In general, those citations will include the last name of the author and a page number, year, or both denoting the source-format varies by style.
You must include a works cited list and cite your sources according to the required style guide! Within your paper, that means using in-text and parenthetical citations correctly. The most crucial part of formatting are around the citations.
While MLA formatting is commonly used, especially if you’re in a humanities or arts discipline, you should also discover your new best friend: APA format. Up to now, you’ve probably used one style: MLA. Formatting & CitationsĬarefully read your teacher’s directions: Single or double spaced? Do you need a cover page? Is there a specific formatting style you should follow? It doesn’t have to be a “call to action,” but it should leave an impression. Restate your main thesis, briefly summarize the results of your arguments, and end with a memorable sentence. Use your final paragraph to wrap up your paper. You take a stance and you have “proof” as to why it’s the correct answer, right? The same thing applies to your college papers: opinion or theory, finding evidence, and using it to make your point. Think about the debates you have with your friends-maybe over a reality show or whether chocolate chip cookies should be crispy or gooey. The key is simpler than you think: have an opinion and back it up. What belongs in a college paper? Some require a summary of research, while others want an original argument supported with research. This is the most important part of your paper, where your research and the arguments you’re using to support your thesis should go. While it doesn’t have to be three-pronged, it should be a complex sentence that summarizes the main argument of your paper. You always need a thesis for a research paper. This is only a paragraph, so keep it engaging but succinct. Start with a quick overview of the topic and relevant background information. The bad news: your college papers are going to be longer than that! The good news: the same principles still apply! You probably know the five-paragraph essay: intro (with a three-pronged thesis), three body paragraphs, conclusion. Have some flexibility, so that if you encounter something that amends your arguments, you have room to include it. You may want to have a rough outline before you dive fully into your research, so that you can focus your search. A research paper outline can help keep your paper well-organized and allow you to see what elements of your research and arguments can feed into each other, to keep the essay flowing logically. Wikipedia, for instance, typically contains a lot of sources in the citations at the bottom that link you to usable, credible resources.īefore you start writing, it can be helpful to outline your paper first. Here’s one crucial trick: Wikipedia and other user-generated sites are actually great resources, just not to cite directly.
#How to properly cite sources in college essay how to
If you’re unsure how to access these, check with your campus library. Use academic search engines such as Academic Search Premier, JSTOR, Google Scholar, and others. Still, this doesn’t mean that Wikipedia and other user-generated websites are acceptable sources. In the digital age, academic research takes place mostly online (although your campus brick and mortar library is still an AMAZING and highly underutilized resource). To write an excellent paper, you need plenty of research to back up your thesis. This is probably the most crucial part of your essay. Once you have a topic, the next steps happen almost simultaneously: research and outlining.
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