Typing and Composing Your
Research Paper
Available online at
www.baltimorecityschools.org/341
PART ONE
Setting Up Your Paper on the Computer
Font
12
Formatting Basics
• Double space throughout paper, with no extra
spaces between paragraphs.
• Do not right justify. Left justify.
• Top, bottom, and side margins should be one
inch. Better yet, just use the default margins.
• Indent the first word of each paragraph by ½
inch or 5 spaces. Press the TAB key once.
• Do not use a title page for the research paper: instead
simply type your name, instructor’s name, course
number, and date. This should be flush with the left
margin.
• Center the title of the paper. Do not underline the title,
or put in “quotation marks,” or set in ALL CAPITALS.
• Number all pages consecutively in the upper right-hand
corner, right the top and flush with right margin. Type
your last name before the page number, and do not
use “p.” before the number.
Works Cited
• MLA style requires that the list of Works Cited start on
a new page at the end of your paper. Formatting rules
include:
• Continue page numbering from the body of your paper.
• Center the title “Works Cited,” one inch from the top.
• Alphabetize entries by the author’s last name. If no
author, alphabetize by the title (ignore A, An,The).
• Use a hanging indent. Highlight one citation at a time
to create hanging idents.
Josephson 5
Works Cited
Letemendia, V. C. “Revolution on Animal Farm: Orwell's Neglected Commentary.”
Journal of Modern Literature 18.1 (1992): 127-37. JSTOR . Web. 6 July 2009.
Levine, June Perry. “Passage to the Odeon: Too Lean.” Literature Film Quarterly
14.3 (1986): 139-50. Print.
Steele, Timothy. The Color Wheel: Poems. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1994. Print.
Reminder: Citation Formats
Book with one author:
Steele, Timothy. The Color Wheel: Poems.
Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1994.
Website:
“Scott Joplin.” 2014. 30 May 2014.
<http://www.scottjoplin.org/biography/>
PART TWO
Ordering and Composing Your Facts Into
Paragraphs
Step One
Spread out all your Cornell note sheets. You
should have different sheet of notes for each
source that you used.
Step Two
Read all of the questions on all the sheets. Think
about what comes first in your report, what
comes second, and so forth.
Step Three
On your Cornell note sheets, number the
questions in the order that you will answer
them as you write your paragraphs.
4
5
1
6
8
7
2
3
Step Four
If the same or similar question appears on more
than one Cornell note sheet, give that
question the same number as when your first
came across it.
4
5
1
6
8
2
4
7
6
2
3
Step Five
Write an introductory paragraph. Tell the read what
your main topic is. Mention a few of the
questions you will answer in your research paper.
Example:
Many people have questions about lions. In
this paper, you will learn what lions eat. You will
learn how lions protect themselves. You will learn
many fascinating facts about lions.
Step Six
Look at all your notes for question #1. Start a
new paragraph. In the first sentence of the
paragraph, give the reader a clue what the
paragraph is about.
Example: Lions eat a variety of foods.
Step Seven
Finish out the paragraph with lots of details from
your notes on question #1.
Example:
Lions eat a variety of foods. Baby elephants,
giraffes, hippopotamus and Cape buffalo are
some of the larger animals that are hunted in
different areas depending on where the lions are
located. They also have been known to attack and
kill hyenas, cheetahs, wild dogs and leopards.
Step Eight
Look at all your notes for question #2. Start a
new paragraph. In the first sentence of the
paragraph, give the reader a clue what the
paragraph is about.
Example: Lions have many ways to protect
themselves.
Step Nine
Finish out the paragraph with lots of details from your
notes on question #2.
Example:
Lions have many ways to protect themselves. A
lion protects itself with its claws and fangs. Also, the
beautiful thick mane around a lion's neck, helps
protect it from the claws of other animals during a
fight or attack. Lions also have a very keen sense of
smell that will sometimes alert them when danger is
near.
Step Ten
• Start a new paragraph for question #3. In the
first sentence of the paragraph, give the
reader a clue what the paragraph is about.
Then look at your notes for question #3. Write
lots of details to fully explain question #3.
• Do the same for all your questions. Keep going
until you have written about all your
questions.
LAST STEP
Write a concluding paragraph which reminds the
reader of the questions that have just been
answered.
Example:
Lions are fascinating animals. They eat all
sorts of things. They have many things built
into their bodies that help them defend
themselves. Lions are truly the king of beasts.
AFTER THAT…
• Get someone to help you with spelling,
grammar, and punctuation. Be professional—
all the way!