Student’s Name (first name followed by surname) Professor’s Name
Course Name (e.g., English 100) Date (e.g., 2 February 2001)
Full Title of Research Paper Without Any Special Formatting
Set margins to 1 inch, double-space document, select an 11- or 12-pt serif font (Times New Roman or comparable), and set Paragraph Spacing to “O.” Use the tab key to indent paragraphs. The first paragraph of an essay is the introductory paragraph. This is where you introduce the topic(s), object(s), and/or text(s) you are analyzing and set up the framework for your argument. Always italicize book and film titles (or underline them if you’re writing by hand) and place poem, essay/article, and short story titles in “Quotation Marks.” Avoid broad, universalizing statements and philosophical ruminations (e.g., “In all of human history, care has been a very important concern for human beings”) and aim to begin with concrete observations about your specific topic or texts (e.g., “The Black feminist poet Audre Lorde was one of the late-twentieth century’s most notable theorists of the politics of care”). Provide the full name(s) of the author(s) the first time you mention them (referring to them by surname only after that), the full title(s) of the source(s) you are analyzing, and, if relevant, the date(s) of publication (in parentheses immediately after titles). Most importantly, your thesis must be stated in or near the introduction so that your reader knows what you are going to argue and, if possible, how—by what methods or steps—you are going to argue it. It is a good idea to begin working on an essay with a provisional thesis and to revise your thesis for precision after you have completed the essay. Your thesis should match, as closely as possible, what you actually end up saying and arguing over the course of your essay.
The first body paragraph of the essay, like subsequent body paragraphs, focuses on one main point in the argumentation of your thesis, which is stated in a topic sentence. A topic sentence tells your reader what the paragraph is about and is usually the first or second sentence of the paragraph. Avoid beginning a new paragraph with a direct quotation! Instead, use direct quotations, or any ideas paraphrased from sources, as evidence/support for any claims you make in your paragraph. Remember that when you are quoting you must use signal phrases (also called reporting verbs or reporting expressions), quotation marks, and parenthetical citations: We understand anger as a response that can occur “when fear and intimidation are felt persistently” (Walton 45). If you use a reporting expression and have already identified the author in your sentence, you don’t need to include the author’s name in the parenthetical citation:
Walton describes anger as a response that can occur “when fear and intimidation are felt persistently” (45). Your last sentence should set up a smooth transition to the next paragraph where you will discuss the next point in your argument. (Do not end with a quotation, either.) The number of body paragraphs your research essay will have depends not only on the required length of the essay, but also on how many points you find it is necessary to make in building your argument and convincing your reader of a certain analysis, position, or
interpretation. Many students will be acquainted with the five-paragraph essay form, which contains a thesis and three main points discussed in three body paragraphs. However, at the university level, we try to move beyond the five-paragraph essay and formulaic three-point descriptive theses. Think about the order of your body paragraphs. Is there a logical progression of points? Would you improve your argument by moving body paragraphs around? Organize academic essays according to the three-section essay structure: introduction, body, and conclusion.
As your paper develops, you will want to incorporate your research. Sometimes you will use direct quotes that “duplicate the original source word for word” (Koltz). Other times, you will put the ideas from your research into your own words, and that paraphrased material must also be cited in-text (Dworkin 3). You cite a website with an author the same way you would an article (Poncelet). Even if your information came from a website without an author, you must cite that source, just using the first word or first couple words of the title in quotation marks.
The concluding paragraph of your essay should restate your thesis and point out the broader significance of your analysis. Avoid, however, simply repeating your thesis or topic sentences; instead, aim to summarize your argument with an eye toward further questions or perhaps counterarguments. If there are research or critical approaches that you sense could or should be further undertaken, you might suggest some such ideas in your conclusion. Leave your reader with something memorable and powerful, but avoid cliché. A separate Works Cited page
—which lists of all the sources you either quoted or paraphrased—follows the last page of your research essay, with entries appearing in alphabetical order. When you are finished writing your essay draft, be sure to give yourself time to revise for focus, clarity, logical progression, and mechanical issues such as grammar, syntax, diction, and expression. Always remember that if something you’ve written doesn’t make 100% sense to you, it won’t make any sense at all to your reader!
Appendix
In MLA style, the appendix appears before the Works Cited list. If you have more than one appendix you would name the first one Appendix A, the second one Appendix B and so on.
The appendices would appear in the order that you mention them in your essay. Each Appendix begins on a new page.
Works Cited
Dworkin, Ronald W. “Science, Faith and Alternative Medicine.” Policy Review, vol. 108, no. 2, 2001, pp. 3-19. Academic Search Premier.
Koltz, Hattie. “Doctors Offer Alternative, Naturally: Naturopathic Doctors Meet Growing Demand for Their Services.” Ottawa Citizen, 17 May 2008, H10. Canadian Newsstand.
Poncelet, Barbara. "Mom Am I Fat?: Helping Your Teen Have a Positive Body
Image." Verywell.com. About Inc., 20 Apr. 2016, www.verywell.com/mom-am-i-fat- 3200843.
Walton, Stuart. A Natural History of Human Emotions. Grove Press, 2004.
