MLA 7 TH EDITION FORMATTING AND STYLE GUIDE

What is MLA? MLA (Modern Language Association) style is often used in various humanities disciplines, like English and History. You will use it all four years at BVNW and on into college (in certain classes).

What does MLA regulate? MLA regulates:  Document Format  In-text citations  Works Cited (a list of all sources used in the paper) *Regulates means that there is only one way to do it; you must follow directions perfectly.

Why Should I Cite?  Citing identifies and credits sources used in a research paper or project, acknowledging their role in shaping your research. This also allows others to follow-up on or retrieve this material.  When you borrow from other sources to support your argument or research you must give proper credit. By crediting your sources, you avoid plagiarism. If you do not cite a source, you are guilty of plagiarism.  Plagiarism is a form of cheating/stealing. It is the unacknowledged INTENTIONAL OR UNINTENTIONAL use or appropriation of another person’s words or ideas.

An easy way to think about the duality of citations… In-text citations are in the body of your research paper or essay. Your works cited is a list of works that you’ve referenced in your research paper or essay; it is at the end of your research paper or essay. Part #1 Part #2

Your Instructor Knows Best! #1 Rule for any formatt- ing style: Always Follow your instructor’s Guidelines (this is especially important in college)

Format: General Guidelines  Type on white 8.5” x 11” paper  Double-space everything (even the header)  Use 12 pt. Times New Roman font or 11 pt. Calibri  Leave only one space after punctuation  Set all margins to 1 inch on all sides  Indent the first line of paragraphs one half-inch (tab)  First page only should have comprehensive header  Header with your last name and page numbers in the upper right corner for all pages

Formatting the 1st Page  In the upper left corner of the 1st page, use the MLA Header as prescribed by your instructor:  Your name, your instructor's name, the course, and date.  Center the paper title (no underlining, italics, quotation marks, bigger font or bold)  Create a header in the upper right corner (include your last name and page number on all pages)

SAMPLE 1ST PAGE

In-Text Citations: the Basics  MLA uses parenthetical (i.e. using parentheses) citations  Parenthetical citations depend on the medium (e.g. Print, Web, DVD)  Parenthetical citations also depend on the source’s entry on the Works Cited page

Author-Page Style In-text Examples: Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings” (263). Romantic poetry is characterized by the “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings” (Wordsworth 263). Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the creative process (263). Corresponding Works Cited Entry: Wordsworth, William. Lyrical Ballads. London: Oxford UP, Print.

Print Source with Author In-text Example: Human beings have been described by Kenneth Burke as “symbol-using animals” (3). Human beings have been described as “symbol- using animals” (Burke 3). Corresponding Works Cited Entry: Burke, Kenneth. Language as Symbolic Action: Essays on Life, Literature, and Method. Berkeley: U of California P, Print.

Works Cited Page: The Basics Click here for sample Click here for sample Works Cited Page

Bonus question…. Why do we call it a Works Cited page instead of a bibliography? Answer: A bibliography is only a list of books, not other sources, like databases, internet sites, etc.

Works Cited Page: Books Basic Format: Last name, First name. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of Publication. Examples: Gleick, James. Chaos: Making a New Science. New York: Penguin, Print. Gillespie, Paula, and Neal Lerner. The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Peer Tutoring. Boston: Allyn, Print. Palmer, William J. Dickens and New Historicism. New York: St. Martin's, Print.

Works Cited Page: Periodicals Article in a Magazine Forma t Author(s). “Title of Article.” Title of Periodical Day Month Year: pages. Medium of publication. Example: Buchman, Dana. “A Special Education.” Good Housekeeping Mar. 2006: Print. Article in Scholarly Journal Format Author(s). “Title of Article.” Title of Journal Volume. Issue (Year): pages. Medium of publication. Example: Duvall, John N. “The (Super)Marketplace of Images: Television as Unmediated Mediation in DeLillo's White Noise.” Arizona Quarterly 50.3 (1994): Print.

Works Cited Page: Web Web Source Format: Editor, author, or compiler name (if available). “Article Name.” Name of Site. Version number. Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher). Date of last update. Medium of publication. Date of access. Examples: Bernstein, Mark. “10 Tips on Writing the Living Web.” A List Apart: For People Who Make Websites. A List Apart Mag., 16 Aug Web. 4 May Felluga, Dino. Guide to Literary and Critical Theory. Purdue U, 28 Nov Web. 10 May 2006.

Works Cited Page Formatting Tips On its own page separate from the paper itself. Should have Works Cited as the title (no bold, underline, bigger font, etc.) Should be listed in alphabetical order based on first letter of each citation. If citation is longer than one line, all lines after the first should be indented; this is called a hanging indent. Capitalize each word in the titles of articles, books, etc, but do not capitalize articles, short prepositions, or conjunctions unless one is the first word of the title or subtitle: Gone with the Wind, The Art of War, and There Is Nothing Left to Lose. Citations are double-spaced; do not skip an extra space between citations. Should have 1” margins.

There are many different sites that are designed to make creating a Works Cited page easier; BVNW prefers… In order to use this site to its fullest potential, you must register. We will do this together later in class. Make sure your lap top is powered on and log in to be ready to create your own works cited pages. EASYBIB.COM

Helpful Easybib.com Tips Before You Get Started: This will not capitalize for you; you must capitalize everything that requires it. If you don’t have the information you need, leave it blank. Easybib will let you search for the book, article, encyclopedia, etc. If it finds it, it will automatically create the citation. If not, you’ll have to manually enter the info, by clicking on manual entry which is in blue below the box. Once it creates the citation, you can always edit it. For instance, with multiple authors, sometimes it puts “and,” before the second author’s name. Since you know this is incorrect, edit the extra comma out of the citation.

Works Cited "Welcome to the Purdue OWL." The Purdue OWL: MLA Style. Purdue University English Department, n.d. Web. 30 Apr