INTRODUCTION

The authority or source for both facts and opinions-----whether quoted directly or indirectly or derived from primary or from secondary sources-----must be cited. This compiled work provides guidance to writers of research papers, theses, dissertations and reports in college/university and professions.

The concluding section of a research paper, thesis, or dissertation is usually an alphabetical listing of source materials. This list is generally entitled "References" "Bibliography" "Works Cited" "Reference List" and "Webliography". This listing serves several functions. It allows the readers to observe the scope of the research behind the paper or to see if a particular work has been used. When parenthetical documentation is the chosen format, the list of works cited, permits a reader to locate full bibliographic information for materials referred to in parenthetical notes. The bibliography may also provide the reader with a foundation for further research.

“Doing Research and Referencing: based on the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 6^th Edition” provides a comprehensive picture of how research papers are written. This present compiled work focuses mainly on MLA documentation style.

Chapter One suggests some of the educational and intellectual purposes of research and describes the first steps like choosing a topic, using a library and the Internet and producing and choosing a working bibliography. Chapter Two covers the topic of plagiarism. Chapter Three gives practical advice on such matters as spellings, punctuation, and the presentation of names, numbers, titles of works, and quotation’s. Chapter Four gives guidelines on the physical format of the research paper/work. The next chapter covers the MLA’s style of documenting printing and electronic sources. The last chapter presents some systems of documentations other than the MLA’s. Appendix 1 gives information about some specialized style manual and Appendix 2 details the abbreviations.

It is hoped that the annotated illustrations will clarify the documentation style and the appendices will help streamline formatting for easier use.

Others systems are The Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago Manual) 14th ed. (1993), British Standard (Numeric) System and Harvard System. The choice among these systems of documentation might be governed by the conventions of field of study, the advice of the advisor, the requirements of concerned department or university. One must select a format in the beginning stages of research and follow it consistently throughout the process.

Your valuable suggestions and constructive criticism will be helpful to improve the work in order to make more useful.

Abdul Waheed

Samreen Lateef

Abid Iqbal Abid

Editors

Contents

Introduction i

CHAPTER 1: Research and Writing

1.1. The Research Paper/Work as a Form of Exploration1

1.2. The Research Paper as a Form of Communication      3

1.3. Selecting a Topic 3

                        1.3.1. Freedom of Choice 3

                        1.3.2. Finding an Appropriate Focus 4

1.4. Conducting Research 4

1.4.1. The Modern Academic Library 4

                        1.4.2. Library Research Sources 5

                        1.4.3. The Central Information System 6

                        1.4.4. Reference Works 7

                        1.4.5. The Online Catalog of Library Holdings 14

                        1.4.6. Full-Text Databases 19  

                        1.4.7. Other Library Resources and Services 22

                        1.4.8. Internet Sources 23

1.5. Compiling a Working Bibliography 28

                        1.5.1. Keeping Track of Sources 28

1.5.2. Creating a Computer File for the Working Bibliography 28

                        1.5.3. Recording Essential Publication Information 29

                        1.5.4. Noting Other Useful Information 30

                        1.5.5. Verifying Publication Information 30

                        1.5.6. Converting the Working Bibliography to the Works-Cited List 31

CHAPTER 2: Plagiarism

2.1 Introduction 32

2.1.1 Defining Plagiarism 32

2.1.2 Impact 33

2.2 Response of academic institutions 34

2.3 Detecting plagiarism 38

2.3.1 Document source comparison 38

2.3.2 Manual search of characteristic phrases 39          

2.3.3 Stylometry 40

2.4 Available tools 42

2.5 Unexpected Results 48

2.6 Advanced techniques 55

2.7 Problems and Visions 60

2.8 Conclusion 62

2.9 References 63

Chapter 3: The Mechanics of Writing

3.1. Spelling 68

3.1.1.   Consistency 68

3.1.2.   Word Division 68

3.1.3.   Plurals 68

3.1.4.   Foreign Words 69

3.2. Punctuation 69

3.2.1.   The Purpose of Punctuation 69

3.2.2.   Commas 69

3.2.3.   Semicolons 73

3.2.4.   Colons 73

3.2.5.   Dashes and Parentheses 74

3.2.6.   Hyphens 74

3.2.7.   Apostrophes 76

3.2.8.   Quotation Marks 77

3.2.9.   Square Brackets 77

3.2.10. Slashes 78

3.2.11. Periods, Question Marks, and Exclamation Points 78

3.2.12. Spacing after Concluding Punctuation Marks 78

3.3. Italics (Underlining) 79

3.3.1.   Words and Letters Referred to as Words and Letters 79

3.3.2.    Foreign Words in an English Text 79

3.3.3.    Emphasis 80

3.4. Names of Persons 80

3.4.1.    First and Subsequent Uses of Names 80

3.4.2.    Titles of Persons 80

3.4.3.    Names of Authors and Fictional Characters 81

3.5. Numbers 81

3.5.1.    Arabic Numerals 81

3.5.2.    Use of Words or Numerals 81

3.5.3.    Commas in Numbers 82

3.5.4.    Percentages and Amounts of Money 83

3.5.5.    Dates and Times of the Day 83

3.5.6.    Inclusive Numbers 83

3.5.7.    Roman Numerals 84

3.6. Titles of Works in the Research Paper 84

3.6.1.    Capitalization and Punctuation 84

3.6.2.    Underlined Titles 86

3.6.3.    Titles in Quotation Marks 86

3.6.4.    Titles and Quotations within Titles 87

3.6.5.    Exceptions 88

3.6.6.    Shortened Titles 89

3.7.   Quotations 89

3.7.1.   Use and Accuracy of Quotations 89

3.7.2.   Prose 89

3.7.3.   Poetry 91

3.7.4.   Drama 92

3.7.5.   Ellipsis 92

3.7.6.   Other Alterations of Sources 95

3.7.7.   Punctuation with Quotations 96

3.7.8.   Translations of Quotations 98

3.8 Capitalization and Personal Names in Languages other then English 98     

Chapter 4: Recent and Scientific Methods of Research Article and Thesis Writing in Urdu

اردو میں تحقیقی مقالہ نگاری کے جدید تر اور سائنٹیفک اصول                   

Chapter5: Documentation: Preparing the List of Worked Cited

5.1. Documenting Sources 131

5.2. MLA Style 131

5.3. The List of Works Cited and Other Source Lists 132

5.4. Format of the List of Works Cited 133

5.5. Arrangement of Entries 134

5.6 Citing Books and other Non-periodical Publications 135

5.6.1. The Basic Entry: A Book by a Single Author 135

5.6.2. An Anthology or a Compilation 136

5.6.3. Two or More Books by the Same Author 136

5.6.4. A Book by Two or More Authors 136

5.6.5. Two or More Books by the Same Authors 137

5.6.6. A Book by a Corporate Author 137

5.6.7. A Work in an Anthology 137

5.6.8. An Article in a Reference Book 137

5.6.9. An Introduction, a Preface, a Foreword, or an Afterword 138

5.6.10. Cross-References 139

5.6.11. An Anonymous Book 139

5.6.12. An Edition140

5.6.13. A Translation 140

5.6.14. A Book Published in a Second or Subsequent Edition 140

5.6.15. A Multivolume Work 141

5.6.16. A Book in a Series 141

5.6.17. A Republished Book 141

5.6.18. A Publisher's Imprint 142

5.6.19. A Book with Multiple Publishers 142

5.6.20. A Pamphlet  142

5.6.21. A Government Publication 143

5.6.22. The Published Proceedings of a Conference 143

5.6.23. A Book in a Language Other Than English 143

5.6.24. A Book Published before 1900 143

5.6.25. A Book without Stated Publication Information or Pagination 144

5.6.26. An Unpublished Dissertation 144

5.6.27. A Published Dissertation 145

5.7. Citing Articles and Other Publications in Periodicals 145

5.7.1. The Basic Entry: An Article in a Scholarly Journal with Continuous Pagination 146

5.7.2. An Article in a Scholarly Journal That Pages Each Issue Separately 146

5.7.3. An Article in a Scholarly Journal That Uses Only Issue Numbers 147

5.7.4. An Article in a Scholarly Journal with More Than One Series 147

5.7.5. An Article in a Newspaper 147

5.7.6. An Article in a magazine 147

5.7.7. A Review 148

5.7.8. An Abstract in an Abstracts Journal 148

5.7.9. An Anonymous Article 148

5.7.10. An Editorial 149

5.7.11. A Letter to Editor 149

5.7.12. A Serialized Article 149

5.7.13. A Special Issue 149

5.7.14. An Article in a Microform Collection of Articles 150

5.7.15. An Article reprinted in Loose-Leaf Collection of Articles 150

5.8  Citing Miscellaneous Print And Non-print Sources 150

5.8.1. A television or Radio Program 150

5.8.2. A Sound Recording 151

5.8.3. A Film or Video Recording 152

5.8.4. A Performance 152

5.8.5. A Musical Composition 153

5.8.6. A Painting, Sculpture, or Photograph 153

5.8.7. An Interview 154

5.8.8. A map or Chart 154

5.8.9. A Cartoon or Comic Strip 154

5.8.10. An Advertisement 155

5.8.11. A Lecture, a Speech, an Address, or a Reading 155

5.8.12. A Manuscript or Typescript 155

5.8.13. A Letter or Memo 156

5.8.14. A Legal Source 156

5.9 CITING ELECTRONIC PUBLICATIONS 156

5.9.1. The Basic Entry: A Document from an Internet Site 156

5.9.2 An Entire Internet Site 158

5.9.3. An Online Book 159

5.9.4. An Article in an Online Periodical 160

5.9.5. A Publication on CD-ROM, Diskette, or Magnetic Tapes 163

5.9.6. A Work in More Than One Publication Medium 165

5.9.7. A Work from a Library or Personal Subscription Service 165

5.9.8. A Work in an Indeterminate Medium 166

5.9.9. Other Electronic Sources 166

Chapter 6: Other Systems of Documentation

6. 1 Endnotes and Footnotes 169

6.1.1. Documentation Notes versus the List of worked Cited and Parenthetical References 169

6.1.2. Note Numbers 169

6.1.3. Note Form versus Bibliographic Form 170

6.1.4. Endnotes versus Footnotes 170

6.1.5. Sample First Note References: Books and Other Non periodical Publications 170

6.2. Author-Date System 171

6.3. Number System 173

Appendix 1 Specialized Style Manuals 175

Appendix 2 Abbreviations 176

APP 2.1           Introduction 176

APP 2.2           Time Designations 177

APP 2.3           Geographic Names 178

APP 2.4           Common Scholarly Abbreviations 178