A research paper presents the results of your investigations on a selected topic. Based on your own thoughts, facts, and ideas which have been gathered from a variety of sources, a research paper is a creation that is uniquely yours. The experience of gathering, interpreting, and documenting information; developing and organizing ideas and conclusions, and communicating them clearly, will prove to be an important and integral part of your education.

Modern Language Association

Information is all around us! In order to credit information gathered from sources that are not common knowledge, a researcher must use one of several "style sheets."  Modern Language Association (MLA) format provides writers with a system for cross-referencing their sources--from their parenthetical references to their works cited page. This cross-referencing system allows readers to locate the publication information of source material. This is of great value for researchers who may want to locate your sources for their own research projects. The proper use of MLA style also shows the credibility of writers. Most importantly, the use of MLA style can protect writers from accusations of plagiarism--the purposeful or accidental use of source material by other writers without giving appropriate credit.