Introduction to MLA Format Created by: Mrs. withers

What is MLA? MLA – Modern Language Association MLA is a style of formatting and writing research papers.

Why do we need MLA? Allows readers to find your sources easily Provides consistent format Gives you credibility as a writer Protects you from plagiarism

When should I cite When in doubt, give credit to your source! -Many students plagiarize unintentionally. Remember, whenever you summarize, paraphrase or quote another author's material you must properly credit your source. -If you are using another person’s idea, you must also cite your source! My mother always said, “Make your bed” (Mom 12). When in doubt, give credit to your source!

What your paper should look like 12 point Times New Roman – everything on page 1 inch margins all around Heading in top left – Name, Class, Teacher, Date Last Name and Page Number on every page. (ex. Straw 3) Top Right header Double Spaced throughout paper.

Sample first page-mla format MLA format does not require a title page. On the first page, the student includes a heading (name, professor, course number and date). The first page heading begins on the first line of text (not the header) and is double spaced. The title appears centered in plain text after the first page heading. The header contains only the student’s last name and page number.

Citing Your Sources: 2 parts In-Text Citations or Parenthetical Citations – in the text of your paper. Works Cited Page – list of all sources used in paper (last page of paper)

When to use In-text citations? When summarizing facts and/or paraphrasing ideas from a source, you should cite the source Summarizing means to give a brief statement of the main points Paraphrasing means to express the meaning of something or reword it Even if you use your own words, you still have to cite it!!

Example of in-text citation: Summary or paraphrase

When to use in-text citations? Any time you directly quote words from another source you must cite that source. A direct quote is a report of the exact words of an author or speaker. Direct quotes are surrounded by quotation marks and “are immediately followed by an in-text citation”.

Example of in-text citation: direct quote

Works Cited Page At end of typed report, list all sources used in MLA format. Include as much of this information as available: Author – Last Name, First Name (Ex. Smith, John) Title – italicized Publication Information – where/how source was published City of Publication: Publisher (New York: Random House) Database information (If database is used) Magazine, Journal, Website Name (Newsweek) (Greek Mythology) Date of Publication – when the information was published or accessed

Works Cited page (continued) List sources in ALPHABETICAL ORDER by the first word of source. Whatever is listed first on Works Cited page should be what is listed in Parenthetical Citation in your text. First line is left aligned! Every line following should be indented!

All citations end in a period (.) *Sources are listed alphabetically Title “Works Cited” is centered at the top of the page Indent all lines after the first ½ inch for each work listed Be sure that each citation has a format descriptor (properly placed within the citation); e.g., Web, Print, Film All citations end in a period (.) The entire Works Cited page is double-spaced

Most citations will include: Author Title Publication information Format descriptor Gore, Albert. An Inconvenient Truth: The Crisis of Global Warming. New York: Viking, 2007. Print. Last Name, First Period Italicized Title Period Format descriptor Period Year City Colon Publisher Comma

Helpful resources For specific citation guidelines, try these sources: Purdue Online Writing Lab http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/search.php This comprehensive site from Purdue University provides free writing resources for students and teachers. Check out the “Research and Citation” section for guidelines for citing sources according to MLA or APA styles. Also, there are online citation machines that do the work for you! (YAY!) You just have to enter the information for your sources and it does the rest! Easybib.com – One of the best! Just make sure that you enter the information correctly!

Questions?