writing in the disciplines_ english - guide to mla style

8/13/2019 Writing in the Disciplines_ English - Guide to MLA Style

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Guide to MLA Style(printable version here )

The Modern Language Association (MLA) style is the most commonly used format for citing research sources in academic writing. Here are the guidelines for formatting apaper according to MLA style.

Requirements

Printed on standard 8.5 x 11-inch paper Legible text (typically Times New Roman, at least 12 pt. font)1 inch margins on each side of the documentThe first line of each paragraph should be indented a half inch (MLA recommends using the TABbutton rather than the space bar)Italicize or underline larger works referenced throughout the essay; put smaller works, such as

journal article titles, in quotations; poems and other short works should be placed in quotations as

wellDo not include a title page unless specifically requested to do soWhen referring to other literary works in your title be certain to employ proper citation methods;for example in the following title, the literary work "Goblin Market" is properly cited in quotations:Desire and Sin in Christina Rossetti's "Goblin Market"Include a header in the upper right hand corner of the page, listing your name followed by aspace with the page number Headings may be included between different sections of the paper to improve clarity and flow

If your paper does not include a title page, your first page should resemble the following model fromPurdue OWL

g in the Disciplines: English - Guide to MLA Style http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/english/mlastyle.html

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Formatting in Microsoft Word 2007

Featured below is a tutorial explaining how to properly format Microsoft Word 2007 to MLA style. Notethat the default settings of Microsoft Word 2007 are not in accordance with MLA requirements and mustbe edited in order to fit this format.

Work Cited Format

MLA style formatting demands that a work cited page be included at the end of a research paper.Before jumping into the specifics of different source type formatting, note the following general rules:

The Work Cited page should always begin on a separate page at the end of the research paper This page should be labeled Work Cited (centered, not italicized or in quotations)If the citation extends beyond one line, the second and subsequent lines should be indented five

spaces (using the TAB button)The first letter of every word should be capitalized unless the word is an article (a, an, the),conjunction (and, but, or) or short preposition (of, to)Italicize or underline longer works, such as books, and put smaller works, such as article titles, inquotationsURLs are not required for web entries, unless the teacher specifies otherwiseIf citing an article available in print but accessed via an internet database, cite both the journaland the database

Formatting Source Citations

Books


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(a) Single Author

Author's last name should be listed first, followed by first name and possible middle initialThe title of the work may be italicized or underlined depending on preferenceIf the citation extends to a second line, indent five spaces before continuing citation (MLArecommends using the TAB button rather than the space bar)Indicate the format of the accessed work (i.e. Did you access it via the Web or in print?)

General Format: Author. Title of Book . City of Publication: Publisher, Year. Format.

Example:

Hasset, Constance W. Christina Rossetti: Patience of Style . Charlottesville: University of Virginia, 2005. Print.

(b) Two or More Authors

List author names in accordance with how they appear on the title page of the work.Only the first author's name should be listed in inverted order (i.e. Last, First).

Authors names should be divided by a comma, include "and" between the last two authors'

names .

Example:

Majors, Richard M, and Janet M. Billson. Cool Pose: The Dilemmas of Black Manhood in America . New York: Macmillan Inc., 1992. Print.

Smaller Works in Anthologies

Need the author, title, and (if relevant) translator of the piece.Need the name of the editor(s), translator(s), or compiler(s) of the book being cited.The edition number and/or editor may not be given.Book title may be either italicized or underlined .

General Format:

Author of Smaller Work (Last name, First name). "Title of Smaller Work." Title of Book .Name of Editor. Edition. City of Publication: Publisher, Year. Page number range of smaller work.

Example:

Hill, Marylu. "Eat Me, Drink Me, Love Me: Eucharist and the Erotic Body." Augustine and Literature . Ed. John Doody, Kim Paffenroth, and Robert F. Kennedy. Oxford: LexingtonBooks, 2006. 215-232. Print.

Article in a Scholarly Journal (Print)

Need author's name, title of the article, and all relevant publication information.

General Format:

Author. "Title of Article." Title of Journal Volume Number. Issue number (Year): Pagenumber range. Print

Example:

Peterson, Randall S. and Charlan J. Nemeth. "Focus Versus Flexibility: Majority andMinority Influence Can Both Improve Performance." Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 22.1 (1996): 14-23.


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Article in a Scholarly Journal (Online-Only Journal)

Follow the same format as a print journal, but specify "Web" instead of print after the pagenumbering, and include the date of access.Do not include a URL with your reference.

General Format:

Author. "Title of Article." Title of Journal Volume Number. Issue number (Year): Pagenumber range. Web. Date accessed (Day Month Year).

Example:

Grass, Sean C. "Nature's Perilous Variety in Rossetti's 'Goblin Market.'" Nineteenth-Century Literature 51.3 (2009): 129-54. Web. 4 Apr. 2010.

Article in a Scholarly Journal (Print Journal Housed in Online Database)

Follow the same format as the online-only journal article, but include the database in italics beforewriting "Web."If the article does not have pages, write "n. pag."

As with online-only articles, do not include a URL with your reference.

General Format:

Author. "Title of Article." Title of Journal Volume Number. Issue number (Year): Pagenumber range or n. pag. Database. Web. Date accessed (Day Month Year).

Example:

Chan, Evans. "Postmodernism and Hong Kong Cinema." Postmodern Culture 10.3 (2000):n. pag. Project Muse . Web. 5 June 2008.

Useful Resources for MLA Style Citations

Above is listed the general format of the most commonly cited source types. For further clarification on

how to cite a variety of different source types visit the Writer's Web page on MLA Citation Style ; toaccess a citation generator visit EasyBib . Note that for the second site you will need to create a user name and password in order to use its services. If you do choose to use a citation generator, be certainto review the citations and correct any mistakes the automatic generator may have made--DO NOTsimply copy and paste the information without checking its accuracy.

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writing in the disciplines_ english - guide to mla style

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