MLA Basics

Here is your crash course in Modern Language Association (MLA) style. For your research paper you will need to do two things: (1) cite sources within your paper (in-text documentation) and (2) compile a bibliography/works cited of all the resources you referenced in your paper. By adding these to your paper, you give credit where it is deserved, and you allow the reader to verify that the information in your paper is reliable.

In-text documentation:

• Each separate reference to a source must be cited however many times this may occur in a paper. "To avoid interrupting the flow of your writing, place the parenthetical reference where a pause would naturally occur (preferably at the end of a sentence), as near as possible to the material documented" (Gibaldi 241). A page number is usually cited only with a direct quotation unless the reader needs to be referred to an unusual concept or idea for possible verification.

Bibliography

• You will be compiling a bibliography that lists all the sources that you consulted in writing your paper. This is different than a works cited, that only lists sources that were directly referenced with in-text documentation. Anything that you read that contributed to your paper should be included in the bibliography.

• The Bibliography should be on a separate paper attached to back of your report.
• Center the title Bibliography at the top of the page.
  
• Arrange all the sources alphabetically (regardless of the resource type).
• Separate sources by a blank line.
• Sources longer than a single line use a hanging indent = any line after the first is indented 1/2 inch (press tab once in Word)
  

*NOTE: the examples below don't have a hanging indent because I'm still figuring out how to indent properly using blogger.

Books

Format:
Author's last name, first name. Book title. Additional information. City of publication: Publishing company, publication date.

Examples:

Allen, Thomas B. Vanishing Wildlife of North America. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 1974.

Boorstin, Daniel J. The Creators: A History of the Heroes of the Imagination. New York: Random, 1992.

Hall, Donald, ed. The Oxford Book of American Literacy Anecdotes. New York: Oxford UP, 1981.

Searles, Baird, and Martin Last. A Reader's Guide to Science Fiction. New York: Facts on File, Inc., 1979.

Toomer, Jean. Cane. Ed. Darwin T. Turner. New York: Norton, 1988.

Encyclopedia & Dictionary

Format:
Author's last name, first name. "Title of Article." Title of Encyclopedia. Date.

Note: If the dictionary or encyclopedia arranges articles alphabetically, you may omit volume and page numbers.

Examples:

"Azimuthal Equidistant Projection." Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. 10th ed. 1993.

Pettingill, Olin Sewall, Jr. "Falcon and Falconry." World Book Encyclopedia. 1980.

Tobias, Richard. "Thurber, James." Encyclopedia Americana. 1991 ed.

Magazine & Newspaper Articles

Format:
Author's last name, first name. "Article title." Periodical title Volume # Date: inclusive pages.

Note: If an edition is named on the masthead, add a comma after the date and specify the edition.

Examples:

Hall, Trish. "IQ Scores Are Up, and Psychologists Wonder Why." New York Times 24 Feb. 1998, late ed.: F1+.

Kalette, Denise. "California Town Counts Down to Big Quake." USA Today 9 21 July 1986: sec. A: 1.

Kanfer, Stefan. "Heard Any Good Books Lately?" Time 113 21 July 1986: 71-72.

Trillin, Calvin. "Culture Shopping." New Yorker 15 Feb. 1993: 48-51.

Website or Webpage

Format:
Author's last name, first name (if available). "Title of work within a project or database." Title of site, project, or database. Editor (if available). Electronic publication information (Date of publication or of the latest update, and name of any sponsoring institution or organization). Date of access and .

Note: If you cannot find some of this information, cite what is available.

Examples:

Devitt, Terry. "Lightning injures four at music festival." The Why? Files. 2 Aug. 2001. 23 Jan. 2002 .

Dove, Rita. "Lady Freedom among Us." The Electronic Text Center. Ed. David Seaman. 1998. Alderman Lib., U of Virginia. 19 June 1998 .

Lancashire, Ian. Homepage. 28 Mar. 2002. 15 May 2002 .

Levy, Steven. "Great Minds, Great Ideas." Newsweek 27 May 2002. 10 June 2002 .