MLA Formatting

Why use MLA? MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. Writers who properly use MLA also build their credibility by demonstrating accountability to their source material.

Why use MLA? Most importantly, the use of MLA style can protect writers from accusations of plagiarism, which is the purposeful or accidental uncredited use of source material by other writers.

Parenthetical Citations Use for both quotations and paraphrasing Setting up Quotes: (see handout) Citing Sources: last name of the author page number – no comma Example: (Smith 3) No page number, just last name: (Smith) New to MLA 2009: Use italics (instead of underlining) for titles of larger works (books, magazines) quotation marks for titles of shorter works (poems, articles)

Parenthetical Citation Refer to the works of others in your text (quotation and paraphrase) with parenthetical citation: Human beings have been described as "symbol-using animals" (Burke 3). In-text parenthetical citation corresponds with an entry on Works Cited page Burke, Kenneth. Language as Symbolic Action: Essays on Life, Literature, and Method. Berkeley: U of California P, 1966.

Cite all source information!! Quote Paraphrase “Admissions officers see themselves as being responsible to their school as a whole. They are building a freshman class, which must become a successful part of the college or university at large.” The job of the admissions officer is to select students for the freshman class who will contribute to the overall success of the college or university. Still cite your source: According to Billy Bob….

Formatting Font: Times New Roman Bibliography: Paper: Double spaced Titled – Work Cited Paper: Double spaced Font: 12pt Margins: 1 inch First Line of each paragraph: indented with the tab key Header: Upper right corner – Your last name and page # First five lines include: Line #1 - your name Line# 2 – my name Line # 3 – Project Name Line # 4 - Date Date: smallest to largest Day – month – year

Annotated Document Name and Page # First 4 lines Centered Title Indented Paragraph Double Spaced

Annotated Document Setting-up quotes Indented Paragraph In-text citation

Annotated Document Title: Work Cited Centered Be on a separate page Alphabetical Order by last name Easybib MLA Format Fist line not indented, second line indented

Bibliography – Work Cited Later you will need to know how to do this, but we don’t have time! Easybib – Make sure you are in MLA format!