Use the outline and note cards for organization and support. Rephrase the material giving credit for any paraphrased ideas. Use only one source in each sentence in order to document correctly and maintain coherence. Introduce and integrate quotations so they fit smoothly into the paper and blend with the writing style. Make sure all information included explains, analyzes, or supports the thesis. All information within the paragraph should relate to that paragraph’s topic sentence.

XI.       Tense: The Modern Language Association suggests the use of a third person voice in the paper, even when you include your own ideas, i.e. your evaluation of the novel you read for the project. When dealing with past events or concepts, use the past tense (i.e. Darwin published The Origin of Species). Use present tense to indicate what is true at one moment and what will remain true in the future (i.e. Charles Darwin is a noted authority on evolution).

XII.      Opening Paragraph and Thesis Statement: A good opening paragraph should identify the topic, reveal the writer’s position, and point toward the eventual conclusion. Most writers incorporate the thesis statement into the opening paragraph. How these elements are worked into your opening paragraph is a matter of personal choice and style.  Often, the most effective thesis sentence will appear at the end of the introduction; therefore, your thesis must appear as the last sentence in your introduction, regardless of how many paragraphs your introduction contains.  Notice that the thesis statement does not use first person pronouns and should contain action verbs only (no “be” verbs).

Example of a thesis: By comparing and contrasting Sylvia Plath’s works The Bell Jar and "Lady Lazarus," readers can understand not only the author’s themes and style, but also Plath’s unique place as an American literary leader in the technique of confessional writing. 

Obviously, the thesis statement is written after research, study, and thoughtful consideration. While the statement should occur early in the paper, it should reflect careful analysis of the topic.

Format

I. Revision and the Final Draft: Read the first draft critically and try to improve it by rewording, rearranging, adding, or eliminating phrases to make the writing clearer.

A. Make sure the paper covers all requirements.

B. Be sure the introduction covers the items that were mentioned earlier.

C. Examine the body of your paper for a logical sequence of major statements and evidence that supports these statements.

D. Use transitions to help the reader move from one topic to the next.

E. Examine the conclusion to see that it is the logical culmination of the evidence that has been presented.

Be sure to revise, edit, and proofread the paper. Revising means to improve the whole work. Editing is checking the style, word choice, and grammar. Proofreading means examining the final typed manuscript to spot typographical errors. All these are important.

II. Stylistic Requirements: The following stylistic requirements are suggested:

A. Use 8 1/2" x 11" white paper.

B. First Page: One inch from the top of the page and flush with the left margin, type student’s name, instructor’s name, course title and date - each on separate lines, double spaced.

The title should be separated from the above information by a double space and should be centered on one page. The title should NOT be underlined or placed in quotation marks.

The text of the paper should begin two lines below the title.

If subject headings are required, they should be flush with the left margin. The text of the paper should begin after a double space which follows the heading. Indent each paragraph five spaces from the left margin.

C. Margins: Leave one-inch margins at the top and bottom of the page and on both the left and the right sides of the text.

D. Pagination: Number the pages consecutively throughout the paper starting with the second page as page two (Note: the first page is not numbered.) Place the student’s last name in the upper right-hand corner, one-half inch from the top, followed by the page number. Do not use punctuation such as periods, hyphens, or other symbols.

E. Quotations: Set off quotations of more than four typed lines beginning a new line indented ten spaces from the left margin. The quotation is double-spaced with the quotation marks omitted. Place quotations of not more than four typed lines within quotation marks and incorporate them in the text.

F. Abbreviations, shortened titles: These are acceptable only after the title or name has first been fully introduced such as UN for United Nations or Cabin for Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

G. Reference to people: Once fully introduced, refer to people by their last names. In general, titles such as Dr., Ms., and Mr. are not used.

H. Illustrations: Label as "figure," assign an Arabic number (i.e. Figure 2), and include a title or caption. Place caption or title directly below the illustration, flush with the left margin. Completed pages with illustrations and no text are not numbered.

Ill. Grammar Rules

A. A sentence rarely begins with the words "and," "but," "well," or "so."

B. Do not use the word "you" when referring to the reader in a formal paper. The writer should use "one" or the "reader." Avoid the use of the word "I" when referring to yourself.

C. Do not qualify your work by using words such as "sort of" or "kind of."

D. Sentence fragments are NOT acceptable in formal writing.

E. Avoid run-on sentences.

F. Avoid switching tenses in a paper. Consult the instructor for instructions concerning tense.

G. Each paragraph must begin with a stated subject or antecedent BEFORE referring to that subject as "he," "she," or "it."

H. Do not use contractions in formal writing.

I. Avoid unnecessary repetition.

J. Do not use abbreviations.

K. Each paragraph must have a topic sentence.

L. A numeral which begins a sentence is always written out.

Originality, Paraphrasing, and Plagiarism.

I. Originality

Whether the focus of the paper is historical, biographical, or critical, some form of interpretation, evaluation, synthesis, commentary, or deduction must be present. This is the paper’s original content.

II. Paraphrasing

The purpose of paraphrasing is to put the cited author’s words into one’s own words. There are four primary guidelines for paraphrasing:

A. It must be clear and easy to understand.

B. It must contain all of the major and minor points stated in the original.

C. It should not contain any ideas not present in the original.

D. Neither the author’s sentence structure nor significant words should be repeated.

A good paper includes a balance of direct quotes, paraphrasing and original content.

III. Plagiarism

Plagiarism in its most obvious form is the copying of another writer’s words or ideas without giving the author credit. An improper paraphrase - one which changes only a few words or uses synonyms - is still plagiarism, even if the author of the original is cited.

Plagiarism includes:

A. Copying a passage word for word with no quotation marks or citation.

B. Paraphrasing an author’s work without a citation.

C. Incorrect documentation of a citation or work.

D. Wrongly assuming that information cited is common knowledge when it is not. Example: Knowing that the Declaration of Independence was made public on July 4, 1776, is common knowledge. Knowing who the members of the committee were or the specific issues discussed in drafting the document is not common knowledge and should be documented. Although plagiarism in student writing is often unintentional, it is necessary to understand and use proper research techniques. Students should confer with their instructors whenever questions involving plagiarism occur.

In-Text Documentation

IV. Documentation

One of the most important skills a researcher must acquire is that of knowing when and how to document sources used in preparing papers.

The scholar who cites sources and provides a bibliography is a participant in a long tradition perpetuated by those who seek honesty and clarity as they discover and transmit knowledge. Citing specific facts, incidents, reasons, and examples as quoted or paraphrased from particular sources is both a requirement of responsible scholarship and a courtesy to readers who seek to validate or expand on the information provided. The current abundance of material available through print and audio-visual media makes accurate documentation more important than ever. Teachers may require a hard copy of any on-line material used by the student.

In most cases a quotation or paraphrase is immediately followed by only the author’s last name and page numbers enclosed in parentheses. The aim is conciseness, but remember that each citation must be easily traceable to a specific bibliographical entry.

Examples of parenthetical citation:

A. A single author of a book, magazine, encyclopedia, newspaper, anthology, or collection

In most instances the author’s last name and a page reference are enough to identify the source and location from which you took the material:

As the play begins, the audience discovers "Parris was in his middle forties" (Miller 10).

However, if the author’s name is referred to in the sentence, only the page number needs to be given:

Miller states, "Parris was in his middle forties" (10).

B. Two or more works by a single author

If two or more works by a single author are used, use the author’s name and the title unless the author’s name has been established.

In another play, the audience discovers Willy Loman is no longer middle aged (Miller, Death of a Salesman 12).

Once the author’s name has been established use only the shortened title of the work:

Age is mentioned again when "Abigail Williams, seventeen, enters "(Crucible 8).

Linda says, "I made the last payment on the house today" (Death 139).

C. Three or more authors

If the source has three or more authors, give only the name of the first author followed by et al., an abbreviation for the Latin "et alia" which means "and others." For instance, if Smith, Jones, and Johnson collaborated on a work the citation would read:

Ernest Hemingway had "many polydactyl cats” (Smith et al. 391).

D. Institution or group as an author

If the source has been compiled by an organization rather than an author, use a shortened form of its name.

In an effort to furnish the White House, "Grace Goodhue Coolidge helped persuade the Congress to authorize the acceptance of appropriate antiques as gifts" (White House Society 144).

E. Source comprised of two or more volumes by a single author

If a work is comprised of two or more volumes, separate the volume number from the page number with a colon.

Many people were unaware that "Aristotle…was born under the hereditary Macedonian monarchy" (Wells 1:27).

F. A play as a source

The act, scene, and line numbers should be separated by periods.

Gertrude counsels Hamlet to "cast thy nighted color off, and let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark" (Hamlet 2.1.72-73).

Or if Roman numerals are used in the original text, use upper case letters for act and lower case letters for scene (Hamlet II.i 72-73).

G. A poem as a source

To quote from a poem use the word "line" or "lines" followed by the line numbers. Use no abbreviation for the word "line."

In "The Clod and the Pebble" Blake suggests, "Love seeketh not itself to please, / nor for itself has any care" (lines 1-2).

Once it becomes obvious the quoted lines are from a poem, simply give the line numbers, omitting the word "line."

On the other hand love might also "seeketh only self to please" (9).

H. A poem divided into sections, cantos, or books

Titles of book length poems should be underlined. Titles of shorter poems, of course, should be enclosed in quotation marks. The section number should be followed by a period which precedes the line numbers.

Whitman underscores this idea by saying, "The law of the past cannot be eluded / the law of the present and future cannot be eluded" ("To Think of Time" 7.10).

or

Milton introduces the epic "in medias res" with the lines "Of man’s first disobedience and the fruit / 0f that forbidden tree whose mortal taste / Brought death into the world, and all our woe" (Paradise Lost 1.1-3).

I. The Bible as a source

Reference to a biblical passage usually requires reference to only a book, chapter, and verse. Separate chapter from lines with a period.  These verses can be located in any standard bible; thus, the citation need not appear in the works cited.

Moses was instructed to "love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19.18).

J. A videocassette, film, slide program, video disc, live performance, etc.

Cite the original author, composer or creator and the year of performance or release to which reference is made.

The theme of the early portion of the opera would seem to be that this world is "the best of all possible worlds" (Bernstein 1985).

Cite the film title and the year of release.

Heathcliff returns from his absence dressed in fine clothing (Wuthering Heights 1971).

K. Documenting sources without established authors

If the work you are citing does not include an author’s name, use the title:

Alford began her work in 1939 at the Humane Society ("Scholarship honors local humanitarian" 5:3).

L. Documentation of a book jacket,

Refer to the dust cover of a book as the "book jacket."

As Carl Jung says about his book Man and His Symbols, "But for a dream, this book would never have been written" (book jacket).

M. Documenting indirect sources

Take material from the original source whenever possible. When the original is not available, any citation of a quotation or paraphrase of a quotation from another book should be preceded by the notation "qtd." followed by the data for that source.

ex: Aristo refers to Isabella as "liberal and magnanimous" (qtd. in Durant 255).

N. Documentation of sources on the World Wide Web (on-line material).

Cite these just as you would cite a book, magazine, or other printed matter. Since web documents usually have no page numbers, none should be included. Do not put the web address in the parenthetical citation. Your citation should lead the reader to the works cited page where the web address should be listed in full as part of your works cited entry.

A web site with an author uses only the author's last name in the citation:

Lovecraft's father's death did not have a tremendous impact on him (Johns).

If the site has no author, use the title of the site:

Rockingham Castle was built by William the Conqueror (Rockingham Castle).

Should, however, the web document have numbered paragraphs or sections, then include these. Example:

(Jones, Pars. 383-5).

*The reader should consider the lack of page numbers a signal for an on-line source and refer to the Works Cited page for complete information.

O. Documenting a source from an anthology, collection, specialized encyclopedia, or dictionary.

(Annals 19: 21.)

("Franklin, Benjamin" III: 43)

(Seavey 37:217)

("Steinbeck" 35: 83)

If you are already using "Steinbeck" for another citation, then use the abbreviated form of the title of the series in addition.

("Steinbeck," CANR 35:83)

P. Punctuation of in-text documentation

Sentence level punctuation such as periods, commas, and semi-colons is placed after the closing parenthesis.

Only the material preceding the parenthesis is considered to be documented by that citation. The citation can cover only one paragraph. The only exception to this is a multiparagraph quotation which is set off from the rest of the text.

Notice that the commas within parentheses are used only to separate an author’s name from his work or to establish that material has been cited from several non-consecutive pages. (Hawthorne, Letter 17) or (Letter 22, 54, 91).

Should, however, the quoted passage end in an exclamation point (!) or question mark (?), place this mark before the beginning parenthesis and a period after the closing parenthesis.

Romeo asks Juliet "What shall I swear by?" (Romeo and Juliet II. i. 112).

Note: Titles of books, newspapers, magazines, websites, etc., may be bolded rather than underlined if the writer wishes. DO NOT underline bolded titles!

Romeo asks Juliet "What shall I swear by?" (Romeo and Juliet II. i. 112).

Q. Documenting of a long quotation

When documenting a long quotation, double space the quotation itself and indent lines ten spaces from the left margin.  Example:

As Frederick Jackson Turner maintains:

In the crucible of the frontier the immigrants were Americanized, liberated and fused into a mixed race, English in neither nationality or characteristics. The process has gone on from early days to our own. Burke and other writers in the middle of the eighteenth century believed that Pennsylvania was "threatened with the danger of being wholly foreign in language, manners, and perhaps even inclinations." The German and Scot-Irish elements in the frontier of the South were only less great. (471)

·         This is the only other case in which punctuation precedes the parenthetical citation. Notice that long quotations are double spaced and that no quotation marks are necessary.

R. Placement of in-text documentation

Documentation may be placed within a sentence to identify cited material and separate it from another citation or original thought.

"Typical of the foggy ‘eyebrow of the jungle’— described in greater detail in the preceding chapter — the Gaza ridges were incredibly rich in plant species" (Goodspeed 121), is a perfect example of purple prose.

Works Cited

On a separate page headed by the title Works Cited, list all materials used in the in-text documentation.

List the entries alphabetically by the author’s last name. If the author’s name is unknown, alphabetize the entry by the first word of the title other than "A," "An," or "The."

Entries are never numbered.

If the entry is more than one line, indent the second line and all following lines.

Use commonly known abbreviations when appropriate.

Refer to the MLA Handbook, 7th edition for further clarification.

A. A book with one author

Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York: Bantam, 1981. Print.

B. A book with two or three authors

Wellek, Renee and Austin Warren. Theory of Literature. New York:

Harcourt, 1970. Print.

C. A book with more than three authors

Beringer, Richard E., et al. Why the South Lost the Civil War. Athens,

GA: University of Georgia P, 1986. Print.

D. An institution, group, committee, or corporate author

White House Historical Association. The White House. Washington:

National Geographic Society, 1975. Print.

E. Source from a general encyclopedia or dictionary such as World Book.  **(not allowed on this project!)

"Astronomy." Encyclopedia Americana. 1993 ed. *

*As stated on p.160 in the MLA Handbook, 7^th Edition, “When citing widely used reference books, especially those that frequently appear in new editions, do not give full publication information.  For such works, list only the edition (if stated), the year of publication, and the medium of publication consulted.” 

F. A multivolume work or a specialized encyclopedia or dictionary.

"Franklin, Benjamin." Dictionary of American Biography. Ed. Dumas Malone.

Vol. III. New York: Scribner’s, 1959. 585-599. Print.

"New Deal." Dictionary of American History. Rev. ed. New York:

Scribner’s, 1976. 43-48. Print.

Seavey, Ormond. "James Madison." Dictionary of Literary Biography. Vol. 37. Detroit: Gale, 1985. 217-229. Print.

"Steinbeck, John (Ernst) 1902-1968." Contemporary Authors New  Revision Series. Vol. 35. Detroit: Gale, 1992. 150-8. Print.

G. Anthologies or collections

1. A single article or essay in a collection of previously published works such as Contemporary Literacy Criticism or Annals of America.

Cite the information regarding the original publication followed by the abbreviation "Rpt. in" meaning "reprinted in," then give the current publication information from the source.

Lindbergh, Charles A. “Alone Over the Atlantic," New York Times, 23 May, 1927. Rpt. in The Annals of America.  Chicago: Encyclopedia

Britannica, 1968. Vol. 14. 557-561. Print.

West, Anthony. "The Grapes of Wrath." The New Statesman & Nation, 16 September 1939: 404-405. Rpt. in Contemporary Literary Criticism.

Detroit: Gale, 1990. Vol. 59. 322-333. Print.

2. A single work in an anthology or textbook

Baker, Carlos. "The Boy and the Lions." Twentieth Century Interpretations of the

Old Man and the Sea. Ed. Katherine T. Jobes. New Jersey: Prentice, 1968. 233-258. Print.

3. Multiple works from an anthology or collection

The general entry must include all basic publication data about the collection. This will appear only once.

Annals of America. 21 vols. to date. Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, 1976-. Print.

Contemporary Literary Criticism. 88 vols. to date. Detroit: Gale.1988-. Print.

Jobes, Katherine T., Ed. Twentieth Century Interpretations of the Old Man and

The Sea. New Jersey: Prentice, 1968. Print.

The individual entries from these collections must then each be cited.

Baker, Carlos. "The Boy and the Lions." Jobes: 27-33.

Lejeune, Anthony. "Alistair MacLean, Craftsman of Story-Telling."

Contemporary Literary Criticism. 50: 348-349.

McDowell, Edwin."Alistair MacLean Dies: Books Sold in Millions."

Contemporary Literary Criticism. 50: 347 – 348.

Turner; Fredrick Jackson "The Significance of the Frontier in

American History." Annals of America. 11: 462 – 478.

H. A review

McAleer, John."Emerson in His Prime" Rev.of Emerson; The Mind on Fire.

by Robert D. Richardson Jr. Chicago Tribune 3 April 1995, sec 15:11. Print.

I. An article in a magazine

Barry, John."Future Shock." Newsweek 24 July 1995: 32 - 37. Print.

"Man Buys World." Business Week 29 May 1995, 15-23+. Print.

J. An article in a newspaper

Ecenbarger, William. "Sunday Under Blue Laws, It Was The Day Our Nation

Stood Still." Chicago Tribune 5 July 1987, Section 5:1. Print.

"Scholarship Honors Local Humanitarian." Daily Herald 19 July 1995, Section 5:3. Print.

K. Material In microform format

If the microform is a complete reproduction of a work and not part of a titled collection, cite it as the original. If the microform is part of a collection of articles that have been compiled into a different arrangement, follow the example below.

"The Dred Scott Decision." New York Times 11 Apr. 1857: 3. Microform. Great Events II (1978): fiche 1, frame 11b.

Twain, Mark. "The Curious Republic of Gondour." Atlantic Monthly Oct. 1875: 461-463. Microform.  Documentary Sources of Western Civilization

Topic 6 (1977): fiche 650.

L. An Interview

If you personally interviewed the individual:

Beach, Chuck. Personal interview. 22 July 1995.

If the interview is found in print or on television, radio, or DVD:

Blanchett, Cate. “In Character with: Cate Blanchett.” Notes on a Scandal. Dir. Richard Eyre. Fox Searchlight, 2006.                DVD.

Breslin, Jimmy. Interview by Neal Conan. Talk of the Nation. Natl. Public Radio. WBUR, Boston. 26 Mar. 2002.      Radio.

Lansbury, Angela. Interview. Off-Camera: Conversations with the Makers of Prime-Time Television. By Richard     Levinson and William Link. New York: Plume-NAL, 1086. 72-86. Print.

M. A lecture or speech

Hagan, Beth. "Origins of English Literature." Meridian High School,

Macon, IL. 5 Sept. 2005. Lecture.

N. Material from a CD-ROM.

Give the original publication information if provided by the service, and the identification number if known.

Donovan, Patricia. "Sex Education in America’s, Schools: Progress and Obstacles." USA Today Magazine July 1992: 28-30. Rpt. in SiRS

Researcher on CD-ROM. Boca Raton, FL: Social Issues Resources Ser., 1993.

Isaacson, Melissa , "Back Spasms still Hampering Paxson." Chicago Tribune 24 December 1991, North Sports Final Edition, sports section 3.

Newspapers on CD ROM. NewsBank, 1993.

Shakespeare, William, Richard III. Rpt. in Shakespeare on Disc. Portland, OR CMC Research, 1989. CD-ROM.

O. An abstract from a CD-ROM program

Timson, Judith "Atwood’s Triumph" Maclean's 3 October 1988: 56 – 58. Abstract. Reader's Guide Abstracts on CD-ROM. New York: H. W. Wilson 1994.

P. Online Sources

For a more complete listing of how to create citations for on-line sources, see the MLA Guide to the Research Paper, Seventh Edition. Note that the date at the end of the entry is the date the material was accessed.

** According to the MLA Guide to the Research Paper, Seventh Edition, URLs often change, and readers “are now more likely to find resources on the Web by searching for titles and authors’ names than by typing URLs.  You should include a URL as supplementary information only when the reader probably cannot locate the source without it or when your instructor requires it” (182).  For an in-depth discussion of how to format online or digital works cited entries, see the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Seventh Edition, found in the classroom and the library.

1. Personal site

Kotor, S. L. and J. P. E. Gessler. Timothy Dalton’s Official Home Page. 13 July 2000. Web. 10 April 2008.

<http://www.timothydalton.com/>.

2. Book

Milton, John. Paradise Lost: A Poem in Twelve Books. Dept. of English.  Dartmouth College. n.d. Web.  13 July  2008.

3. Poem

Arnold, Matthew. "Dover Beach." Ed. Ian Lancashire. Representative Poetry Online  April 2000.  Web.  13 July 2007.

4. Article in a Reference Database such as Encyclopedia Britannica (not an acceptable source for this paper)  or in a scholarly archive.

"Jackson, Andrew." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. 15 July 2007. Web.  8 August 2008.

Eaves, Morris, Robert Essick, and Joseph Viscomi, eds. The William Blake Archive. Libr. of Cong., 8 May 2008.        Web.  15 May 2009.

5. Subscription service or online databases

Frick, Robert. “Investing in Medical Miracles.”  Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Feb. 1999: 80-87. SIRS

Researcher. SIRS Knowledge Source. Web.  28 Mar. 2004. 

Pizer, Donald. “A Note on Kate Chopin’s ‘The Awakening’ as Naturalistic Fiction.”The Southern Literary Journal

                Spring 2001: 5-13. OCLC FirstSearch: WilsonSelectPlus. Web.  28 Mar. 2004.

6. Article in a magazine

Nash, J. Madeline. "The New Science of Alzheimer’s." Newsweek. Newsweek, 13 July 2000. Web. 17 July 2008.

7. Posting to a discussion group

Dobbs, Bob. "Waco Accountability?" 4 June 2000. Online posting. 13 July 2009.

8. Online newspaper

Webster, Philip. "Brown Set to Spend Even More." London Times on the Web. 1 Jan. 2006. Web. 13 July 2008.

9. Personal E-mail

Parsons, Richard. "Re: Wildcat Willie." Message to the author. 20 Aug. 1995. E-mail.

R. Radio or television programs

Include the underlined program title, the network, the local station and its city, and the date.

The First Americans. NBC News Special. NBC, Los Angeles. 21 Mar. 1988. Television.

Making Sense of the Sixties. WTTW, Chicago. 21-23 June 2009. Radio.

S. Videocassette, film, slide program, videodisc, etc.

For a film, underline title, include director, the distributor and the year. For others, indicate the medium before the name of the distributor. The second example illustrates a video reissue of a 1939 film.

Wuthering Heights. Dir. Robert Fuest. American International, 1971. Film.

Wuthering Heights. Dir. William Wyler. 1939. HBO Video, n.d. Videocassette.

T. Sound recording (tape, compact disc, or record).

Bernstein, Leonard. Candide, Cond. John Mauceri, New York City Opera. Cond. John Mauceri. Rec. 23 Jan. 1986.   New World Records. LP.

The Mamas and the Papas. Gold. Comp. Andy McKaie. Geffen, 2005. CD.

Joplin, Scott. Treemonisha. Perf. Carmen Balthrop, Betty Allen, and Curtis Rayam. Houston Grand Opera Orch., and Chorus. Cond. Gunther Schuller.

          Deutsche Grammophon, 1076. Audiocassette.