-
Using MLA Format (August 2011; g: ASC English/Reading) Page
1
Writing Handout:
Using MLA Format for Research Papers
This handout is designed to help you write a research paper
using the Modern
Language Association (MLA) format.
Although the MLA format can appear complex, this handout should
help simplify the
process. In addition to showing the correct format for citing
sources in the body of your
research paper, it also provides guidance on formatting the list
of all sources that you used in
your paper. A few sample pages are also included to help
demonstrate the format.
Topic
Definitions
Format for In-text Citations 3
Examples of In-text Citations 4
Additional Guidelines for Quotations
Format for List of Works Cited
Examples of Works Cited Entries
General Format Guidelines 17
Sample Title Page 18
Sample MLA Paper
Sample Works Cited
Page
2
3
4
8
10
12
17
18
19
21
NOTE: Always check with your course instructor for specific
guidelines and preferences. You might encounter
situations that are not covered in this handout. Under these
circumstances, consult with your course instructor or an ASC
instructor.
Additional MLA guides, grammar information, and writing
aids:
ASC link on the IRSC Web site-
http://www.irsc.edu/students/academicsupportcenter/writinglab/writinglab.aspx?id=970
The Bedford Handbook link -
http://www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 7th
ed. New York: Modern Language Association of America,
2009.
http://www.irsc.edu/students/academicsupportcenter/writinglab/writinglab.aspx?id=970http://www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/
-
Using MLA Format (August 2011; g: ASC English/Reading) Page
2
Definitions Common knowledge Common knowledge is information
that can easily be located in any number of reference sources or
that is commonly known. Common knowledge does not need to be
cited.
Direct quotation When you use the authors exact words, you are
quoting. A quotation must be enclosed in quotation marks. In-text
citation When you quote, paraphrase, or summarize from a source,
you must include an in-text citation which provides brief
information about your source. A typical in-text citation includes
the authors last name and a reference marker (e.g., page number).
In-text citations are written either as a parenthetical reference
or as a signal phrase. (See page 3 for a further explanation.) MLA
(Modern Language Association) style The MLA style was developed to
provide uniform rules for documenting quotations, paraphrases,
summaries, and lists of sources used to write a research paper.
Paraphrase When you restate the authors ideas in your own words,
you are paraphrasing. A paraphrase includes most of the details in
roughly the same number of words as in the original version.
Plagiarism When you use anothers information or ideas without
indicating the source, you are stealing. This offense is very
serious and can result in mandatory withdrawal from the course. To
prevent plagiarizing, you must cite sources when you quote,
paraphrase, or summarize from your sources. Summary When you
restate the main points of an authors ideas (not all of the
details) in a fewer number of words than the longer, original
version, you are summarizing. Works Cited The last page of your
research paper is your Works Cited page and includes complete
publishing information for each of the sources cited in your paper.
The sources are listed alphabetically.
-
Using MLA Format (August 2011; g: ASC English/Reading) Page
3
Format for In-text Citations (6.1-6.3) In the written body of
your paper, you must give credit whenever you quote or use anothers
words, ideas, or thoughts. You give credit by using in-text
citations that typically consist of the authors last name (or the
title of the source if the author is unknown) and a reference
marker (e.g., page number). When a source lacks page numbers but
has numbered paragraphs or sections, use the abbreviation par. or
sec. If there are no reference markers, cite only the authors name.
In-text citations are written either as a signal phrase or
parenthetical reference:
Signal phrase A signal phrase includes the authors name followed
by an appropriate verb (such as asserts, claims, declares, defines,
illustrates, notes, observes, reports, responds, suggests, or
writes) which introduce the cited material. The reference marker
for the cited material is placed in parentheses at the end of the
sentence containing the quotation, paraphrase, or summary, followed
by a period after the parentheses. Examples Signal phrase in a
quotation.
Czeisler reports, "Bright light produces a clear resetting of
the subject's circadian rhythms, yet it is too early to know why
this happens" (137).
Signal phrase in a paraphrase or partial quote.
Czeisler reports that bright light affects one's "circadian
rhythms" although the explanation is not yet known (137).
Signal phrase in a summary
Czeisler finds that the proper timing of bright lights causes a
longer period of alertness and clearer thoughts (137).
Parenthetical reference In a parenthetical reference, the
authors name (or title of the source if the author is unknown) and
reference marker (e.g., page number) are placed within parentheses
at the end of the sentence containing the cited material. The
period ending the sentence is placed after the parentheses.
Examples
Parenthetical reference in a summary.
Other researchers confirm that bright light produces an actual
resetting of the circadian rhythms (Rosenthal 147).
-
Using MLA Format (August 2011; g: ASC English/Reading) Page
4
A Work with Two or Three Authors (6.2-6.3)
A Work with One Author (6.2-6.3)
Parenthetical reference in a quotation
Circadian rhythms are [biological] processes that occur
repeatedly on approximately a twenty-four hour cycle (Feldman 125).
Notes:
1. When you cite a source more than once in a paragraph and no
other intervening source has been cited, you need only provide a
parenthetical reference on the last citation.
2. When an entire paragraph is based on a single source, you may
introduce the source (author) at the beginning of the paragraph
using a signal phrase and then insert reference markers after each
borrowing.
Examples of In-text Citations If additional guidance is needed,
reference to the applicable section of the MLA Handbook for Writers
of Research Papers is included (in parentheses) for each
example.
Signal phrase In fact, Mapes believes that the accident at the
Three Mile Island nuclear power plant happened because engineers
ignored a series of warning signals (15). Parenthetical reference
The accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant happened
at 4:00 a.m., and the Chernobyl reactor exploded at 1:23 a.m.
(Mapes 15).
List all authors in the signal phrase or parentheses each time
you cite the source. Signal phrase
Worchel and Shebilske report that a person's biological clock is
internally set at twenty-four hours (125). Parenthetical
reference
A person's biological clock is internally set at twenty-four
hours (Worchel and Shebilske 125).
-
Using MLA Format (August 2011; g: ASC English/Reading) Page
5
A Work with Four or More Authors (6.2)
Unknown Author (6.4.4)
Corporate Author (6.4.5)
When the work has more than three authors, follow the form you
use in the Works Cited section of your paper; i.e., either list the
first author's name followed by et al. (Latin for and others) or
give all the last names.
Signal phrase
Czeisler et al. find similar results in monkeys (155).
Parenthetical reference
Similar results have been found in monkeys (Czeisler et al.
155).
Similar results have been found in monkeys (Czeisler, Johnson,
Duffy, Brown, Ronda, and Kronauer 155).
If the author is not given, either use the complete title in the
signal phrase or use the full title (if brief) or a shortened form
of the title in parentheses.
Complete title in the signal phrase
The article "Are You a Day or Night Person?" states that the
pineal gland, which releases melatonin at night, regulates the
biological clock (14).
Partial title in the parenthetical reference
The pineal gland, which regulates melatonin at night, regulates
the biological clock ("Are You" 14).
For names of groups that serve as authors (e.g., corporations,
associations), use the name of the
corporate author in the signal phrase or the parenthetical
reference. If you give the name in the parenthetical reference, you
may abbreviate it.
Signal phrase
The National Institute of Mental Health is studying the effect
that altering circadian rhythms has on the memory (91).
Parenthetical reference Scientists are studying the effects that
changing circadian rhythms may produce on the memory
(Natl. Inst. of Mental Health 91).
-
Using MLA Format (August 2011; g: ASC English/Reading) Page
6
A Work in an Anthology or Collection Edited by Another (6.2)
A Scholarly Article Reprinted in a Collection (6.2)
If you are citing an essay that appears within a collection or
anthology, cite the author of the essay or article not the editor.
An essay in an anthology with a signal phrase
The black box in The Lottery symbolizes the towns peoples fear
as evident in the words the villagers kept their distance and there
was hesitation before two men volunteered to help steady the box
(Jackson 572).
Note: On the Works Cited page, you will cite the author and the
title of the essay followed by the editor, title, and publishing
information for the anthology or collection. (5.5.6)
If you are quoting or paraphrasing a work that was previously
published, cite the author of the work, not the collections author
or editor. A previously published scholarly article or work
reprinted in a collection with a signal phrase
Demont reports that most individuals feel sleepy in
mid-afternoon, a phenomenon due solely to the time of day, not to
eating a heavy lunch (103).
Note: On the Works Cited page, you will indicate that you were
reading an article reprinted in Feldmans book and were not reading
the originally published Demont article. You will cite the original
publishing information of Demont (usually found at the end of the
article). Then you will add Rpt. in followed by the title, editor,
publishing information, and page numbers of the book in which the
article appears. If you are citing an excerpt of Demonts work that
you found in Feldmans book, you will add Excerpt from instead of
Rpt. in. (5.5.6)
Indirect Sources (6.4.7)
When quoting or paraphrasing a quotation from an indirect source
(a source quoted in the source you used), put the abbreviation qtd.
in (quoted in) before the indirect source cited in your
parenthetical reference.
A reprinted quotation with a signal phrase
Demont states that feeling sleepy in mid-afternoon is a
phenomenon due solely to the time of day, not to eating a heavy
lunch (qtd. in Feldman 65).
Note: In this situation, Demonts entire article is not found in
the book by Feldman; Feldman has only quoted from Demonts article.
In the Works Cited page, you will include a cite for Feldman (and
not for Demont) because the quote was obtained indirectly from
Feldmans book.
-
Using MLA Format (August 2011; g: ASC English/Reading) Page
7
Literature (6.4.8)
Personal Communications
(6.2)
For verse plays and poems, cite the canto, stanza, and line
number. For plays, give the act, scene,
and line numbers (if used). Use periods between these numbers.
If only line numbers are cited, the first cite should include the
word line; subsequent cites will be only the number.
For novels, if you give the chapter and the page number, your
citation will be easier to find in any
edition of the novel. If you use both a page number and chapter
number, follow the page number with a semicolon and precede the
chapter number with the abbreviation ch.
A poem with a signal phrase In The Bustle in a House, Emily
Dickinson describes the emotional housecleaning after death by
the words The Sweeping up the Heart / And putting Love away
(lines 5-6). A verse play with a parenthetical reference The lady
doth protest too much, methinks is a frequently quoted line from
Hamlet (Shakespeare
3.2.206). A novel with a signal phrase Conrad is quite adept at
using animal imagery as when Gentleman Brown identifies himself as
a rat
in a trap (232; ch. 41).
Letters, e-mails, and memos are examples of personal
communications. Use a signal phrase for this
information. If the person interviewed is not widely known,
explain his or her credentials. When a source has no page numbers,
no reference to page is made in the citation.
Unpublished letter with a signal phrase In a letter to the
author, Dr. Jon Smith, a neurologist at St. Marys Hospital in West
Palm Beach, describes the basic procedure for this operation. Email
in a parenthetical reference
In an e-mail to the author, a neurologist at St. Marys Hospital
describes the basic procedure for the operation (Smith).
-
Using MLA Format (August 2011; g: ASC English/Reading) Page
8
Additional Guidelines for Quotations (3.7)
Short Quotations
When you use quotations, you must use the authors exact words
(and interior punctuation and spelling). Some exceptions to this
general rule are as follows:
You may omit part of the authors words as long as you do not
change the authors meaning and you use ellipsis points (three
spaced periods).
You may insert words inside a quotation if necessary for
clarification (inserted words are placed within brackets).
Sometimes an author or typesetter makes a mistake in something
you are quoting. To show the error is not yours, you should insert
the Latin word sic in brackets right after the error.
If a quotation is less than four typed lines in length,
incorporate it into the text of your report. Do
not use a quotation as a complete sentence all by itself.
Blend the quotation into a sentence through use of a signal
phrase containing the authors last name and an appropriate verb
(e.g., asserts, claims, declares, defines, illustrates, notes,
observes, reports, responds, suggests, or writes).
Blend the quotation into a sentence through another type of
introductory phrase.
Construct a grammatically correct sentence when you blend a
quotation into your text.
Place quoted material inside quotation marks. Place the in-text
citation within parentheses at the end of the sentence with the
period following the parenthesis.
Examples
Circadian rhythms are [biological] processes that occur
repeatedly on approximately a twenty-four hour cycle (Feldman 125).
Note: Brackets are used to enclose a word for clarification that
was not in the original quote. Because of the way this quotation is
blended into the sentence, a comma before the quotation and a
capital letter on the first word in the quotation is not
required.
Czeisler writes, The timing of the light . . . had to be
sinchronized [sic] with particular phases of a persons circadian
rhythm in order for it to be effective. Note: Ellipsis points are
used to show that some of the authors words have been omitted, and
brackets are used to indicate that the word synchronized was
misspelled in the source. Quotations are usually preceded by a
colon (formal introduction) or by a comma or no punctuation (when
part of the sentence).
-
Using MLA Format (August 2011; g: ASC English/Reading) Page
9
Long Quotations (3.7.2)
When you quote more than four typed lines:
Use a colon to introduce the quotation.
Starting a new line, indent the entire quotation one inch from
the left margin.
Use the normal right margin and double space.
Do not put quotation marks around an indented quotation.
Place the citation in parentheses at the end of the quotation.
Researcher Czeisler explains his findings:
People exposed to five hours of bright lights during the
nighttime over a three-day
period reset their internal clocks as much as twelve hours. The
timing of the light
could not be haphazard, however. The exposure had to be
sinchronized [sic] with
particular phases of a person's circadian rhythm in order for it
to be effective. (72)
Note: Brackets have been used to show the word synchronized was
misspelled in the source.
-
Using MLA Format (August 2011; g: ASC English/Reading) Page
10
Format for List of Works Cited (5.3)
After the final page of text of the paper, prepare a separate
Works Cited page. Only the sources that you cite in your paper
appear in this list. Continue numbering the pages as you did in the
body of your paper. Center the title, Works Cited, one inch from
the top of the page, but do not underline it or place it in
quotation marks. Double space between the title and the first
entry. Use the following guidelines in setting up the entries on
your Works Cited page. 1. For books, pamphlets, and other
nonperiodical print sources, the basic entry pattern (5.5.1)
is:
Authors or editors name, alphabetized by last name. (Follow
editors name with ed.)
Title and subtitle of book (italicized)
Edition of the book (2nd ed.)
Number of the volume (Vol.2)
Publication information (city of publication, publisher, and
year of publication).
Medium of publication (Print) End each part with a period
followed by one space.
Example
Feldman, Robert. Essentials of Understanding Psychology. 2nd ed.
New York: McGraw, 1994. Print. 2. For newspapers, magazines,
journals, and other periodical print sources, the basic pattern
(5.4.1) is:
Authors or editors name, alphabetized by last name. (Follow
editors name with ed.)
Title of article (in quotation marks)
Name of periodical (italicized)
Series number (if applicable)
Volume number, issue number (for scholarly journals if
available)
Date of publication (the year for scholarly journals; the day,
month, and year for others if available)
Page numbers
Medium of publication (Print) End each part with a period
followed by one space. Examples
Czeisler, Charles, et al. "Exposure to Bright Light and Darkness
to Treat Physiologic Maladaption to Night Work." New
England Journal of Medicine 62 (1996): 53-60. Print.
Rosenthal, Edgar. "Pulses of Light Give Astronauts New Rhythms."
The New York Times 23 Apr. 1991, sec. 1: 1. Print.
3. For electronic sources, see MLA Citation Style and Citing and
Crediting your Sources using the MLA Style. These resources are
available through the ASC links on the IRSC website
(http://www.irsc.edu/students/academicsupportcenter/writinglab/writinglab.aspx?id=970).
http://www.irsc.edu/students/academicsupportcenter/writinglab/writinglab.aspx?id=970
-
Using MLA Format (August 2011; g: ASC English/Reading) Page
11
4. Begin entries at the left margin, and indent second and third
lines inch (hanging indent). Double space every entry and between
entries.
5. List entries alphabetically by authors last names. If the
author is unknown, alphabetize by the first word of the title (do
not include A, An, or The). If two or more authors have the same
name, alphabetize by their first name. For entries having multiple
authors or editors, see specific examples on the following
pages.
6. Capitalize the first, last, and all major words in the titles
of books, magazines, and journals. Italicize
names of books, magazines, pamphlets, and journals. Use
quotation marks around titles of articles.
7. For publication information:
If multiple cities are listed, list only the first city.
Shorten the publishers name (e.g., Ohio State UP instead of Ohio
State University Press, Wiley instead of John Wiley, McGraw instead
of McGraw-Hill).
Use the most recent copyright date if no publication date is
given.
Abbreviate the names of months except for May, June, and July.
8. Do not put p. or pp. before page numbers. 9. Identify the medium
of the publication at the end of the citation. Some examples are as
follows:
Print (for books, newspapers, magazines, journals, pamphlets,
reference manuals, government publications, encyclopedias,
etc.)
Web (for web publications to include books, journals, etc.,
found online)
Personal interview or Telephone interview (for interviews you
conduct)
Lecture, Address, or Keynote speech (use the appropriate
description)
TS, MS, or Print (for letters or memos that are typed, written
by hand (manuscript), or published)
-
Using MLA Format (August 2011; g: ASC English/Reading) Page
12
Book with One Author (5.5.2)
Book with Two or Three Authors (5.5.4)
Book with Four or More Authors (5.5.4)
Unknown Author of an Article in a Weekly Magazine (5.4.6 and
5.4.9)
Examples of Works Cited Entries
Capitalize the first, last, and all major words in title and
subtitle.
Italicize the title and subtitle if a book, play, poem, or
periodical. Use quotation marks for titles of articles, essays, and
stories.
Omit the words Scott and Company when listing the publisher
(Scott Foresman Company). Hartman, Charles. The Sleep Book.
Chicago: Foresman, 1987. Print.
Name authors in the order in which they are presented on the
title page. Reverse the name of only the first author.
Place a comma and the word and between the two names or the last
two names.
Omit the name Hall when listing the publisher (Prentice-Hall).
Worchel, Stanley, and William Shebilske. Psychology: Principles and
Application. Newark: Prentice, 1996. Print.
Cite only the first author, name reversed, followed by et al.
(Latin for "and others"). Abbreviate the publishers name
(University of California Press).
Gillman, Sandra, et al. Hysteria Beyond Freud. Berkeley: U of
California P, 1993. Print.
Begin with the title.
Include the page numbers. If the page numbers are not
consecutive, cite only the first page number and a plus sign.
"Are You a Day or a Night Person?" Newsweek 7 Mar. 1994: 26+.
Print.
-
Using MLA Format (August 2011; g: ASC English/Reading) Page
13
Anthology or Compilation (5.5.3)
A Work/Essay in an Anthology or Collection Edited by Another
(5.5.6)
Corporate Author (5.5.5)
An Introduction, Preface, or Afterward (5.5.8)
Individual members may not be identified in the group that wrote
the book. Cite the author by the corporate author (American Medical
Association, Public Health Foundation) even if the corporate author
is the publisher. Omit any article (A, An, The) in the beginning of
the name.
Public Health Foundation. The Timing is Wrong. Boston: Public
Health Foundation, 1992. Print.
Cite the editors or compilers name followed by the abbreviation
ed. or comp. Use eds. for more than one editor.
Smiley, John, ed. Body Rhythms: Changing the Beat. Chicago:
Foresman, 1996. Print.
Some books contain a collection of works by a variety of authors
that have been assembled together by an editor. When citing one of
the works, cite the author and title of the work. Then cite the
title of the book in which the article appeared, followed by Ed. or
Eds., the name of the editor(s), and the publishing information of
the book.
The edition follows the name of the editor if there is one (if
not, after the name of the book).
Place the title of the work in quotation marks unless it was
originally published independently (such as novels and plays).
Italicize the title of independently published works.
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet: Prince of Denmark. Literature:
Reading Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Ed. Robert
DiYanni. 6th ed. Boston: McGraw, 2008. 1545-1648. Print.
Dickinson, Emily. The Bustle in a House. Literature: Reading
Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Ed. Robert DiYanni.
6th ed. Boston: McGraw, 2008. 936. Print.
If you quote an introduction, preface, or afterward, list the
author, the name/title of the part (Introduction), the title of the
book and its author (preceded by the word By) or editor (preceded
by Ed.), and publishing information. If the author of the part and
the entire work are the same person, cite the work as a whole.
Zimbardo, Rose A., and Neil D. Isaacs. Introduction.
Understanding the Lord of the Rings: The Best of Tolkien Criticism.
Ed. Zimbardo and Isaacs. Boston: Houghton, 2004. v-vii. Print.
Moser, Thomas C. Preface. Lord Jim. By Joseph Conrad. Ed. Moser.
New York: Norton, 1968. vi-vii. Print.
-
Using MLA Format (August 2011; g: ASC English/Reading) Page
14
Reference Book (5.5.7)
Personal Communication (5.7.13)
A Scholarly Article Reprinted in a Collection (5.5.6)
Some articles in a collection have been previously published.
When citing one of these articles, cite the author, title of the
work, and earlier publication information. Then add Rpt. in
(Reprinted in) followed by the editor, title, publishing
information, page numbers, and print medium of the collection which
the article appears.
The print medium for the earlier publication is not required.
Demont, Alex. "Like Clockwork." The Science Monitor 9 Aug.
1993:127. Rpt. in Essentials of Understanding in
Psychology. 2nd ed. Ed. Robert Feldman. New York: McGraw, 1994.
102-104. Print.
If the articles in the reference book are arranged
alphabetically, omit volume and page numbers.
If there is an author, begin with the authors name. Otherwise,
begin with the title of the article.
Patterson, Richard. Washington, George. The Encyclopedia of
Presidents. Ed. Joseph Friedlander. Boston: Holden, 2002.
Print.
If the work cited is a widely used source and frequently
revised, full publication information is not necessary. List only
the edition and year of publication.
Big Bend National Park. The Encylopaedia Americana. 11th ed.
2002. Print.
If you are citing a specific definition for a word that has
multiple definitions, add the abbreviation Def. and the number (or
letter).
Casting. Def. 3. Websters II: New College Dictionary. 1995.
Print.
Letters, e-mails, and memos are examples of personal
communications.
Cite the author, the subject or title (if there is one) in
quotation marks, the recipient, and the date.
For typed letters, the publication medium is TS (typescript).
For handwritten letters, the publication medium is MS (manuscript).
For emails, the publication medium is E-mail.
Smith, Jon. Letter to the author. 17 May 1999. TS.
Smith, Jon. Operation Procedures. Memo to the staff, Martin
Memorial Hospital, New York. 18 May 1999. TS.
Smith, Jon. Re: Operations Procedures. Message to the author. 20
May 1999. Email.
-
Using MLA Format (August 2011; g: ASC English/Reading) Page
15
Article in a Magazine Published Monthly (5.4.6)
Article in a Magazine Published Weekly (5.4.6)
Article in a Newspaper (5.4.5)
Give author, title of the article, title of the magazine, month
and year, and page numbers.
If page numbers are consecutive, write 35-37. If page numbers
are 87-89 and 92-93, write 87+.
Do not list volume and issue numbers.
Abbreviate months except May, June, and July.
Myers, Richard. "Sunrise, Sunset: Circadian Rhythms." Science
Jan. 1996: 20+. Print.
Cite the same way as monthly magazines, but give exact date of
issue, not just the month and day. Short, Martin. "Tick Tock,
Change the Clock." New Yorker 24 May 1996: 20+. Print.
List author, title of article, name of newspaper, the date, the
section letter or number, and the page number. (For
English-language newspapers, omit introductory articles.)
Do not list volume or issue numbers. Include the edition number
(late ed.).
If sections are labeled A, B, C, etc., and paginated separately,
cite the section and page number as sec. B:1 if the section
designation is not part of the page number. If it is part of the
page number, cite as B1. Note the difference in punctuation
separating the date from the section/page:
Barns, Lori. "A Nation of Drowsers." Stuart News 23 Aug. 1997,
late ed.: C11. Print. Nienberg, Valerie. Things to Do When It
Rains. Port St. Lucie News Tribune 8 Sept. 2005, sec.
D:1. Print.
-
Using MLA Format (August 2011; g: ASC English/Reading) Page
16
Article in a Journal (5.4.2)
Electronic Sources (5.6)
(5.6)
Other Sources (5.7)
In addition to the author, title of the article, and name of the
journal (italicized), cite the volume number (followed by a
period), the issue number, the year of publication in parentheses
(followed by a colon), the page number(s), and the publication
medium.
If the journal does not have a volume number, cite the issue
number by itself.
Newman, Timothy. "Can We Regulate Circadian Rhythms?" Journal of
Natural Healing 6.2 (1994): 72-78. Print.
Aslan, Joseph. "Group Treatment of Sleep Disorders." Journal of
Health 22 (1993): 221-26. Print.
A variety of electronic sources is now available for research
papers. If you are using any of these sources, such as web
publications or online databases, please refer to MLA Citation
Style (7th Edition, 2009) or Citing and Crediting your Sources
using the MLA Style. These resources are available through the ASC
links on the IRSC web site
(http://www.irsc.edu/students/academicsupportcenter/writinglab/writinglab.aspx?id=970).
A variety of sources exist that can be used in writing research
papers such as television or radio broadcasts, films, maps, charts,
or publications on CD-ROM or DVD-ROM.
For guidance in documenting these sources and many other
sources, consult your course instructor, an ASC instructor, or the
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th ed.
http://www.irsc.edu/students/academicsupportcenter/writinglab/writinglab.aspx?id=970
-
Using MLA Format (August 2011; g: ASC English/Reading) Page
17
General Guidelines for Manuscript Format* (4)
Use 8 x 11 inch white, standard typing paper.
Double space the entire paper, and use a standard black typeface
(not script or italics).
Except for page numbers, leave margins of one inch on all sides
of paper. Let the right margin remain uneven. Do not justify.
Create a header in the upper right-hand corner that includes
your last name, followed by a space and a page number. Number all
pages consecutively with Arabic numbers, one-half inch from the top
and flush with the right margin.
Center your title on the first page of the paper, and double
space between it and the header. If your instructor prefers a
separate title page, see page 18 for a sample title page.
Do not underline your title, place it in quotation marks, or put
it in all capital letters. (Italicize or place in quotation marks
only those words that would normally be italicized or in quotation
marks, e.g., the name of a book that you have included in your
title.)
Space once after the following punctuation marks:
After commas, colons, and semicolons. After concluding
punctuation (unless your instructor prefers two spaces). After
periods within author, date, title, or publishing information of a
citation on the Works Cited page. After periods following initials
in personal names (J. R. Harris).
When writing about literature or general truths, use the present
tense.
*Always check with course instructor for exact requirements.
-
Using MLA Format (August 2011; g: ASC English/Reading) Page
18
Sample Title Page MLA format does not require a separate title
page. If your instructor does not require a separate title page,
the format for the first page of your research paper is shown on
page 19. If your instructor requires a title page, the following is
a sample. However, check with your instructor for any specific
requirements or personal preferences.
1. Think of the title page in thirds. 2. Type the centered title
in the upper third of the page. One third down on standard 8 X
11
paper is 3.6 inches. 3. Type your centered name preceded by the
word by in the middle third of the page. 4. Type the course number,
section, instructor, and date an inch from the bottom of the paper
and
centered.
Circadian Rhythms: The Bodys Internal Watch
by Pat Andrews
Introduction to Research 1201, Section A1 Professor Manning 17
November 2011
-
Using MLA Format (August 2011; g: ASC English/Reading) Page
19
Doublespace
Andrews 1
Pat Andrews
Professor Manning
Introduction to Research 1201
17 November 2007
Circadian Rhythms:
The Body's Internal Watch
Turning off the light and falling asleep sounds like such a
simple task, but fifty million
Americans may not agree (Hartman 2). Researchers have recognized
that circadian rhythms, the
body's internal clock, determine cycles, such as waking and
sleeping. Feldman defines circadian
rhythms as "[biological] processes that occur repeatedly on
approximately a twenty-four hour cycle"
(125). Understanding these complex rhythms requires
understanding how circadian rhythms affect
people's lives, whether these rhythms can be modified to meet
people's needs, and what implications
recent successes on altering circadian rhythms have on future
research.
These rhythms affect people who work the night shift. Mapes
states that people who work
night shifts frequently have trouble sleeping during the day and
are often less productive and more
prone to making more mistakes than their day counterparts (A1).
Working night shifts and needing
sleep during the day is a reversal of the normal biological
clock functions. He claims that it may be no
coincidence that the accident at Three-Mile Island nuclear power
plant happened at 4:00 a.m. and the
Chernobyl reactor exploded at 1:23 a.m. Demont observes that
most individuals feel sleepy in
midafternoon, a phenomenon due solely to the time of day, not to
eating a heavy lunch (103). Clearly,
these powerful rhythms affect people's lives.
Up to now, trying to change the body's internal clock to a
sleep-during-the-day/ awake-during-
the-night cycle has been difficult. Rosenthal tells the story of
trying to change the normal sleep/wake
cycle of the crew of the space shuttle Columbia in order for
them to work in space during the night.
1
If your instructor does not require a separate title page, this
is the format for the first page of an MLA paper.
1
-
Using MLA Format (August 2011; g: ASC English/Reading) Page
20
The rest of this paper has been omitted. A sample Works Cited
page is on the next page.
Andrews 2
Using the well-known process of forcing themselves to stay up
all night, the crew watched movies and
ate breakfast at night and dinner in the morning. However, they
never adjusted to the new
time change (172).
The crew tried another change. Using bright light on the body,
Columbia's astronauts
were able to successfully change their circadian rhythms to meet
the demands of night work
(Bonner 27). Researcher Czeisler reports the findings on how
this change occurred:
People exposed to five hours of bright lights during the
nighttime over a three-
day period reset their internal clocks by as much as twelve
hours. The timing of
the light could not be haphazard, however. The exposure had to
be
sinchronized [sic] with particular phases of a person's
circadian rhythm in order
for it to be effective. (55)
This modification allowed the astronauts to remain wide awake
all night but crave sleep during
the day.
In later research, Czeisler continued his work with bright
lights. For example, he discovered that
bright light vs. normal light levels produced a better resetting
of the subject's circadian rhythms. It is still
puzzling why bright light tricks the brain, but researchers hope
someday to have sunlight-type lights
available in airplanes, for instance, so that passengers could
soak these "rays" to prepare for time zone
changes (60).
The rest of the paper has been omitted.
1
-
Using MLA Format (August 2011; g: ASC English/Reading) Page
21
Andrews 6
Works Cited
"Are You a Day or Night Person?" McCalls Mar. 1994: 12.
Print.
Bonner, Peter. "Travel Rhythms Can Be Changed." American
Psychologist July 1991: 24+. Print.
Czeisler, Charles, et al. "Exposure to Bright Light and Darkness
to Treat Physiologic Maladaption to
Night Work." New England Journal of Medicine 62 (1996): 53-60.
Print.
Demont, Alex. "Like Clockwork." The Science Monitor 9 Aug.
1993:127. Rpt. in Robert Feldman.
Essentials of Understanding in Psychology. 2nd ed. New York:
McGraw, 1994. 102-104.
Print.
Feldman, Robert. Essentials of Understanding Psychology. 2nd ed.
New York: McGraw, 1994. Print.
Hartman, Charles. The Sleep Book. Chicago: Foresman, 1987.
Print.
Mapes, George. "Breaking the Clock: Was Chernobyl an Accident?"
Wall Street Journal 10 Apr.
1990: A1+. Print.
Rosenthal, Edgar. "Pulses of Light Give Astronauts New Rhythms."
New York Times 23 Apr. 1991,
sec. 1: 1. Print.
Worchel, Stanley, and William Shebilske. Psychology: Principles
and Application. New York:
Prentice, 1986. Print.