Rough Draft

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Tips for Writing Your Rough Draft

How to begin….

Read over your thesis. Remember it is okay to change your thesis, but your paper must have some type of direction. Sometimes you realize as you are writing that your thesis is not good, that you do not agree with it, or you want your paper to take on new direction. That is okay. However, realize that means you must change your thesis. You can not write an effective paper without a clear, identifiable thesis statement.

Next, use your outline as a guide to writing your paper. Your outline is a guide, meaning you do not have to stick to it completely, but it should help you organize the structure to your paper.

You paper should also include a general introduction with your thesis as the last sentence and a summarizing conclusion. As you begin your paper, you may want to start with the introduction or go back and write it later. Do what ever works best for you. For help, think about including the significance of topic of your paper to history in your introduction or conclusion.

How to use citations….

As you write your paper, you should be citing all facts from your research (even if they are paraphrased), usually at the end of the paragraph. All exact quotes should be cited immediately though and quotations marks should be used.

Citations can be done in the form of either footnotes or parenthetical citations (parenthesis).

Citations are not needed for common knowledge or your analysis and interpretations. Keep in mind that your paper should include both facts and analysis. To accomplish this you may want a paragraph of analysis for every paragraph of researched facts.

Inserting footnotes…

In Microsoft Word	In Google Doc’s
Go to Insert, Reference, Footnote. Click Insert (don’t change any settings).	Go to Insert, Footnote
Cite the author’s last name and page number	Cite the author’s last name and page number
If there is no available author cite the first piece of information that appears on your bibliography	If there is no available author cite the first piece of information that appears on your bibliography

The footnotes will be automatically formatted for you. (See print preview).

Parenthetical citations…

In MLA style, referring to the works of others in your text is done by using what's known as parenthetical citation. Immediately following a quotation from a source or a paraphrase of a source's ideas, you place the author's name followed by a space and the relevant page number(s).

Ex: Human beings have been described as "symbol-using animals" (Burke 3).

Works Cited vs. Annotated Bibliography…

Your rough draft should include both a Works Cited page and a revised Annotated Bibliography.

Here is the difference:

Works Cited	Annotated Bibliography
List of all sources cited in paper (in footnotes or parenthetical citations)	List of all sources looked at for paper
MLA formatted (full citations)	Includes sources that you may not have actually cited in your paper
Does not include annotations	Includes annotations
	MLA formatted

How to incorporate primary sources…

It needs to be so valuable that ….

Quote- Rewording would cause it to lose meaning
Picture- needs to be seen by the reader to get the point across
It must contribute to your thesis statement and content of paper

For quotes…

Read the source and determine how the source can be used in your paper. Ask yourself how it can help you prove your thesis statement.
Some primary sources are lengthy. Highlight the parts that are useful to you. It may be only one line of a three page letter. That is acceptable.
Determine where the primary source fits in your paper. Use your outline to do this.
Introduce the quote into your paper. This could be done with a simple sentence before the quote.
Format the quote into your paper using MLA format. Some aspects of this are:

Cite all primary sources immediately with a footnote
Short quotations stay in the flow of your text. Do not separate or indent.
Long quotations (longer than four lines) begin a new line and are indented one-inch from the left margin. They do not require quotations.

After the quote, analyze it. You could begin by “This quote means” and follow with “This quote demonstrates.” You have to not only have a primary source, but you must use it effectively. This means you must say what it means and analyze it.
Remember a primary source is most reliable kind of source there is to evaluate the mindset of the time period you are studying. Use it to your advantage.

For visual sources (pictures, map, cartoons, graphs, etc)…

· Put it at the end of your paper as an attachment. Label it any way you want (ex: Fig 1). Please note this does not count as content page of your paper.

· Next in the context of your paper, you need to describe it completely in detail as if the reader can not see it. (Ex: Fig 1 is…)

· Lastly, you need analyze it. Explain what the picture demonstrates. What emotions are evoked when someone looks at it? If you are having trouble that may indicate it is not a valuable source.

· Footnote it or use parenthetical citations immediately Do not wait until the end of the paragraph

How to format…

The paper should be formatted Modern Language Association (MLA )style. For help with this, consult your teacher or the online resources OWL from Purdue University (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/). The purpose of MLA is so that everyone’s paper looks exactly the same and thus is graded solely on content. Here are some of the basics:

Double-space the text of your paper, using Times Roman (Microsoft Word) or Serif(Google Doc’s) font. The font size should be 12 pt.
Set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides. Indent the first line of a paragraph one half-inch (five spaces or press tab once) from the left margin.
Use either italics or underlining throughout your essay for the titles of longer works and, only when absolutely necessary, providing emphasis.
Include both a Works Cited page and a revised Annotated Bibliography.
First Page of Your Paper

Do not make a separate title page. The content of your paper begins on page 1.
In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list your name, your instructor's name, the course, and the date. Again, be sure to use double-spaced text.
Double space again and center the title. Don't underline your title or put it in quotation marks; write the title in Title Case, not in all capital letters.
Use quotation marks and underlining or italics when referring to other works in your title, just as you would in your text, e.g.,
Double space between the title and the first line of the text.

Create a header in the upper right-hand corner that includes your last name, followed by a space with a page number. To achieve this:

In Microsoft Word	In Google Doc’s
Go to View, Header/Footer	Click on File, Print Settings, Check off include page numbers
Alight to flush right	Click on Insert, Header
Type in your last name and click Insert Page number in the toolbox that pops up (Do not type in the page number yourself)	Alight to flush right. Type in your last name followed by three empty spaces (so page number will fit)