Help With MLA Citations and More - Use for your final papers and persuasive essay revisions

General Format

MLA style specifies guidelines for formatting manuscripts and using the English language in writing. MLA style also provides writers with a system for referencing their sources through parenthetical citation in their essays and Works Cited pages.

Writers who properly use MLA also build their credibility by demonstrating accountability to their source material. Most importantly, the use of MLA style can protect writers from accusations of plagiarism, which is the purposeful or accidental uncredited use of source material by other writers.

General Guidelines

•   Type your paper on a computer and print it out on standard, white 8.5 x 11-inch paper.

•   Double-space the text of your paper, and use a legible font (e.g. Times New Roman). Whatever font you choose, MLA recommends that the regular and italics type styles contrast enough that they are recognizable one from another. The font size should be 12 pt.

•   Leave only one space after periods or other punctuation marks (unless otherwise instructed by your instructor).

•   Set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides.

•   Indent the first line of paragraphs one half-inch from the left margin. MLA recommends that you use the Tab key as opposed to pushing the Space Bar five times.

•   Create a header that numbers all pages consecutively in the upper right-hand corner, one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin.

Formatting the First Page of Your Paper

•   Do not make a title page for your paper

•   In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list your name, your instructor's name, the course, and the date. Again, be sure to use double-spaced text.

•   Double space again and center the title. Do not underline, italicize, or place your title in quotation marks; write the title in Title Case (standard capitalization), not in all capital letters.

•   Double space between the title and the first line of the text.

•   Create a header in the upper right-hand corner that includes your last name, followed by a space with a page number; number all pages consecutively with Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin. (Note: Your instructor or other readers may ask that you omit last name/page number header on your first page. Always follow instructor guidelines.)

Here is a sample of the first page of a paper in MLA style:

Work Cited Page

·      Begin your Works Cited page on a separate page at the end of your research paper. It should have the same one-inch margins and last name, page number header as the rest of your paper.

·      Label the page Works Cited (do not italicize the words Works Cited or put them in quotation marks) and center the words Works Cited at the top of the page.

·      Double space all citations, but do not skip spaces between entries.

Basic in-text citation rules

In MLA style, referring to the works of others in your text is done by using what is known as parenthetical citation. This method involves placing relevant source information in parentheses after a quote or a paraphrase.

General Guidelines

·      The source information required in a parenthetical citation depends (1.) upon the source medium (e.g. Print, Web, DVD) and (2.) upon the source’s entry on the Works Cited (bibliography) page.

·      Any source information that you provide in-text must correspond to the source information on the Works Cited page. More specifically, whatever signal word or phrase you provide to your readers in the text, must be the first thing that appears on the left-hand margin of the corresponding entry in the Works Cited List.

In-text citations: Author-page style

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.

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

Citing non-print or sources from the Internet

With more and more scholarly work being posted on the Internet, you may have to cite research you have completed in virtual environments. When creating in-text citations for electronic, film, or Internet sources, remember that your citation must reference the source in your Works Cited.

Sometimes writers are confused with how to craft parenthetical citations for electronic sources because of the absence of page numbers, but often, these sorts of entries do not require any sort of parenthetical citation at all. For electronic and Internet sources, follow the following guidelines:

·      Include in the text the first item that appears in the Work Cited entry that corresponds to the citation (e.g. author name, article name, website name, film name).

·      You do not need to give paragraph numbers or page numbers based on your Web browser’s print preview function.

Unless you must list the Web site name in the signal phrase in order to get the reader to the appropriate entry, do not include URLs in-text. Only provide partial URLs such as when the name of the site includes, for example, a domain name, like CNN.com or Forbes.com as opposed to writing out http://www.cnn.com or http://www.forbes.com.

Sample Works Cited Page

Works Cited

"Blueprint Lays Out Clear Path for Climate Action." Environmental Defense Fund. Environmental Defense Fund, 8 May 2007. Web. 24 May 2009.

Clinton, Bill. Interview by Andrew C. Revkin. “Clinton on Climate Change.” New York Times. New York Times, May 2007. Web. 25 May 2009.

Dean, Cornelia. "Executive on a Mission: Saving the Planet." New York Times. New York Times, 22 May 2007. Web. 25 May 2009.

Ebert, Roger. "An Inconvenient Truth." Rev. of An Inconvenient Truth, dir. Davis Guggenheim. rogerebert.com. Sun-Times News Group, 2 June 2006. Web. 24 May 2009.

GlobalWarming.org. Cooler Heads Coalition, 2007. Web. 24 May 2009.

Gowdy, John. "Avoiding Self-organized Extinction: Toward a Co-evolutionary Economics of Sustainability." International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology 14.1 (2007): 27-36. Print.

An Inconvenient Truth. Dir. Davis Guggenheim. Perf. Al Gore, Billy West. Paramount, 2006. DVD.

Leroux, Marcel. Global Warming: Myth Or Reality?: The Erring Ways of Climatology. New York: Springer, 2005. Print.

artist suggestions for final paper

If you are having trouble coming up with an artist for your final paper, here are some suggestions that you can use.

Trouble picking out an artist? Here are some suggestions.

1.     Pablo Picasso

2.     Leonardo Da Vinci

3.     Paul Cezanne

4.     Rembrandt Van Rign

5.     Claude Monet

6.     Jackson Pollock

7.     Michelangelo Buonarroti

8.     Paul Gauguin

9.     Vincent Van Gogh

10. Edouard Manet

11.  Henri Matisee

12. Raphael

13. Edvard Munch

14. Andy Marhol

15. Gustav Klmt

16. Winslow Homer

17. Edgar Degas

18. Georges Seurat

19. Salvador Dali

20.  Pierre-Auguste Renoir

21. James Mcneill Whistler

22. Roy Lichtenstein

23. Georgia O’Keefe

24. Ansel Adams  (Photographer)

25. Robert Capa (Photographer)

26.  Dorothea Lange (Photographer)

27.  Elsie de Wolfe (Interior Designer)

28. Frances Adler Elkins (Interior Designer)

29.  Dorothy Draper (Interior Designer)

30.  Donatello (Sculptor)

31. Maya Lin (designer of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC)

32. Dave the Potter aka Dave the Slave – (Pottery)

33.  Grant Wood

34.  Norman Rockwell

35.  Anna Mary Robertson Moses aka Grandma Moses

36.  Mary Cassatt

37.  Tim Burton

38.  John James Audubon

39. Henri Rousseau

40.  Frida Kahlo

41.  Katsushika Hokusai

Having Trouble With Your Artist Statement Assignment? Here are some links to help you

http://www.artbusiness.com/artstate1.html


http://www.theguardian.com/culture-professionals-network/culture-professionals-blog/2013/apr/15/writing-artist-statement-tips-language


http://artsboard.wisconsin.gov/sublink.asp?linksubcat2id=2275&linksubcatid=3324&linkcatid=3398&linkid=1653

Final Paper/Artist Research Paper

Final Paper/Artist Research Paper

This project is worth 250 points

Please keep the following Due Dates in Mind:

Monday, December 2, 2013

Paper Outline – format attached

Monday, December 9

First Draft Due – Peer Paper Consultations – For this you need to bring two copies of your paper to class. One copy you will hand-in to me, and the other copy you will use in class to edit and read over with a classmate.

Wednesday, December 11

Student/Teacher Paper Consultations – I will pass around a sign-up sheet today. You will pick a time for us to meet (during regular class time) for a 10 minute consultation to go over your first draft.

Monday, December 16

Final Paper Due & Class Presentation Due – Your final paper is due this day. I will not accept any late papers. In addition to handing in your paper this day, you will briefly tell the class who you wrote about. This won’t be a formal presentation. You can sit from your seat and just tell us who the artist was, what they are known for and show us a image from your paper of the artist’s work.

For this project/paper you will pick an artist to research. It doesn’t necessarily need to be a famous artist, but you will need to find 3-6 outside sources for this paper, so keep this in mind when choosing an artist. You don’t want to pick an individual that you cannot find any background information on.

This paper should be written in MLA Format , typed, 12 point font, 1” margins. The paper should have a title and you should have parenthetical citations and a works cited page in MLA format as well.

While conducting research on your artist, you should look for information on the following to include in your essay:

·      Who is the artist

·      Where is the artist from, when was he/she born?

·      How did this artist get started?

·      What types of artwork did/does this artist do? (painting, drawing, ceramics, photography, etc.)

·      What mediums does this artist use? (oils, watercolors, b&w photography, clay, etc.)

·      What is the artist most well-known for?

·      What piece of artwork by the artist do you find the most interesting?

·      What style or period of art?

·      What do you find most interesting about this artist?

·      Is the artist’s work similar to another artist/type of artwork?

What you will be graded on

1.     Hand in typed outline (format attached) on December 2, 2013  - 25 points

2.     Hand in First Draft and Participate in Peer Review on December 9, 2013 – 25 points

3.     Participate in Student/Teacher Paper Evaluation on December 11, 2013 – 25 points

4.     Hand in final paper (no late papers accepted) on December 16, 2013 – 30 points

5.     Tell class who your artist was on December 16, 2013 and tell us a little bit about your artist – 15 points

6.     Have 3-6 outside sources an a Works Cited Page in MLA Format – 15 points

7.     Use MLA Format for your paper – 15 points

8.     Clear introduction, body paragraphs describing your artist and conclusion – 30 points

9.     You answered questions mentioned above in your paper – 30 points

10. Image of artist or piece of artist’s work in your paper with caption – 10 points

11. Spelling, grammar, punctuation – 30 points

Total = 250 points

 Example for Outlining Your Research Paper – This is the format you should use for your outline due on December 2, 2013.

Before you start writing get your ideas down in a logical sequence that you can then use to expand while actually writing the paper.

Thesis statement: What your paper is going to be about.

Example:

The cost of medical care in the United States is causing the poor to receive substandard care.

Key points: What ideas you will actually be writing about. Have at least three, no more than five. You can take ideas away, modify or add when you start writing.

Examples of possible key points for the above thesis statement:

1.    Paying for medical care is beyond the reach of the poor.

2.    Paying for medical insurance is beyond the reach of the poor if not offered by their employers.

3.    The poor are forced to use over-extended and under-staffed medical facilities if they cannot afford care.

You can use the thesis statement and key points to create an introductory paragraph; then you will expand in the rest of the paper on the thesis and key points. Examples of expanding on key points:

Key point 1. Paying for medical care is beyond the reach of the poor.

 Expand your ideas for this topic – this could be one or more paragraphs.

Demonstrate why and how medical care is beyond the poor.

Average cost of medical care as opposed to average salaries.

The poor have to use clinics and other free care.

Key point 2. Paying for medical insurance is beyond the reach of the poor if not offered by their employers.

Expand your ideas for this topic– this could be one or more paragraphs.

Can the average worker afford health care costs even if they have them.

Average costs of health care plans.

If an employer does not supply health care benefits how can employees get it.

Key point 3. The poor are forced to use over-extended and under-staffed medical facilities if they cannot afford care. Expand your ideas for this topic – this could be one or more paragraphs.

What kind of facilities are available to people who can’t afford health care.

What are limitations for using those facilities (income, etc.).

Are these facilities adequately staffed and funded.

Summary / Conclusion:

Create a key summary sentence/paragraph that declares a wrap-up of concepts you have covered in the paper. You may want to quickly summarize your main ideas. This should transition into a Conclusion of your ideas on the topic. The conclusion could be a separate paragraph or this section could be more than one paragraph.

Reference / Works Cited:

List of the sources you used in writing the paper.