My Name:

RESEARCH PROJECT CHECKLIST

Note: This is a required part of Assignment #5. Check off each point against your research project. If you complete all points conscientiously, your research paper should be acceptable. Do not submit a blank checklist. Each point must be marked.

_____ 1. I have at least 1000 words and no more than 1500 words in my report.
     _____ I have included my required identifying information in the upper left corner of the first page of my report, both in the printed version and in the file submitted in Blackboard.
     _____ I have underlined my thesis statement. I have double spaced my report. I have indented all paragraphs at least five spaces.
     _____ I know what first-person and second-person pronouns are, and I have not used these in the writing of my report.
     _____ I know what plagiarism is, and to the best of my knowledge, I have not plagiarized in preparing this report.
     _____ I have included all required parts in my printed package (report, Works Cited list, final outline, checklist, properly prepared source copies for all borrowed information).
     _____ I have satisfactorily completed Assignments 1-4, which is a requirement before I can submit Assignment 5.
     _____ I have sent my one rtf or doc file for Assignment 5 (report with citations, Works Cited list only) using Submissions in Blackboard.

_____ 2. I have at least four nonfiction sources.
     _____ Of these four minimum sources, at least one is a hard-copy print source (not in digital form, not from the Internet or obtained via a computer, not an ebook or ejournal)--in other words, a real, printed book, magazine, or newspaper.
     _____ Of these four minimum sources, no more than one is a general reference source (encyclopedia, dictionary, almanac, handbook, etc.). If the source has one of the terms in parentheses in its title, it is a general reference source.
     _____ I have not used a book of fiction, poetry, or drama as one of my four minimum sources.
     _____ Each source is cited at least once in my report.
     _____ I have not used Wikipedia, New World Encyclopedia, or blogs as sources.

_____ 3. I have carefully kept track of the locations of ALL the information I have borrowed--summarized, paraphrased, quoted--from other sources, and I have indicated those locations specifically in my research report using proper MLA documentation (citations and Works Cited entries).

_____ 4. I have carefully studied the examples of MLA Documentation style at the links provided in the assignment. I believe that I have properly formatted my citations and Works Cited entries, and I have based each on a MLA example entry that I can provide if requested. If I could not find a similar example, I consulted my instructor. I have provided citations and Works Cited entries for ALL borrowed material I have used in my essay. (Borrowed means any summary, paraphrase, or direct quote from any source.) In addition:
     _____ The first word in each of my citations is the same as the first word in the corresponding Works Cited entry.
     _____ If an author's name is given, I have used that name in my citation instead of a title or some other information. If an author's name is not given, I have used the title of the article in my citation and to begin my Works Cited entry for that source.
     _____ No more than 3 citations in a row are from the same source.
     _____ My citations are properly formatted and punctuated according to MLA guidelines I can provide if necessary.
     _____ I have placed the end period after a citation at the end of a sentence, not before it.
     _____ My Works Cited entries are complete and include all required information. My Works Cited entries are arranged in alphabetical order. In addition, they are properly punctuated and indented according to MLA guidelines.

_____ 5. I have enclosed all direct quotations in quotation marks.
     _____ I have double-checked to make sure that all direct quotations I have used are reproduced exactly from the source.
     _____ I have provided a citation with a specific location for each direct quote I have used.
     _____ I have counted my direct quote words, and my direct quotes do not exceed 10% of the total word count of my report.

_____ 6. I have included source copies for all my cited sources.
     _____ I have included xerox copies of print sources and printouts of Internet sources.
     _____ In those source copies, I have highlighted or indicated all the borrowed sections I have used in my research report.
     _____ In those source copies, I have consecutively and clearly numbered the paragraphs on the Web page articles to correspond to the paragraph numbers used in my citations. I have also indicated the author, if given, and Web address on the source copies.
     _____ I have indicated the author's name, if given, and page number on any xerox copies of book or Ebook pages or Internet database sources.
     _____ I have not used printout page numbers in my citations. (For example, if you print out a four-page article, do not cite page 1 of the printout as the location of borrowed information.)
     _____ If one of my sources is a video or TV program, I have included a complete transcript or a nonreturnable copy of the program.
     _____ If I cannot or do not provide a source copy for a source, I have not used that source in my report.

_____ 7. I have proofread my research project carefully, and I have included all required parts. I have reviewed the various requirements of the research project to ensure the completeness of my work. I have conscientiously completed this checklist.