At creation, God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden to rule over it and take care of it. In order for them to do that well, they needed to learn about the world that God made. They had to study. They had to research. Christians today also have the privilege and responsibility to expand their knowledge and understanding of the world and of human culture as a way of loving God with their minds. Christian students need to develop skills that will serve them well as life-long learners. In order to become skilled learners, Christian students need to develop in many areas. This packet will direct Christian students in the development of excellent skills that will enable them to enjoy the blessings of learning, study and research.

It has become increasingly important and necessary in this, the 21^st century, to learn how to use both the library and a computer, to do research using both the library and the computer skills sets and to become literate people who use these skills when listening, speaking, reading and writing. At PMCA, we desire that our students not just become adept at using the library and the computer but also become information literate. “To be information literate, a person must be able to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information” (Presidential Committee on Information Literacy: Final Report).

Information literacy is a survival skill in our 21^st century age (Presidential Committee on Information Literacy: Final Report). It means learning skills-not just computer skills and library skills but others as well-that will help solve a problem, make a decision, write a paper or do a project. It means knowing what questions to ask. Where do I start to find what I need? Is the information in this source complete? Is it credible and correct? It means knowing when a book may be more helpful than a website. Should I use this source to make my decision or that one? It means taking the time to do the work and to think critically about it. Good research papers require good information skills. Good decisions depend on good information skills.

The purpose of this manual is to assist the students of Philadelphia-Montgomery Christian Academy to understand and employ the PMCA standards for all student-produced documents. By using this manual, the students will come to understand and become proficient in the skills necessary to complete the research process. The research process includes: 1) the steps to writing a research paper, 2) the techniques to efficiently search both print and Internet sources and to evaluate websites, and 3) the process of documenting findings ethically and generating citations in order to avoid committing plagiarism. By using this manual PMCA students will become information literate.

Why do we do this? Why should we be interested to have standards? PMCA is a Christian academic institution. As an academic institution, we are interested that our students do the very best work they possibly can. As a Christian academic institution, we are interested that our students do the very best work they possibly can for the Lord. Standards help our writing have structure so that our writing is the best it can possibly be for the honor and glory of God, the author of our lives.

Table of Contents

Quick Facts for All PMCA Research Papers

The PMCA Standards for All Student-produced Documents:

Page Setup:

1-inch margins
Times New Roman font
12-point font size
double-spacing
black font color
proper pagination

Binding:

one staple
in the upper left hand corner

Citations:

parenthetical/in-text documentation
a Works Cited page
a Works Consulted page

Style and Integrity:

Modern Language Association (MLA) style
honesty and integrity (no plagiarizing)
a genuine effort to learn, “show what you know” and give glory to God.

Options your teacher may require or allow:

a cover page
an acknowledgements page

clip art
other fonts
borders
other font colors

Note:

Research takes time, patience and hard work. Take the time to find excellent sources so that you can write an excellent paper or create an excellent project.

Quote:

It is commonly believed that in 1780, Abigail Adams, wife of President John Adams and mother of President John Quincy Adams, stated, “Learning is NOT attained by chance; it MUST be sought with ardor and attended with diligence.”

The PMCA Research Manual

Table of Contents

I. Topic Chosen for You or You Choose the Topic

A. If the topic was chosen for you

1. Make sure you understand what is expected–all of the expectations, all the due dates, the number of sources if specified–everything!

2. Ask questions!

3. Record those due dates in your assignment book.

B. If you are able to chose the topic

1. Do all of the above and then think about what excites you; what do you feel passionately about, what holds your interest.

2. Investigate a little; do some initial research; see what is out there in print and Internet sources. Read an encyclopedia article from World Book or Encyclopedia Americana or a simple book on the topic. At this point, you should imagine yourself holding a gift card from American Eagle or Old Navy. What is available for you to buy with the amount on that gift card? Is it more beneficial to you to use the card online or in the store?

3. Make sure your topic conforms to your teacher's guidelines.

Table of Contents

II. Plan Your Search/Search Your Plan/Evaluate What You Find

A. Plan Your Search - Have a Search Strategy.

1. See the sample Search Strategy Worksheets and Research Checklist pages in the Appendix.

2. Check your assignment yet again and make sure you really do understand what it is your teacher requires.

a. What resources are you to use (just books, books and Internet sources, books, Internet sources and magazines)?

b. What additional resources may you use? Can you also use information from interviews? Can you also use information from lectures, films, and radio programs?

c. How many of each type of resource are required? Can you use more if you find more excellent sources?

3. It is always a good idea to start by reading about your topic in an encyclopedia or a children’s book. The encyclopedia article or simple book will give you a solid core of information as you progress through the evaluating and searching steps.

4. Begin by thinking–brainstorm some keywords connected to your topic. Think about the people, terms, organizations, places, objects, phrases associated with your topic.

a. What words are the most important words to find?

b. What words are synonyms of the most important words to find?

c. What words aren’t the most important words to find?

5. It is extremely important at this time to decide how you will keep track of all the sources you find and, when the time comes, all the notes you’ve taken from those sources. Are you going to keep track of your sources on note cards, in a notebook or directly into a document on your computer? You must cite all your sources to avoid plagiarizing. Simply put, you must keep track of the following information:

· Title of Book or Article or Website

· Author(s) or editors

· Place of Publication

· Publisher or Webpage URL address

· Copyright date (book, magazine, etc.) or copyright date of posting on web

· Date you found the webpage

· Page(s) where you found the information or ideas

For further information about this topic, see the section on Plagiarism in Section IV.

Here’s an idea:

Keep a notebook (or research log) to keep track of the research as you do it.

· Put a copy of your search strategy in the front of the notebook so you have your list of keywords handy.

· What sources has your teacher told you to investigate? What sources have been helpful in the past? What sources do you plan to investigate?

· Write full citation information at the top of the page before taking notes.

· Make sure that you put information from each source on different pages.

B. Search Your Plan - Locate Available Sources

1) Print Sources

For books, use the PMCA OPAC or Online Public Access Catalogue. Check for books on your topic by keyword, by author’s last name, by title and by subject.

Remember to check table of contents, index, appendices and bibliographies at the end of a book or reference book for locating information within the books and for locating additional sources of information.
Remember to check specialized reference books. Look for reference books that may have detailed information on your topic such as science or literary encyclopedias.
Remember to check other libraries in the area for books.

For magazines, journals, newspapers etc., find out what magazines PMCA subscribes to that may have information. In addition, find out what magazines to which your local public library subscribes. Many of these can be accessed online. Reputable magazines such as National Geographic and World as well as scholarly journals such as American Heritage and Current History are all excellent sources for information.

Want to learn more?

See: Definition of Scholarly vs. Popular vs. Trade vs. Primary Sources at http://mciu.org/%7Espjvweb/scholarly.html

2) Internet Sources

Quote:

Someone once said: “While a library contains the world’s knowledge on shelves in a precise and organized manner, the Internet contains the world’s knowledge all on the floor and in an extremely disorganized manner.”

Some background information:

There are, actually, two types of Internets or webs: the open/visible web and the closed/invisible web. What is the difference?

The open/visible web is for all who use the Internet and actually includes the closed/invisible web. As of the year 2000, the emarketer Company (www.emarketer.com), an Internet based company that specializes in Internet, business and ecommerce statistics, reported that:

there were about 72 million domain names on the Net
there were about 2.1 billion Web pages
and any one of the search engines available could provide feedback on only 40% of Web information.

That was in the year 2000 – imagine what the Internet contains now! It is estimated that billions of Web pages have been added since 2000 and that any one of the search engines available can provide feedback on only 16% of Web information.

The closed/invisible web contains sites that are edited and often must be subscribed to or paid for. It has professionally maintained collections only, and it is the best place to do credible, scholarly research. It is searchable and contains information that search engines and subject directories often miss. The databases found on POWER Library and the databases purchased by colleges and universities are excellent examples of the closed web.

Remember:

When searching the internet “keep your identity private, never meet someone you’ve “met” online, and never respond to hostile emails, chat room comments, instant messages that are belligerent, inappropriate or in any way make you feel uncomfortable” (Magid).

A great Internet safety web site for teens is http://www.safeteens.com.

So how do you find the information on the Web that you need? You learn to search effectively and efficiently! See the Internet Search Helps and Research Helps pages in the Appendix.

Before you start to search the Internet, remember these general searching tips:

Use the list of keywords you already formulated.
Formulate a search question.
Avoid common words unless in a phrase. Be as specific as possible.
Use words that you want to see in the results.
Type the most important words first.
Put a key phrase in quotation marks.
Use at least three keywords.
Read the help files.
BOOKMARK any websites that apply to your topic.

Want to learn more?

Kathy Schrock’s slide show explains how to effectively search the Internet at http://kathyschrock.net/slideshows/searching.pdf

If you are using the open web, you have several choices to make. Are you going to use a search engine, a subject directory, a “meta” search engine or a unified search interface? Here are the basic facts about each “open” web choice:

Search Engines –

are public databases
allow the user to use common language
will often lead to lots of hits
prioritize the hits by popularity

Google (www.google.com), Ask Jeeves (www.ask.com) and AltaVista (www.altavista.com) are search engines.

Subject Directories –

Subject directories are already organized by categories
allow the user to formulate the search
may not use common terms
include only the best sites

Yahoo (www.yahoo.com) and Librarians’ Internet Index (www.lii.org) and Internet Public Library (www.ipl.org) are all subject directories.

“Meta” Search Engines –

search the databases of other search engines

Dogpile (http://dogpile.com) is a “meta” search engine.

Unified search interfaces -

allow you to search more than one search engine and subject directory within the same interface.
searches are done sequentially

All-In-One Search (http://allonesearch.com) and Itools (http://www.itools.com) are unified search interfaces.

Search engine vs. subject directory:

Search engines tag everything within every site. If you do a “Google” search for “octopus”, you will get 6,900,000 hits. The second hit will be for a travel agency called “Octopus Travel” and the third hit will be a bogus website called “Save the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus.”
Subject Directories tag just the highlights, the important words. “Nor do subject directories index complete sites. Thus, a subject directory is not a good choice if you want to find sites that include particular text, like a particular court case or a name or a date. But subject directories offer something very useful for scholarly research: summaries and annotations that make it easier to decide whether a particular site is worth a visit.” (Harvey)

If those tips do not work (if you just used Google and you didn’t find anything on the first two website pages), try these:

Refine your search repeatedly if necessary.
Read the help and tips pages of the search tool.
Start at the advanced search page or the related search page.
Check your spelling.
Make sure you use the correct extension. An example of this occurs when trying to access the website about the new food pyramid. Using www.mypyramid.org will take you to a bogus, copycat website and using www.mypyramid.net is not a web site at all. Using www.mypyramid.com will immediately link to the legitimate United State Department of Agriculture website at www.mypyramid.gov.
Know how to use the browser as each browser is set up differently.
Sometimes the time of the day can make a difference.
Do not expect one search engine to have exactly what you need. If you have tried a search engine, try a subject directory next (or vise versa). If you have tried a search engine and a subject directory, try a “meta” search engine or a unified search interface (Schrock).

Want to learn more? Try these:

Bernie Dodge’s webquest to learn effective search strategies - http://webquest.sdsu.edu/searching/fournets.htm
Joyce Valenza’s web site to learn searching tools and tips - http://mciu.org/~spjvweb/searchtip.html
Information found on college library websites such as - http://www.davidson.edu/administrative/library/refer/searchwww.asp

Don’t know where to start? Check out this excellent site - http://www.noodletools.com/debbie/literacies/information/5locate/adviceengine.html

If you are using the closed web, you should follow many of the same suggestions that found on the two previous pages.

As stated earlier, the closed web is a resource that contains edited, credible, scholarly research because it does not contain commercial web sites and because it is purchased through a subscription service. If you are a student who desires to use information that is scholarly in your research paper, you will end up with more hits to plow through if you use only Google to search the Internet. Your research will take, therefore, more time. Not only is the closed web the best source for credible information but it is also a time saver.

POWER Library is a closed web available to the students of PMCA. It contains a huge set of databases, online encyclopedias and digital images available through ACCESS PA and paid for from our tax dollars. It is a valuable on-line research tool provided by the state free of charge. Its use is highly encouraged for our students. POWER Library is reputable, accurate, and already evaluated. You can access POWER Library at school or from home through your local public library website using your public library card.

The following are two other free websites that feature closed/invisible web resources:

If you are in need of further information, PMCA has a reciprocal agreement with the libraries of Arcadia University and Chestnut Hill College. You can go and use the resources, both print and “closed” web, available at those two institutions. Ask the PMCA librarian for a letter of introduction to take with you when you go.

If you are in need of still further information, you can also:

Use Pathfinders. Pathfinders are guides to commonly researched topics. Three excellent Pathfinder websites are:

Use Hotlists. Hotlists are lists organized by subject area. See what you can find at http://www.awesomelibrary.org.

Use CyberGuides. CyberGuides are interdisciplinary and utilize web-based units of instructional, multimedia resources based on works of literature. Try these:

Extreme Searching Techniques:

Learn to use wildcard searches (use an “*”, example: educat* = educator, education, educational). This technique will not give you less but more hits.
Learn to use Boolean operators (to broaden a search use or, or the plus sign; to narrow a search use and or the words and not or the plus sign; to eliminate possibilities use not or the minus sign).
Learn to specify the URL extension method (the site:gov allows you to narrow the hits to only government sites)
You can find some searchable closed web databases by using a search engine. Entering your broad topic and including the word "database" often works (Example: smallpox vaccine and database).
Learn to put phrases in quotation marks (such as “literary criticism”).
Learn to use ADJ between two keywords when searching to find webpages where the two keywords appear next to each other. (such as food ADJ poisoning).

For more information, see the helps in the Appendix.

As you find sources, evaluate those sources to determine if you have truly found excellent ones. Don’t forget searching and evaluating must go hand in hand so that you can find the best possible information.

C. Evaluate What You Find

The need to evaluate the credibility of information is nothing new, but until recently most learners could expect to deal with some carefully selected collections of reference materials in academic and public libraries, as well as a fairly limited range of widely accepted authoritative texts in the classroom or in the home library.

However, since anyone can make a Web page, for example, how can you tell if the information is reliable or not? A critical point about using the Internet is that individuals posting information are not required to pass through traditional editorial constraints or undergo any kind of fact-checking required in conventional published print media. The reluctance to look for information from tried and true sources such as well-indexed books or the temptation to assign value to information simply because it came off of the computer will likely provide results with poor quality.

(Humes)

So how do you find the information that you need? You learn to judge the source and evaluate everything! Remember to evaluate the point of view or the worldview of the source or of the website host.

To evaluate print reference material to determine if it is the best type to use to find needed information, ask yourself these five questions:

1. Is it the right material to use to find the information I need?

2. Is the reference material up-to-date?

3. Is it written by a reliable authority?

4. Does it list related materials (other books, web sites or keywords to investigate) to use to find more information?

5. Does it contain other sources (graphs, tables, charts) to study to learn more?

To evaluate web material to determine if it is the best type to use to find needed information, ask yourself the questions above plus use either the 5 Ws of web site evaluation or the CARRDSS method of web site evaluation as you search for information.

5 W's for Evaluating Web Sites

Who

Who wrote the pages and is he or she an expert?
Is a biography of the author included?
How can you find out more about the author?

What

What does the author say is the purpose of the site?
What else might the author have in mind for the site?
What makes the site easy to use?

When

When was the site created?
When was the site last updated?

Where

Where does the information come from?
Where can I look to find out more about the producer/sponsor?

Why

Why is this information useful for my purpose?
Why should I use this information?
Why is this page better than another? (Schrock)

The CARRDSS method of web site evaluation

CREDIBILITY -

Who is the author?
What are his or her credentials?

ACCURACY -

Can facts, statistics, or other information be verified through other sources?
Based on your knowledge, does the information seem accurate?

RELIABILITY -

Does the source present a particular view or bias?

RELEVANCE –

Does this information directly support my hypothesis/thesis or help to answer my question?

DATE –

When was this information created?
When was it revised?
Are these dates meaningful in terms of the subject matter?

SOURCES BEHIND THE TEXT –

Did the author use reliable, credible sources?

SCOPE –

Does this source address my hypothesis/thesis/question in a comprehensive or peripheral way?
Is it a scholarly or popular treatment? (Valenza)

Remember:

1. Sometimes the extension of the URL will be a clue to the integrity of the web site. After all there is a difference among websites that end with .com, .edu, .gov, and .net.

2. You should be suspicious of sites that have a “~” in the URL. They generally indicate a personal web site. If you backspace through the URL you may find that the website is set up on a commercial web hosting service and not, for instance, by a professor employed at a university.

Table of Contents

III. Write

A. Design and Use a System for Taking Notes

1. Take notes using a system of note cards, pages in a notebook or directly into a document on your computer. Remember whatever system you choose-keep organized!

2. If you use note cards, make sure you:

· don’t lose any cards! Purchase a file box or manila envelope and rubber bands.

· use quotation marks on the cards if you are directly quoting from any source.

· include the page numbers from the source you used.

· number or color code the cards in such a way that the system points to a particular source.

· write the full bibliographic information on the first card and the number or color code of that particular source and then, as you take notes, rubber band that card to all the others from that source.

3. If you use pages in a notebook, you should:

· write your name and topic on the front to distinguish the notebook from others.

· use quotation marks any time you use exact wording from any source.

· write the full bibliographic information of your first source at the top of the page.

· include the page numbers from the source you used.

· skip a few pages to make room for more note-taking from that source.

· write the full bibliographic information of your second source at the top of the page.

4. If you type your notes directly into a document on your computer, make sure you:

· write the full bibliographic information of your first source at the top of the page.

· use quotation marks any time you use exact wording from any source.

· include the page numbers from the source you used.

· begin a new document for each source.

· name each document (each particular source) a unique name.

· transfer all the documents into a file folder uniquely for your research.

B. Quoting, Paraphrasing, and/or Summarizing

1) Quoting

Quoting an author’s exact words directly by recording the statement or idea word for word is another way to support your thesis. Quotations must be documented with in-text documentation and cited on the Works Cited page! Quoting should be used as infrequently as possible.

2) Paraphrasing

To paraphrase is to restate what you have read using your own ideas. You are paraphrasing when you change the ideas, words, phrases and/or sentence structures into your own words. Paraphrasing must be documented with parenthetical/in-text documentation and cited on the Works Cited page!

3) Summarizing

Summarize means to reduce what you have read to a few important points using your own words. Summarizing helps you to record only the general idea of large amounts of material.

Be sure to write down only important dates, proper names, places, and other specific information. Do not copy whole sentences. The original source from which the summary was taken must be documented with in-text documentation and cited on the Works Cited page.

Want to learn more?

See: Information about Summarizing, Quoting and Paraphrasing at http://mciu.org/~spjvweb/sumparquo.html

C. Analysis/Synthesis

What have you learned from your searching and initial writing (see “A” above)? It is now time to write your thesis statement. A thesis statement is the main idea or purpose of your research paper, usually stated in your introductory paragraph. Will your thesis statement be an analysis or a synthesis of what you have learned or both?

1) Analysis

· Can you offer a solution to a problem and support it with your research?

· Can you pose a question in such a way that your research will prove your question?

2) Synthesis

· What are the significant aspects of your topic?

· What is the most important thing, the most interesting fact or the most unusual characteristic you think your readers should know about your topic?

Want to learn more?

See: How to develop a thesis statement at http://mciu.org/~spjvweb/thesis.html

D. Write a Thesis Statement and Select Your Final Sources

1) Write Your Thesis Statement

After all, that evaluating and searching to find information, you will need to refine your topic one last time and finalize your thesis. Your work so far has been like a bee circling around a field of nectar-filled flowers, checking out one, investigating another until finally it zooms into the one flower that is filled with more nectar than the rest. You have been investigating and thinking and now you understand your topic and can succinctly state what you think and what you intend to prove. Will you offer an opinion and support it with your research or will you state that you think a problem exists and prove it?

2) Select Your Final Sources

Check to see if there is additional information on the Internet. Make your final selection of all the sources you found and type up a working list of sources. Is the investigative and evaluative work you did earlier for naught? No! Any sources that you do not actually cite but used to understand your topic should be cited on your Works Consulted page.

E. Organize Your Notes

1) Organize –

Now it is time to organize the notes you have been taking from the excellent sources you found. When you organize, you will put the note cards in order or rewrite the notes from your notebook onto new pieces of paper that are topic-designated or cut and paste from your source documents within your research file.

2) Group –

Whether you used note cards, a notebook or pages within a multi page document on your computer, group your notes into a unique order that should have become apparent as you were reading. This ordered information then becomes your outline, your skeleton, for your paper.

3) Order –

The order should flow through strong points you found from several sources as you researched. Each point is supported by similar information you also found as you researched.

F. Write a First Draft

1) Fill in the skeleton.

You have written an outline already. That outline is like a skeleton. Now just fill in the skeleton with your notes.

2) Type your notes.

Type the notes up from the note cards, from the notebook, or from your source documents, inserting or cutting and moving them into a sensible order.

a. You may need to move whole paragraphs or whole pages.

b. Leave space for corrections that you will make later.

c. Except for the direct quotes, write everything in your own words.

G. Edit

· Edit by yourself or ask a trusted person such as your parent or a peer to edit for you.

· Do additional research to fill in the blanks where you need additional information.

· Check the beginning of your paper. Will the beginning attract and hold the reader's attention?

· Check the ending. Does it summarize your research paper in some way?

· Check grammar and punctuation even if you did use the grammar and spell check tool on your computer.

· Check usage and verb tenses. Set the grammar check in your word processing program to “Formal.”

· Use a thesaurus to change any words that are repeated too often or to find a stronger word.

· Follow a formal essay style. Use an academic tone, eliminate sentences in the passive voice, and use the third person active voice.

H. Read It. Think About It. Reread It. Rewrite Parts of It.

· Read your paper from beginning to end.

· Leave your work for a bit and think about it.

· Then reread it. Read your paper out loud. Have a friend read it aloud to you.

· Do you need to rewrite a part? Have you left some idea or fact out? Do you need to find more information to enhance one section? Do your points flow smoothly?

I. Write a Final Draft.

· Check your paper for accuracy in facts.

· Check spelling, grammar and punctuation. It must be correct!

· Make sure you do not use any bold or italics formatting in your final draft.

· You might consider printing it out and rereading your paper yet again. Sometimes holding a “hard” copy in your hands as you read it once more is helpful to spot further mistakes.

Table of Contents

IV. Final (But Important) Details

A. Check, Recheck and Cite Your Sources

· Have you recorded the sources you used for information in your notebook, on your note cards or in your note taking documents?

· You must now build a Works Cited and/or a Works Consulted document. A Works Cited document lists all the sources from which you borrowed ideas or actual quotes. A Works Consulted document lists all the sources you investigated for information.

B. Type a Works Cited Page

· Formerly called a “Bibliography”

· List all the sources from which you borrowed ideas or actual quotes.

· Make sure you use the MLA style format.

· At PMCA, you are allowed to use one of two online citation builders: Citation Machine by David Walick’s Landmark Project or NoodleBib Express part of the NoodleTools suite. These special website help you to format your citations. See the Citations How To document in the Appendix for details instructions to use Citation Machine (http://www.citationmachine.net) or learn more about the NoodleTools suite at http://www.noodletools.com/.

C. Type a Works Consulted Page

· List all the sources you investigated.

· Make sure you use the MLA style format.

· At PMCA, you are allowed to use one of two online citation builders: Citation Machine by David Walick’s Landmark Project or NoodleBib part of the NoodleTools suite. These special website help you to format your citations. See the Citations How To document in the Appendix for details instructions to use Citation Machine (http://www.citationmachine.net) or learn more about the NoodleTools suite at http://www.noodletools.com/.

D. Plagiarism

At this point, it is very important to remember to “always give credit where credit is due” and not plagiarize. Not only are you breaking the civil law if you plagiarize, but you are also breaking God’s law.

1) What is Plagiarism?

The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines plagiarism as “to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own: to use (another's production) without crediting the source or
to commit literary theft: present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source.”

Plagiarism, as defined above, is both “stealing and passing off.” In other words it is stealing and it is also lying because you are not truthfully stating that the ideas or words are not your own. As a student at PMCA, you should not just avoid plagiarizing but you should abhor it.

2) How to Avoid Plagiarism – Cite!

Why do we cite? We cite to document whose intellectual property we used for our research.

We cite so our teacher can see not just that we did our work but that our work can be found and read. We cite because it is not our ideas or writing or work. We cite because we must, as Christians, be honest.

So what should you cite? You should cite when you have used:

· someone else’s idea, opinion or theory.

· any facts, statistics, graphs, chart or drawings.

· someone else’s actual spoken or written words. Enclose each quote in quotation marks. If the quotation is more than two sentences in length, offset the quote; do not enclose the quote in quotation marks.

· a paraphrase of someone else’s spoken or written words.

· direct quotations or information from an interview (Ryken, 37).

Common knowledge facts or ideas do not have to be cited. While it is true, there are many facts or ideas you know that are identified as “common knowledge”, you do not know everything and so you must cite your source. An example of common knowledge would be the fact that water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit or 0 degrees Celsius.

Remember:

Plagiarism is stealing someone else’s ideas and/or words and using them as your own without stating where you got them. Using the “cut and paste” method without citing is plagiarism.

If your research project includes a multimedia presentation such as a PowerPoint or an audio presentation, you must follow the published guidelines for fair use of any multimedia. All copyrighted works of others must be cited and credited. You must seek permission from the copyright owner if you publish your PowerPoint or audio presentation on the web. See the document in the Appendix for information about copyright laws and fair use guidelines or For more information see: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/mtss/fairuse/guidelines.html

E. Special Fair Use of Copyright Issues

If you generate a web page, scientific display or publish a research paper and wish to incorporate any clip art, photographs, ideas or words that are copyrighted in it, then you must seek permission from the copyright owner. For further information regarding how to credit copyrighted material, what portion of that copyrighted material may be used and how to seek permission of copyright owners see http://www.sdst.org/rguide/page13.html or read the Copyright/Fair Use Guidelines document in the Appendix.

F. Parenthetical or In-text Documentation

Did you use any parenthetical or in-text documentation within your paper? Make sure each incidence of parenthetical documentation links to a source on your Works Cited page. Use the MLA format for all incidences of in-text documentation. An example of parenthetical documentation can be found within the Introduction and Purpose Statement page in this Research Manual (page 3) and further examples are given in the Parenthetical/In-text Documentation document in the Appendix.

G. Special Formatting for Footnotes

According to the MLA style, parenthetical documentation, and not footnoting, is the format to use to identify borrowed material in the text of your research paper. If you want to explain a point you have made further or if you want to add more information, you can still document that information by using footnotes.

If you want to use footnotes for the reasons above, follow these easy formatting steps using Microsoft Word:

On the Microsoft Word menu bar, click “Insert,” click “Footnote…”
In the dialog box that appears, click the bullet to indicate that you want to insert a footnote (not an endnote).
In the same dialog box, use the bullets to indicate if you want “AutoNumber” or a “Custom Mark.”
Note that by clicking on “Options” you can choose where and how the numbering will appear.

H. Special Formatting for Pagination

According to the MLA style, page numbers are placed in the upper right corner one-half inch from the top of the page. Never use a hyphen, comma or “p.” before the page number. The number should follow your last name. The pagination of this Research Manual does not follow MLA style because the Research Manual is a handbook not a research paper. Format the pagination in your paper by using the “Header and Footer” tool in the View menu of Microsoft Word.

I. Putting the Research Paper Together

Your completed research paper should include the following parts in this order:

A title page containing the title, your name, the teacher's name, the specific class, and the date of submission.
Acknowledgements page. If your teacher requires an acknowledgements page, find out what is expected and place that acknowledgement page between the cover page and the first page of the text.
The text of the paper.
Works Cited Remember that your Works Cited and your Works Consulted pages are numbered as part of your text after the last page of your text.
Works Consulted
Your teacher may request a blank back page.

Table of Contents

V. Additional Sources for Information/Suggestions/Help

1. The Internet Public Library’s “Teenspace”:

A guide to writing a research paper at http://ipl.si.umich.edu/div/teen/aplus/

2. The Big6: An Information Problem-Solving Process:

The Big6 Writing Process Organizer to help you plan and organize your research approach at http://www.big6.com/kidsshowarticle.php?id=311
The Big6 Writing Process to help you complete your research report at http://www.big6.com/kidsshowarticle.php?id=316
The Big6 Note taking Form at http://www.big6.com/files/NoteForm.pdf
Ideas from The Big6 for Note taking and Citing Sources at http://www.big6.com/kidsshowarticle.php?id=78

3. The University of Washington Libraries:

An online interactive tutorial called Research 101 designed to introduce students to research skills at http://www.lib.washington.edu/uwill/research101/

4. The University of California at Berkeley’s Library website:

A tutorial called Finding Information on the Internet at http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/FindInfo.html

5. Joyce Valenza, Library Media Specialist at Springfield High School and creator of the School District of Springfield Township’s High School Virtual Library:

Additional Reference Sources at http://mciu.org/%7Espjvweb/referencmaster.html
The Springfield Township High School Research Guide at http://www.sdst.org/rguide/

6. Purdue University’s website:

An excellent online writing lab for writing of all kinds: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/index2.html

7. Michael Harvey’s website called The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing:

http://nutsandbolts.washcoll.edu/

8. Kathy Schrock’s website called Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators

Extreme Searching at http://kathyschrock.net/slideshows/extreme05.pdf
Effective Search Strategies at http://kathyschrock.net/slideshows/searching.pdf

9. NoodleTools – “a suite of interactive tools designed to aid students and professionals with their online research”:

Excellent online citation building machine at http://www.noodletools.com/noodlebib/citeone_s.php?style=MLA
How to choose the best search tool for the information you need at http://www.noodletools.com/debbie/literacies/information/5locate/adviceengine.html

Table of Contents

VI. Works Cited

Debbie, Abilock. Choose the Best Search for Your Information Need. NoodleTools.com. Ed.
Abilock Damon. 8 Mar. 2006. NoodleTools, Inc. 25 Mar. 2006 <http://www.noodletools.com/debbie/literacies/information/5locate/adviceengine.html>.

Fondse, Jr., Gerard. "Research in English 101: Objectives for Student Learning [Working
Document for Fall Semester, 2005]." Memo to Freshmen Students at Calvin College. Aug.-Sept. 2005.

Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 6th ed. New York: Modern
Language Association, 2003.

Harvey, Michael. "Plagiarism." Michael Harvey's The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing. 25 Oct
2003. Hackett Publishing Company. 07 Jan. 2006
<http://www.nutsandboltsguide.com/plagiarism.html>.

Humes, Barbara. "Understanding Information Literacy." United States Department of Education
Publications. Sep 1999. Office of Education Research. 08 Jan. 2006 <http://www.ed.gov/pubs/UnderLit/index.html>.

Jansen, Barbara. "Big6 Writing Process Organizer for Grades 7-12." The Big6 Skills. 6 Nov
2002. The Big6. 07 Jan. 2006 <http://www.big6.com/showarticle.php?id=311>.

Magid, Larry. "Teen Safely on the Information Highway." safeteens.com. 1 Jan 2004. National
Center for Missing and Exploited Children. 08 Jan. 2006
<http://www.safeteens.com/safeteens.htm>.

"OWL Handouts: Complete Index by Topic." Purdue's Writing Lab. 1 Jan 2000. Purdue
University. 07 Jan. 2006 <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/index2.html>.

"Presidential Committee on Information Literacy: Final Report." Association of College and
Research Libraries. 11 Jan. 2006. American Library Association. 25 Mar. 2006 <http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/whitepapers/presidential.htm>.

Ryken, Leland. “The Research Paper.” Freshman Writing Handbook. Aug.-Sept. 2005.

Schrock, Kathy. “5Ws of Web Site Evaluation.” Kathy Schrock's Critical Evaluation Page. 23
Nov 2005. Kathy Schrock's Home Page. 07 Jan. 2006
< http://kathyschrock.net/abceval/5ws.htm>.

---. “Extreme Searching." Kathy Schrock's Slide Shows for Teaching and Learning. 23 Nov
2005. Kathy Schrock's Home Page. 12 Jan. 2006

<http://kathyschrock.net/slideshows/extreme05.pdf>.

---. "Successful Web Search Strategies." Kathy Schrock's Slide Shows for Teaching and
Learning. 2002. Kathy Schrock's Home Page. 07 Jan. 2006
<http://kathyschrock.net/slideshows/searching.pdf>.

Valenza, Joyce. “Definition of Scholarly vs. Popular vs. Trade vs. Primary Sources.” Springfield
Township High School Virtual Library. 9 June 2005. School District of Springfield
Township. 07 Jan. 2006 <http://mciu.org/%7Espjvweb/scholarly.html>

---. “Information about Summarizing, Quoting and Paraphrasing.” Springfield Township High
School Virtual Library. 10 Dec. 2003. School District of Springfield Township. 07 Jan.
2006. <http://mciu.org/%7Espjvweb/sumparquo.html>.

---. "Pathfinders." Springfield Township High School Virtual Library. 12 May 2005. School
District of Springfield Township. 07 Jan. 2006
<http://mciu.org/%7Espjvweb/pathmenu.html>.

---. "Reference Web Sites." Springfield Township High School Virtual Library. 10 Dec. 2003.
School District of Springfield Township. 07 Jan. 2006
<http://mciu.org/%7Espjvweb/referencmaster.html>.

---. "Research Guide." School District of Springfield Township Online Research Guide. 10 Dec.
2003. Springfield Township High School. 07 Jan. 2006
<http://www.sdst.org/rguide/>.

---. “Search Tools.” Springfield Township High School Virtual Library. 9 June 2005. School
District of Springfield Township. 07 Jan. 2006
<http://mciu.org/~spjvweb/searchtip.html>.

---. “Use CARDSS to evaluate your sources.” Springfield Township High School Virtual
Library. 10 December 2005. School District of Springfield Township. 10 Dec. 2006
<http://mciu.org/~spjvweb/cardss.html>.

---. “What is a Thesis?.” Springfield Township High School Virtual Library. 10 Dec. 2005.
School District of Springfield Township. 07 Jan. 2006
<http://mciu.org/~spjvweb/thesis.html>.