Short Research papers

1. Preparing a short Research Paper
Skills
Save a document Indent the first line of a paragraph
Modify a style Change the bibliography style
Adjust line spacing Insert a citation
Modify paragraph spacing Create a source
Create a document header Edit a citation
Right-align a paragraph Insert a page break
Insert Page numbers Insert a bibliography
Insert text Convert a field to regular text
Center a paragraph Italicize text
Left-alight a paragraph
Project Overview
You are a high school student currently enrolled in an introductory business class. Your
assignment is to prepare a short research paper (275-300 words) about video or computer
games. The requirements are that the paper be presented according to the MLA
documentation style and have three references. One of the three references must be the
Web. You prepare a paper that discusses game controllers.
Instructions
1. Create a New Word Document
2. Format document with 12-point Times New Roman font,
3. Adjust line spacing to double.
4. Remove space below (after) paragraphs. When your research paper is complete, the
entire paper should have 0 pt spacing below (after) paragraphs.
5. Create a right-align header that includes YOUR name, your teachers name, Class
(ITF), and today’s date.
6. Create a top-right hand page number
7. Center and type From One Controller to Another (as the title) hit ENTER
8. At the beginning of a new, left-aligned line, set the First Line Indent marker to the .5”
mark. When your research paper is complete, the body paragraphs of the research
paper should all have a first-line indent of 0.5”.
9. Type the first body paragraph of the research paper by entering the text shown in
below.
1

2. Video games and computer games use a game controller as the input device that
directs movements and actions of on-screen objects. Two commonly used game
controllers are gamepads and motion-sensing game controllers. Game controllers not
only enrich the gaming experience but also aid in the movements and actions of players.
10. Change the bibliography style to MLA. At the end of the second sentence in the first
body paragraph, after the phrase “motion-sensing game controllers”, type a space,
and then insert a citation to the Joyce bibliographical source shown below.
Type of Source: Web site
Author: Andrea D. Joyce
Name of Web page: What Gamers Want
Year: 2012
Month: Feb.
Day: 15
Year Accessed 2012
Month Accessed: Mar.
Day Accessed 28
11. Type the second body paragraph of the research paper by entering the text shown
below.
A gamepad is held by the player with both hands, allowing the player to
control the movement of actions of the objects in the video or computer games.
Players press buttons on the gamepad, often with their thumbs, to carry out actions.
Some gamepads have swiveling sticks that also can trigger events during game play.
Some gamepads include wireless capabilities; others connect via a cable directly to
the game console or a personal computer.
2

3. 12. At the end of the third sentence in the second body paragraph, after the phrase
“during game play”, type a space, and then insert a citation to the Cortez
bibliographical source show below.
Type of Source: Article in a Periodical
Author: Dom I. Cortez and Mark W. Mathews
Title: Today’s Game Controllers
Periodical Title: Gaming, Gaming, Gaming
Year: 2012
Month: Jan.
Pages: 12-34
13. Edit the Cortez citation in the second body paragraph to display pages 20-24 at the
end of the citation.
14. Type the third body paragraph of the research paper by entering the text shown
below.
Motion-sensing game controllers allow the user to guide on-screen elements or
trigger events by moving a handheld input devices in predetermined directions through
the air. These controllers communicate with a game console or personal computer via
wired or wireless technology. A variety of games, from sports to simulations, use
motion-sensing game controllers. Some of these controllers, such as baseball bats and
golf clubs, are designed for only one specific kind of game; others are general purpose.
A popular general-purpose, motion-sensing game controller is Nintendo’s Wii Remote.
Shaped like a television remote control and operated with one hand, the Wii Remote
uses Bluetooth wireless technology to communicate with the Wii game console.
15. At the end of the last sentence in the third body paragraph, after the phrase “Wii
game console”, type a space, and then insert a citation to the Bloom bibliographical
source shown below.
3

4. Type of Source: Book
Author: June Bloom
Title: The Gaming Experience
Year: 2012
City: New York
Publisher: Buffalo Works Press
16. Edit the Bloom citation in the third paragraph to display pages 56-59 at the end of
the citation. The three body paragraphs you typed so far, and the citations you
inserted and edited, should look like below.
Video games and computer games use a game controller as the input device that directs
movements and actions of on-screen objects. Two commonly used game controllers are
gamepads and motion-sensing game controllers (Joyce). Game controllers not only enrich
the gaming experience but also aid in the movements and actions of players.
A gamepad is held by the player with both hands, allowing the player to control the
movement of actions of the objects in the video or computer games. Players press buttons
on the gamepad, often with their thumbs, to carry out actions. Some gamepads have
swiveling sticks that also can trigger events during game play (Cortez 20-24). Some
gamepads include wireless capabilities; others connect via a cable directly to the game
console or a personal computer.
Motion-sensing game controllers allow the user to guide on-screen elements or trigger
events by moving a handheld input devices in predetermined directions through the air.
These controllers communicate with a game console or personal computer via wired or
wireless technology. A variety of games, from sports to simulations, use motion-sensing
game controllers. Some of these controllers, such as baseball bats and golf clubs, are
4

5. designed for only one specific kind of game; others are general purpose. A popular general-
purpose, motion-sensing game controller is Nintendo’s Wii Remote. Shaped like a
television remote control and operated with one hand, the Wii Remote uses Bluetooth
wireless technology to communicate with the Wii game console (Bloom 56-59).
17. Type the fourth body paragraph of the research paper by entering the text shown
below.
Game controllers are used primarily to direct movement and actions of on-screen
objects. Two popular types are gamepads and motion-sensing game controllers. Games
become more enjoyable everyday with the use of new and exciting game controllers. What
will be next?
18. After the fourth body paragraph, press the ENTER key and then insert a manual
page break to begin a new page. Enter the text Work Cited and center that text.
Rather than typing the sources, use the Insert Bibliography command in the
Bibliography gallery to insert the list of sources. Convert the bibliography field to
regular text (Hint: Use CTRL +SHIFT+F9)
19. Change the line spacing for the bibliography sources to double. Change the format
of the source titles from underline to italics (to match the latest guidelines for MLS
documentation). Enter the media type Print at the end of the Bloom and Cortez
sources, and enter the media type Web to the Joyce source before the “28Mar” date
(again to match the new MLS documentation style). Your bibliography should look
like below.
Work Cited
Bloom June. The Gaming Experience. New York: Buffalo Works Press, 2012. Print.
Cortez, Dom I., and Mark W. Mathews. “Today’s Game Controllers.” Gaming, Gaming,
Gaming Jan. 2012: 12-34. Print.
Joyce, Andrea D. What Gamers Want. 15 Feb. 2012. Web. 28 Mar. 2012
5

6. Student Name Student Last name 1
Teacher Name
IT Fundamentals
Today’s Date
From One Controller to Another
Video games and computer games use a game controller as the input device that directs
movements and actions of on-screen objects. Two commonly used game controllers are
gamepads and motion-sensing game controllers (Joyce). Game controllers not only enrich
the gaming experience but also aid in the movements and actions of players.
A gamepad is held by the player with both hands, allowing the player to control the
movement of actions of the objects in the video or computer games. Players press buttons
on the gamepad, often with their thumbs, to carry out actions. Some gamepads have
swiveling sticks that also can trigger events during game play (Cortez 20-24). Some
gamepads include wireless capabilities; others connect via a cable directly to the game
console or a personal computer.
Motion-sensing game controllers allow the user to guide on-screen elements or trigger
events by moving a handheld input devices in predetermined directions through the air.
These controllers communicate with a game console or personal computer via wired or
wireless technology. A variety of games, from sports to simulations, use motion-sensing
game controllers. Some of these controllers, such as baseball bats and golf clubs, are
designed for only one specific kind of game; others are general purpose. A popular general-
purpose, motion-sensing game controller is Nintendo’s Wii Remote. Shaped like a
television remote control and operated with one hand, the Wii Remote uses Bluetooth
wireless technology to communicate with the Wii game console (Bloom 56-59).
6

7. Student last name 2
Game controllers are used primarily to direct movement and actions of on-screen
objects. Two popular types are gamepads and motion-sensing game controllers. Games
become more enjoyable everyday with the use of new and exciting game controllers. What
will be next?
Student last name 3
Work Cited
Bloom June. The Gaming Experience. New York: Buffalo Works Press, 2012. Print.
Cortez, Dom I., and Mark W. Mathews. “Today’s Game Controllers.” Gaming, Gaming,
Gaming Jan. 2012: 12-34. Print.
Joyce, Andrea D. What Gamers Want. 15 Feb. 2012. Web. 28 Mar. 2012
7