Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Specific Criteria for the Research Paper

The following are the requirements for your research paper:

*Font size 16

*Font style must be something traditional such as Times New Roman, Geneva, Ariel, Helvetica, etc.

*The First page is the title page that should have your approved topic centered in the middle of the page. Double space and center your first and last name. Double space again and center the due date May 17, 2010;


*The outline should be single spaced with your last name and the number 2 in the upper right hand corner.


*The body of the paper should be double spaced

*A minimum of 3 sources should be used

*A minimum of 2 paraphrases and 2 quotes should be used correctly in context.

*The bibliography page should have a heading and should be capitalized; the sources should be alphabetized according to the beginning word whether it is the author, editor, or title.

Check out my new digital learning website: GrammarCloud!

Using Inspiration for Organizing an Outline




Inspiration helps to organize ideas using a cluster diagram which is great for the visual learner who can use shapes and colors to arrange and categorize information. The students have used the cluster diagram for organizing their thoughts for their research paper. They began by using the center circle for their thesis and from there, they linked it to their three supporting details. With each support, any specific examples were linked accordingly. Each section of the cluster contained only words and phrases (not complete thoughts) since they would eventually convert it to outline form. Once they arranged all of their ideas, the simple click of a button turned their graphic organizer into an outline with Roman Numerals, letters, and numbers.

Once the outline was checked for needed revisions and edits, it was then transfered to a word document with another simple click of a button. The ideas from the outline were then used to compose sentences for their research paper.

Avoiding Plagiarism

Many people think of plagiarism as copying another's work, or borrowing someone else's original ideas. But terms like "copying" and "borrowing" can disguise the seriousness of the offense:

According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, to "plagiarize" means

1. to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own
2. to use (another's production) without crediting the source
3. to commit literary theft
4. to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing
source.

In other words, plagiarism is an act of fraud. It involves both stealing someone else's work and lying about it afterward.
But can words and ideas really be stolen?

According to U।S. law, the answer is yes. The expression of original ideas is considered intellectual property, and is protected by copyright laws, just like original inventions. Almost all forms of expression fall under copyright protection as long as they are recorded in some way (such as a book or a computer file).

All of the following are considered plagiarism:

* turning in someone else's work as your own
* copying words or ideas from someone else without giving credit
* failing to put a quotation in quotation marks
* giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation
* changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit
* copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority of your work, whether you give credit or not (see our section on "fair use" rules)

Most cases of plagiarism can be avoided, however, by citing sources. Simply acknowledging that certain material has been borrowed, and providing your audience with the information necessary to find that source, is usually enough to prevent plagiarism. See our section on citation for more information on how to cite sources properly.

Example for using quotations

Example for using paraphrasing

*What is Plagiarism? (n.d.) Retrieved May 4th, 2009
http://www.plagiarism.org/learning_center/what_is_plagiarism.html