WRITING
THE
RESEARCH
PAPER
by
Susan Frankel
Professor of English
With Nina McHale
Reference/Digital Resources Librarian
Howard Community College
August 2002
1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Essence of the Research Paper……………………………………… 2
Definitions…………………………………………………………………….. 3
Where to Go for Help…………………………………………………….. 6
Using the HCC Library………………………………………………….. 8
Conducting Research on the Internet ……………………………….. 15
Steps in Writing the Paper……………………………………………… 20
Documentation…………………………………………………………... 24
American Psychological Association (APA) Style……………………... 25
Sample Reference Page…………………………………………………. 35
Modern Language Association (MLA) Style…………………………... 36
Sample Works Cited Page………………………………………………. 45
Quotations………………………………………………………………... 46
Plagiarism………………………………………………………………... 48
Format of the Finished Paper…………………………………………... 49
2
The Essence of the Research Paper
THIS PAGE IS IMPORTANT; DON’T SKIP IT!!!
Writing a research paper is a complex task. This guidebook is designed to
help you with the process and answer your questions. It addresses common
student concerns and the mechanics of writing the paper. If you follow the
process and adhere to the correct documentation style and the instructor’s
directions, you should end up with a mechanically correct research paper or
documented essay. However, that does not assure a quality document or a high
grade. An effective research paper also smoothly