Research Paper Survival Guide - Fayette County Schools

Common Research Paper Mistakes
Is it okay to use the first or second person?
No. In formal research papers, avoid using the pronouns “I, we, you, your, me, my” as in
“You would think that . . . “
“In my opinion . . .”
“I didn’t realize that . . .”
“I feel that . . . “
“You might be surprised to know that . . .”
My teacher says not to refer to my research paper in the paper. What does she
mean?
She is telling you to hide the organizational structure more artfully, reduce the
wordiness, and get to the point more quickly. Avoid saying, “This paper will consider
the three following works . . .” or “In this paragraph, the reader will learn that . . .”
When do I use the present tense? When do I use the past tense?
Use past tense to talk about the biographical facts concerning an author or the
publication of a literary work but the present tense to write about what happens in the
literary work itself.
Example:
A Confederacy of Dunces was published posthumously more than 11 years after
John Kennedy Toole committed suicide. The book traces Ignatius J. Reilly’s
search for employment in New Orleans.
Should I underline or use italics?
The MLA Handbook recommends italics but use underlining for handwritten
assignments.
What are some other common mistakes?
No Works Cited page
Either you didn’t do research or you plagiarized.
MLA Citation format and style errors
Check, double check, and then get a friend to recheck to make sure that your in-text
(parenthetical documentation) and Works Cited citations are in the correct format.
MLA Manuscript form
Make sure that you have paid attention to margins, page numbers, headers, title format,
font choice, font size, paper, and double spacing. Double-space everything but do not
include extra space between any paragraphs or citations.
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Research Paper Survival Guide