Follow MLA form precisely. Points will be seriously deducted if MLA is not followed precisely. No cover page. Document all sources fully. Anytime one quotes or summarizes someone elses work, document the source. Over-documentation is better than under-documentation. If you have to document each line, do so. Above all, digest sources in your own words [and document if the idea is not yours], rather than quoting directly. The list of works cited should be a complete list of all sources you have used. Wikipedia and comparable on-line sources are not acceptable. Use periodicals and books by academic experts. Check the electronic indexes through the library for your keyword. If necessary, use Interlibrary Loan to bring books to you; you can also use your CSUDH card at CSU Long Beach, which has a larger library.
What is the title of your paper? Make it predict your thesis. Present it on the first page of the paper.
Introduce the topic of your paper clearly, defining key terms (with documentation).
What is the thesis of your paper? Think this through in outline form before you continue. Always outline before you start a paper.
After the statement of your thesis, present a brief review of some of the published literature on the book(s) on which you are focusing. To begin to prepare to write your review of the literature, consult the journal indexes and the published books on the topic. Allow yourself time to do a thorough job. You are responsible for demonstrating you are aware of published materials relevant to your thesis. You will need to consult, summarize, and assess these sources. What are their strengths, their weaknesses? Assess what is still needed pertaining to your topic. Is there a neglected angle, subtopic, method that should be pursued? Is there inaccuracy in the published work on the topic, or omissions, bias? Work through this body of publications and develop a dialogue with it. Where do you stand with respect to these sources? What is your argument about this topic? Develop a two-sided argument that integrates references to published works about the topic.
After the literature review, the body of the paper will defend the thesis. Outline before you start. Make sure you have collected sufficient details through analysis of your materials in order to substantiate the thesis. Break the defense down into sections, sub topics. You can continue to dialogue with the published literature throughout the body, but the focus is on your argument.
Conclude by synthesizing your main points and clinching your argument.
Finish with a list of all the works cited, using MLA format.
Revise and polish, repeatedly. Always set your work aside and come back to it with a fresh outlook, then revise. Become your own, rigorous critic.Research Paper Rubric(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(F)
Thesis
clearly stated
and
appropriately
focused
clearly stated
but focus
could have
been sharper
thesis phrasing too
simple, lacks
complexity; or, not
clearly worded
thesis lacks a clear
objective and/or
does not fit
content of essay
thesis not evident
Supporting
Research
thorough and
relevant;
two-sided
argument
consistently
and cogently
developed
less thorough
but still
substantial
and relevant;
development
of two-sided
argument
adequate; relevance
made clear; two-sided
argument; unbalanced
insufficient;
relevance not
always made clear;
two-sided
argument not
consistent or cogent
irrelevant, missing,
or relies on
assertion rather
than research;
argument missing
or illogical
Focus &
Content
sharp, distinct focus; balanced,
substantial,
specific, and/or
illustrative
content;
sophisticated,
mature ideas are
particularly
well-developed
Clear focus;
specific,
illustrative,
and balanced
content
adequate focus, but
unbalanced content;
more analysis needed
essay contains too
much research
information
without analysis or
commen-tary
absence of focus
and relevant
content; content
doesnt fit thesis
Organiza-tion
obviously
controlled
and/or subtle
organization;
strong topic
sentences
logical and
appropriate
organization;
clear topic
sentences
organization attempted,
but unclear or
inappropriate
topic sentences
inconsistent
organiza-tion
absence of planned
organization
Style
writers voice is
strong;
precision in
tone, sentence
structure, and
precision and
variety in
sentence
structure and
word choice
limited, but mostly
correct, sentence
structure variety and
word choice
several awkward
and/or unclear
sentences; problems
with word choice
no apparent control
over sentence
structure and word
choice
Mechanics
& Usage
free of
mechanical and
usage errors
few
mechanical
and usage
errors
some mechanical and
usage errors, but not
severe enough to
interfere significantly
with writers purpose
mechanical and
usage errors which
interfere with
writers purpose
mechanical and
usage errors that
significantly
interfere with the
writers purpose
MLA:
In-Text
Citationsall sources are
accurately
documented in
the proper
MLA format
all sources
are
documented,
but a few are
not in the
desired
format
most sources are
documented, but many
are not in the desired
format
several sources lack
proper
documenta-tion
sources are not
accurately
documented, and
MLA format is not
attempted or
followed properly
MLA:
Works Cited
Page
all sources on
Works Cited
page follow
proper MLA
format
most sources on Works Cited page
follow proper MLA format
few of the sources
on Works Cited
page follow proper
MLA format
several sources lack
proper
documenta-tion
sources are not
accurately
documented, and
MLA format is not
attempted or
followed properlyadd the pic thats on attached files to the research paper