Brought to you by McChord Library MLA. A Brief Guide to MLA Style

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1 Brought to you by McChord Library A Little Bit of MLA Goes a Long Way! 1 A Brief Guide to MLA Style Examples are based on the 7 th edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers and the following MLA web site - (rev. 1/12) Basic formatting information for entire paper use 12-pt type, double-space and use 1 inch margins 1) TITLE PAGE Page header pages sometimes become separated, so include your last name in the header. Trudy R. Bell Professor Thompson Bell 1 Page number number pages consecutively. Insert the page number flush with the righthand margin and one-half inch from the top. English May 2008 Quit Whining and Start Writing Heading begin the heading one inch from the top of the page and one inch from the left. It should include your name, your instructor s name, course name & number, and the date. Double space between lines. NOTE: A separate title page is normally not required. However, always check with your instructor to find out if there are any special requirements. College students are usually required to write a large number of research papers during their academic career. According to a recent study, many college students not only dislike writing research papers, they also tend to spend more time complaining about having to write a paper than they actually spend on the writing process itself (Martin 212). The purpose of this paper is to examine the primary reasons why students dislike writing papers and investigate possible strategies for improving student response to the writing process. Title double space after the heading and then center the title of the paper. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2) WORKS CITED - all sources included in the Works Cited list must be cited in the body of the paper and all sources cited in the paper must be included in the Works Cited list. Basic formatting for works cited list 1) The list begins on a new page with the heading centered, 2) the list is alphabetized by authors last names, and 3) the entire list should be double-spaced. Fox 12 Works Cited Block, John K., and Paul Marlow. What s the Matter with College Students Today? Journal of Research 24.5 (2004): OmniFile. Web. 1 Apr The first line of each reference is aligned with left margin; subsequent lines should be indented ½ inch (or five spaces). Martin, Brian J. Why Students Procrastinate. The Academic Scholar 28.3 (2003): Print. Smith, William P., and Paul T. Anderson. Why So Many Term Papers? Scholastic Journal 37.3 (2001): Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 Apr Thomas, Robert. Whining. New York: Knopf, Print.

2 2 3) HOW TO CREATE WORKS CITED ENTRIES Books: PRINT SOURCES Authors: 1) last name first for the first author only 2) cite author s names as they are given in the work being cited (i.e., if the first or middle name is spelled out, spell it out in the works cited entry). Titles: 1) italicize the title 2) capitalize the first and last word in the title and subtitle, if one is included, and all principle words. Sample nonprinciple words: but, for, or, a, the, and... 1 Smith, Lucy R., and Paul T. Rogers. All About Maynard: The Best Little Town in the United States. Newbury Park: Booksmith, Inc., Print. Place of : give the city of publication only, not the state. Publisher: provide publisher info as given on the title page of the book. date. 2 a. Specific edition: Potter, Andrew. C. Management Principles. 3 rd ed. New York: Bainbridge Press, Inc., Print. 3 b. Editors instead of authors: Place the editors names where the authors names would go and include ed. for one editor or eds. for two or more editors. Roth, Richard D., and Thomas Bird, eds. Turtles of the World. Newbury Park: Parker Inc., Print. 4 c. No author or editor: Place the title in the author position and italicize it. Why Do We Do What We Do? Oxford: Border Press., Print. 5 d. Corporate author (and the author is also the publisher): Mead Corporation. Run for Your Life! Someone Wants Your Job! New York: Mead Corp., Print.

3 PRINT SOURCES - cont d 43 6 e. Article or chapter in an edited book: Title of the article or chapter. Title of the edited book that the article or chapter appears in. Should be italicized. Author of the article or chapter. Rodman, Tim. A. Why ADHD is Hard to Treat. The Psychology of Happiness. Ed. Donald C. Thompson. New York: Bingham Pub., Print. date. Provide page number(s) for the article or chapter. Editor of the book that the article or chapter appears in. Place of : give the city of publication only, not the state. Publisher: provide publisher info as given on the title page of the book. 7 f. Article in an encyclopedia: Title of the article. Italicize the title of the encyclopedia that the article appears in. Include the edition. Author of the article in the encyclopedia. Smith. Troy. Cloning. The New Encyclopedia of Technology. 2nd ed Print. Note: When citing well known, widely used encyclopedias (or dictionaries) do not give place of publication or publisher info. Just the edition is required. date. 8 Journal Articles: Authors: 1) last name first, 2) cite author s names as they are given in the work being cited (i.e., if the first or middle name is spelled out, spell it out in the works cited entry). Article Title: 1) enclose in quotation marks 2) capitalize the first and last word in the title and subtitle, if one is included, and all principle words. Sample nonprinciple words: but, for, or, a, the, and... Zukerman, Charles M. Road Rage: Causes, Prevalence and Treatment. Journal of Psychology 34.3 (2004): Print. Journal: italicize the title then provide the volume number, a period, the issue number, the year in parentheses, a colon and the page numbers. 9 Magazine Articles: Authors: 1) last name first for the first author only, 2) cite author s names as they are given in the work being cited (i.e., if the first or middle name is spelled out, spell it out in the works cited entry). Article Title: 1) enclose in quotation marks 2) capitalize the first and last word in the title and subtitle, if one is included, and all principle words. Sample nonprinciple words: but, for, or, a, the, and... Bundy, Bruce, Paul Smith, and Peter Brown. The First Person to Win the lot- tery. Time 16 Nov. 1999: Print. Magazine: italicize the title Date: if published weekly or by-weekly provide the full date beginning with the day. If published monthly provide the month and year.

4 PRINT SOURCES - cont d Newspaper Articles: Authors: 1) last name first, 2) cite author s names as they are given in the work being cited (i.e., if the first or middle name is spelled out, spell it out in the works cited entry). Article Title: 1) enclose in quotation marks 2) capitalize the first and last word in the title and subtitle, if one is included, and all principle words. Sample nonprinciple words: but, for, or, a, the, and... Hope, Peter. What happened to Harry? The Boston Times 5 Apr. 2006: B15. Print. Page number(s). Newspaper: italicize the title Date: Provide the complete date day, month and year. Abbreviate all months except May, June & July. 11 Film or Video: Movie Title: 1) italicize the title and subtitle (if one is included) 2) capitalize the first word of the title (and subtitle if one is included) and any proper nouns. Year of release. Aliens. Dir. James Cameron. 20th Century Fox, Film. Director (it s also ok to include other information such as the screenwriter, key actors, and the producer if deemed important). Provide the name of the distributor. Medium film, DVD, etc. 12 TV or Radio Broadcast: Put the title of the episode or segment in quotation marks. Broadcast date. Medium television, radio, etc. What Kate Did. Lost. ABC, Seattle, 30 Nov Television. Italicize the title of the program or series. Network. City of the local tv or radio station. 13 Personal Interview: Smith, Terry. Personal interview. 13 July Person who was interviewed. Kind of interview personal, telephone, etc. Date of interview.

5 ONLINE SOURCES 5 14 ebooks (from a subscription database such as netlibrary, ebrary, Overdrive, etc.:) Authors: 1) last name first, 2) cite author s names as they are given in the work being cited (i.e., if the first or middle name is spelled out, spell it out in the works cited entry). Titles: 1) italicize the title 2) capitalize the first and last word in the title and subtitle, if one is included, and all principle words. Sample nonprinciple words: but, for, or, a, the, and... Place of : give the city of publication only, not the state. Jones, Thomas P., and George Bone. Leadership for Dummies. Erie: Self-Made Press, netlibrary. Web. 22 May Publisher: provide publisher info in as brief a form as possible. date. Title of database or Web site. Date of access. 15 earticle in an online encyclopedia: Author of the article in the encyclopedia. Titles: 1) italicize the title 2) capitalize the first and last word in the title and subtitle, if one is included, and all principle words. Sample nonprinciple words: but, for, or, a, the, and... Italicize the title of the encyclopedia. Falcon, Andrew. Aristotle on Causality. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Stanford U, Web. 15 Oct Publisher. date of the encyclopedia. Date of access. 16 ejournal Articles (from an online database): Authors: 1) last name first, 2) cite author s names as they are given in the work being cited (i.e., if the first or middle name is spelled out, spell it out in the works cited entry). Titles: 1) italicize the title 2) capitalize the first and last word in the title and subtitle, if one is included, and all principle words. Sample nonprinciple words: but, for, or, a, the, and... Zukerman, Charles M. Road Rage: Causes, Prevalence and Treatment. Journal of Psychology 34.3 (2004): Academic Search Premier. Web. 12 Sept Journal: italicize the title then provide the volume number, a period, the issue number, the year in parentheses, a colon and the page numbers. Date of access. Title of database or Web site (italicize).

6 ONLINE SOURCES - cont d 6 17 emagazine Articles (from an online database): Authors: 1) last name first for the first author only 2) cite author s names as they are given in the work being cited (i.e., if the first or middle name is spelled out, spell it out in the works cited entry). Article Title: 1) enclose in quotation marks 2) capitalize the first and last word in the title and subtitle, if one is included, and all principle words. Sample nonprinciple words: but, for, or, a, the, and... Bundy, Bruce, Paul Smith, and Peter Brown. The First Person to Win the lot- tery. Time 16 Nov. 1999: Business Source Premier. Web. 10 June Magazine: italicize the title Date: if published weekly or by-weekly provide the full date beginning with the day. If published monthly provide the month and year. Title of database or Web site (italicize). Date of access. 18 enewspaper Articles (from an online database): Authors: 1) last name first for the first author only, 2) cite author s names as they are given in the work being cited (i.e., if the first or middle name is spelled out, spell it out in the works cited entry). Article Title: 1) enclose in quotation marks 2) capitalize the first and last word in the title and subtitle, if one is included, and all principle words. Sample nonprinciple words: but, for, or, a, the, and... Hope, Peter. What happened to Harry? The Boston Times 5 Apr. 2006: B15. Newsbank InfoFile. Web. 20 Nov Page number(s). Title of database or Web site (italicize). Date of access. Newspaper: italicize the title. Date: Provide the complete date day, month and year. Abbreviate all months except May, June & July. 19 Entire Web Site (with author): Authors: 1) last name first for the first author only, 2) cite author s names as they are given in the work being cited (i.e., if the first or middle name is spelled out, spell it out in the works cited entry). Title of web site. Include the name of the organization or institution sponsoring or associated with the site. If not available use N.p. Ehrlich, Heward. A Poe Webliography: Edgar Allen Poe on the Internet. N.p Web. 30 Oct date. Date of access.

7 ONLINE SOURCES - cont d 7 20 Article Within a Web Site: Authors: 1) last name first for the first author only, 2) cite author s names as they are given in the work being cited (i.e., if the first or middle name is spelled out, spell it out in the works cited entry). Title of article in quotation marks. Include the name of the organization or institution sponsoring or associated with the site. If not available use N.p. Kovacs, Betty. Flat Belly Diet. Does it Fall Flat on Its Promise? Diet Center Web. 30 Oct date. Date of access. 21 Online Communication: Author of . Subject of communication. Message recipient. Brown, Norman. Twitter as a Work Tool. Message to Paul Smith. 4 Nov Date of message.

8 6) SAMPLE WORKS CITED ENTRIES FOR ARTICLES FOUND IN LIBRARY DATABASES 8 22 ACADEMIC SEARCH PREMIER (Journal article): Brewer, Ann. Road Rage: What, Who, When, Where and How? Transport Reviews 20.1 (2000): Academic Search Premier. Web. 12 Sept Color Codes Author Date Title Editors 23 BIOGRAPHY RESOURCE CENTER Encyclopedia article no author: George W. Bush. Encyclopedia of World Biography Supplement Biography Resource Center. Web. 23 Sept Title of the publication (journal, magazine, book, etc.) that the article or chapter appears in. Place of publication Magazine article no author: America s Sorcerer. The Economist, 10 Jan. 1998: n. pag. Biography Resource Center. Web. 21 Sept Publisher Retrieval information (URL, database name, DOI, etc.) Date of access 24 GALE VIRTUAL REFERENCE LIBRARY Chapter in an edited ebook: Chut, Lucy C. Antidepressants. Drugs and Controlled Substances: Information for Stu- dents. Ed. Steven L. Blackford and Kim Krapp. Detroit: Gale, Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 22 Sept medium 25 LITERATURE RESOURCE CENTER Critical essay: Light, Juliet F. The Religion of Death in A Farewell to Arms. The Merrill Studies in A Farewell to Arms. Ed. John Graham. Detroit: Gale, Literature Resource Center. Web. 22 Sept Biographical article no author: Harold Bloom. Contemporary Authors Online. 15 Nov Literature Resource Center. Web. 22 Sept

9 6) SAMPLE WORKS CITED ENTRIES FOR ARTICLES FOUND IN LIBRARY DATABASES (cont d) 9 26 NETLIBRARY ebook with two authors: Orlov, Darlene, and Michael T. Roumell. What Every Manager Needs to Know About Sex- ual Harassment. New York: American Management Association, netlibrary. Web. 8 Sept Chapter in edited ebook: McCadden, Brian M. Why is Michael Always Getting Timed Out? Race, Class, and the Disciplining of Other People s Children. Classroom Discipline in American Schools. Ed. Ronald E. Butchart and Barbara McEwan. Albany: State University of New York Press, netlibrary. Web. 02 Sept Color Codes Author Date Title Editors Title of the publication (journal, magazine, book, etc.) that the article or chapter appears in. Place of publication Publisher 27 OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS Viewpoint essay in edited ebook: Fineman, Mary A. Divorce Laws Should not be Reformed. Marriage and Divorce. Ed. Tom L. Roleff and Michael E. Williams. Greenhaven Press, Opposing View Points Resource Center. Web. 15 Oct Retrieval information (URL, database name, DOI, etc.) Date of access medium Magazine article with no volume or issue number: Hosenball, M. The Case for War; Did the Iraqi Defector Lie? Newsweek 15 Mar Opposing ViewPoints Resource Center. Web. 15 Oct Newspaper article: Weisman, Steve R. In Stricter Study, U.S. Scales Back claim on Cuba Arms. The New York Times 18 Sep Opposing ViewPoints Resource Center. Web. 15 Oct

10 7) CITING SOURCES WITHIN THE TEXT OF A PAPER (parenthetical documentation) 10 PARAPHRASING (restating an author s words in your own words) Rules: 1) for print sources include the author s last name and page number(s) 2) for online sources include the author s last name and page numbers if they re available. If page numbers aren t available, but the source includes fixed numbering such as numbered paragraphs, use paragraph numbers (example: pars ). If the source doesn t include page numbers, fixed paragraph numbering, or any other type of numbering, do not cite numbers when you borrow from it. Examples of paraphrasing - 1) According to Smith (pars ), many students have trouble reading 2) Turner ( ) urges employers to treat employees in a fair manner 3) Hooch, Brown and Wallace (43-47) have indicated that several groups 4) Many degree candidates have relied heavily on financial aid (Burns and Pope 151). DIRECT QUOTATION (using an author s exact words) Rule: Short quotations (less than four lines) should be enclosed in quotation marks and the author s last name and page number(s) should be included. If the source is online (article from web site, etc.) and does not provide page numbers, use paragraph numbers, if provided. If no numbering is provided, none should be used: Examples of short quotation 1) Men's appetite for invasive cosmetic surgery is dropping off (Voiland par. 5). 2) The rules of the employee recruitment game have changed (Smith and Jones 15). 3) According to Turner (par. 3), when people work together great things happen. Rule: A quotation of more than four lines should be set off from the text by beginning a new line. Indent the quote one inch from the left margin, double space and do not use quotation marks. Provide the author s last name and page number(s) or paragraph number(s) if they are provided. Double space the quote: Example of block quotation According to Breeding: Each page on your site should be designed from two major perspectives. Many web authors or designers just consider how the page will be viewed by end users as they navigate through a site. They will optimize the site for visual appeal, usability, and navigation. It's just as important, however, to optimize the page to maximize its findability in the search engines. (par. 6) The period goes before the parenthetical citation for block quotations. QUESTIONS? Contact Cindy Spano, the reference librarian at McChord Library cindy.spano@mcchord.af.mil ph: