TABLE OF CONTENTS

Overview

Grade-Level Research Requirements

Common Core Standards

MLA Format:

The Basics

Font size and style

Margin size

Proper spacing

Cover Page Format

Headers/Footers/Page Numbers

Works Cited

Annotated Works Cited

In text Citations

Citing Quotations

All history and English classes in grades 7-12 will require students to complete a research project at separate times during the school year. Since this is not typically an easy task for most students, it would help to have some type of guideline to follow so it does not become too overwhelming.

The purpose of this survival guide is to set common standards and guidelines for students and teachers at Union Middle/High School to follow. This guide is based on the Modern Language Association (MLA) format; however, be aware that other style manuals exist including the American Psychological Association (APA) guide and the Chicago Manual of Style that students may be required to use at some point in future educational pursuits.

Students will be required to submit a digital copy of all research projects or written papers to turnitin.com in order to check for plagiarism. Any plagiarized papers will be handled according to school policy.

Grade-Level

Research Requirements

7th Grade / 8th Grade / 9th Grade / 10th Grade / 11th Grade / 12th Grade
Paper Length / 1-2 Pages / 1-2 Pages / 2-3 Pages / 2-3 Pages / 3-4 Pages / 5 Pages
Works Cited / Works Cited / Works Cited / Works Cited / Annotated Works Cited / Annotated Works Cited / Annotated Works Cited
Sources / 2-3 Sources / 2-3 Sources / 4-5 Sources / 4-5 Sources / 6-8 Sources / 6-8 Sources

* All citations must be completed following guidelines in this manual. Wikipedia and other user-edited information sites are not allowed as sources for information in any research assignment in Union Middle/High School.

* All research will be evaluated for plagiarism using the online plagiarism checker turnitin.com.

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading

Key Ideas and Details:

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.1 - Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.7 - Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.8 - Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.9 - Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity:

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.10 - Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Writing

Text Types and Purposes:

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.1 - Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.2 - Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

Production and Distribution of Writing:

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.4 - Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.5 - Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.6 - Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.

Research to Build and Present Knowledge:

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.7 - Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.8 - Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.9 - Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Range of Writing:

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.10 - Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Language

Conventions of Standard English:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.1 - Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.2 - Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Knowledge of Language:

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.3 - Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use:

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.4 - Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.5 - Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.6 - Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when encountering an unknown term important to comprehension or expression.

The Modern Language Association has constructed a basic style guide for writing papers. For more detailed information, please consult the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th Edition) or the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) at

Proper MLA Format:

  • Must be typed in black ink
  • Print on ONE side of the paper
  • Use 1 inch margins for top, bottom, left, and right
  • Double-space entire paper, including Works Cited
  • Indent paragraphs
  • Include two spaces after end punctuation
  • Use 12 point Times New Roman font
  • Include a Title Page (name, class, teacher, date, and title of paper centered on page)
  • Include a header (use header format in word processor) to add last name and page number to upper RIGHT corner of every page (excluding title page)
  • Staple pages together in the top left corner
  • Paper compiled in following order:
  • Title page
  • Essay (no title)
  • Works Cited (Grades 7-9); Annotated Works Cited (Grades 10-12)

MLA Formatting of Title Page:

MLA Manuscript Format:

According to MLA style, you must have a Works Cited page at the end of your research paper. All entries in the Works Cited page must correspond to the works cited in your main text.

Basic Rules:

  • Begin Works Cited on a new page
  • Keep all MLA formatting from paper (margins, spacing, font, and header)
  • Center the title Works Cited one inch from the top; the title is centered, but NOT underlined, in quotes, italicized, or in all caps
  • Citations should be double spaced, but DO NOT skip spaces between citations.
  • Begin each entry flush with the left margin. If the entry runs more than one line, indent subsequent lines. This is called reverse indenting.
  • List each entry alphabetically by the first word in the citation. (Disregard “a,” “an,” and “the”).
  • Along with the citation, you must provide the full URL for web entries. Put the URL in angle brackets and end with a period. <owl.english.purdue.edu>.
  • Capitalize each word in the titles of articles, books, etc, but do not capitalize articles (the, an), prepositions, or conjunctions unless one is the first word of the title or subtitle: Gone with the Wind, The Art of War, There Is Nothing Left to Lose.

Anannotationis a summary and/or evaluation. Therefore, anannotated works cited includes a summary and/or evaluation of each of the sources. Depending on your project or the assignment, your annotations may do one or more of the following.

  • Summarize: Some annotations merely summarize the source. What are the main arguments? What is the point of this book or article? What topics are covered? If someone asked what this article/book is about, what would you say? The length of your annotations will determine how detailed your summary is.
  • Assess: After summarizing a source, it may be helpful to evaluate it. Is it a useful source? How does it compare with other sources in your bibliography? Is the information reliable? Is this source biased or objective? What is the goal of this source?
  • Reflect: Once you've summarized and assessed a source, you need to ask how it fits into your research. Was this source helpful to you? How does it help you shape your argument? How can you use this source in your research project? Has it changed how you think about your topic?

Basic Rules for Annotations:

  • Written in paragraph form
  • Start directly after citation to be annotated
  • Indented to follow citation format
  • Be at least 2 sentences long

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*For more detailed information on constructing a proper Works Cited page, please visit The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL).

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ccvbcbv

In-text citations, or parenthetical citations, display references to specific sources within the text of your paper. Citations within your paper are created by placing relevant source information in parentheses after a quote or a paraphrase.

The basic format of an in-text citation is the author's last name and the page number in which the information can be found in parentheses followed by the end punctuation mark. The parenthetical citation, therefore, is EMBEDDED in the sentence. There should be no space or punctuation mark (i.e. comma) between the author’s last name and page number in the citation.

MLA format follows the author-page method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must appear in the text, and a complete reference should appear on your Works Cited page. The author's name may appear either in the sentence itself or in parentheses following the quotation or paraphrase, but the page number(s) should always appear in the parentheses, not in the text of your sentence. For example:

  • Example 1 – author is introduced in the sentence:

Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (263).

  • Example 2 – author is not introduced in the sentence:

Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263).

Both citations in the examples above, (263) and (Wordsworth 263), tell readers that the information in the sentence can be located on page 263 of a work by an author named Wordsworth. If readers want more information about this source, they can turn to the Works Cited page, where, under the name of Wordsworth, they would find the following information:

  • Wordsworth, William. Lyrical Ballads. London: Oxford UP, 1967. Print.

There may be special circumstance wherein the basic parenthetical citation (Wordsworth 263) does not apply. Here is a list of alterations to the basic form:

Two or three authors: Give the last names of every author in the same order as they appear on the original source. (This is usually done in alphabetical order.)

Ex. Lyrical ballads were stories about life experiences that were meant to be sung to music (Ibsen, Quaker, and Wordsworth 235).

More than three authors: Give the first author’s last name, followed by “et al” (meaning “and others”).

Ex. Lyrical ballads were stories about life experiences that were meant to be sung to music (Ibsen et al. 235).

Indirect or Secondary Sources: To cite an indirect source (someone’s remarks published by a second source), use the abbreviation “qtd. In” (quoted in) before the indirect source in the references.

Ex. Lyrical ballads were stories about life experiences that were meant to be sung to music (Clark qtd. in Ibsen 235).

Works listed by title alone (no author noted): Give the first word of the article title instead of an author’s name. (If it is an article title, use quotation marks; if it is a novel or website title, use italics.)

Ex. Lyrical ballads were stories about life experiences that were meant to be sung to music (“Lyrical” 65).

Works without pagination: Simply give credit to the source and omit any reference to page number (this may be the case for in many internet sources).

Ex. Lyrical ballads were stories about life experiences that were meant to be sung to music (“Lyrical”).


Quotations must be copied accurately, word for word, and they must be placed in quotation marks. The following example is documented in proper MLA style of in-text citation.

According to Eugene Lindmen, “There is a good deal of evidence that Shakespeare is not the man we have come to believe he is” (45).

Long Quotations: Quotations of more than FOUR lines of typed text should be set off from the rest of the text by indenting the entire quoteone inch. Further requirements include:

  • Place a colon before the quote begins (after the last sentence in the regular body).
  • Start the quote on a new line.
  • Do not use quotation marks
  • Place the period at the end of the sentence, before the parenthetical citation. (This is the only exception to the punctuation rule.)
  • When quoting verse, maintain original line breaks.
  • If using multiple paragraphs, indent the beginning of each new paragraph an additional quarter inch.
  • The following is an example of how your research paper will appear when you have a long quote within the body of your paper:

Nelly Dean treats Heathcliff poorly and dehumanizes him throughout her narration:

They entirely refused to have it in bed with them, or even in their room, and I had no more sense, so, I put it on the landing of the stairs, hoping it would be gone on the morrow. By chance, or else attracted by hearing his voice, it crept to Mr. Earnshaw's door, and there he found it on quitting his chamber. Inquiries were made as to how it got there; I was obliged to confess, and in recompense for my cowardice and inhumanity was sent out of the house. (Bronte 78)

When citing long sections (more than three lines) of poetry, keep formatting as close to the original as possible.

In his poem "My Papa's Waltz," Theodore Roethke explores his childhood with his father:

The whiskey on your breath
Could make a small boy dizzy;
But I hung on like death:
Such waltzing was not easy.
We Romped until the pans
Slid from the kitchen shelf;
My mother's countenance
Could not unfrown itself. (quoted in Shrodes, Finestone, Shugrue 202)

Adding or Omitting words in quotation:

Adding words to quote:

If you add a word or words in a quotation, you should put brackets around the words to indicate that they are not part of the original text.

Jan Harold Brunvand, in an essay on urban legends, states, “some individuals [who retell urban legends] make a point of learning every rumor or tale” (78).

Omitting words from quote:

If you omit a word or words from a quotation, you should indicate the deleted word or words by using ellipses marks, which are three periods (…) preceded and followed by a space. For example:

In an essay on urban legends, Jan Harold Brunvand notes that “some individuals make a point of learning every recent rumor or tale … and in a short time a lively exchange of details occurs” (78).

Please note that brackets are not needed around ellipses unless adding brackets would clarify your use of ellipses.

Omitting full lines of poetry:

When omitting words from poetry quotations, use a standard three-period ellipses; however, when omitting one or more full lines of poetry, space several periods to about the length of a complete line in the poem:

Those beauteous forms,

Through a long absence, have not been to me

As is a landscape to a blind man’s eye:

………………………….

Felt in the blood, and felt along the heart;

And passing even into my purer mind,

With tranquil restoration… (22-24, 28-30)

Russell, Tony, Allen Brizee, and Elizabeth Angeli. “MLA Formatting and Style Guide.” The

Purdue OWL. Purdue U Writing Lab, 10 Oct. 2014. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.

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