Creating a Thesis Statement
1. Determine what kind of paper you are writing:
2. Your thesis statement should be specific—it should cover only what you will discuss in your paper and should be supported with specific evidence.
3. The thesis statement usually appears at the end of the first paragraph of a paper.
4. Your topic may change as you write, so you may need to revise your thesis statement to reflect exactly what you have discussed in the paper.
Source: Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab– Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements
- An analytical paper breaks down an issue or an idea into its component parts, evaluates the issue or idea, and presents this breakdown and evaluation to the audience.
- An expository (explanatory) paper explains something to the audience.
- An argumentative paper makes a claim about a topic and justifies this claim with specific evidence. The claim could be an opinion, a policy proposal, an evaluation, a cause-and-effect statement, or an interpretation. The goal of the argumentative paper is to convince the audience that the claim is true based on the evidence provided.
2. Your thesis statement should be specific—it should cover only what you will discuss in your paper and should be supported with specific evidence.
3. The thesis statement usually appears at the end of the first paragraph of a paper.
4. Your topic may change as you write, so you may need to revise your thesis statement to reflect exactly what you have discussed in the paper.
Source: Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab– Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements
Citing Evidence IN MLA FORMAT
IN-TEXT CITATIONS
MLA recommends in-text citations that refer readers to a list of works cited. An in-text citation names the author of the source, often in a signal phrase, and gives a page number in parentheses. For guidelines on in-text citations click here.
Example:
Jay Kesan notes that even though many companies now routinely monitor employees through electronic means, “there may exist less intrusive safeguards for employers” (293).
WORKS CITED
At the end of the paper, a list of works cited provides publication information about the source; the list is alphabetized by authors’ last names (or by titles for works without authors). For an example of the format of a Works Cited page click here. For guidelines on citing different types of sources click here.
Entry Example:
Kesan, Jay P. “Cyber-Working or Cyber-Shirking? A First Principles Examination of Electronic Privacy in the Workplace.” Florida Law Review 54.2 (2002): 289-332. Print.
Source: Research and Documentation Online 5th Edition– MLA Style: English and Other Humanities
MLA recommends in-text citations that refer readers to a list of works cited. An in-text citation names the author of the source, often in a signal phrase, and gives a page number in parentheses. For guidelines on in-text citations click here.
Example:
Jay Kesan notes that even though many companies now routinely monitor employees through electronic means, “there may exist less intrusive safeguards for employers” (293).
WORKS CITED
At the end of the paper, a list of works cited provides publication information about the source; the list is alphabetized by authors’ last names (or by titles for works without authors). For an example of the format of a Works Cited page click here. For guidelines on citing different types of sources click here.
Entry Example:
Kesan, Jay P. “Cyber-Working or Cyber-Shirking? A First Principles Examination of Electronic Privacy in the Workplace.” Florida Law Review 54.2 (2002): 289-332. Print.
Source: Research and Documentation Online 5th Edition– MLA Style: English and Other Humanities
Creating A Bibliography with Easybib
1. Choose your source
At the EasyBib home page, choose MLA format and select the tab to pick the type of source you are citing. In many cases, all you'll have to do after that is type in the URL or title of your source.
2. Fill out the form
If you've autocited your source, many of the form fields will automatically be filled in. Review the information in these fields, and enter any additional information you need.
3. Export your bibliography or keep going
Your source is now cited. If you are finished, just click "Export to Word" on the right hand side. You'll get a document to save that will allow you to easily copy into your paper. If you're not finished, just select another source. EasyBib will automatically add your citation to your bibliography and alphabetize it appropriately.
Source: EasyBib– Introductory Tutorial
At the EasyBib home page, choose MLA format and select the tab to pick the type of source you are citing. In many cases, all you'll have to do after that is type in the URL or title of your source.
2. Fill out the form
If you've autocited your source, many of the form fields will automatically be filled in. Review the information in these fields, and enter any additional information you need.
3. Export your bibliography or keep going
Your source is now cited. If you are finished, just click "Export to Word" on the right hand side. You'll get a document to save that will allow you to easily copy into your paper. If you're not finished, just select another source. EasyBib will automatically add your citation to your bibliography and alphabetize it appropriately.
Source: EasyBib– Introductory Tutorial
Select logo to go to EasyBib