Format of Research Paper
1. Page Setup: Margins are 1 inch on all sides; the entire essay is double spaced; font size
is 12 point; font style is Times New Roman or Arial.
2. Heading: In the upper left hand corner of the page, type:
a. Line 1: Your name
b. Line 2: Ms. Alston
c. Line 3: CP English 3
d. Line 4: May 26, 2009
3. Paragraphs: The first line of each paragraph should be indented five spaces (or tab
over).
4. Header: Insert a header that is right aligned and includes your last name. Then, exit out
of header/footer and insert page numbers. Depending on the version of MS Word you are
using, the procedure for inserting a header will be different. If you are using 2003, go to
View and select “Header and Footer” to insert your header. Then go to Insert and
select “Page Numbers”. Be sure that you position your page numbers in the upper righthand corner of the page. **If you do not exit out of your header before you insert page
numbers, each page will say, for example, “Alston 1”.
Introduction Paragraphs
Paragraph 1: The first paragraph should give a history of the topic you are doing. Many
students are selecting a variety of topics so I need a bit of background information. For
example, you may want to include the following:
 Define the topic (i.e. What is the death penalty? Why is it used?)
 When did the controversy first begin and where? (i.e. When was the first
execution carried out? In what state?)
 What are the different methods/variations, if applicable (i.e. What are the
different methods of executions?)
 Why has the topic become controversial? (i.e. Why are people questioning whether
or not the death penalty should still be used?)
Paragraph 2: The second paragraph should follow the typical persuasive essay format:
 Anecdotal hook
 Why the issue is being debated?
 What are the various views on the issue?
 Your thesis statement with 3 reasons.
Body Paragraphs
Body Paragraph 1 for Claim 1: Body paragraph one should follow the typical persuasive essay
format:
 Topic sentence.
 Details/explanation.
 Evidence A.
 Explanation of evidence.
Body Paragraph 2 for Claim 1: Body paragraph two should follow the same format as the first,
except you are using another piece of evidence to further support the same reason:
 Transition sentence.
 Details/explanation.
 Evidence B
 Explanation of evidence.
*All body paragraphs will follow the above format (2 paragraphs per claim, totaling six body
paragraphs)
Integrating Evidence
When writing an essay, it is not okay to simply drop quotes or information in the middle of a
paragraph. You must introduce or integrate it. This means that you should first explain the idea
that you are trying to support, and then, introduce the information that you are using to support
the idea. For example:
(Idea) Many people think that it is okay to leave their pets at home unattended as long as they
provide them with food and water. Because pets are animals and cannot readily communicate
with people, people assume that they do not need love and attention, and special care. But
animals need to be loved as do people. And although they cannot speak, they have many ways
of communicating with humans. (Evidence) For example, one article stated that “Dogs often
bark when they are afraid or lonely” (“The Behavior of Dogs”). This shows that…
Parenthetical Citations
Every time you paraphrase or quote information that is not your own, you MUST cite, using
both parenthetical citations and a Works Cited page.
You need to use MLA format to cite the quote/paraphrase within your paper.
a) The most common way to do this (as long as there is a clear author) is to list the author’s last
name and page number in parentheses following your quotation.
Ex. “Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” (Shakespeare 71)
b) If you are citing an article and the article has a title, but not a clear author, cite the title in
quotation marks in parentheses.
Ex. “Dogs often bark when they are afraid or lonely” (“The Behavior of Dogs”).
*Notice that the period goes outside of the parentheses, not before it; the quote appears before
the parentheses.
c) In addition, if you are using IDEAS from the research (meaning that you did not previously
know the information but you are not quoting it directly (you are putting it in your own words to
support a point) you need to cite that as well. Instead of putting your words in quotes, you would
just list the author’s name and page number in parentheses either at the end of the statement or
the paragraph.
Ex. Some researchers would say that not only is smoking bad for one’s health, but it also causes other
issues like teeth discoloration and bad breath. A lot of people don’t realize why this is such a big deal, but
experts warn against the not-so-apparent effects of smoking (Lopez 1).