ENG 2050: Business and Technical Writing

Research Paper

Agenda……….

What is MLAHow To Write Your PaperPick A TopicYour Presentation

Modern Language Association

What is MLA Founded in 1883, the Modern Language Association of

America provides opportunities for its members to share their scholarly findings and teaching experiences with colleagues and to discuss trends in the academy. MLA members host an annual convention and other meetings, work with related organizations, and sustain one of the finest publishing programs in the humanities. For over a hundred years, members have worked to strengthen the study and teaching of language and literature.

Modern Language Association

The MLA at a Glance Over 30,000 members in 100 countries Programs serving English and foreign language teachers An annual convention, with meetings on a wide variety of subjects, and smaller

seminars across the country The MLA International Bibliography, the only comprehensive bibliography in

language and literature, available in print and online A book publication program issuing about 12 new books each year and

maintaining a backlist of over 200 titles 4 major periodicals: the ADE Bulletin; the ADFL Bulletin; Profession; and PMLA,

one of the most distinguished journals in the humanities A quarterly newsletter providing association news, lists of deadlines, and items

of interest to members 134 divisions and discussion groups for specialized scholarly and teaching

interests of members 45 membership committees overseeing association activities and publications Leadership in the national education community

Modern Language Association

• What is MLA– Parenthetical Documentation

• Use anytime you– Quote– Summarize– Paraphrase

» Listing the authors name (or title)» Identify the source» List the exact page number

• This usually comes at the end of a sentence

Modern Language Association

For example: In the text of your paper:

The first gambling Web site appeared in 1995, and online gambling has since become the most lucrative Internet business (Will 92).or, George Will reported that in 2002 Internet gambling surpassed pornography to become the Internet's most lucrative business (92).

Modern Language Association

• What is MLA– Bibliographic Documentation (Works Cited)

• Includes anything you– Quote– Summarize– Paraphrase

» Listing the authors name (or title)» Identify the source» List the exact page number

• This usually comes at the end of a sentence

Modern Language Association

For example:

In your Works Cited list: Will, George F. "Electronic Morphine." Newsweek 25

Nov. 2002: 92.

Modern Language Association

But..what about…………….

Footnotes (including citations at the bottom of each page) have not gone entirely the way of the dinosaurs. In fact it is ironic that footnotes were declared outmoded just before the era of the word-processors which make using footnotes so much easier. Still, because of its relative ease in both writing and reading, parenthetical documentation is greatly preferred by most instructors.

Endnotes (gathering citations and reference lists at the end of each chapter or at the end of the paper) have enjoyed a popularity among academic writers, primarily because they make the transition from a submitted manuscript to published resource so much easier. Even so, parenthetical documentation has supplanted both footnotes and endnotes in most academic disciplines.

FROM: http://www.ccc.commnet.edu/mla/practical_guide.shtml#footnotes

Where do you begin??????

How To Write Your Paper

Identify what the assignment requires:• topic possibilities• number of sources• type of sources (journals, books, Internet –

Morningstar, Hoovers, HBJ, WSJ)• citation requirements (MLA, APA, Chicago)• presentation requirements (oral or written)• length of paper• due date

Your Paper Format

• Introduction• Brief History• Competitors

• Specific Competitive Advantages of Rivals• Future Challenges• Conclusion• Works Cited Page

How To Write Your Paper

A librarian can assist you with the process of finding information sources for your assignment.

Stop by the library. http://www.csmd.edu/Library/

Contact the librarian at http://www.csmd.edu/Library/contact.html

or in person

How To Write Your Paper

Organizing Your Research Using Note Cards Read source actively by highlighting important

information. Record quotes that you may want to use later and

include source and page number on card. Create paraphrases and summaries on note cards

directly from your research. Record on each note card the author’s name and

page number for later reference.

Your Presentation

Microsoft PowerPoint only You may use other visuals Limit slide to one thought, concept or idea Limit to 40 words – six lines of text – or seven

words per line Use short bulleted phases

Your Presentation

Only use sentences when sharing a quotation

Use active voice Use short, informative titles

Your Presentation

Three (3) PowerPoint slides ONLY The layout and design are your choice End presentation with “Takeaways”……..

Don’t Forget to Proofread…..

Don't rely entirely on spelling checkers.. For example, if you type "your" instead of "you're," "to" instead of "too," or "there" instead of "their," the spell checker won't catch the error.

Grammar checkers can be even more problematic. These programs work with a limited number of rules, so they can't identify every error and often make mistakes. They also fail to give thorough explanations to help you understand why a sentence should be revised. You may want to use a grammar checker to help you identify potential run-on sentences or too-frequent use of the passive voice, but you need to be able to evaluate the feedback it provides.

And do not plagiarize…..

No need to….There are online plagiarism

checkers that are free…..