1. Research & Documentation
Using MLA Formatting
Melissa Goodner, ENGL Dept., ASH

2. Where to Begin
Choose issue: For an informative research paper, develop a position on your issue.
Search sources: Look for information that supports your position on your issue.

3. Types of Sources Primary Sources
Literature: novels, poems, short stories, dramas
Essays
Autobiographies
Biographies
Informational sources on your issue
Secondary Sources
Biographies
Histories
Reference Books
Literary Criticism
Journal articles
Magazine articles
Online databases
Websites
Informational sources
Journals/magazines
Websites/databases

4. Choose sources that concern the issue.
Using Sources
Choose sources that concern the issue.
Choose sources that support your position on that issue.

5. EASY TO SORT FOR ALPHA ORDER ON WORKS CITED PAGE
Bibliography Cards
EASY TO MANIPULATE
EASY TO SORT FOR ALPHA ORDER ON WORKS CITED PAGE

6. Bibliography Card Format
Author of work cited
Title of work cited
Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York:
Penguin Books, 1994.
M. Goodner
City of publishing
Publishing Company
Year of publishing
Student’s name if required to submit

7. Book with One Author Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York:
Author of work cited
Title of work cited
Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York:
Penguin Books, 1994.
M. Goodner
City of publishing
Publishing Company
Year of publishing

8. Title of work cited within the larger book
Edited Anthology
Author of work cited
Title of book
Title of work cited within the larger book
Chopin, Kate. “A Pair of Silk Stockings.” Elements of
Literature: 5th course. Ed. Richard Sime. Austin:
HRW, Inc.,
M. Goodner
Publishing Company
Name of editor
City of publishing
Year of publishing
Page #’s of work cited

9. Information from Lecture
Format in which lecture was given
Title of handout
Author of handout
Lowell, James Russell. “The First Snowfall.” English III.
Melissa Goodner. Alexandria Senior High School.
October 2007.
M. Goodner
Lector or Speaker
Location of lecture or speech
Date of lecture or speech

10. Title of reference book Volume # of reference book
Gale Group References
Title of reference book
Author of article
Title of article
Yoder, Jon A. “Upton Sinclair.” Contemporary Literary
Criticism. Vol Detroit: Gale Group, 1980.
M. Goodner
Year of publishing
Publishing Company
Page #’s of work cited
Volume # of reference book
City of publishing

11. Online Database References
Author of article
Title of article
Deneau, Daniel P. “Chopin’s ‘The Story of an Hour.’”
Explicator (Summer2003): (4p).
EBSCOhost. 28 April <
M. Goodner
Original print source information
URL address
Title of online database
Date of your access

12. Article within a Website
Website copyright date
Title of article
Author of article
Howard, Ann B. “A Woman Far Ahead of Her Time.”
English Web Virginia Commonwealth
University. 6 May 2007.
<
M. Goodner
Sponsor of site
Title of Web site
URL address
Date of access

13. Note Cards EASY TO SORT INTO PARAGRAPHS BY QUOTATION TOPIC
EASY TO KEEP TRACK OF SOURCE INFO FOR PARENTHETICALS
EASY TO KEEP TRACK OF COMMENTARY

14. Note Card Format Of Mice and Men Steinbeck 15 character
Last name of author quoted & page # of quotation
Title of the work in which quotation is found
Of Mice and Men Steinbeck 15
character
“Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the
loneliest guys in the world. They got no family.
They don’t belong no place.”
[ This shows how George and Lennie, because of who
they are, feel that they don’t fit in the way society expects
MG them to fit in.]
Quotation, Paraphrase, or Concrete Detail
Topic of quotation
Commentary concerning quotation or concrete detail
Student
initials

15. Organizing Note Cards
Review note cards: Examine topics of the quotation on each note card.
Categorize: Separate note cards according to the topic of quotation
Analyze: Which topics yield the most note cards?
Choose: The three-four topics with the most note cards are the ones you should use.

16. Writing the Thesis
Review: Reflect on the common theme, message, or position focused on when choosing sources.
Analyze: Survey the top three-four topics (points that further your position on your main issue) chosen that support & qualify the common theme, message, or position.
Synthesize: Write your thesis statement answering this question—

17. Thesis Question
What is the position you take on the issue of _____, what are the causes, and how does society address and attempt to solve the issue?

18. Outlining the Paper
Intro Paragraph: includes brief explanation of issue & thesis (position).
Body paragraphs: each includes two secondary (info) source CD’s and one primary (novel) source CD.
BP1 Topic: background of issue
BP2 Topic: causes of issue
BP3 Topic: individual steps taken to eliminate or alleviate issue
BP4 Topic: community solutions to attempt to solve issue
Concluding Paragraph: As young adults, what can you do to ensure the awareness of future generations? Sums up entire paper without repeating key words or phrases. Goes Global! Big Picture!

19. MLA Format: First Page
Double Spacing ½”
Header 1” 1” ½”
Indent 1”

20. MLA Format: Quoted Material
Can be single word or entire paragraph
Choose carefully
Keep as brief as possible
Be careful NOT to MISQUOTE
Check cap., punc., sp.
Clearly mark changes for your readers
Changes within quotation enclosed in brackets [like this]
Source info enclosed in parentheses at end of quot. before closing punc. (like this).

21. MLA Format: Short Quotations
If a quotation is four typed lines or fewer, work it into the body of your paper and put quotation marks around it.
Paraphrase less than three lines
Source info in parentheses
Direct quotation worked into sentence
Author not included in parenthetical—already mentioned in sentence

22. MLA Format: Long Quotations
More than four typed lines
Indent 10 spaces
Do NOT use quotation marks
Debussey:
Use colon to introduce quotation
Indent 10 spaces
(2 tabs)
Set off quotation more than four typed lines
Do NOT use quotation marks
Parentheticals placed AFTER closing punc.

23. MLA Format: Quoting Poetry
Three or less lines of poetry—work into body of paper
Use diagonal (/) to show where each line of the poem ends
Place line numbers in parentheticals instead of page numbers
For four or more lines of poetry, follow rules for LONG quotations

24. MLA Format: Quoting Poetry
Four or more lines—indent 10 spaces
Line #’s in parentheses after closing punctuation
Three or less lines—work into sentence
Line #’s in parentheses before closing punctuation
Diagonal to separate lines of poetry

25. MLA: Works Cited Page Lists all sources cited in paper
Begin on new page (the next page after text of paper)
Page # continues from last page of text
Center title: Works Cited one inch from top
Begin each entry at left margin
Subsequent lines of each entry indented five spaces
All uniformly double-spaced
Each entry listed alphabetically (excluding A, An, The)

26. Another work by same author½”
Header
Title centered
Alpha- order 1”
Double spaced
Page #
con’t. ½”
Another work by same author
All Double spaced
Alpha- order 1” 1”

27. www.easybib.com Additional Resources
This website is most useful in helping you to correctly format your paper according to MLA standards

28. Works Consulted
Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 4th. ed. New York: MLA of America, Meyer, Michael. “The Literary Research Paper.” The Bedford Intorduction to Literature. 6th. ed. Boston: St. Martin’s P, Sebranek, Patrick, Dave Kemper, and Verne Meyer. “MLA Documentation Style.” Writers INC. Wilmington, Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin,