Research Basics
What is the main question that guides your research called?
Research question
What does MLA stand for?
Modern Language Association.
Which is usually more credible, a random social media post or a government website?
Government Website
Fix
(John Smith, page 12)
(Smith 12)
Name two types of evidence you can use in research.
Facts, statistics, quotes, examples, or data.
What is the basic format for an MLA in-text citation?
(Author’s Last Name Page Number)
What does it mean for a source to be credible?
The information is trustworthy, supported by evidence, and comes from a reliable source.
Fix - (Smith 12) Which is correct?
A. (Smith, 12)
B. (Smith 12)
C. (John Smith p. 12)
B. (Smith 12)
Why should you include different perspectives in research?
To understand different viewpoints and make the research more balanced.
What is the correct citation for information from page 15 written by Johnson?
(Johnson 15)
You find a website with no author, no date, and no sources. Should you immediately use it in your research? Why or why not?
No, because there is not enough information to determine whether the source is reliable
A student copies a sentence from an article but doesn’t cite it. What problem could this cause?
Plagiarism
What should you do after presenting evidence?
Explain/analyze what the evidence means and how it supports your point.
Why do we use in text citations?
To give credit to the source and show readers where the information came from.
Why can using outdated information be a problem?
The information may no longer be accurate or relevant.
A student puts a quote in their paper but doesn’t explain how it supports their argument. What is missing?
Analysis or explanation
What are the three major parts of using evidence effectively?
Evidence - Explanation/Analysis - Connection to your argument.
When should you use an in-text citation?
When you use information, ideas, facts, statistics, or words from another source.
Name one thing you should check before using a source.
Author, date, evidence, publisher, or purpose.
A student uses a statistic from a website in their research paper. What should they do?
Use the statistic as evidence, explain how it supports their point, and provide the appropriate MLA in-text citation and Works Cited