WRIT

ING A

RESEARCH

PAPE

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US

I NG

ML A

FO

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Leigh Ann Pieroni, LMSGermantown High School

WHAT IS MLA?

MLA (Modern Language Association) style formatting is often used in various Humanities disciplines.

WHAT DOES MLA REGULATE

Document Format

In-text citations

Works Cited

(a list of all sources used in the

paper)

SOME GENERAL GUIDELINES: Type on white 8.5” x 11” paper

Double-space everything

Use 12 pt. Times New Roman font (or similar font)

Leave only one space after punctuation

Set all margins to 1 inch on all sides

Indent the first line of paragraphs one half-inch

Page numbers in the upper right corner (Last name &

page #)

Use italics for titles

GETTING STARTED…

• If you do not already have a general background on your topic, get the most recent good general source on the topic and read it for general orientation.

• RESEARCH!!!! Where? Books: GHS Library Card Catalog, Databases, & Websites

• Take notes as you read the source to help prevent plagiarism.

• Make an outline to help guide the direction of your paper.

• Write your first draft.

• Edit and make final draft.

HOW SHOULD MY FIRST PAGE LOOK?

http://www.isu.edu/success/writing/handouts/mla-format.pdf

WORKS CITED

You must cite all the sources you used in your research. This is called the Works Cited page.

HOW DO I CITE MY SOURCES?

Use a citation builder like:Citation MakerEasy BibCopy and paste into a separate page.Make sure each one is in alphabetical order.Use MLA formatting.YOU CANNOT JUST GIVE WEB ADDRESSES!!!!!

Questions?????