Mr. Harris’ Quick and Dirty Guide to MLA format

Find Your Sources Do not go to WIKIPEDIA! Newspapers online and off such as the New York Times Good Sources: Encyclopedia Britannica (may not have an author, but still a GREAT source) Encarta (may not have an author) Infotrac Onefile (1,000s of articles and papers) Most websites that ends in.edu or.org (pbs.org) Sources that have authors are a plus!

Once you have found info on your topic… Be sure to take what you have read and put it into your own words Remember teachers are not looking for your ability to copy and paste! Take any information that you borrow and put it into your own words unless a direct quote would be more accurate (use this sparingly)

Example of Paraphrasing Original TextMy Paraphrasing Shakespeare’s principal source for the plot was The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet (1562), a long narrative poem by the English poet Arthur Brooke, who had based his poem on a French translation of a tale by the Italian Matteo Bandello.The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and JulietArthur BrookeMatteo Bandello Romeo and Juliet was based upon the plot of a poem written by Arthur Brooke in This poem, called The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet, was based on a French translation. Now although I put it into my own words, I still have to give credit to whomever wrote this original information.

Giving Credit Although I rewrote the information in my own words, I still have to give credit to the writer How do I do that? Internal Citations, also known as In-Text Citations Using Internal Citations allows the reader to know immediately to where you got the information from It also allows the reader (your TEACHER!) know where to find it in the “Works Cited page” (more on this later!)

Example Romeo and Juliet was based upon the plot of a poem written by Arthur Brooke in This poem, called The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet, was based on a French translation (“Romeo and Juliet” 1). If you know the author, then you would put the author’s name in with the page number instead. Example: …(Collins 1).

How often do I cite in my paper? Although there is no hard and fast rule, you should look to cite sources every 3 lines Do it whenever the material is NOT yours, even if you paraphrased it in your own words “Guilty meter”… Your own original words and information does not have to be cited No need to cite commonly know info

Let’s look at the handout: 1 st Paragraph (This is paraphrased with the right internal citation included) Shakespeare’s other tragedies, Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth, are different than the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. The characters of Romeo and Juliet are basically average people from average families. Where as the characters in his other plays are of royalty, wealth, and power (“William Shakespeare” 1). Adding to this statement is the fact that Juliet’s parents want her to marry someone, Paris, who has wealth, and can advance her family socially (“William Shakesepeare” 1). You try now with the second paragraph only.

The Works Cited Page This is a second required way to cite information that is not yours (all researchers do this!) Serves two purposes Another way to give credit to the writer Puts all your sources in one place It is very important to find all information about the article that you can; Be as accurate as you can: Author (if there is one) Title, Website, Date you accessed it, Date it was Created, Publisher, and Web address to which it can be found

Example

Works Cited continued… Whatever you put in your internal citation should matchup in the Works Cited page Works Cited “Romeo and Juliet.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc., Web 13 May Romeo and Juliet was based upon the plot of a poem written by Arthur Brooke in This poem, called The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet, was a translation of a French story by Matteo Bandello (“Romeo and Juliet” 1).

Websites to help you make a Works Cited Page and Internal Cites Let’s try it out…

In Review…. 1. Find your information 2. Summarize all your information in your own words 3. Give credit to those authors who helped you write your research paper (Internal Cites) 4. Match them to your Works Cited