Inter-Lakes High School Library
The following guidelines and criteria have been developed by the High School English department and include expectations for written work across the curriculum. Specific expectations may be set by each teacher.
General Guidelines for the Research Paper
The English Department has made a commitment to adhere to the guidelines of the Modern Language Association (MLA) style of documentation. This particular form of documentation uses a Works Cited page to list the references used within the work. Footnotes are not necessary. Instead, In-Text Citations are required. The same format may be used for an Annotated Bibliography (which gives a small summary of the work). The text used during the sophomore year is Writer’s Inc. See an English teacher if you would like a copy for reference.
Format for the paper:
· Use 1-inch margins at top and bottom, left and right of each page.
· Indent first word of each paragraph 1/2 inch (5 spaces or 1 tab) from left margin
· Indent set-off quotations 1 inch (ten spaces or two tabs) from the left margin.
· Double-space everything (including heading, quotations, notes, and Works Cited).
· There is no separate title page for essay. A title page is only needed for research papers.
· Heading on the first page has 4 separate lines -- Your Name
Teacher’s Name
Course Name, Period
Date the Paper is Due
· Title on the first page is centered on the line below the heading.
· All pages are numbered consecutively one-half inch from the top, in upper right-hand corner.
· Type your last name in front of the page number.
What to document:
1. In general, don’t document information that appears in several sources or facts that appear in standard reference books. For example, a statement like “Their Eyes Were Watching God is generally considered Hurston’s finest novel” needs not documentation because it clearly relies on several sources. The main facts of her life that are available in encyclopedias and other standard references also do not need to be credited. This does NOT mean students are free to use encyclopedias without documentation. It only means students do not need to cite general information that is repeated in many, many places (such as birth, presidential order, etc…) if in doubt, cite it!
2. Document the source of each direct quotation (unless it is very widely known, such as Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty or give me death!”).
3. Document any original theory or opinion other than your own. Since ideas belong to the authors, you must not present the ideas of other people as your own.
4. Document the source of data or other information from surveys, scientific experiments, and research studies.
5. Document unusual, little known, or questionable facts and statistics.
In-Text Citation Information:
In-text citations, also known as parenthetical documentation, are used in lieu of footnotes. In-text citations should be used after every sentence of borrowed information including information that is summarized or put into the writer’s own words.
The point is to give credit to every thought or idea that is used. Quotation marks indicate a direct quotation being used and still have the in-text citation. Direct quotes that are longer than four lines should be indented ten spaces. Quotation marks are not necessary because the indentation makes it clear that those lines are being directly quoted, of course the in-text citation is still necessary. Whenever possible the exact page of the borrowed information needs to be included in every in-text citation.
Works Cited Information:
The Works Cited section includes all of the sources that have been referred to in the text. It does NOT include any sources read or studied but not referred to in the paper (that would be a bibliography); hence the name: a list of works cited in the paper.
1. Type the page number in the upper right-hand corner, one-half inch from the top of the pager, with you last name before it.
2. Center the title Works Cited one inch from the top; then double space before the first entry (Do NOT underline, boldface, or use quotation marks around the words Works Cited).
3. Begin each entry flush with the left margin. If the entry runs more than one line, indent additional lines five spaces (one tab).
4. Double-space each entry and between entries.
5. List each entry alphabetically by the author’s last name. If there is not an author, use the first work of the title (disregard A, An, The).