Thesis Statement
           
A thesis statement can usually be found early in an
essay. Usually appearing after your introduction, your thesis statement is
where you state your stance on the issue. Your point of view can be taken from
this single sentence. Your thesis statement will always help you know what to
look for when researching your topic. So, the thesis statement directs the
writer and informs the reader.


 

Plagiarism
When writing a paper, it is illegal to claim somebody else’s work as your own. If
you use somebody else’s work, you are to give them credit for it because if you
don’t, you will be charged with plagiarism. Plagiarism is where you steal ideas
from others, use information obtained from others, and present information as
new without giving credit to the source. If you use information directly from a
source, you have to give credit to the original copy either by quotes or
summarizing in your own words with the author’s name at the end of it along
with the page number. People tend to use plagiarism when they don’t take
adequate notes on the subject, when they don’t use their time wisely, or when
they tend to plagiarize themselves by using previous works for a different
course.

APA vs. MLA
APA and MLA are among the most common formats for reports and citing sources. APA, or American Psychological Association, is commonly used in scientific research and social sciences. MLA, or Modern Language Association, is used commonly for liberal arts, humanities, philosophy, literature, history, and communication.
The document formatting, report layout, and citations are different between the two styles.

APA
APA consists of four major sections. These are the title page, abstract, main body, and references. The abstract contains the key points of the research. Possible contents are questions of the research, analysis, and a conclusion. Sources are cited in the references section.

MLA
MLA format doesn’t use specific sections. The formatting is done (margins, page numbering, etc.), the first page is set up with the needed information (name, instructor‘s name, class, and date), and the information is simply presented. A works cited or bibliography page at the end holds the sources used, which are also formatted differently than the APA method.
 

Paraphrasing and Quote Definitions
A paraphrase is your own example of information from someone else’s work. It can be ideas that are expressed by someone other than yourself, but then you
present it in a different way. Paraphrasing is more detailed than summarizing because summarizing focuses on a main subject. While using a paraphrase, quotation marks are not used. A direct quote is put in quotation marks. A short quote is a quotation shorter than four typed lines. Long direct quotes do not use quotation marks. If a direct quote is longer than four typed lines then it is considered a long quote, and it is typed in block style and double-indented.

Paraphrase Example: 
The ‘20s marked the era where America’s newest trends began. Prohibition was in effect, but ignored by all, the trendy flapper was born, and classic music was forgotten and substituted with jazz (Yancey 25).

Paraphrase:
Paraphrasing is when you take information and put it in your own words. When using paraphrases you need to have the last name of the author and the page number you found it on inside parentheses.

Direct Quote Example:
“Mary is trying hard in school this semester” (Smith 4).

Direct Quote:
If a quote is exact, it is a direct quote. A direct quote is put in parentheses.
Using direct quotes is the exact same thing as paraphrasing, but instead of
putting it in your own words, you copy it word for word inside quotation marks.

Long Quote Example: 
He was eight years old. A telegram came from the hospital, and since his father, a Russian immigrant, could not read English, Morrie had to break the news, reading his mother’s death notice like a student in front of the class. “ We regret to inform you . . .” he began. (Albom)

Long Quote:
A long quote is defined as a direct quote that is four or more typed lines. It is
formatted as double indented and no quotation marks. When typing a long quote,
one must have a statement from a source.

All information gathered by: 6th Period Introduction to College Writing Class – 2009