Introduction

Why do students have to write research papers?

The truth is that research papers are a specially-designed torture instrument. They are
preferred because instructors are not directly involved in the torture. Usually students
torture themselves by waiting until the last minute to write their papers and by not
knowing what they are doing.
That's why this guide was written. A research paper is not supposed to be torture.
Seriously. The thing about torture was a joke. A research paper is supposed to be your
opportunity to explore something that interests you. You have freedom to choose a topic,
usually five or more empty pages to express your own ideas, and an audience that is
interested in reading what you think.
Instead of just memorizing a textbook, you can go deeper into the course subject. Plus,
you will develop skills in researching, evaluating sources, organizing, arguing, analyzing,
thinking logically, and expressing yourself clearly in writing (in English too). These skills,
by the way, are all valued by employers.
Writing research papers should help you, not hurt you. However, to achieve this, you
have to remember that instructors assign papers at the beginning of the term for a
reason: it takes time to write a good research paper. If possible, you should spend
about a week on each of the following steps:
 Choosing and narrowing a topic
 Thinking and planning
 Doing research
 Taking notes
 Planning and outlining
 Writing a draft
 Revising drafts
 Editing
 Proofreading

So whenever possible, you should spend 9 weeks on your paper. Hopefully, this guide
will make it easier (maybe you could write a paper in 7 weeks instead).

How to use this guide

If you have never written a research paper or think your research papers are
horrible, read this whole guide as you write your paper. It will take you step by
step through the research paper writing process.
If you want to review or you have certain problems with research papers, use
the table of contents to find your problem areas and read those sections. It
should give you a general overview and advice. There is no “grammar” section, but if
grammar is one of your problems, the solution is in the Editing and Proofreading
sections.
If you only need to know about the reference page and in-text citations, go to
“APA Style Guide.” I also suggest you look at “Evaluating Internet Sources,” all of
“Using Source Material,” and the example research paper.
Good luck with your papers.

Anne Whitaker
November, 2004
Table of Contents
Writing a Research Paper
What is a research paper? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01
Choosing and narrowing a topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 02
Thesis statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 03
Thinking and planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 03
Doing research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 04
Searching on the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 05
Evaluating Internet sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 06
Making a working bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .08
Taking notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 08
Adding details to the outline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 08
Writing the first draft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 09
The introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 09
Body paragraphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
The conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Connection between ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Revising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Proofreading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Using Source Material

Why is source material necessary? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Citing the source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
When to quote, paraphrase, or summarize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Quoting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Paraphrasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Summarizing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Using quotes, paraphrases and summaries effectively (sandwiching) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Plagiarism and how to avoid it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

APA Style Guide

What is APA style and why do students have to use it? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Paper format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
The title . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
The reference page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Reference page format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Order on a reference page (alphabetical) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Writing a reference page – source entry guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Frequently asked questions about the reference page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Example reference page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
In-text citation basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
In-text citation guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

The Complete Research Paper

Research paper checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Example research paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

For More Information

Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Writing a Research Paper

....................................What is a Research Paper?

In academic writing, a research paper is a logical, well-developed, persuasive answer to
a research question. Your instructors may assign a “research paper,” “position paper,”
“argumentative paper,” “analysis paper,” “term paper,” or just a “paper.”
Each of these assignments involves doing research about a topic. Your paper, however,
does not just present your research as a list of facts or as a summary of sources. Your
paper is based on YOUR OWN ideas. It will be a presentation of your own opinion and/or
analysis of a topic supported by evidence from your sources and sound reasoning. You
may already know your opinon, and if you don't, you will develop one as you research.
There are two basic types of research papers: argumentative and analytical.
An argumentative paper, or position paper, takes a side on a debatable issue (it
is possible to change someone's mind, including your own, about the issue). It
answers a “yes/no” research question. The paper argues for your own position using
strong arguments supported by logic and evidence from knowledgeable sources.
An analytical paper also argues for your opinion, but it answers a “why/how”
question. It usually examines the causes, effects, or solutions of something. You will
research answers to the question and then describe, explain, and evaluate them. Your
paper will look deeply at each, rank them, and argue for the most significant ones.

Research Paper Basics

Academic writing in English is very organized and clear. As the writer, you need to do all
the work for the reader; the reader shouldn't have to think to understand your ideas,
organization, or logic. That's why papers usually include these basics:
The introduction catches the readers’ attention, provides background information,
and lets the reader know what to expect. It usually has a thesis statement, which
clearly states the main idea of the paper (the answer to the research question and
your point of view).
The body supports the thesis statement. It stays focused on answering the research
question. The development follows your own ideas, not the sources', and your ideas
are organized clearly and logically.
Each body paragraph has one point, which is supported by your own ideas and by
material from high-quality sources. Source information is analyzed, evaluated, and
integrated into your writing, and its significance to the point is clearly explained. In-
text citations are included after every use of material from a source.
The body may also include a discussion of opposing arguments or alternative
viewpoints in order to show that the paper is balanced; however, the paper shows
that other viewpoints are insufficient or weak.
Finally, the conclusion summarizes the paper and shows the reader the significance
of the paper’s findings. It is, of course, strong and memorable.
The reference page lists all the sources used in the paper in APA style.
The sources are high-quality, trustworthy, and varied.
The format of the paper follows the instructor’s directions, or if the instructor has no
specifications, then it follows the format guidelines in this guide.

Each of those will be discussed in more detail in this guide.

Instructors' assignments may vary from this basic definition depending on what they
want from an assignment. So a very important rule about research paper writing is
ALWAYS DO WHAT THE ASSIGNMENT ASKS.

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..........................Choosing and Narrowing a Topic
The last section talked about a “research question” as the basis of a paper. In some
classes, your instructor may provide you with research questions to answer in papers, so
you don't have to worry about choosing a topic.
If you must choose your own topic, think about things related to the course that you are
interested in and have strong opinions about. If there is nothing that interests you, look
through the textbook and current periodicals for interesting topics.
Then consider sources. Will you be able to find enough information about this topic in
reliable sources? You may want to do a quick library or Internet search to make sure.
Your paper should have a clear, narrow topic. You can't write a 6-page paper about
“abortion.” That's a book. You should also try to avoid topics (such as “abortion”) in
which arguments are mostly based on unchanging personal beliefs.
To narrow the topic, look at a specific problem, time period, or place; or read general
sources about the topic to find a small part you could write about. Some smaller topics
related to abortion are the morning after pill, third trimester abortions, laws about
waiting periods, or counseling before an abortion can be performed.
You also need a clear, narrow purpose for your paper. What is your research paper going
to say or prove? You can't discuss every issue related to the morning after pill in 6 pages
– are you going to discuss whether it works or not, whether it should be sold to girls
under 16 or not, whether it should be sold without a prescription or not, why it's hard to
find in the US, how its sales have affected contraceptive sales, how its sales have
affected abortion rates....? You need one focus, not six.
The easiest way to figure this out is to create a “research question” to answer. What ONE
question do you want your paper to answer? You may already know the answer, or you
may discover it (or change it) during your research.
 An argumentative or position paper answers a “yes/no” question. For example, a paper
answering the question “Should the United States have used the atomic bomb in World War
II?” would only argue for the writer's opinion “The United States should not have used the
atomic bomb,” with the paper developing each argument in detail. Example questions:
● Should the morning after pill be sold without a prescription?
● Should the Kurds of Iraq have their own sovereign state?
● Should the European Union's constitutional treaty mention Christian values?
● Should the Slovak parliament and political parties have gender quotas?
● Should animal organs be used for human transplants?
● Is NATO still necessary?
● Does Esperanto have a future?
● How should Slovakia improve relations between Roma and non-Roma citizens? (a little different;
you argue for your solution to the problem)

 An analytical paper answers a “why/how” question. For example, a paper answering the
question “Why did United States use the atomic bomb in World War II?” would only analyze
the reasons for this action, and the writer would show which cause(s), in his/her view, was
most significant. Example questions:
● Why is it difficult to get the morning after pill in the United States?
● How has the ban on abortions in Poland affected women's lives?
● Why has Tesco been successful in Slovakia?
● Why has Brazil been so successful in fighting AIDS?
● Why is there famine in North Korea?
● Why has childhood obesity been increasing in the United States?
● How has tourism influenced the life of the Sherpas in Nepal?
● How well did Russia handle the terrorist takeover of a Moscow theater in 2002?
Longer papers may answer more than one research question and do more than one
thing, but for most papers, it is best to focus deeply on one question only.

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..................................................Thesis Statement
The thesis statement is the most important sentence in your paper. If someone asked
you, “What does your paper say?” your answer would be your thesis statement.
Everything you write will support this statement.

A good thesis statement usually includes

 Main idea of the paper. ONE idea. The entire paper is based on this statement.
 Your opinion or attitude. The thesis statement is not a fact or a question, but your view of
the topic and what you want to say about it.
 Purpose of the paper. From the thesis statement, it should be clear what the paper will do
– inform, persuade, explain, solve, describe, and/or analyze something.
 Answer to the research question.
 Clarity. It should be perfectly understandable after one reading and have no mistakes.

When should you write your thesis statement? It depends on when you know the answer
to your research question. You may have an idea before you begin researching, you may
discover it as you research, or you may not know it for sure until you have written your
ideas down. In the analysis paper outline in the next section, the writer changed her
thesis after doing research. Whenever you write it, remember that everything in your
paper must prove it.

................Thinking and Planning (Basic Outline)

When you have a topic, start writing ideas down. Brainstorm possible answers to your
question, and when you think you know how to answer the research question, you can
make a basic outline. You may be able to do this before doing any research, or you may
need to read more about the topic first.
An outline is a plan for your paper. Do this before you finish researching to ensure that
your paper is focused on YOUR thoughts, not just your sources'.

Choosing and ordering points

1. Write down all the reasons/arguments/effects/solutions (each paper is different) you
have to support your thesis. Do not look at your sources – use your own brain.
2. Look at your list and organize the ideas. Some can be combined as one larger idea;
some may just repeat others in different words. If you think an idea is very weak,
cross it out.
3. The remaining ideas will be the main points (sections) of your paper (and you can
change them later too).
4. Decide how to order these points. What order will you follow – chronological, cause to
effect, problem to solution, most important to least important, weakest to strongest?
Which order will make your paper the strongest and most interesting?
5. Your paper may also cover alternative or opposing viewpoints. Think of those
strongest points and create a section about it.

EXAMPLE BASIC OUTLINE before research (analysis paper)

Research Question: Why has childhood obesity increased in the United States?
Thesis: Childhood obesity has increased in the United States due to the
unhealthy environment in which many American children are raised.
I. Children eat more than in the past.
II. Children often do not eat healthy meals.
III. Children do not have as much physical activity as in the past.
IV. Parents model bad habits.

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 EXAMPLE BASIC OUTLINE before research (argumentative paper)
Research Question: Are birth control pills safe for women?
Thesis: Birth control pills are safe.
I. Pills contain nothing harmful to health.
II. Pills bring health benefits to women.
III. Myths about birth control pills are wrong.

Breaking ideas into smaller parts

1. That is a very basic outline. It is possible to add more to it after researching. Then you
may notice that some points are very large and detailed. If so, you will need more
than one paragraph to describe it. Some sections, especially your strongest, need
more than one paragraph, while others may have only one.
2. Write the idea of each possible paragraph as a sentence so you can see it has a point.

EXAMPLE OUTLINE after some research (analysis paper)

Thesis: Childhood obesity has increased in the United States due to the
unhealthy environment in which many American children are raised.
I. Children eat more than in the past.
1. Portion sizes have increased.
II. Children often do not eat healthy meals.
1. Healthy food is hard to find (expensive + rare)
2. Schools provide unhealthy food
III. Children do not have as much physical activity as in the past.
1. Physical activity in schools has decreased.
2. Some children live in areas unsafe for outdoor activity.
3. Many children watch too much TV.
IV. Parents model bad habits.
1. Parents do not have time, money, or info to prepare healthy meals.

EXAMPLE OUTLINE after some research (argumentative paper)

Thesis: Although there are some disadvantages, birth control pills are safe.
I. Pills contain nothing harmful to health.
II. Pills bring health benefits to women.
III.Myths about birth control pills are wrong.
1. They do not cause ovarian cancer, but prevent it.
2. They do not cause breast cancer.
3. It is safe to use them when breastfeeding if done right.
IV. There are some minor disadvantages, but not for healthy women.

....................................................Doing Research
Doing research takes time. You will have many dead-ends and will have to start
again. To save time, do not run straight to the Internet; plan your research first.

What are you looking for?

Don't look for your opinion written by other people; look for evidence to prove your
opinion. Think about what kinds of information you need to support your ideas – facts,
examples, statistics, first-hand accounts, and expert opinions – and find it. You may also
need to find opposing arguments or get more background information about the topic.

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What types of sources do you need?
Answer these questions: Which types of sources are best for finding the information you
need? Which types are available? Which types of sources does your instructor require?

Where can you find the information you need?

 Books – If your topic is not too current, check the library catalog. Don't ignore books;
they are often easier to use and more trustworthy than many Internet sources.
 Reference section in library – General facts and statistics. Ask librarians for advice.
 Periodicals – If you think there are newspaper, magazine, and journal articles about
your topic, search certain periodicals' web sites and check CU's online databases.
 Non-governmental organization web sites – If you know of reliable NGOs who work
with your topic, check their web sites.
 Government web sites – If your topic involves a government or an international
organization of states (UN, EU), search their web sites.
 Documents on the Internet – If you need more, do an Internet search for aspects of
your topic. You may find reliable periodicals, organizations, or research.
 Personal communication – Find a person (or the email address of a person) who is an
expert about your topic. Interviewing is a great way to get the information you need.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SOURCES

Primary Source – someone’s original work: speech, eyewitness account, letter, autobiography,
government/organization report based on own research, interview, case study,
survey/questionnaire findings, experiments, observations, market research, original research...
● Primary sources let you interpret information in your own way.
● Many instructors will require primary sources.

Secondary Source – writing about a primary source: report of others’ work, analysis of an event
or others' research, biography, history book, periodical article...
● These sources help you analyze, but don't use too many. You need your own ideas too.
● Avoid sources that use secondary sources as sources. Find those secondary sources.

GENERAL AND SPECIFIC SOURCES

General Sources – sources with basic, background information about a topic: encyclopedias,
general periodical articles (Newsweek, BBC, CNN, New York Times), textbooks...
● Go to general sources first to get the basic information about your topic.
● Do not use encyclopedias as sources in papers. Just read them for background info.
● Do not rely on general sources; get specific sources too.

Specific Sources – sources which go more in depth: specialized magazines, NGO/government/

academic documents, academic journals (Journal of Business Communication)...
● These sources will focus more directly on your topic and make your research complete.
● Many of them will be primary sources as well.
● Some of these are very academic. If you cannot understand a source, do not use it.

....................................Searching on the Internet

If you just do a general search on the Internet for your topic, you may find hundreds of
thousands of sources. Of those, very few will actually be good for your topic. To save
time, know exactly what you're looking for and use these five methods:
Go straight to the source
If you know of a group directly involved in your topic, go straight to their web site and do
a search on their web site. You may find good primary sources and links to other sites.

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Search Engines (www.google.com or www.altavista.com…)
Use the Advanced Search option.
 Use specific search words – the more specific, the more relevant your sources will be.
 Don't stop after the first search. Try different combinations of words using the different
options (“all,” “exact phrase,” “any of these words”)
 Specify words “in title” to get documents directly related to your topic.
 Specify “.org domain” or “.gov domain” or “not .com domain”
 Ask for pages “updated within a year” or “updated in the past year.”
Read the results carefully.
 The results are NOT organized by quality, so read more than the first page of results.
 Evaluate the title, author, address, date, and content on the results page before opening.
 If the first 25 results are not helpful, try other search words.
Do the same search on more than one engine. You will get different results.

Links from Good Sources

High-quality web sites should have links to other good sites. Secondary sources may
have links to their sources (maybe primary ones).

Online Periodicals (print or Internet-only)

Online periodicals could be Internet versions of print periodicals (New York Times), or
they may only exist on the Internet. They have a current issue which changes daily,
weekly, monthly, or even faster; they also have archives of past issues. You can do a
search directly on the periodical web site. Some will require you to pay to read their
articles. If so, you could find the same article in the CU library or online databases.

City University Online Databases

These databases have thousands of articles which you can get for free as a CU student.
This is one of the easiest, yet least used, ways to get good articles about your topic. The
CU library has a detailed handout about using these and librarians can also answer any
questions. Searching the databases takes time, just like a search engine search.
 Use specific search words – the more specific, the more relevant your sources will be.
 Don't stop after the first search. Try different combinations of words.
 Search for words in the “title” or “abstract” to get more relevant articles.
 Check “full-text articles” so you can see whole articles only.
 Fill in the dates to get recent articles only.
 Some instructors will require “peer reviewed” articles, so you can check that box too.
Use more than one database to find sources.

.................................Evaluating Internet Sources

If you do an Internet search, you must evaluate every web site very carefully. Anyone
can put anything on the Internet, so it's hard to find trustworthy, high-quality sources.
Try to use sources that provide the author's name, position, organization, contact
information; and date. Also consider these four criteria:

1. Relevancy
The source should directly relate to your topic and be up-to-date.

Finding the Date

The date is often at the top or bottom of the page. It may be after the © copyright symbol or
after the words “last updated.” If you cannot find the date on the page, go back one step (or
more) in the address to look at the previous page or home page.
✔ The source should focus on your topic, not just have a sentence about it.
✔ Most good sources will have a date. If not, make sure the information is still relevant.

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2. Authority
The source should be an authoritative source that you can trust.

Learning about the Author/Sponsor

Look for an “About...” link to read about the author and/or sponsor (organization, agency,
school, corporation, periodical). Find the contact information. Go to the home page of the
site to learn about the sponsor.
✔ Avoid completely anonymous sources.
✔ The author should have the education, experience, or position to write about this topic.
✔ A group author (organization, agency) should be established and respected.
✔ Someone who leaves contact information is more confident about his or her work.
✔ Don't use papers written by other students as sources. Find their sources instead.
✔ The domain in the address can help determine the source's authority. Some clues:
.org = non-governmental organization .edu = U.S. educational institution
.gov = U.S. government web site .com = commercial web site
.eu.int =European Union web site .sk = someone in Slovakia
✔ Avoid .com sites unless 1) they are periodicals or 2) you are writing about a corporation.
✔ Avoid personal web sites. Beware of these words in the address: aol, att, tripod, geocities,
angelfire. Also look for the symbol ~ followed by someone's name.

3. Purpose and audience

The source should be for intelligent readers. It shouldn't have a hidden purpose. The best
sources are objective (purpose is to inform), but biased sources (purpose is to persuade)
may help you understand arguments of all sides.

Discovering purpose and audience

Look at the format, graphics, headings, and even tiny words at the bottom of the screen.
Skim the text to understand its writing style and opinion. Who is the intended audience –
children, students, buyers, the public, scholars...? Does the source give evidence for both
sides of the issue? If so, does it attack the other side or treat it fairly? Is the author moderate
and balanced or emotional and extreme? Beware of sensational headings and graphics,
frequent exclamation points (!), advertisements related to the topic, and persuasive,
simplistic writing.
✔ Informative sources are good because you can create your own opinion.
✔ Persuasive sources are OK if you can critically analyze the source's arguments.
✔ Biased sources should be calm, rely on evidence, and acknowledge opposing views.

4. Accuracy
The source should have evidence for its ideas and be supported by other sources.

Checking accuracy
Skim the source to see if the author has information to support his/her points. The
information should seem believable to you. Look for references, a bibliography, cited
sources, and links to other sites. Make sure these sources are reliable too. See if there is
some form of quality control (an editor, expert, or organization read and approved the
information before it was published).

✔ Don't use sources that don't have support.

✔ The source should say where and how it found its support.
✔ Do not use or believe any statistics if the source does not say how/where it got them.
✔ Be suspicious if it is hard to check the links.
✔ Web sites are usually not edited and reviewed like books and periodicals.
✔ Some (not all) online periodical articles are checked by an editor, so they may be accurate.
✔ Scholarly journals usually have a peer review system to ensure quality.
✔ Well-established organizations usually ensure the quality of their documents.
✔ If information does not seem true, it probably isn't. Try to find it in two other good sources
before believing it.

7
............................Making a Working Bibliography
When you find a good source, IMMEDIATELY WRITE ITS REFERENCE INFORMATION.
Even if you check out the source, photocopy it, save it on a disk, email it to yourself, or
print it, write this information down in case you lose the source.

........................................................Taking Notes
As you read a source, writing down the important ideas will help you remember these
ideas and understand them better. It may seem time-consuming, but writing the paper
will go faster if you already have all your ideas written down.
Also, it's easier to take notes after you have a basic outline. Then you can organize the
notes under the headings of your outline.

What to take notes about

 Background information about your topic which needs to be included in your paper.
 Arguments and explanations which support or oppose your ideas.
 Facts, examples, ideas, and expert opinions which may support your ideas.

How to take notes

You can take notes on paper, on printed sources, or on a computer. Write the main idea
from your outline next to the note so you know which section of your paper to put it in.
Use these strategies:
 Summarize – Write the main points of the source in your own words. Good for sources
with ideas, but not many details, related to your topic.
 Paraphrase – retell important information in your own words; make sure you use
quotation marks for directly copied words. Good for details which will support/oppose you.
 Quote – copy the exact words from the source. Good for strong, exciting passages.
 Comment – write any questions or ideas you think of when you are reading sources.

................................Adding Details to the Outline

After going through your sources and taking notes, you can create a final outline.
1. First, make changes to your outline until you are satisfied with your ideas.
2. Then go through your notes and find support for each part of your outline.
3. Add the details to the right section to create a detailed outline of each paragraph.
Always name the source and put the author's exact words in quotation marks.
4. It should be easy to write the first draft of your paper by following the outline.

EXAMPLE OUTLINE of a body paragraph (after completing research)

Thesis: Although there are some disadvantages, birth control pills are safe.

II. Taking birth control pills has a lot of benefits for women's health.
1. Avoid unwanted pregnancy
2. Improve skin
– less acne, ovarian cysts, anemia, “excess” hair - Greenfield (2004a)
3. Less painful menstruation
– less blood, not so many cramps -Planned Parenthood (2003)
4. Women can enjoy life

8
 EXAMPLE OUTLINE of a body paragraph (after completing research)
IV. Birth control pills do not cause breast cancer – the myth is wrong.
1. Study in New England Journal of Medicine of 9,200 women, half
with breast cancer, no evidence of increased risk if took pill.
National Cancer Institute (2003)
2. Good news for women in 40s and 50s
3. Also women with breast cancer history don't have higher risk
– same study proved this (Okie, 2002)
4. Doesn't matter how long women use pill
– no increased risk due to length of use, race, weight (Okie, 2002)

.........................................Writing the First Draft

There are many ways to write the first draft. The key is to be prepared before you start –
have a purpose, a thesis, enough research, and a plan. And then, just write.
 You could start at the beginning and write until the end.
 Or you could write paragraphs separately, in any order you like. Many writers do the body
paragraphs first and save the introduction and conclusion for the end.
Advice for the first draft
 Read about writing paragraphs and using source material in this guide before you start.
 Do not worry about perfection yet. Do not worry about grammar.
 Be aware of plagiarism. Write down the source whenever you use anything from a source.
 Do not wait until the last minute! You will need time to revise, edit, and proofread.
 If you are missing information, mark the spot and then do more research to fill in the gap.

..................................................The Introduction
The introduction is often one paragraph, but in longer papers with more background
information, it may be two or more. In general, introductions do the following things:

Gain the immediate attention of the audience

 Here are some (but not all) of the ways to start an interesting and relevant introduction:
➢ Short anecdote that leads to your topic
➢ Surprising statement/fact that relates to your topic
➢ Quotation from famous person, expert that introduces your topic
➢ Brief and interesting historical review of your topic
➢ Statement which stresses the importance of your topic
➢ Contradiction – someone else’s opinion (opposite of yours) about your topic
 Do NOT be general or boring!

Provide necessary background information or definition of any terms

 Give the necessary history, facts, or definitions. Do NOT give too much information. The
reader does not need to know everything, just what is necessary to follow your paper.
➢ You can use a source in the introduction – just to give background information. The source
should not answer the question or give your opinion.

Briefly introduce the reader to your main points in a few sentences

Have a thesis statement (often the last sentence)
 Make sure the purpose and point of view of your paper are very clear.
 Do NOT announce your intentions (“This paper will prove,” “I'm going to write about”).
 Do NOT write a long, wordy, confusing thesis statement.

9
..................................................Body Paragraphs
Body paragraphs can be written in many ways, depending on your purpose. However,
each paragraph should have ONE idea which supports the thesis statement. Other
usually necessary parts of body paragraphs are

Topic Sentence
Usually, but not always, the first sentence. It introduces the paragraph's idea, makes
your point about this idea, relates to the thesis, and connects to the previous paragraph.
The topic sentence is NOT a fact nor an idea from a source. Every sentence in the
paragraph will support this topic sentence.
Explanation of topic sentence
The sentence(s) after the topic sentence often further describe the main idea of the
paragraph.
Support
Several sentences then support and prove the topic sentence. For more help with
using sources to support your ideas, read “Using Source Material” in this guide.
 details – facts, examples, experience, description, and experts' opinions are important to
show the reader that your ideas are true. These details come from your head and sources.
➢ If using source material, decide whether to quote, paraphrase, or summarize. Always cite
the source.
➢ Do NOT rely on sources too much. YOUR paragraph should mostly be YOUR ideas.

 explanation – Explain why/how the supporting details prove the topic sentence (sandwich
the details with your own ideas). It is your job to make the significance clear; the reader
should not have to think hard.
 organization of the support – The details should have a logical order: chronological,
general to specific, cause to effect, least to most important, process, problem to solution...

Concluding sentence
The last sentence should review the body paragraph, emphasize the point and/or thesis
again, or prepare the reader for the next body paragraph. Do NOT end the paragraph
with a source citation! End with your own idea.
Cohesion
Every sentence should logically connect to the sentences before and after it.
And the whole body paragraph should support your thesis statement.

.....................................................The Conclusion
The conclusion is probably the shortest paragraph, but it's also the most important
because this is what the reader will remember. A conclusion usually does these things:

Connect to the last sentence of the previous paragraph

Summarize the findings of your paper
 Use different words/phrases to summarize your thesis and main ideas.
 Be brief. Do not repeat everything. Just remind the reader what the paper said.
 Do NOT write any new information in the conclusion.

Show the significance of your findings

 Explain to the reader why your paper is important – what does it mean? What does it
solve? What does it say about your topic? What should the reader take from your paper?

10
End with a strong, memorable concluding statement(s)
 Make sure this statement is relevant to your topic.
 You could relate your ending to the beginning of your introduction.
 Do NOT be too general, too unbelievable, too sweet, or too obvious.
 The reader will say “Wow! I’m glad I read this!”

....................................Connection between Ideas

You need to show the reader how your ideas are connected between paragraphs and
between sentences. Often this happens naturally as you write; however, sometimes
you’ll need to make the connection clearer to the reader. Here are 3 ways to do this:
1. Pronouns (he/she/they/this/that/these/those) – Use a pronoun to refer to a
noun from the previous sentence.
Teachers should not put grades on essays. This would eliminate students' tears.
Angela Rizzi argues that grades do not motivate students. She thinks teachers should
only write comments, but not grades.

2. Repeated words/ideas – Use the same word or a synonym in the next sentence.
The policy on changing classes is too strict. According to the policy, a student must
get the signatures of 7 different people before moving to another class.

3. Transition words – These words clearly state the relationship between two
sentences. While they are very helpful, too many transition words at the beginning of
sentences can be annoying. Do not use a lot of transition words! One (maybe two) in
a paragraph is enough. Here are some transitions; if you are not sure what a word
means, look it up in a dictionary.
 to start – first, first of all, to begin with
 to add another idea – in addition, furthermore, also, moreover, what's more
 to add a more important idea – more importantly, what's worse, what's more
 to add your last idea – finally, most of all, most importantly
 to contrast with the previous idea – however, nevertheless, on the other hand
 to show the result of the previous idea – therefore, thus, consequently, as a result
 to emphasize an idea – in fact, in particular
 to give an example of the previous idea – for instance, for example, to illustrate
 to show a time relationship between ideas – first, second, then, next, finally

Remember that these words usually appear at the beginning of a complete sentence.
Sentence. Transition, sentence. OR Sentence; transition, sentence.
➔ The law does not stop teenagers from drinking. Therefore, it is ineffective.
RIGHT!
➔ She loves to travel; for example, in May she went to Rome, Paris, and Brazil.
RIGHT!
➔ Many organizations use English. For example, the UN, the EU, and NATO.
WRONG!
➔ Left-handers have problems for instance, shifting gears.
WRONG!

11
...............................................................Revising
Your first draft is not the end. You still have work to do. Revising strengthens the content
of your paper. Do this with your first draft more than a week before your paper is due.

Know what to fix

Before you can revise, you need to know what to fix. How can you find that out?
 Get feedback – Ask an instructor or friend to look at part of your paper.
 Use a checklist – The end of this guide has a research paper checklist. See if your draft
has all of the necessary things, and add those that aren't there.
 Outline – Make an outline of your draft by listing the main idea of each paragraph. This will
show whether your ideas are clearly organized and whether they focus on the thesis.
 Read your paper for focus – Read every sentence of your essay. After each, ask yourself,
“Does this support the thesis statement?” If it doesn’t, change it (or your thesis).
 Read each paragraph for support. Does every body paragraph have enough support for
the topic sentence? Did you use specific details – facts, examples, and description?
 Read the beginning and end of every paragraph. Check that every paragraph links
smoothly with the one before it and after it.
 Read your paper as the audience – Imagine that you are the audience. Read your paper
and write down any comments or questions your audience might have.

Fix it
Once you know what to fix, you must do it. Be daring. You will not have a good paper if
you are afraid to change things. It may be easier to completely re-type your paper while
just looking at your first draft. How can you change your paper?
 Erase words, sentences or paragraphs – eliminate all unnecessary or irrelevant ideas
 Add words, sentences or paragraphs – add new ideas, new support, more explanation
 Reorganize words, sentences or paragraphs – put your ideas in a logical order
 Re-write words, sentences or paragraphs – keep your ideas but present them better

Revise it again
If there is time (make time), you should revise your second draft too.

.................................................................Editing
When you are happy with your paper's content, it's time to edit. Editing will make your
writing more precise and easier to understand. Do this a week before your paper is due.
To edit successfully, find your old English grammar book, grammar notes, and an
English-English dictionary. Then experiment with the following strategies until you find
what works best for you:
1. Read your paper out loud slowly (or ask someone to read it to you). You will
hear mistakes, wordiness, repetition, and lack of clarity, which you can correct. If you
don't know how to correct something, start looking through those grammar books.
2. Use the spell check and grammar check functions on the computer. They will
find some things, but don’t just accept the program’s changes; check each one.
3. Editing strategies for specific problems
- Connection between ideas
 Read the beginning and end of every paragraph to make sure they flow together.
 Go through the paper sentence by sentence and find the connections between them.
 If the ideas don't connect, add a transition, pronoun, repeated word, synonym, or
another sentence.

12
 - Wordiness
 Find all the very long sentences (25 words or more). Try to rewrite them more clearly.
 Read each sentence. After each one, ask, “Is it necessary to the paragraph? Does it add
something new? Could it be eliminated completely or partly? Could it be combined?”
 Read each sentence word by word. Is every word necessary? Could some be eliminated
or re-written in a shorter, clearer way? Could passive verbs be rewritten as active ones?

- Repetition, Lack of variety

 Read each sentence and ask, “What is the purpose of this sentence?” Does it introduce a
new idea? Does it support or explain the previous idea? OR does it just repeat it?
 Read the first 5 words of each sentence to find sentences starting in the same way
(transition word, subject, phrase). Change some so your sentences have variety.
 Look at the length of every sentence. There should be a variety of short and long
sentences. Make sentences shorter by dividing them or longer by combining them.
 Find words which are repeated a lot. Use a dictionary to find other words to use.

- Sentence structure
 Go through the essay sentence by sentence. Label the subject(s) and the verb(s) in
every sentence. Make sure each sentence has a subject and verb. Make sure there are
not too many subject-verb combinations in each sentence, and make sure that word
order is Subject+Verb+Object. Fix fragments, run-ons, and word order.

- Word choice
 Find all the long words. Could some be replaced with shorter, clearer words?

- Clarity, Non-English structure

 Read your paper without using a lot of effort – you're just reading because you are
interested in the topic. If you have to read something twice, it's not clear.
 Read your paper and translate it into Slovak in your head. If it's really easy to translate,
then maybe the writing is not following English structure and style.
 THINK IN ENGLISH. Is this how an English-speaker would say that sentence?
 Say your ideas out loud in English. Write exactly what you said. You probably speak
more clearly than you write.

........................................................Proofreading
When you think your paper is ready to turn it, it's time to proofread. If you don't
proofread, your paper may be full of careless errors, which shows the audience that you
were too lazy, rushed, or uncaring to fix your paper. To proofread:
 Do not look at your paper for 24 hours (this requires time management skills!)
 Print your paper – you'll see mistakes that you might not see on a computer screen.
 Start with the last sentence of your paper and read your paper sentence by sentence, going
backwards. (This will help you focus on grammar, not content).
 Cover all the other lines with another piece of paper.
 Point your pen at each word.
 Think about the grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, meaning... of every word.
 If you are unsure about anything, use a dictionary or grammar book. If you are still unsure,
mark the line and ask someone for help.
 Fix any mistakes that you found.
 Print your paper and proofread it again!

It is a long, slow, unpleasant experience at first. However, the more you

proofread, the easier it gets, the better your English gets, and the higher your
grades get too.

13
USING SOURCE MATERIAL

.......................Why is Source Material Necessary?

A “research” paper by name requires research. But more than that, using source material
makes your paper more convincing. Your opinions will be more believable if you have
facts, examples, description, and expert opinions to support them. Your paper still
focuses on your own ideas; your research shows that there is strong evidence for them.

Source material is useful to

 provide proof (facts) and support (others' ideas) for your own arguments
 provide examples of your ideas
 define and clarify points
 provide an opinion different from your own to refute

Do NOT use source material to

 write a thesis statement or topic sentence (these should have your own point of view)
 state your point (write your point in your own way)
 fill a body paragraph (most of the paragraph should be your own ideas)

..................................................Citing the Source

To cite a source means to name the source where you found information and ideas.
Every time you use anything from a source in your paper, you will cite it by writing an
in-text citation after the information. Because it is not yours, you must tell the reader
who it belongs to and where it came from. The reader may also want to learn more
about your topic, so every source you use in your paper will be put on your reference
page. The end of this guide gives directions for the reference page and in-text citations.
The in-text citation guide explains how to cite sources, but when is it necessary?

What to cite
 Quote, paraphrase, or summary of a source (opinion as well as fact).
 Charts, graphs, pictures, maps (etc.) from a source.

What not to cite

 Your own thoughts and opinions.
 “Common knowledge.” This is something an educated person should know or could easily
find out. Ask yourself: 1. Would an intelligent person know this?
2. Did you, a non-expert, know it before you did research?
3. Is it found in many different sources?
If the answer is yes, you don't need to cite it even if you found it in a source.

TO CITE OR NOT TO CITE?

For which of these ideas do you need to cite your source?

1. Vienna is the capital of Austria (you read this in a source).

2. Capital punishment is wrong (you think this).
3. 45% of brown dogs have fleas (you learned this from the TV news).
4. Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States (you just know this)
5. The 5 items in Lincoln's pockets when he was killed (you know this because you're a Lincoln
fan).
6. CU tuition will go up by 7% (you learned this in an interview with the dean).
7. CU tuition is high compared to Slovak state universities (you think/know this).
8. When elephants see blue, their heart rate increases (you read this somewhere a few years ago).
Cite #3, 5, 6, 8, – you found this information somewhere and it's not commonly known.
Don't cite #1, 4, 7– common knowledge. Don't cite #2, 7 – your opinion

14
...........When to Quote, Paraphrase, or Summarize
When using information and ideas from a source in your writing, you will choose one of
these options:
Quote: use the exact words of the source. Do this when the author's words are perfect,
memorable, and unique. There is no way you could say it better. This happens rarely!
Paraphrase: restate source material in your own, completely different, way. Do this
when you want a specific idea or detail from a passage, but you can write it better or
just as well in your own way.
Summarize: restate only the main ideas in your own words. Do this when you only
want the main idea of a passage, not the details.

................................................................Quoting
To use the exact words from a source, use “quotation marks” to show they are not your
words.

Only use a quotation if

 The source says something so perfectly that you could never write it better OR
 You want the reader to know exactly what the source said so that you can directly respond
to the words or tone of the author.

Never use a quotation if

 The quotation is just a regular sentence, with no cool, special, strong words.
 You can write the author’s words just as well in your own way.
 You’re just being lazy.
 You need to fill a page.
 You’re writing a thesis statement, topic sentence, or concluding sentence.

YOU SHOULD HAVE FEW QUOTATIONS IN A PAPER!

SHOULD YOU QUOTE THESE WORDS from the Slovak Spectator? (reprinted with permission)
1. As of October 1, the minimum monthly wage in Slovakia is set at Sk 6,080 and the price of one-
hour labor cannot sink under Sk 35.
2. “This nonsense is born in minds affected by the excessive consumption of wine,” Toth said.
3. With the arrival of the first Mikuláš Dzurinda cabinet, Slovakia gradually began to regain the
trust and respect of its western partners, and the cabinet’s efforts were rewarded recently with the
country’s invitations to join both NATO and the EU.
4. Satinský will always be remembered as a clown, a storyteller, a friend to children, Slovakia’s
uncrowned king of humor and a noble-minded man.
1. NO. You could easily write it in your own way. 2. YES. The quotation has sarcasm and is unique. 3. NO.
What's special about it? 4. YES.(It uses words which you couldn't rewrite to keep the author's tone.)

How to write quotations

1. USE SHORT QUOTATIONS! Readers want to read your words. Don't quote a whole
paragraph; use 1-2 sentences or a part of a sentence.
2. Put “quotation marks” around ALL of the source’s EXACT words.
3. Name the speaker in your writing:
 If you’re quoting the author, use the author's name:

According to Richards (2002), smokers “are following a long painful twisting road of doom.”

15
  If the person who said the quotation is different than the author, name the speaker:

As lung research scientist Dr. Smith said, smokers “are following a long painful twisting road
of doom” (Richards, 2002).

4. If you skip words in the middle of a quotation, use ellipses (. . .) to show where you
skipped. You don't need them at the beginning or end of a quotation. Be careful not
to change the author's meaning.
As Richards (2002) said, smokers “are following a long . . . road of doom.”

5. If you must change a word or grammar to make a quotation fit your grammar or be
more understandable, use [brackets] to show what you have added or changed. Be
careful not to change the author's meaning.
As Richards (2002) said, smokers “[follow] a long painful twisting road” before they die.

........................................................Paraphrasing
To paraphrase a passage from a source, rewrite it in your own way, keeping the author's
idea and information.

Use a paraphrase to
 keep the specific details you want but say them in a more interesting, relevant way
 make the author’s idea easier to understand

Paraphrasing is changing all THREE of these things:

 changing the vocabulary of the author’s sentence.
 changing the word order of the author’s sentence.
 changing the grammar of the author’s sentence.

What stays the same:

 Names (Afghanistan, Europe, Balkans, Tony Blair...)
 Numbers (seven; 80%; 224,000; 50% (but you could say “half”))
 Specialized words with no synonym (heroin, sugar, bus, tongue, keyboard)

EXAMPLE PARAPHRASE
Article: “St. Kitts and Nevis,” by The CIA World Factbook
Sugar was the traditional mainstay of the Saint Kitts economy until the 1970s. Although the
crop still dominates the agricultural sector, activities such as tourism, export-oriented
manufacturing, and offshore banking have assumed larger roles in the economy. As tourism
revenues are now the chief source of the islands' foreign exchange, a decline in stopover
tourist arrivals following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks has eroded government
finances.
Paraphrase:
As reported by the CIA (2004), before the 1970s, St. Kitts' economy was based on sugar.
Now the economy also depends on offshore banking, manufactured exports, and tourism, but
sugar is still the main agricultural product. Unfortunately, the state's financial situation has
been hurt recently because tourism, the biggest contributor to the island's budget, has
decreased since September 11, 2001.

How to paraphrase
1. Understand everything in the passage. Look up words in a dictionary if you are
unsure about them – this is important. Read the sentences before and after it as well.
2. Read the sentence(s) a few times.
3. Cover the sentence(s) and write the idea in your own words. Introduce the author.

16
4. Check that you didn’t use the same vocabulary, word order, or grammatical
structures. Check all three of these things. Be very careful.
5. Check that you kept the same meaning and didn't put your opinion in the paraphrase.
-- OR --
1. Understand everything in the passage. Look up words in a dictionary if you are
unsure about them – this is important. Read the sentences before and after it as well.
2. Rewrite the original by looking at it. Begin differently – change the word order of the
sentence. Change all the words that can be changed. If the original sentence is long,
divide it. If the original sentences are short, combine them. Don't forget to introduce
the author.
3. Check that you haven’t used the same vocabulary, word order, or grammatical
structures. Very carefully check all three of these things.
4. Check that you kept the same meaning and didn't put your opinion in the paraphrase.

...........................................................Summarizing
To summarize the author's idea, you should not include any details, just the major
opinion or finding of the author. Also do not to put your own opinion in a summary.

How to summarize a paragraph/passage

1. Understand what you are reading. If you don't understand it, you can't summarize it
correctly. Look up words that you do not understand.
2. Write down the main ideas of the passage on a separate piece of paper. Use your own
words in these notes. If you use any of the author's words, use “quotation marks.”
3. Look at your list of ideas, not the author's words, and write your summary of the main
ideas. Do not write any of the supporting details. Remember to introduce the author.
4. Look at the original to make sure you changed the grammar, vocabulary, and word
order.
5. Make sure that you have not changed the author's meaning and that you have not
added your own opinion/ideas to the summary.

...Using Quotes, Paraphrases, Summaries Effectively

Quotes, paraphrases, and summaries will not help if they are just thrown into your paper
with no connection to the writing around them. They need to be introduced and
explained to the reader, who should not have to think hard about what the source
means.
You can help the reader by integrating the source material into your writing. In other
words, think of the source material as the middle of a SANDWICH. It's meat (or cheese
for vegetarians) that needs to be held in your paper with bread on both sides.
The top of the sandwich introduces your own idea to the reader, and the bottom explains
what the source material means and how it supports your idea.
Include all of these things when using information from a source:
 Your own idea or point which the source will support.
 Introduction to the source information – name the speaker/author/organization if possible
to make it clear that the following ideas are not yours.
Johnson states that As Johnson stated, According to Johnson, In Johnson’s opinion,
 Quotation, paraphrase, or summary (choose the best way(s)).
 In-text citation in APA style

17
  Explanation of the source info – show what the information from the source means and
how it supports your point. Be specific; don't generalize. Focus on the source's information.
Remember, the reader won't understand unless you explain it very well.
Look at the example in the box to see how this works.

EXAMPLE SANDWICH
Which of these passages sounds better?
1. Birdwatching groups are very concerned about the effect of human construction on bird
habitats. Danish Wind Energy Association* (2003), “Birds often collide with high voltage
overhead lines, masts, poles, and windows of buildings. They are also killed by cars in the
traffic. Birds are seldom bothered by wind turbines, however.” People living near wind
turbines have concerns about the noise they make.
2. Birdwatching groups are very concerned about the effect of human construction, especially
huge wind turbines, on bird habitats. The Danish Wind Energy Association (2003)
acknowledges that “birds often collide with high voltage overhead lines, masts, poles, and
windows of buildings,” but it points out, “Birds are seldom bothered by wind turbines.”
Birds seem to know how to avoid turbines, unlike other man-made structures. This is good news
for birdwatchers, birds, and the wind power industry.
Yes, the second one. In the first, the quotation is unconnected, unexplained and not even part of a
complete sentence. The reader can only ask, “Why are you using this? What does it mean? How
does it support your point? How does it connect to the ideas before and after it?” The second one
sandwiches the quotation by introducing an idea, connecting it to the quotation, introducing the
speaker, and then explaining what the quotation just said. *reprinted with permission

............................Plagiarism and How to Avoid It

What an author writes becomes his or her own property. So if you use another author’s
words OR ideas without informing the reader, you are stealing the author’s property.
Presenting someone else's words and/or ideas as your own like this is called plagiarism.
It is a very serious issue in English academic writing – students can fail a class or be
suspended because of it.
The most obvious plagiarism is turning in someone else's paper (paragraph, or even
sentence) as your own. There are other types of plagiarism that you must be aware of:

Types of plagiarism found in research papers

 Using an idea or information you found in a source without citing the source.

 Copying a passage from a source word by word without using quotation marks. Even if
you have an in-text citation, this is plagiarism because those words are not yours.
 Taking a passage from a source and changing it just a little (a few words). Even if you
have an in-text citation, this is plagiarism because those words are not yours – you
must use quotation marks or change the passage completely.
 Taking small but important phrases from sources and writing them in your paper
without quotation marks. Again, even if you have an in-text citation, this is plagiarism.
The combination of words is unique; you must give credit to the author.
 Using words which aren't the author's exact words in quotation marks. Adding or
deleting words from a quotation (unless it's clear to readers) misrepresents the author.
 Changing source information to fit your opinion. This is stealing the author's name and
reputation to suit your paper, which is a major violation of scholastic honesty.

18
To avoid plagiarism is not difficult
 DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE (OR DAY, OR WEEK)! This is it – the
BIG RULE. Most plagiarism occurs because students do not have enough time to write
their papers right. Start your paper when it is assigned.
 BASE YOUR PAPER ON YOUR OWN IDEAS! The second BIG RULE. If you focus on
your own thoughts, not your sources', you are more likely to use your own words.
Make an outline of your own ideas before you do a lot of research.
 Use primary sources when possible. Then you can do your own analysis and not
be tempted to copy the analysis and opinions of secondary sources.
 Quote, paraphrase, or summarize correctly.

➢ Copy quotations exactly from the source and use quotation marks.
➢ Change vocabulary, word order, AND sentence structure when paraphrasing.
➢ Use all your own words when summarizing.

 Use quotation marks around any unique words or phrases you take from an
author.
 Correctly cite the source whenever you use any source material, including other
people's opinions, not just facts and examples.
 When your paper is finished, compare your paper to your sources to make sure
that you didn't unintentionally plagiarize the exact words of your sources.
 Make sure every source cited in your paper is on your Reference page, and
every source on your Reference page is in your paper.

FIND THE PLAGIARISM

Look at these students' sentences using the information from the source below. Which of
these sentences are examples of plagiarism?

Source: U.S. Department of State. (2004). Forests.

Quote: They are home to 70% of all land-living plants and animals and provide food, fuel, shelter,
clean water, medicine and livelihood for people worldwide.
Students' sentences
A. Forests are home to 70% of all land-living plants and animals and provide food, fuel, shelter,
clean water, medicine and livelihood for people worldwide.
B. According to the U.S. Department of State (2004), forests are home to 70% of all land-living
plants and animals and provide food, fuel, shelter, clean water, medicine and livelihood for
people worldwide.
C. Forests “are home to 70% of all land-living plants and animals and provide food, fuel, shelter,
clean water, medicine and livelihood for people worldwide,” reports the Department of State
(2004).
D. According to the Department of State (2004), forests are very important in fulfilling humans'
basic needs.
E. Forests have 70% of all land-living plants and creatures, and they give food, fuel, roofs, not dirty
water, medical products, and livelihood to people around the world (Department of State, 2004).
F. All inhabitants of this planet need forests. People get medicine, food, water, wood, and building
supplies from forests, and 70% of plants and animals, not including those in the seas, live in
forests (Department of State, 2004).
Plagiarism: A-no quotation marks and citation, B-no quotation marks, E-no quotation marks, incomplete
paraphrase (only changed some words).

19
APA STYLE GUIDE

....What is APA Style and Why Do I Have to Use It?

City University has adopted APA style as the standard style for coursework. This style was
designed by the American Psychological Association (APA) in 1929 to standardize the format
and citation methods of all the articles for its journal. This makes it easier for you to present
your papers and for readers to understand and find your research.
APA style has changed as ways of spreading information have changed, but it is still the style
accepted and used by professors, researchers, students, and writers in the social sciences.
As part of this academic community, you are expected to use it too.

.........................................................Paper Format
Your papers should follow a standard format unless your instructor has said otherwise.
In general, City University's chosen format includes
 TITLE PAGE with header; centered title; and your name, course number and name,
instructor name, assignment, and date in the bottom right corner.
 HEADER with first words of the title and the page number on every page.
 TEXT double-spaced, aligned left, with Times New Roman 12-point font and one-inch
margins on all sides. First line of every paragraph indented ½ inch (1.27cm).
If you don't know what these things mean or how to make them, read these directions:

How to make the title page

 Move the cursor to the center of the page.
 Align text “center.” In Microsoft Word, you can do this by clicking a box on the toolbar
above your document. Or click on “Format.” When this menu appears, open “Paragraph.”
Choose “centered” from the “Alignment” menu.
 Type the title, using capital letters for the first word and all important words. Do not use
quotation marks or underlining.
 Move down until the cursor is about five spaces from the bottom of the page.
 Align the text “right” using the toolbar or the “Format/Paragraph/Alignment” step.
 Type the required information (first name then last name), hitting “enter” after each.

How to make the header (top right of every page)

 Do not write a separate header for every page on the first line of the text! This will ruin
your format if you rewrite something or send your paper to someone.
 In Microsoft Word, click on “View.”
 When this menu appears, click on “Header and Footer.” A box will appear.
 Change the alignment to align right.
 Type the first few words of your title, capitalized as in your title.
 Look at the Header and Footer toolbox and find the box with the symbol #. Click on that
box and it will automatically put your title and page number on each page.
 When you are done typing, click on “close” in the Header and Footer toolbox.

How to format your text

 Do not hit the enter key at the end of a line! Text automatically moves to the next line.
 Make these settings before you type. Or, if you do it afterwards, select your whole text
(hold down the left button on the mouse and drag your cursor over the text, or hold down
the “Control” and “A” buttons on the keyboard) before doing these things:
 Click on “Format” in Microsoft Word.
 When this menu comes on screen, open “Paragraph.”
 Find “Line spacing” in the box and choose “double.”
 Find “Alignment” in the box and choose “left.”
 Find “Indent.” Under “special,” choose “first line.” Put .50” or 1.27cm after “By.”

20
  On the toolbar, click on “Times New Roman” and “12”. Or click on “Format,” open
“Character,” and look in “Font” to find the correct font and size.

How to set the margins

 Click on “File” and open “Page Setup.”
 Under “Margins,” set the margins at 1” or 2.54cm.
 Also check “Paper Size” in this box. It should be “A4.”

...............................................................The Title
Worry about the title after your paper is finished. A good title should
 Catch the readers' attention  NOT give too much information
 Identify the topic  NOT be a research question
 Give the main idea of your paper  NOT be a sentence (especially the thesis)
 Be long enough to do those three things
Common types of titles
1.General Subject: Specific Focus of Paper.
Wonderdog: The Use of Golden Retrievers in Therapy
2.Name of General Subject: Phrase Renaming Subject.
Level 6: An Unnecessary Hell
3.General Subject plus Specific Prepositional Phrase.
The Firm from a Woman’s Viewpoint

...............................................The Reference Page

The reference page is a separate page at the end of your paper which lists all the sources you
used in your paper.
All sources used in your paper must be listed on the reference page,
and all sources on the reference page must be cited in your paper.
Without a reference page telling readers how to find your sources, readers may not trust your
information. By giving them the complete and correct source information, you show that you
have done research and are confident about your ideas. Following the APA reference page
style ensures that you included the correct and complete information about your sources.

............................................Reference Page Format

If APA style is followed correctly, reference pages for all papers look the same! These are
the important features of a reference page:
 Header with first words of the title and the page number.
 “References” centered at the top of the page
 Text double-spaced, aligned left, with Times New Roman 12-point font and one-inch
margins.
 Hanging indent – the first line is on the left margin and other lines are indented ½ inch.
 Web addresses, NOT underlined or colored, fill a line and then are divided after a slash
( /) and before a period ( .)
If you don't know what these things mean or how to make them, read the directions here.

21
How to format a reference page
Header: Follow the directions on page 20.
Title: Type “References” on the first line of the page. Do not use italics, quotation marks,
underlining, or bold letters. Align the text “center” by clicking on the box on the
toolbar or using “Format/Paragraph/Alignment.”
Margins: Before starting, go to “File/Page Setup/Margins” to set all margins at 1” or 2.54
cm. Also check “File/Page Setup/Paper Size” to make sure you are using “A4” paper.
The text should be aligned “left”– go to “Format/Paragraph/Alignment” to do that. Do
not “justify” the text (it should NOT be straight on the right margin).
Font: On the toolbar, choose “Times New Roman” and “12” before you start. Or use
Format/Character/Font to specify the font.
Spacing: Set the spacing before you start typing; don’t just hit “Enter” twice. Use
“Format/Paragraph/Line spacing” in Microsoft Word to make everything double-
spaced.
Hanging Indent: Do this before starting. Click on “Format” and open “Paragraph.”
Under “Indents and Spacing,” there is a part called “Indentation.” Look at the
“Special” menu and choose “hanging” by 1.27 cm or .50”. This will make the first
line of the source stay on the left margin and indent the following lines (like this).
Lines: Fill each line as much as possible; if an Internet address is too long to fit on one line,
add a space to divide the address, but only after a slash (/) or before a period
(.). Do not divide addresses after a hyphen (-).

...............Order on a Reference Page (alphabetical)

The information about each source is called an “entry.” Each entry should begin with the
author (last name of person or organization name). If there is no author, the entry begins
with the title. The entries are listed in alphabetical order.
 List entries according to their first word (the author’s last name, organization name, or title).

 BUT do not count “a/an/the” when determining alphabetical order. Use the second word.

 If the same author has two entries, put the oldest first.

 If one author wrote one source alone and the other with someone, put the single one first.

 If the same author has two entries with the same date, use alphabetical order by title. Then put
“a” after the year in the first entry, and “b” after the year in the second entry (and so on).

Kinder, F. (2003a, May 5). Loud losers.

Kinder, F. (2003b, October 4). Dead dogs.
Lucky, J. (2004). Elegant elephants.
Lucky, J., & Careful, L. (2003). Wide windows.
Smith, A. A. (2001). Good grapes.
Smith, A. A. (2003). Bad boys.

22
......Writing a Reference Page – Source Entry Guide
There is certain information that must be written for each type of source, and there is a
certain way to do it for each type of source. It only requires following directions and can be
done right.
1. Evaluate your source. Make sure it is a high-quality source appropriate for your paper.
2. Determine exactly what kind of source it is. If you are not sure, there are descriptions
about each type of source on the following pages:
PRINT SOURCES
BOOK..................................................................................................................24
CHAPTER IN AN EDITED BOOK...............................................................................25
BROCHURE...........................................................................................................25
PERIODICAL ARTICLE
NEWSPAPER...............................................................................................26
MAGAZINE.................................................................................................26
JOURNAL....................................................................................................27
ONLINE DATABASE SOURCES
PERIODICAL ARTICLE FROM ONLINE DATABASE......................................................28
INTERNET SOURCES
PERIODICAL ARTICLE ON THE INTERNET
PRINT PERIODICAL.....................................................................................29
INTERNET-ONLY PERIODICAL......................................................................30
STAND-ALONE DOCUMENT....................................................................................30
DOCUMENT ON COMPLEX WEB SITE (AUTHOR/HOST DIFFERENT).............................31
CHAPTER/SECTION FROM LARGE DOCUMENT..........................................................32
MESSAGE POSTED TO NEWSGROUP, FORUM, DISCUSSION GROUP..........................32
AUDIOVISUAL SOURCES
RECORDING (CD, RECORD, CASSETTE)..................................................................32
MOVIE, VIDEO, DVD..............................................................................................33
TELEVISION BROADCAST OR SERIES.....................................................................33
SINGLE EPISODE OF TELEVISION SERIES...............................................................34
ELECTRONIC SOURCES
CD-ROM, COMPUTER SOFTWARE OR PROGRAM.......................................................34
PERSONAL COMMUNICATION
INTERVIEW, EMAIL, PHONE CALL, CLASS LECTURE..................................................34

3. Find the basic form for the source on the page numbers above.
4. Follow the basic form to make your source entry.
 Find the required information in your source and write it exactly as in the basic form.
 Punctuate, italicize, and capitalize exactly as in the basic form.
 Put one space after periods and commas.
 Do not underline anything.

5. Look at the example entries under each basic form for more help.
6. Read “Frequently Asked Questions” on pp. 35-36 for questions about authors, dates,
titles, publishers, and Internet addresses.
7. Compare your reference page to the example reference page on p. 37.

23
 Print Sources: Book

Basic Form for a Book

Author, A. A. (year of publication). Title of book italicized: Notice where the capital letters are

(edition number if available). City of publisher: Publisher’s name.

- If the city isn’t well-known, include the US state abbreviation or country, like this: City, State: Publisher.
- If the author is also the publisher, use “Author” as publisher.

(1) Book with one author

Haberstroh, J. (1994). Ice cube sex: The truth about subliminal advertising. Notre Dame, IN: Cross

Cultural Publications. [Notre Dame isn’t well-known, so put the state as well (IN for Indiana).]

(2) Book with an edition number Use “ed.” for edition. Do not italicize. Put period after ( ).

Leki, I. (1998). Academic writing: Exploring processes and strategies (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge

University Press.

(3) Non-English book Put title in original language. Then write an [English translation] in brackets.

Hlatký, J., & Mati, P. (1994). 260 zaujímavostí Trenčianskeho regiónu [260 points of interest in the

Trenčín Region]. Piešťany, Slovakia: Turista.

(4) Book with 2 authors List authors as they appear on book. Separate by a comma and “&”.

Toma, P. A., & Gorman, R. F. (1991). International relations: Understanding global issues. Pacific Grove,

CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing.

(5) Book with 3-6 authors List authors as they appear on book. Separate by commas and “&” before last.

Pandya, M., Singh, H., Mittelstaedt, R. E., & Clemons, E. (2003). Knowledge @ Wharton: On building

corporate value. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

(6) Book with a group author – organization Write the full name. Do not use abbreviations!

United Nations Population Fund. (1999). The right to choose. New York: Author. [The author is also the publisher.]

(7) Book with a group author – corporation (annual report)

Orange. (2001). Annual report. Paris: Author. [The author is also the publisher.]

(8) Book with an editor, no author Put the editor first and then (Ed.). Use (Eds.) for more than one.

Bennis, W. (Ed.). (1992). Leaders on leadership: Interviews with top executives. Boston: Harvard Business

School Press.

24
(9) Book with no author/editor If you are sure that there is no author or editor, put the title first.

The new American desk encyclopedia. (1989). New York: Penguin Books.

(10) Translated book If a book was translated into English, start with author and publication date.
Put the translator's name and Trans. after the title. The publication date of the
original (in the other language) goes at the end.

Meroy, T. (1959). Thirteen days that shook the Kremlin: Imre Nagy and the Hungarian Revolution (H.

Katzander, Trans.). New York: Frederick A. Praeger. (Original work published 1958)*
[*The in-text citation will list two dates: (Meroy, 1959/1958).]

Print Sources: Chapter from an Edited Book

A chapter from a book in which each chapter has its own author and the book has an editor.

Basic Form for a Chapter from an Edited Book

Author, A. A. (year of publication). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Title of book

italicized: Notice where the capital letters are (pp. #-#). City of publisher: Publisher’s

name.

- Author is the chapter author. - “Ed.” is editor. “Eds.” is more than one editor.
- Editor’s name is written first initials then last name. - Page numbers (pp.) are for the chapter.

(11) Chapter in an edited book with one editor

Vujovic, S. (2000). An uneasy view of the city. In N. Popov (Ed.), The road to war in Serbia (pp. 23-

145). Budapest: Central European University Press.

(12) Chapter in an edited book with 2 editors

Zak, S. (1991). Ethics and animals. In M. Baird & S. Rosenbaum (Eds.), Animal experimentation

(pp. 23-30). New York: Prometheus Books.

Print Sources: Brochure

A brochure is a small printed pamphlet or booklet.

Basic Form for a Brochure

Author, A. A. (year of publication). Title of brochure italicized: Notice where the capital

letters are [Brochure]. City of publication: Publisher name.

- Like a book, but add [Brochure] after the title. - If author is also publisher, use “Author” as publisher.

25
(13) Brochure

European Commission. (1996). Promoting a social Europe [Brochure]. Luxembourg: Official

Publications of the European Communities.

Print Sources: Periodicals: Newspaper Article

A periodical is a printed document which is published regularly (periodically).

Basic Form for a Newspaper Article

Author, A. A. (Year, Month day). Title of article: Subtitle too with only first words

capitalized. Newspaper Name Capitalized, p. #.

- Capitalize and italicize the newspaper's name. - Use “p.” for one page and “pp.” for more than one page.

(14) Newspaper article, one author

Neff, C. B. (1993, August 27). Russia’s booming far-east frontier. Washington Post, p. A25.

(15) Newspaper article on more than one page Write all pages, using pp.

Bernstein, R. (2003, October 9). In Austria, cheers for a native son. International Herald Tribune, pp. 1, 6.

(16) Newspaper article with no author Begin with the title. Don’t start with the newspaper name!

Slovaks distrustful of politicians. (2003, September 29-October 5). The Slovak Spectator, p. 6.

(17) Non-English newspaper article Translate the [Article title]. Do not translate the newspaper name.

Sedliačiková, I. (2003, October 7). Svetový deň srdca 2003 [International Heart Day 2003]. Hospodárske

Noviny, p. 6.

(18) Non-English newspaper article, no author

Prezident zasa kritizuje premiéra [The President has criticized the Prime Minister again]. (2002,

January 7). Práca, pp. 2-3.

Print Sources: Periodicals: Magazine Article

Basic Form for a Magazine Article

Author, A. A. (Year, Month day). Title of article: Subtitle too with only first words

capitalized. Magazine Name Capitalized, volume number if available, ##-##.

- Capitalize and italicize the magazine name. - Find volume number on the cover or contents page.
- Do not use “p.” or “pp.” Write the numbers only. - Italicize the volume number after the title.

26
(19) Magazine article with one author

Quinn-Judge, P. (2003, October 6). No way out? Chechnya: Putin’s exit strategy. Time, 162, 38-45.

(20) Magazine article with two authors

Bennett, B., & Ware, M. (2003, December 15). Life behind enemy lines. Time, 162, 22-29.

(21) Magazine article with no author Start with the title. Do NOT start with the magazine name.

Mexico and the United States: Storm in a tequila bottle. (2003, September 28). The Economist, 369, 53.

(22) Non-English magazine article Write the non-English title and translate it, but not the magazine name.

Stužková, T. (2003, September). Nik nemá čas na Afriku [No one has time for Africa]. EuroReport, 5, 51-

52.

(23) Magazine article (special part) For a special kind of article, write it in [brackets] after the title.

Boot, M. (2003, September 20). Putting the boot in [Letter to the editor]. The Economist, 368, 19.

Print Sources: Periodicals: Journal Article

These periodicals specialize in one topic and contain articles and research by experts.
They usually contain “journal” in their titles, are very thick, and come out a few times a year.

Basic Form for a Journal Article

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of article: Subtitle too with only first words capitalized. Name of

Journal Capitalized, volume number (issue number if necessary), ##-##.

- Same as a magazine except for the date – just write the year. Put the volume number if page numbers for journal
continue throughout the year. BUT if the page numbers for each issue begin on page 1, put the issue number too.

(24) Journal article with 2-6 authors

Nelsen, B. F., & Guth, J. L. (2003). Religion and youth support for the European Union. Journal of

Common Market Studies, 41, 89-112.

(25) Journal article (7 or more authors) After 6 authors, write “et al.” which means “and others.”

Hoeken, H., Brandt, C., Crijns, R., Domínguez, N., Hendriks, B., Planken, M., et al. (2003). International

advertising in Western Europe: Should differences in uncertainty avoidance be considered when

advertising in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and Spain? Journal of Business Communication,

40, 195-218.

27
(26) Journal article with issue number When the issue starts with page 1, include the issue number.

Gilboa, D. (2003). The expectant father’s presence at childbirth: The view from decency.

Professional Ethics, 11 (2), 57-84.

Online Database Sources: Periodical Article

Articles which you find using an online database, like those on the CU library web site.
They could be newspaper, magazine, or journal articles.

Basic Form for a Periodical Article from an Online Database

Author, A. A. (Date). Title of article: Subtitle too. Title of Periodical Capitalized, volume

number (if available), page numbers of print version. Retrieved Month day, year,

from XYZ database.

- Same as a print newspaper, magazine, or journal article, with the date you got it and the name of the database used.
- Use “p.” and “pp.” for newspapers only. - Remember the volume number for magazines and journals.

(27) Newspaper article from database

Hicks, T. (2003, September 26). Gates Foundation gives NYC $51 million to shrink schools. Education

Daily, p. 3. Retrieved October 28, 2003, from Expanded Academic database.

(28) Newspaper article from database, no author

Don’t just talk; register. (2003, August 31). The Los Angeles Times, p. M4. Retrieved October 13, 2003,

from ProQuest Newspapers-National Newspapers database.

(29) Magazine article from database

Heath, D. E. (2003, September). Waters rising on the Yangtze. Environment, 45, 5. Retrieved October 13,

2003, from ProQuest Research Library database.

Smith, C. (2003, June 16). China: In the name of progress, the mighty Yangtze is made to rise. MacLean’s,

13. Retrieved October 13, 2003, from Expanded Academic database. [No volume number.]

(30) Journal article from database

Tung, K. H. (2003). Reproductive factors and epithelial ovarian cancer risk by histologic type: A

multiethnic case-control study. American Journal of Epidemiology, 158, 629-638. Retrieved

December 4, 2003, from WilsonSelectPlus database.

28
 Internet Sources: Article from Print Periodical
Articles from a print newspaper, magazine, or journal which you have found on the Internet.

Basic Form for a Print Periodical Article on the Web

Author, A. A. (Date). Title of article: Subtitle too without capitalization. Title of Periodical

Capitalized, volume number if possible, page numbers of print version if possible.

Retrieved Month day, year, from http://web address

- Same as a print article BUT add retrieval date (the day you found it) and complete and exact Web address of article.
- If the address is too long for one line, divide it ONLY AFTER A SLASH (/) OR BEFORE A PERIOD (.).
- If there is no author, start with the title of the article, not with the periodical name.

(31) Print newspaper article on Internet, one author

Mufson, S. (1997, November 9). The Yangtze dam: Feat or folly? The Washington Post, p. A01.

Retrieved October 13, 2003, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/intl/longterm/

yangtze/yangtze.htm

(32) Non-English print newspaper article on Internet, no author

Sampras ukončil kariéru [Sampras has ended his career]. (2003, August 27). Sme. Retrieved October

13, 2003, from http://www.sme.sk/clanok.asp?cl=1075757 [No page number given.]

(33) Print magazine article on Internet, one author

Tumulty, K. (2003, October 11). The 5 meanings of Arnold. Time, 162. Retrieved October 13, 2003, from

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101031020-517698,00.html [No page number.]

(34) Print magazine article on Internet, no author

Jamaica: Brain gain. (2003, October 9). The Economist. Retrieved October 13, 2003, from http://www

.economist.com/world/la/displayStory.cfm?story_id=2130642 [No volume number or page number.]

(35) Print journal article on Internet, 7 authors

Gent, J. F., Triche, E. W., Holford, T. R., Belanger, K., Bracken, M., Beckett, W. S., et al. (2003).

Association of low-level ozone and fine particles with respiratory symptoms in children with

asthma. Journal of the American Medical Association, 290, 1859-1867. Retrieved October

13, 2003, from http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/290/14/1859

29
 Internet Sources: Article from Internet-Only Periodical
An Internet-only periodical is a newspaper, magazine, journal, or other news service which only
exists on the Internet (it is not printed). There is usually a current main page, which is updated
monthly, weekly, daily, or even by the minute, and archives of older articles. General periodicals
will have different sections (like magazines and newspapers) for sports, technology, education, etc.

Basic Form for an Internet-Only Periodical Article

Author, A. A. (Date). Title of article: Subtitle too without capitalization. Title of Periodical

Capitalized, volume number (issue number). Retrieved Month day, year, from

http://web address

- Same as other periodical articles, but there are no page numbers. Include the volume and issue numbers if available.
- Add the retrieval date (the day you found it) and the complete and exact Web address of the article.
- If the address is too long for one line, divide it ONLY AFTER A SLASH (/) OR BEFORE A PERIOD (.).
- If there is no author, start with the title of the article, not with the periodical name.

(36) Internet-only periodical article, one author

Hewitt, D. (2000, March 23). China battles obesity. BBC News. Retrieved January 13, 2003, from

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/760787.stm [No volume number.]

(37) Internet-only periodical article, no author

California elects Schwarzenegger. (2003, October 8). CNN. Retrieved October 13, 2003, from http://www

.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/10/08/recall.main.intl/index.html [No volume.]

Internet Sources: Stand-Alone Document

Non-periodical, individual documents on the Internet.
Evaluate these very carefully before using them in your papers.

Basic Form for an Internet Document

Author, A. A. (Date). Title of document. Retrieved Month day, year, from http://web

address of document

- Add the retrieval date (the day you found it) and the complete and exact Web address of the document.
- If the document is more than one Web page, provide the address to its first page.
- If the address is too long for one line, divide it ONLY AFTER A SLASH (/) OR BEFORE A PERIOD (.).
- If there is no individual author, look for an organization, agency, or sponsor to use as the author.
- If there is no author at all, start with the title.

(38) Internet document, one author

Harlow, D. J. (2001). Esperanto – an overview. Retrieved January 13, 2004, from http://www

.webcom.com/~donh/efaq.html#what

30
(39) Internet document, no author Start with the title.

President Bush’s speech to the nation. (2004, January 4). Retrieved February 5, 2004, from http://

www.whitehouse.gov/speeches/010404.htm

(40) Organization report on its own site If there is no individual author, the group is the author.

Himalayan Trust. (n.d.). Education in the Solokhumbu. Retrieved November 10, 2003, from http://

www.himalayan-trust.org/Schooling.htm [No date.]

(41) Government report on its own site If there is no individual author, the group is the author.

European Commission. (2002, October 9). Regular report from the Commission on Latvia’s progress

toward accession. Retrieved October 25, 2002, from http://europa.eu.int/comm/enlargement/

report2002/lv_en.pdf

Internet Sources: Document on Complex Web Site (Author/Host different)

Documents which you find on a large, complex web site.
When the author is very different from the host (sponsoring organization, agency, university,
business), you need to name the host in the retrieval information for the document.

Basic Form for a Document from a Complex Web Site (with different author/host)

Author, A. A. (Date). Title of document. Retrieved Month day, year, from Host Name Web

site: http://web address of document

- Add the retrieval date (the day you found it) and the complete and exact Web address of the document.
- Write the full name of the host organization followed by the words “Web site:”
- If the address is too long for one line, divide it ONLY AFTER A SLASH (/) OR BEFORE A PERIOD (.).

(42) Document from a Complex Web Site with different author/host

Golubev, V. (2003, August 1). Cyberterrorism as a new form of terrorism. Retrieved October 13,

2003, from Computer Crime Research Center Web site: http://www.crime-research.org/eng/

library/ Golubev_august1.html

Nepal, S. K. (2002). Tourism as a key to sustainable mountain development: The Nepalese

Himalayas in retrospect. Retrieved January 13, 2004, from Food and Agriculture

Organization Web site: http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/004/Y3549E/y3549e10.htm

31
 Internet Sources: Chapter/Section from Large Internet Document
You used only part (a chapter or section) of a large document by one author on the Internet.

Basic Form for a Chapter/Section from a Large Internet Document

Author, A. A. (Date). Title of chapter. In Title of document: Subtitle too (chap. #). Retrieved

Month day, year, from http://address of document

- Use “In” before the name of the complete document.

- Use “chap.” for chapter, or use “section” or “part” to describe the part which you used.
- Write the complete and exact address for the part which you used.
- If the address is too long for one line, divide it ONLY AFTER A SLASH (/) OR BEFORE A PERIOD (.).

(43) Chapter/Section from a Large Internet Document

Central Intelligence Agency. (n.d.) Southwest Asia. In Heroin movement worldwide (chap. 5). Retrieved

July 20, 2004, from http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/di_products/cncweb/p5.htm

Environmental Protection Agency. (2003, September 9). How to conduct a watershed survey. In

Monitoring and assessing water quality (section 3.1). Retrieved September 1, 2004, from

http://www.epa.gov/volunteer/stream/vms31.html

Internet Sources: Message Posted to Newsgroup, Forum, Discussion Group

Basic Form for a Posted Message

Author, A. A. (Date). Message title [Msg. #]. Message posted to web address of group

- If the address is too long for one line, divide it ONLY AFTER A SLASH (/) OR BEFORE A PERIOD (.)
- Use the author’s real name if possible. - Do not italicize anything.

(44) Posted message

Bassman. (2004, July 28). Taiwan nuts [Msg. 2]. Message posted to http://

recipegoldmine-recipes-message-board.com/forum.pl [Address can’t be divided at hyphens.]

Audiovisual Sources: Audio Recording (CD, Record, Cassette)

Basic Form for an Audio Recording

Songwriter, S. (Year). Title of song [Recorded by Full Name of Artist]. On Title of

album [CD or Record or Cassette]. Location: Label.

- If the singer and songwriter are different, write the name of the singer in brackets after “Recorded by”

32
(45) Audio Recording, one singer/songwriter

Chapman, T. (2001). Broken. On Let it rain [CD]. United States: Elektra Entertainment.

(46) Audio Recording, different singer/songwriter

Bettis, J., & Lind, J. (1990). Crazy for you [Recorded by Madonna]. On The immaculate collection

[Cassette]. New York: Sire Records.

Audiovisual Sources: Movie, Video, DVD

Basic Form for a Movie, Video, or DVD

Producer, P. P. (Producer), & Director, D. D. (Director). (Year). Title of movie with first

word capitalized [Motion picture]. Country: Studio or distributor.

- Name both the producer and director. -Use the country where the movie was mostly made and released.

(47) Movie, one producer

Murphy, P. M. (Producer). (1992). Elvis: The lost performances [Motion picture]. United States: Turner

Entertainment.

(48) Movie, multiple producers and director

Michaels, J. B., Eberle, O., Devlin, D. (Producers), & Emmerich, R. (Director). (1994). Stargate [Motion

picture]. United States: Le Studio Canal.

(49) Non-English movie Write the non-English title and then translate it.

Barabáš, P. (Writer/Director). (1997). 80 metrov pod vrcholom [80 metres under the summit] [Motion

picture]. Slovakia: K2 Studio.

Audiovisual Sources: Television Broadcast or Series

A TV broadcast is an individual offering on TV, like the news or a one-time program.
A TV series is a program on TV (or from TV but now on video) with more than one part.

Basic Form for a Television Broadcast or Series

Producer, P. P. (Producer). (Date of broadcast or copyright). Title of broadcast or series

[Television broadcast or Television series]. City: Studio or distributor.

- Use the date you watched the broadcast. Use the copyright date of the series.
- Find the city of the studio or distributor.

33
(50) Television broadcast

Rivas, L. (Producer). (2004, September 4). Euro News [Television broadcast]. Lyon, France:

EuroNews.

(51) Television series

McCarthy, B., & Tucher, A. (Producers). (1990). The Arab world with Bill Moyers [Television

series]. Washington, DC: Public Affairs Television.

Audiovisual Sources: One Episode of a Television Series

Basic Form for an Episode of a Television Series

Author, A. A. (Writer), & Director, D. D. (Director). (Year). Title of episode

[Television series episode]. In P. Producer (Producer), Title of television series

[chap. # or part # if available]. City: Studio or distributor.

(52) Episode of a TV Series

Wilk, A. (Director). (1990). Arabs and the West [Television series episode]. In B. McCarthy & A. Tucher

(Producers), The Arab world with Bill Moyers [part 5]. Washington, DC: Public Affairs

Television.

Electronic Media Sources: CD-ROM, Computer Software and Programs

Basic Form for Electronic Media

Creator, C. (Year). Title of work [Type of media]. City: Producer.

- Type of media could be CD ROM, Computer Software, or Computer Program.

(53) Computer software, group author

Palo Alto Software. (2003). Business plan pro 2004 [Computer software]. Palo Alto, CA: Author.

(54) CD-ROM, no author (encyclopedia article)

Genetic engineering. (1994). Compton’s interactive encyclopedia (Version 2.0) [CD-ROM].

Carlsbad, CA: Compton’s NewMedia.

Personal Communication: Interview, E-mail, Phone Call, Class Lecture

These sources do not go on the reference page. Use the in-text citation guidelines.

34
.............................FAQs about the Reference Page
AUTHOR QUESTIONS
 What if there is no author?
First decide if an organization, agency, or corporation is the author (a periodical is not). If
not, then put the title first. See examples 9, 16, 18, 21, 28, 32, 34, 37, 39, 54.
Title. (date).

 What if there is a group author (organization, government agency, or

corporation)? Write the name of the group as the author. Write the full name (United
Nations Development Program), not initials (UNDP). See examples 6, 7, 13, 40, 41, 43, 53.

 What if the author has a title (Ph.D., Mgr.) or “Jr.” or “III”?

Don’t include titles. Put the other things after the first name, like this:
Author, A. A., Jr.

 What if there are 2 authors?

Write them in the order they appear in the source, with a comma and & between
them. See examples 3, 4, 20, 24, 46, 51.
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B.

 What if there are 3-6 authors?

Write them in the order they appear in the source, with a comma between each author
and “&” before the last one. See examples 5, 48.
Author, A., Author, B. B., & Author, C.

 What if there are 7 or more authors?

Write down the first six authors in the right order, with a comma between each author, and
after the last one, write “et al.” (which means “and others.”). See examples 25, 35.
Author, A., Author, B, Author, C., Author, D., Author, E., Author F., et al.

DATE QUESTION
 What if there is no date?
If you can’t find one , then write “n.d.” (“no date”). See examples 40, 43.
Author, A. (n.d.).

TITLE QUESTIONS
 What if the source is not in English?
Write the title as it is (in the other language) and then translate it in [brackets]. Don't
translate the names of periodicals. See examples 3, 17, 18, 22, 32, 49.

 Which words do I Capitalize?

Capitalize the first word of the title, the first word of the subtitle, and proper nouns
(words that are always capitalized). BUT capitalize all major words in periodical names.

Title of document: Subtitle too. Capitalized Name of Periodical.

 Which words do I italicize?

Italicize titles of books, brochures, Internet documents, audiovisual sources, and
electronic media. Italicize names of periodicals and their volume numbers.
Something in each entry will always be italicized! (except posted messages (44))

35
PUBLISHER QUESTIONS
 How do I find the city of the publisher of a book?
On the title page or the page after it. If there are many cities, use the first one listed.

 When do I need to use the state, province, or country with the city name?
If the city is not well-known. Use a state abbreviation for strange US cities, use a
province for weird Canadian cities, and use the country name for not well-known
international cities. See examples 1, 3, 4, 5, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54.

 What if the author and publisher are the same?

Don’t repeat the author’s name. Write “Author” for the publisher. See examples 6, 7,
53.

 Do I have to write the whole name of the publisher?

Write important words, but not Co. and Inc. and Publishers. Keep Books and Press.

PAGE NUMBER QUESTIONS

 When do I need to write down page numbers on the reference list?
For articles in print periodicals (found on paper, database, or Internet) and chapters in
books.

➢ When do I use “ p.” and “pp.” on the reference page?

Only use p. and pp. for newspapers and chapters in books. See examples 11, 12,
14-18, 27, 28, 31, 35.

WEB ADDRESS QUESTIONS

 When do I have to write down the address?
For all documents found on the Internet, except articles from online databases. Write
the address that leads the reader straight to the document – not the home page.

 What if my computer automatically underlines and colors my address?

Stop it! Put the cursor on the address, right click on the mouse, and choose “Remove
hyperlink.”

 What if the address is really long and doesn’t fit on a line?

Don’t move the whole address to the next line. Fill the first line and divide the address
after a slash (/) or before a period (.). See below and see examples 31, 34, 37, 38,
39, 40, 41, 42, 44.

Jones, B. (2002). Look at how I divided this really long address. Retrieved September 24,

2002, from http://www.interactivewebsiteforyou.org/plahtng/essexljeg/

444567tgr3567899i76543323erftt/likethis.html

Bones, J. (2002). Before a period: Strange but right. Retrieved September 24, 2003,

from http://www.interactivewebsiteforyou.org/plahtng/worldnewsaroundworld

.justlikethis.html

36
 Wonderdog 37

References

Bauwau, J. (1999, January 23). Research shows dogs useful. The New York Times, p. 12.

Benji, R. (1982). Golden Retrievers: A guide for breeders. Toronto: Little Brown Dog Press.

Fido, R. F., & Rover, C. Q. (1998, December 6). New training techniques for Labs and

Retrievers. Dogs Today, 132. Retrieved October 15, 1999, from http://www

.dogstoday.com/fido-rover/1998/12/06/newtraining.htm

Huff, A. B. (1998). The intelligence of dogs: A comparative study. Retrieved October 20,

1999, from Psychology Department, University of Intelligence Web site: http://www

.intelligence.edu/psychology/studies/rxpq21327/hx_345namt/huffanddogs.html

Maximillian, D. W. (1993). So, you want to own a Golden Retriever? Journal of everything

you ever wanted to know about dogs, 121, 1234-1240. Retrieved May 15, 1999, from

Expanded Academic database.

Save the Pets. (n.d.). How expensive is that furry mammal in the window display of the pet

store? Retrieved October 8, 1999, from http://www.savethepets.org/1751.htm

The semi-annual study of dog behavior. (1998, June). The Scientific Canine Report, 24, 23-

34. Retrieved October 8, 1999, from ArticleFirst database.

Shaggy, D. A. (1995, October). Drops in reoffending rate. In Dog-training program (chap.

3). Retrieved May 1, 1999, from http://www.sanquentin.gov/shaggystudy.html

Spot, D. T. (1996a). Techniques for training seeing-eye dogs. In P. Vision (Ed.), Your seeing

eye dog and you (2nd ed., pp. 10-65). Vancouver: Scribner and Sons.

Spot, D. T. (1996b). What are dogs good for? Retrieved October 10, 1999, from

Empowerment for the Visually Impaired Web site: http://www.evi.org/articles/1996/

spotteddogs.htm

EVERY REFERENCE PAGE YOU MAKE SHOULD LOOK LIKE THIS!

- header with title and page # - Times New Roman 12-point - alphabetical order
- “References” in top center - 1-inch, unjustified margins - italics in every entry
- double-spaced - hanging indent - addresses divided after / or before .
.........................................In-Text Citation Basics
An in-text citation is a short entry in parentheses which you will put in your text
directly after you use something (paraphrase, summary, or quote) from a source.

 It usually contains the author (last name only!) and the year of the source.

This is information from the source (Author, year).

 Direct quotations also require a page number. Use p. for one page and pp. for
more than one.

This is a “quotation from the source” (Author, year, p. #).

 If you use the author's name in your text, the in-text citation includes the
year and comes directly after the author's name.

Author (year) wrote a lot of interesting things.

 If you use the author's name in your text and a direct quotation, the page
number comes after the quotation.

Author (year) said “this quotation” (p. #).

Author (year) said “this quotation” (p. #), which is very significant to this topic.

 If someone who is not the author says the quotation, then the complete in-
text citation comes after the quotation.

Speaker of the quotation said, “I said this in the article” (Author, year, p. #).

 If your source cites another work (a book, study, article), then name that
work's author in your text. The in-text citation will say “as cited in” and your
source.

John Researcher's study discovered this (as cited in Author, year).

 If there is no author, the in-text citation contains the shortened title of the
source. See the guide for more examples.

This is information from a source with no author (“Title,” year OR Title, year).

 If there is no date, put n.d. in the in-text citation.

This is information from a source with no date (Author, n.d.).

 If there is no page number on Internet documents, don't create your own and
don't use page numbers created by your computer or printer. If the document
has numbered paragraphs, use those. If there are no numbered paragraphs,
don't worry about numbers for short documents. For long documents, write
the name of the heading and the number of the paragraph under it (count
them) where the quotation can be found.

Author (year) said “this quotation” (para. #).

Author (year) said “this quotation” (Heading name, para. #2).

38
..........................................In-Text Citation Guide
These pages contain examples of in-text citations in the following situations:
1) one author 7) no page/para number (Internet document)
2) organization/corporation/group author 8) personal communication
3) two authors 9) same information in 2 or more sources
4) 3-5 authors 10) another work cited in the source
5) 6 or more authors 11) 2 works by the same author in the same year
6) no author 12) 2 works by different authors with same name

1) Work with one author – (Author's last name, year).

For quotation – (Author's last name, year, p. #).

Tumultuous, K. (2003, October 11). The unreality of literature today. Time Out. Retrieved October
13, 2003, from http://www.timeout.com/magazine/article/224354.html

In-text citation:
Books are no longer expressions of authors' insights on life (Tumultuous, 2003). OR

Tumultuous (2003) believes that books are no longer expressions of authors' insights on life.

2) Work with organization/corporation/group author – (Organization, year).

For quotation – (Organization, year, p. #).

If the organization has an abbreviated name, write the full name in the first citation with
the abbreviation in brackets: (Organization [Abbreviation], year). Later, use the
abbreviation only. Don't make up the abbreviation if the organization does not use one.

Rights of Women. (2001, October). Violations of women’s right to education. Retrieved January 5,
2004, from http://www.row.org/report/2001/educ3

First in-text citation:

In 2000, only 12 schools for girls existed in the country (Rights of Women [ROW], 2001). OR

According to Rights of Women [ROW] (2001), only 12 girls' schools existed in the country in 2000.

All further in-text citations:

Parents in Kaban were afraid to let their girls leave their houses to go to school (ROW, 2001).

3) Work with 2 authors – (Last name & Last name, year).

For quotation – (Last name & Last name, year, p. #).

Notreal, S. & Lying, A. (2003, January 10). Sex education. Retrieved April 20, 2004, from Better
Education Now Web site: http://www.ben.org/hsed/nonacad/sexed3221.htm

In-text citation:
In a recent California study, 75% of 25-year-olds said they often lied (Notreal & Lying, 2003). OR

In a recent California study by Notreal and Lying (2003), 75% of 25-year-olds said they often lied.

39
4) Work with 3-5 authors – first: (Last name, Last name, & Last name, year). All authors
then: (Last name et al., year). et al. means “and others”
For quotation – (Last name, Last name, & Last name, year, p. #).

Baker, M., Singer, H., Grocer, R. E., & Butcher, E. (2003). The questionable value of an MBA in
finding a dream job. Chicago: Book It Press.

First in-text citation:

92% of 500 MBA graduates like chocolate (Baker, Singer, Grocer, & Butcher, 2003). OR

Baker, Singer, Grocer, and Butcher (2003) found that 92% of MBA graduates like chocolate.

All further in-text citations:

Research shows that “MBA graduates especially enjoy Mars bars” (Baker et al., 2003, p. 245). OR

Baker et al. (2003) reported that “MBA graduates especially enjoy Mars bars” (p. 245).

5) Work with 6 or more authors – (Last name of first author et al., year).
For quotation – (Last name of first author et al., year, p. #).

Shoulder, H., Knee, C., Throat, R., Elbow, N., Toe, B., Shin, M., et al. (2003). Investigations into
men's and women's tolerance for pain in minor accidents with kitchen utensils. Journal of Weird
Medical Information, 40, 195-218.

In-text citation:
Marilyn Keyes broke five fingers in her conflict with a toaster (Shoulder et al., 2003). OR

As Shoulder et al. (2003) stated, Marilyn Keyes broke five fingers in her conflict with a toaster.

6) Work with no author – 2 WAYS! LOOK at #1 and #2!

1. If title of an article or chapter – (“Shortened title,” year).

For quotation – (“Shortened title,” year, p. #).

Following the path of pirates. (2003, August 31). Travel Blues Daily, p. 44. Retrieved October 13,
2003, from ProQuest Newspapers database.

In-text citation:
The majority of pirates never got rich but instead died young at sea (“Following the path,” 2003).

2. If title of a web page, book, or brochure – (Italicized shortened title, year).

For quotation – (Italicized shortened title, year, p. #).

Interview with members of team. (2004, May 20). Retrieved May 9, 2004, from http://www
.ddog.org/Int/04.htm

In-text citation:
The team thought it would die after losing its food in the snow (Interview with members, 2002).

40
7) Long Internet document with no page/paragraph numbers – (Last name, year).
For quotation – (Last name, year, Heading name, para. #)

If the document is long and has headings, cite the heading above the quotation and
count the paragraphs to find the number of the paragraph where the quotation is.

Notreal, S. & Lying, A. (2003, January 10). Sex education. Retrieved April 20, 2004, from Better
Education Now Web site: http://www.ben.org/hsed/nonacad/sexed3221.htm

In-text citation: [This quote was in the fifth paragraph under the heading “Contraceptive education.”]
Notreal and Lying (2003) note, “More teens are becoming aware of contraceptive choices, which
underlies the need for comprehensive sex education” (Contraceptive education section, para. 5).

8) Personal communication: email, letter, interview, phone call

(first initial. Last name, personal communication, Month day, year)

NO REFERENCE ENTRY. Personal communication does not go on the Reference page because
there is no way for the reader to find the information.

In-text citation:
The APA style is confusing (J. Dunlop, personal communication, October 10, 2003). OR

In Jim Dunlop's view, the APA style is confusing (personal communication, October 10, 2003).

9) Same information in two or more sources – (Last name, year; Last name, year).

2 or more sources gave the same idea or information, so the in-text citation must
include all those sources from the Reference page. Put the sources in the in-text citation
in the order from the Reference page. Use semi-colons between them.

Marks, A., & Samson, J. K. (2001). Chocolate. San Francisco: LaDiDa Press.
Smith, B. (2003, March 6). In the end, it's an addiction. Food Times, p. 2.
Zellers, C. (2001). A study from the front lines. Journal of Consumption, 32, 233-254. Retrieved
May 1, 2003, from Expanded Academic database.

In-text citation:
Studies proved that chocolate is addictive (Marks & Samson, 2001; Smith, 2003; Zellers, 2001).

10) Another work cited in the source – (as cited in Last name, year).
For quotation – (as cited in Last name, year, p. #).

If the source cites another author's published work, name that author in your text.
The in-text citation will say “as cited in” followed by the author of your source.

Marks, A., & Samson, J. K. (2001). Chocolate. San Francisco: LaDiDa Press.

In-text citation:
In their book about snack foods, Chip and Kandi determined that packaging plays a huge role in the
foods' popularity (as cited in Marks & Samson, 2001). [Marks and Samson used Chip and Kandi as a source.]

41
11) Two works by the same author in the same year – (Author, yearX).
For quotation – (Author, yearX, p. #).

Use a, b, c after the year on the reference page and in the in-text citations to mark the
different works by the same author in the same year.

Jones, B. (2003a, March). Intelligence is hard to judge. Sonar, 21, 45-60.

Jones, B. (2003b). Kicking and screaming all the way to school: The lack of motivation among
today's school children. Retrieved July 2, 2004, from http://www.longuniv.edu/depts/educ/
profjones/motivation.html

In-text citations:
Girls are smarter than boys (Jones, 2003a).

Only 21% of American elementary school students know how to tie their shoes (Jones, 2003b).

12) Two works by two authors with the same name – (First initial, Last name, year).
For quotation – (First initial, Last name, year, p. #).

Parker, H. (2002, May). The other side of cycling. Let's Ride Bikes, 12, 45-60.
Parker, L. (2003). Up the Alps (4th ed.). Vienna: Mountain Books.

In-text citations:
Five professional cyclists were suspended for steroid use in 2001 (H. Parker, 2002).

The lack of oxygen at high altitude is the biggest danger of cycling in the Alps (L. Parker, 2003).

IN-TEXT CITATIONS REPEAT WHAT IS FIRST IN THE REFERENCE ENTRY

42
THE COMPLETE RESEARCH PAPER

.....................................Research Paper Checklist

CLEAR OBJECTIVE, THESIS, AND FOCUS
____ Thesis is clear and easy to find ____ Purpose of paper is clear
____ Thesis answers research question ____ Every paragraph supports thesis
____ Clear point of view ____ Paper proves the thesis

DEVELOPMENT
Organization/Cohesion
____ Clear, logical order of paragraphs ____ Each paragraph argues only one point
____ Connection between paragraphs ____ Clear introduction, body, conclusion
____ Information/ideas in right paragraph ____ Topic sentences in every paragraph
____ Information/ideas organized in paragraphs ____ All ideas relate to those before and after

Introduction
____ Hook sentence(s) catches attention ____ Thesis statement
____ Enough background information about topic ____ Reader knows what this paper will do
____ No too general statements ____ Writer's point of view is clear

Body Paragraphs
____ Strong, convincing points ____ Source information is integrated
____ Opposing side included and minimized ____ Support is explained/analyzed
____ Arguments, analysis logical ____ Source information is appropriate
____ Topic sentences with one idea ____ Each paragraph explains “why/how”
____ Topic sentences relate to thesis ____ Each paragraph proves thesis statement
____ Topic sentences have point of view ____ Specific explanations
____ Sufficient support in each paragraph ____ No repetition of ideas
____ Use of examples to support points ____ No irrelevant ideas/information
____ Use of specific details to support points ____ Appropriate concluding sentences

Conclusion
____ Connects to last body paragraph ____ Shows that the topic is important
____ Emphasizes thesis idea ____ Reader says, “Wow, I'm glad I read this!”
____ Summarizes the points of the paper ____ Last sentence is not too unbelievable
____ Not too much information ____ Last sentence is not too sweet
____ No new information ____ Last sentence is not too general

DEPTH, APPROPRIATENESS, AND USE OF RESEARCH

Use of Source Material
____ Appropriate amount of source material ____ Few quotations (effective, special, necessary)
____ Paper has own ideas, not just sources' ____ No long quotations
____ Source material used to support ideas ____ Speaker of quotations usually named
____ Source material is introduced ____ Special words from source in quotation marks
____ Source material is explained ____ Quotations copied correctly

Sources
____ High-quality, current, relevant sources ____ Variety of sources (authors, locations)
____ Specific sources ____ No heavy reliance on 1-2 sources
____ Primary sources used ____ No lack of information

GRAMMAR, SPELLING, PUNCTUATION, CLARITY...

____ Paper was edited ____ Paper was proofread again
____ Paper was proofread

43
FORMAT
Title page
____ Header in top right corner with first few words of title and the page number
____ Title of paper centered; each important word capitalized
____ 1-inch (2.54 cm) margins on all sides
____ Student name, course number/name, instructor name, assignment, date in bottom right corner.

Header
____ Created using “Header” option (not typed separately at the top of every page)
____ First few words of title, capitalized like title
____ Page number
____ In top right corner of EVERY page

Text
____ Exact length required by instructor
____ Double-spaced
____ Aligned left; right margin not justified
____ Times New Roman 12-point font (or another, instructor-approved font)
____ 1-inch (2.54 cm) margins on all sides
____ First line of every paragraph indented ½ inch(1.27cm)

Reference Page
____ Double-spaced
____ Aligned left; right margin not justified
____ Same font as paper, no underlining or colors
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44
 Birth Control Pills 1

Birth Control Pills:

A Safe Choice for Women

Gabriela Zurikova
IEP 060 – Writing VI
Anne Whitaker
Research Paper
August 30, 2004
 Birth Control Pills 2

Janka (24) bought a pregnancy test and now is waiting for the results, which makes her

nervous. One second may change her whole life, and she could become the mother of an unwanted

child. To avoid this stressful situation, it was only necessary to have used a 43-year-old method of

birth control – the birth control pill – once a day. It has been taken by approximately 80% of

American women today (Okie, 2002), and its effectiveness is over 99% if used correctly (Planned

Parenthood, 2003). However, some women still fear that taking the birth control pill could harm their

health. In fact, the pill’s composition provides advantages to women, including prevention of ovarian

cancer. Moreover, there is no connection between the pill and breast cancer, and its usage is possible

during breastfeeding too. Although there are also a few disadvantages to its use, the birth control pill

is safe for women.

Birth control pills contain nothing harmful to women’s health. This oral contraception is

divided into two groups. First are combination pills including estrogen and progestin (synthetic

progesterone) hormones like those produced in the ovaries, and second are progestin-only-pills

(Planned Parenthood, 2003). So they contain the same hormones as women’s bodies produce.

Estrogen is a hormone which makes the evolution of the uterus more active when a women’s body

becomes sexually mature. It also makes the endometrium (the uterus walls) thicker at the beginning

of the menstrual cycle. Then, the endometrium is ready to accept the egg with the help of

progesterone, which is made in the second part of the menstrual cycle (National Cancer Institute,

2003). Both combination and progestin-only pills give women the right amount of these hormones so

that they cannot get pregnant. Estrogen in combination pills stops the ovaries from producing eggs,

while progestin-only pills “thicken cervical mucus” to stop the fertilization of eggs (Planned

Parenthood, 2000, Basics section, para. 2). These hormones are included in birth control pills

because they are natural to the body. They “fool the body into acting as if it's pregnant” (Alice, 1998),

but they do not damage the body. So, progesterone and estrogen used in oral contraceptives are safe.

Another fact is that taking birth control pills has a lot of benefits for females’ health

condition. Not just young 18-year-old girls, but also 30-year-old women use the pill not only to avoid

unwanted pregnancies, but to improve the condition of their skin as well. And they are right because

according to Dr. Marjorie Greenfield (2004b), compared with non-pill users, users of birth control

Note: Text is not in Times New Roman 12 font in order to save space.
 Birth Control Pills 3

pills not only have fewer problems with acne, but also with ovarian cysts, anemia and “excess” hair

on the face and body. Moreover, usually 14- to 20-year-old girls have painful menstruation for the

first two days every month, but birth control pills are the solution. Women have lighter menstruations

and do not suffer from such terrible stomach cramps when they use the pill (Planned Parenthood,

2003). That means that the pill help girls and women enjoy their lives, go out with friends, or exercise

instead of staying in bed because of pain. In summary, these examples show that birth control pills

have a beneficial influence on women’s health and lives.

Despite these advantages of using contraceptive pills, there is a myth that their use causes

ovarian cancer. In fact, the deaths of females from this cancer are not connected with birth control

pills at all; on the contrary, birth control pills are successful in fighting against it. The effect of birth

control pills on the ovary is interesting. Scientists from the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center

found that progestin from the pill led to “increased cell turnover in the ovarian epithelium, indicating

that progestin might lower ovarian cancer risk by activating cancer-preventative molecular pathways

in the ovary” (“Oral contraceptives,” 2002). If cell turnover in the ovary is higher, then cells that may

become cancerous are destroyed earlier and faster, due to the effects of progestin from birth control

pills. In fact, another study at Duke showed that women who took pills with more progestin had a

lower risk of ovarian cancer than women who took pills with more estrogen; however, all women

who took birth control pills had a lower risk of ovarian cancer than other women (“Oral

contraceptives,” 2002). So birth control pills, especially progestin-only ones, are effective in fighting

against ovarian cancer. According to Dr. Greenfield (2004b), the effectiveness of these pills is so

great that some doctors now advise women to take the pill for five years just because of its benefits in

preventing ovarian cancer. So it is obvious that birth control pills neither increase the danger of

cancer of the ovaries nor damage their functioning, so the myth should be forgotten. In actuality, the

longer women use this form of birth control, the bigger the protection against ovarian cancer they

have. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Harvard Medical School studies found that

women who used the pill for one year had a 10-12% less chance of getting ovarian cancer, while

women decrease the risk of getting the cancer by 50% if they use the pill for no less than five years.

This protection lasts even after women stop using the pill (National Cancer Institute, 2003). Thus,

Note: Text is not in Times New Roman 12 font in order to save space.
 Birth Control Pills 4

long use of pills is not a bad decision because it not only protects against unwanted pregnancy, it also

helps to prevent cancer for a long time in the future. So, especially women whose mothers or

grandmothers had ovarian cancer are protecting themselves in the right way by taking birth control

pills.

Another claim is that birth control pills may cause breast cancer, which is a blunder. The

truth is that not only 20- to 30-year-old women, but also women in their 40s, 50s and 60s do not have

a higher chance of getting breast cancer just because they used oral contraceptives. According to a

study in The New England Journal of Medicine called the Women's Contraceptive and Reproductive

Experience study, of 9,200 women between 35 to 64, where half of them had a breast cancer

diagnosis, there was no evidence of increased breast cancer risk if a woman had used birth control

pills (as cited in National Cancer Institute, 2003). So, especially women in their 40s and 50s, who are

at risk of getting breast cancer because of their age, do not have to be afraid of taking the pill because

it does not affect this condition. There is also another interesting fact about women with a history of

breast cancer in their families. The study showed that women with breast cancer in their families did

not have a higher risk if they took the pill (as cited in Okie, 2002). So, women having breast cancer in

the past are free to use the pill as well as healthy women. They could also use the pill for two, five, or

ten years without worrying. There is no higher risk of breast cancer due to time of usage, race, or

even weight (as cited in Okie, 2002). So almost all women can safely use the pills for weeks, months

or years. In conclusion, there is no connection between breast cancer and using the birth control pill.

It is also remarkable that it is possible to use the pill during lactation as well. Women

breastfeeding their infants also need to use birth control to avoid pregnancies, and hormonal oral

contraceptives, especially progestin-only-pills, are one of the safe options. In comparison with

combination pills, they are better to use because they do not contain estrogen, which could reduce the

amount of mother’s milk. But the most important point is that they do not affect the child’s health at

all (Sears & Sears, n.d.). So, women do not have to stop either taking the pill or breastfeeding their

babies. Furthermore, combination oral contraceptives are also approved to use. These pills may be

used when the milk is well produced, which is six months after birth (Greenfield, 2004a). That means

that when the mother’s body is accustomed to breastfeeding, it is possible and safe to use both kinds

Note: Text is not in Times New Roman 12 font in order to save space.
 Birth Control Pills 5

of oral contraceptives without worrying about the baby or mother’s health. In short, the birth control

pill could be used during lactation with no danger to the child.

Although the use of oral contraception has all these benefits, there are also a few

disadvantages. For instance, a woman taking the pill for the first time may have terrible headaches

and feel sick. She may experience bleeding during the month as well. These are typical side effects of

oral contraceptives, but they usually disappear in three months (Planned Parenthood, 2003). Those

changes are caused because of progestin and estrogen’s influence on the body, but the bad effects

soon vanish. If the effects do not disappear, a doctor can help women to choose another kind of birth

control pill. However, the one group in danger while taking birth control pills are smokers over 35.

This combination is risky because these women have a higher risk of heart attacks (Okie, 2002).

Here, smoking is the bad habit which endangers women, not the pill. In general, birth control pills

benefit women's health much more than they hurt.

Using oral contraceptives is a safe solution to avoiding unwanted pregnancies. They contain

hormones which do not confuse the system of women’s bodies and bring health benefits into their

lives. The pill is especially successful in the prevention of ovarian cancer; moreover, there is no

danger connected with breast cancer. Taking birth control pills is also safe for women breastfeeding

their babies; on the other hand, there are a few side effects and risk groups who should be careful.

However, oral contraceptives should not be a symbol of jeopardy, but a symbol of women’s freedom

and choice.

Note: Text is not in Times New Roman 12 font in order to save space.
 Birth Control Pills 6

References

Alice. (1998, July 14). How do birth control pills work? Retrieved August 20, 2004, from

Health Education Program, Columbia University Web site: http://www.goaskalice

.columbia.edu/0663.html

Greenfield, M. (2004a, August 17). Postpartum birth control options. Retrieved August 20,

2004, from Dr. Spock Web site: http://www.drspock.com/article/0,1510,5696,00.html

Greenfield, M. (2004b, August 18). Myths and truths about birth control pills. Retrieved

August 20, 2004, from Dr. Spock Web site: http://www.drspock.com/article/

0,1510,5324,00.html

National Cancer Institute. (2003, November 3). Cancer facts: Oral contraceptives and cancer

risk. Retrieved August 15, 2004, from http://cis.nci.nih.gov/fact/3_13.htm

Okie, S. (2002, June 27). Study: Birth control pills not linked to breast cancer. The

Washington Post, p. A1. Retrieved August 20, 2004, from ProQuest Newspapers

database.

Oral contraceptives with higher levels of progestin protect against ovarian cancer, study

suggests. (2002, January 2). Science Daily. Retrieved August 20, 2004, from http://

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/01/020102074449.htm

Planned Parenthood. (2003, November). You and the pill. Retrieved August 15, 2004, from

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/bc/YOU_AND_PILL.HTM

Sears, W., & Sears, M. (n.d.). Oral contraceptives while breastfeeding. Retrieved August 15,

2004, from http://www.askdrsears.com/html/2/T028700.asp

NOTE: Due to the topic, the writer needed a lot of research to support her ideas. Other,
less scientific topics, will require less source information and more of your own ideas.
For more information...

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