How to Complete the Research Sources Section of a Research Paper

Compiling the information necessary for the resource portion of a research paper really only requires a few steps. Before beginning, the task may seem complex and time consuming, with a little bit of organization the process can go quite smoothly. Even if you are not typically an organized person, the process is not at all overwhelming. Completing the sources section of a research paper should ideally be one of the least stressful aspects of composing a research paper.

Instructions

  1. MLA Formatting

    • 1

      Clear a space for all books and sources used to compose the research paper. Organize sources in alphabetical order by the primary author's last name. If no author is listed, MLA 9th edition requires that writers "list by title of the book." If a number of the sources are from online databases, open all the documents and organize them on the computer screen in alphabetical order.

    • 2

      Open a new page in the word processing system you are using. The basic layout is the same as all other pages, with one-inch margins and the same font. Using center alignment, type "Works Cited." Press "Enter" and realign the document to the left side of the page.

    • 3

      Type each work cited, following alphabetical order, until each work is included. MLA requires that books follow a certain format: Author Last, Author First. Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. Medium of Publication.

    • 4

      Create a hanging indent for any works that require more than one line of space. MLA requires that the second line of a citation be indented five spaces.

    • 5

      Format the entire page so that the entries are evenly double-spaced throughout the document. The Online Writing Center at Purdue, congruent with MLA 9th edition rules, clarifies that writers are meant to "double space all citations, but not skip spaces between entries."

    APA Formatting

    • 6

      Clear a space for all books and sources used to compose the research paper. Organize sources in alphabetical order by the primary author's last name. Within APA formatting, if the author's name is unknown, the work's title is used in its place. If a number of the sources are from online databases, open all the documents and organize them on the computer screen in alphabetical order.

    • 7

      Open a new page in the word processing system you are using. The basic layout is the same as all other pages, with one-inch margins and the same font. Using center alignment, type "References." Press "Enter" and realign the document to the left side of the page. According to the Online Writing Center at Purdue, "do NOT bold, underline, or use quotation marks for the title."

    • 8

      Type each work cited, following alphabetical order, until each work is included. APA requires that books follow a certain format: Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle. Location: Publisher.

    • 9

      Create a hanging indent for any works that require more than one line of space. APA requires that "all lines after the first line of each entry in your reference list should be indented one-half inch from the left margin."

    • 10

      Format the entire page so that the entries are evenly double-spaced throughout the document. The Online Writing Center at Purdue, congruent with APA 6th edition clarifies that "all text should be double-spaced just like the rest of your essay."

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