Introduction to MLA Format

What is MLA?• MLA – Modern Language Association

• In research writing, it is important to givecredit to sources that the writer includes in his or her paper to avoid plagiarism.

•MLA is one style of doing this.

Riverglen Junior High Library - Boise Idaho. Boise School District. Web. 02 May 2011. <http://www.boiseschools.org/schools/riverglen/library/>.

Why do we need MLA?•Allows readers to find your sources

easily

•Provides consistent format

•Gives you credibility as a writer

• Protects yourself from plagiarismLeemore High School. "The Research Paper:Using MLA Format."

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 other than first. (ex. Straw 3) Top Right header

•Double Spaced throughout paper.

Example Research Paper

Google Images." Google. Web. 03 May 2011. <http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.professays.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/sample-mla.gif>.

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)

Example of parenthetical citation

"Google Images." Google. Web. 03 May 2011. <http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://s1.hubimg.com/u/131212_f520.jpg>.

Example of Works Cited Page

When to use parenthetical citations?

•Any time you directly quote words from another source that are not your own. – A DIRECT QUOTE

• If you copy without “quotes,” IT IS PLAGIARISM!

•Direct quotes are surrounded by quotation marks and “are immediately followed by a parenthetical citation”(MLA Format Ppt Presentation ).

"MLA Format Ppt Presentation." AuthorSTREAM

Online PowerPoint Presentations and

Slideshow Sharing. Web. 03 May 2011.

<http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation

/tccampa-74143-mla-format-education-ppt-

powerpoint/>.

•When summarizing facts and ideasfrom a source, you should cite thesource

•Summarizing means to take ideas froma large passage of another source put them in your own words.

•Even if you use your own words, you still have to cite it!!

When to use parenthetical citations?

•Paraphrasing means that you read the source first then put the information in your own words based on your own understanding of the text.

•Cite your source when you paraphrase the information. You may not copy word for word, but you might sum up what you read in shorter form.

• In this case you still have to cite it!

When to use parenthetical citations?

PLAGIARISM

•Simply changing one word, or every other word, or a few words and not citing the source is PLAGIARISM!

When in doubt, cite your source!!

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 – Underlined or Quotations ▫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 (3 May 2011) (2005)

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!

ABC Order

Works Cited Page - Reminders

• Whatever is listed first on your Works Cited will be what you cite in parenthetical citation in your paper!

• Look at the samples in this presentation and in your textbook to know for sure how to cite sources!

• ASK ME FOR HELP! I have done this for many years, and I will know how to help you or where to look to find answers!

These are just the basics!•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.

▫ Your Textbook

• 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!

How to Cite Books

•BOOKS▫Lastname, Firstname. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of Publication.

▫Gleick, James. Chaos: Making a New Science. New York: Penguin, 1987. Print.

How to Cite Periodicals

•Article in a Magazine▫Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of

Periodical Day Month Year: pages. Medium of

publication.•Article in a Newspaper

▫Brubaker, Bill. "New Health Center Targets

County's Uninsured Patients." Washington Post 24 May 2007: LZ01. Print.

Electronic SourcesINCLUDE AS MUCH OF THE FOLLOWING AS AVAILABLE:

• Author and/or editor names (if available)• Article name in quotation marks (if applicable)• Title of the Website, project, or book in italics. (Remember that

some Print publications have Web publications with slightly different names. They may, for example, include the additional information or otherwise modified information, like domain names [e.g. .com or .net].)

• Any version numbers available, including revisions, posting dates, volumes, or issue numbers.

• Publisher information, including the publisher name and publishing date.

• Take note of any page numbers (if available).• Date you accessed the material.• Medium of publication.• URL (if required, or for your own personal reference).

Website

•Editor, author, or compiler name (if available).

Name of Site. Version number. Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), date of resource creation (if available). Medium of publication. Date of access. <URL (optional)>