Freshman Research Expectations
Freshmen will be able to do the following in research:
- Find a variety of sources of information
- Judge the quality and relevance of sources
- Identify and record source information needed for accurate documentation in a bibliography
- Outline from a reading to discover the organization of the writer's ideas
- Take notes from readings
- Outline from notes to organize their own ideas
- Write a report from notes
- Write a bibliography
- Understand the concept of plagiarism as it relates to direct copying of words or phrases
- Paraphrase from reading
Sophomore Research Expectations
Sophomores will be able to do the following in research:
- Review and refine skills outlined in the freshman curriculum
- Understand crediting sources of paraphrased material to avoid plagiarism
- Begin developing a thesis paper to demonstrate their growing understanding of he essay form
- Be able to include in-text citation using standard MLA format
Junior Research Expectations
Juniors will be able to do the following in research:
- Practice the note taking, bibliography, and in-text citation skills learned in the freshman and sophomore years
- Select an appropriate thesis for thematic research
- Find and use a variety of printed and electronic resources
- Write a working outline
- Support a thesis with selected sources
- Use quotes appropriately and document them with in-text citation using standard MLA format
- Format the entire research paper, including a Works Cited page, by using MLA standards
Senior Research Expectations
Seniors will be able to do the following in research:
- Review the note taking, bibliography, in-text citation, and outlining skills learned in the freshman, sophomore, and junior years
- Write an arguable thesis
- Find, evaluate, and use a variety of printed and electronic resources
- Support a thesis with selected sources
- Use quotes fluently and gracefully in the text of a research paper
- Document sources with in-text citation using standard MLA format
- Use MLA standards to format the entire research paper, including a Works Cited page