Final draft Research Paper
Style:
____ MLA Style is used for the entire essay, including in-text citation parentheticals and the Works Cited page
____ One-inch margins are used for top, bottom, right, and left margins
____ 12-point font (Times New Roman)
____ Double-spacing on entire text, including the works cited list
____ Heading on the first page only. A header (last name and page number) appears on all pages
____ Quotations of five or more lines are written as block quotations. (This means indenting them one inch from the one-inch margin and keeping every line indented until the end of the quote.)
____ NO lines skipped/extra spaces between paragraphs
____ Second person “you” and “your” is not used anywhere in the essay
Sources:
____ 1 print source included
____ at least 1 source from online database (be sure the database title is included in the Works Cited page entry)
____ List of Works Cited includes no fewer than 4 sources and no more than 6
____ Every source listed on the Works Cited page is used somewhere in the essay, and every source used somewhere in the essay is listed in the Works Cited
____Works Cited is in ABC order and entries are written with hanging indents
____ All quotations are integrated with your own words (use signal phrases/framing words)
____ BOTH direct quotes AND indirect quotes/paraphrasing from sources are included
____ All in-text citations lead readers directly to the first word(s) of the correlating Works Cited page entry; in other words, the in-text citations and works cited page entries match
____ No in-text citation is written as a web address (There is NEVER a time when this is the correct information for the parenthetical.)
____ All information that comes from a source is cited; there is NO possibility of plagiarism anywhere in the essay
Content:
___ Topic is debatable and shows an in-depth exploration of an ethical issue
___ Essay speaks to a general audience, has a clear purpose (to persuade), and establishes context of the issue
___ Introduction has a strong, specific, and debatable thesis/claim that shows your stance on the debate
___ Your position on the ethical issue is clear; logic and reasons are explained thoroughly
___ Opposing viewpoints to your position are discussed and reasons are given to explain why your position is the strongest one to argue
___ Assumptions and consequences for each position are explained
___ Content is persuasive and clearly chooses a side to get readers to agree with
___There is a good balance of personal voice and research information
___ Conclusion is strong and sums up your views about the issue
___ Paper has good organization and is cohesive
___ Paper has been proofread and edited to the best of your abilities