MLA Formatting and Style Guidegerbersite.com/gerber/Eng_9Honors/ResearchPaper/MLA…  · Web viewGo to teacher website, English 11 Honors page for Research Paper Link. Formatting

MLA Formatting and Style Guide

MLA (Modern Language Association) is a style and formatting guide often used in various humanities disciplines

MLA regulates:

Document format In-text citations Works Cited (a list of all sources used in the paper)

2009 changes in MLA: No more underlining (only use italics) Publication Medium (e.g. Print, Web, etc.) New Abbreviations (e.g. “n.p.” for “no publisher given”) NO URLs/web addresses (unless specifically directed by teacher)

Key Links OSLIS Citation Maker at: http://cm.oslis.org/MLACitations/secondary/ Son of Citation Maker at: http://citationmachine.net/index2.php?

reqstyleid=1&newstyle=1&stylebox=1

Variety of Resources: http://www.elsegundousd.com/eshs/teachers/rgerber/Eng_9Honors/ResearchPaper/RPaper.htm

Includes Works Cited Template Includes MLA Format Template

Report Writing Mechanics

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#1 Rule for any formatting style:Always follow your

instructor’s guidelines

Paper: White, 8 1/2 inches by 11 inches. Use one side only. Left alignment.

Header - Pagination: Right alignment. Last name, space, automatic numbering, header set at .5

Heading: Left alignment. Student name, [return] teacher name, [return] class, period, [return] date D M Y (month

spelled out). (double-spaced)

Title: Centered. Double space above and below title. Do not underline title, or put in quotation marks, or type it in all caps. Title page, if used, should include title, name, course and/or teacher, and date.

Margins: One inch at top, bottom, and sides.

Indenting: Indent five spaces for each new paragraph. Set-off long direct quotations (four or more lines) by indenting one inch (10 spaces) from the left margin. For works cited entries, indent all lines one half inch except the first line. Set your word processing program to do a hanging indention.

Text:Double space body text and works cited entries. Double space set-off quotations. Block quotations are usually introduced with a colon. Use standard 12 point fonts. When ending a sentence, use one space before starting the next sentence. Two spaces can be used if you are consistent

Quoting: When quoting directly, use quotation marks with reference citation. Do not use quotation marks for set-off quotations. Use three spaced periods. . .when omitting anything within a quotation.

Use brackets [ ] to enclose anything added or changed within a quotation

You can also access Ms. Gerber’s MLA template which is already formatted. Simply type over the material. Go to teacher website, English 11 Honors page for Research Paper Link.

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Formatting the First Page of Your PaperThe first page of your paper must follow a rigorous format.

In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list your name, your instructor's name, the course, and the date (note style). Use double-spaced text only.

Double space again and center the title. Don't underline your title or put it in quotation marks. Do not use bold, italics or a larger font. put it in quotation marks; write the title in upper and lower case, in 12 point Times New Roman.

Double space between the title and the first line of the text. Create a header in the upper right-hand corner that includes your last name,

followed by a space with a page number; number all pages consecutively Here is a sample first page of an essay in MLA style:

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Osbourne 1

Ozzy Osbourne

Ms. Gerber

English 9 Honors

22 April 2010

Performance Enhancing Drugs: Athletic Skill Versus

Chemical-Enhanced Programming Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

NameTeacherClass TitleDue Date

All double spaced.

1” top margin

1” left margin

Create a header ½ inch from the top and 1 inch from the right of the page. Include last name (1 space) page number.

1” right margin

Double space between header and title and between title and start of paper

1” bottom margin

Indent five spaces at the beginning of each paragraph

Title is -centered -double spaced-12 point Times - upper and lower case caps. No - underline- bold- italics

In-Text (Parenthetical) Citations MLA uses parenthetical citations

The form of parenthetical citations depends on the medium (e.g. Print, Web, DVD)

The form of parenthetical citations depends on what source information is included in the text. (Did you mention the name of the author, title or website in setting up the citation?)

The form of parenthetical citations depends on the length of titles(never use more than three words, excluding articles, for a name – you must then shorten the name to three defining and recognizable words)

In-text Example: Print Source with Author

In-Text Example: No Author

See Ms. Gerber’s Citation Table for a variety of citing situations and styles

Also see Ms. G’s Priority Table for the order of in-text citations

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Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a "spontaneous overflow of

powerful feelings" (263).

Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings"

(Wordsworth 263).

There are so many global warming hotspots in North America likely because this region

has “more readily accessible climatic data and more comprehensive programs to monitor

and study environmental change . . .” (“Impact of Global Warming” 6).

Works Cited Page: Basic FormatYou must have a Works Cited page at the end of your research paper. The purpose of this document is clear, it lists all the works or sources you cited or paraphrased in your paper. It supports the ethos (or credibility portion) of the argument, therefore it is essential to demonstrate that your ideas are supported – show them.

The list includes only the sources you refer to in your research paper.

Begin the Works Cited on a new page

Use 1” margins left and right

Use Times New Roman 12 point

Title this page Works Cited. Place this heading 1” from the top of the page, centered in the middle. It is not underlined, italicized or in bold, it is 12 point.

Alphabetize each entry by first letter (do not include articles like the, a, an)

Italicize all titles of books, magazines, films, etc.

Put quotation marks around the titles of poems, short stories, and articles

Each entry must end with a period. Works Cited list must be double spaced, both between entries and within them. Each citation begins at the left margin. If a citation runs over one line, additional lines

are indented 5 spaces (NOT THE STANDARD INDENT) for a hanging indentation. (You may have to physically hit ENTER so the line breaks at the right margin.)

The Works Cited page always appears at the end of the paper. The page(s) must follow the page/header numbering sequence. If your paper is eight pages long, the Works Cited page is number nine. In the upper right corner of the page, type your last name and the page number

Exact formatting of each entry depends on the format you are citing. Formatting will be different for books, magazines, encyclopedias, DVDs, etc.

Include the medium (Print. Web. DVD.)

Citation machines are a great source BUT they still require additional formatting to respond to MLA formatting. Keep in mind YOU MUST KNOW THE TYPE OF SOURCE you have to make these work. See website for link.

Works Cited

American Allergy Association. Allergies in Children. New York: Random, 1998. Print.

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Book by a corporate author

Bernstein, Mark. "10 Tips on Writing the Living Web." A List Apart: For People Who

Make Websites. A List Apart Mag., 16 Aug. 2002. Web. 4 May 2009.

"The Blessing Way." The X-Files. Fox. WXIA, Atlanta. 19 Jul. 1998. Television.

Buchman, Dana. "A Special Education." Good Housekeeping Mar. 2006: 143-48. Print.

Ed Wood. Dir. Tim Burton. Perf. Johnny Depp, Martin Landau, Sarah Jessica Parker,

Patricia Arquette. Touchstone, 1994. DVD.

Foo Fighters. In Your Honor. RCA, 2005. CD.

Foucault, Michel. Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason.

Trans. Richard Howard. New York: Vintage-Random House, 1988. Print.

Gillespie, Paula, and Neal Lerner. The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Peer Tutoring. Boston:

Allyn, 2000. Print.

Goya, Francisco. The Family of Charles IV. 1800. Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid.

Museo National del Prado. Web. 22 May 2006.

Henley, Patricia. The Hummingbird House. Denver: MacMurray, 1999. Print.

Hill, Charles A., and Marguerite Helmers, eds. Defining Visual Rhetorics. Mahwah, NJ:

Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2004. Print.

"How to Make Vegetarian Chili." eHow.com. eHow, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2009. "Ideology."

The American Heritage Dictionary. 3rd ed. 1997. Print.

Kincaid, Jamaica. "Girl." The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Short Stories.

Ed. Tobias Wolff. New York: Vintage, 1994. 306-07. Print.

Krugman, Andrew. "Fear of Eating." New York Times 21 May 2007 late ed.: A1. Print.

Langhamer, Claire. “Love and Courtship in Mid-Twentieth-Century England.” Historical

Journal 50.1 (2007): 173-96. ProQuest. Web. 27 May 2009.

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Translated book

Dictionary

Article from aweb magazine

Article in a magazine

Recorded film

Book with twoauthors

TV show

Painting from a website

Sound recording

Book with one author

Page on a website

Anthology

Collection of short stories

Article in a newspaper

Online database

Letter to the editor

"Of Mines and Men." Editorial. Wall Street Journal east. ed. 24 Oct. 2003: A14. Print.

"The One Where Chandler Can't Cry." Friends: The Complete Sixth Season. Writ.

Andrew Reich and Ted Cohen. Dir. Kevin Bright. Warner Brothers, 2004. DVD.

Palmer, William J. Dickens and New Historicism. New York: St. Martin's, 1997. Print.

---. The Films of the Eighties: A Social History. Carbondale: Southern Illinois UP, 1993.

Print.

Purdue, Pete. Personal interview. 1 Dec. 2000.

Swanson, Gunnar. "Graphic Design Education as a Liberal Art: Design and Knowledge

in the University and The 'Real World.'" The Education of a Graphic Designer. Ed.

Steven Heller. New York: Allworth Press, 1998. 13-24. Print.

United States. Government Accountability Office. Climate Change: EPA and DOE

Should Do More to Encourage Progress Under Two Voluntary Programs.

Washington: GPO, 2006. Print.

The Usual Suspects. Dir. Bryan Singer. Perf. Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Chazz

Palminteri, Stephen Baldwin, and Benecio del Toro. Polygram, 1995. Film.

Whitman, Walt. "I Sing the Body Electric." Selected Poems. New York: Dover, 1991. 12-

19. Print.

Wysocki, Anne Frances, et al. Writing New Media: Theory and Applications for

Expanding the Teaching of Composition. Logan, UT: Utah State UP, 2004. Print.

Your Rights Under California Welfare Programs. Sacramento, CA: California Dept. of

Social Services, 2007. Print.

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Book with more than

three authors

Two or more books by the same author

Personal interview

Government publication

Poem

Pamphlet

Theatrical film

Recorded TV show

Work in an anthology or

collection

Basic Works Cited Style for Citations of Electronic Sources (Including Online Databases)

Here are some common features you should try to find before citing electronic sources in MLA style. Not every web page will provide all of the following information. However, collect as much of the following information as possible both for your citations and for your research notes:

Author and/or editor names (if available) Article name in quotation marks (if applicable) Title of the website, project, or book in italics. Any version numbers available, including revisions, posting dates, volumes, or

issue numbers. Publisher information, including the publisher name and publishing date. Take note of any page numbers (if available). Date you accessed the material. NO URLs

Web Source Format: (note: use what you have in this order)

Editor, author, or compiler name (if available). “Article Name.” Name of Site.

Version number. Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor

or publisher). Date of last update. Medium of publication. Date of access.

Examples:

Bernstein, Mark. "10 Tips on Writing the Living Web.” A List Apart: For People

Who Make Websites. A List Apart Mag., 16 Aug. 2002. Web. 4 May 2009.

Felluga, Dino. Guide to Literary and Critical Theory. Purdue U, 28 Nov. 2003. Web.

10 May 2006.

"How to Make Vegetarian Chili." eHow.com. eHow, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2009.

Other

Film Example:

The Usual Suspects. Dir. Bryan Singer. Perf. Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Chazz

Palminteri, Stephen Baldwin, and Benecio del Toro. Polygram, 1995. Film.8

Recorded Films or Movies

Ed Wood. Dir. Tim Burton. Perf. Johnny Depp, Martin Landau, Sarah Jessica Parker,

Patricia Arquette. Touchstone, 1994. DVD.

Television (e.g. videocassette)

"The Blessing Way." The X-Files. Fox. WXIA, Atlanta. 19 Jul. 1998. Television.

Recorded Television Shows

"The One Where Chandler Can't Cry." Friends: The Complete Sixth Season. Writ.

Andrew Reich and Ted Cohen. Dir. Kevin Bright. Warner Brothers, 2004. DVD.

Personal Interview Example:

Purdue, Pete. Personal interview. 1 Dec. 2000.

Published Interview Example:

Gaitskill, Mary. Interview with Charles Bock. Mississippi Review 27.3 (1999): 129-50.

Print.

Speech Example:

Stein, Bob. Computers and Writing Conference. Purdue University. Union Club Hotel,

West Lafayette, IN. 23 May 2003. Keynote address.

Class Materials (reading packets)

Newfield, Jack. "Stallone vs. Springsteen." Unit 4: Literary Nationalism and

Romanticism. Course Reader. Eds. Rachael Gerber and Matthew Wheeler. El

Segundo, CA: El Segundo High School, 2010. 3. Print.

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Anthologies

Thoreau, Henry David. "Why I Went Into the Woods." United States in Literature. Eds.

James E. Miller, Jr. et. al.1st ed. Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman and Company, 1979.

232-233. Print.

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Table for Basic MLA In-Text Citations

For PrintSituation Citation Style

If you refer to the author’s name in the text

As Gerber asserts, “. . . nothing drives a freshman to the ledge faster than a good hour’s lecture on the

MLA” (75).

Note: no author only page number

If you do not refer to the author’s name in the text (signal phrase).

“Nothing drives a freshman to the ledge faster than a good hour’s lecture on the MLA” (Gerber 75).

Note: author and page number

Author unknown

“Nothing drives a freshman to the ledge faster than a good hour’s lecture on the MLA” (Freshman

Nuts 75).

Or if your article name is 3 words or less, use the full name and quotation marks

“Nothing drives a freshman to the ledge faster than a good hour’s lecture on the MLA” (“Those

Wacky Freshman” 75).

Note: Either use the complete title in a signal phrase or use a short form (3 words or less) of the title in parentheses. Titles of books are in italics; titles of FULL articles are put in quotation marks.

If author is unknown butyou use a signal phrase.

How to Drive Freshman Nuts relates the quickest and most effective means of inducing insanity in

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under classmen when it states, “Nothing drives a freshman to the ledge faster than a good hour’s

lecture on the MLA” (75).

Note: no author, page number only

Two or more authors.

“Nothing drives a freshman to the ledge faster than a good hour’s lecture on the MLA” (Cvejic and

Gerber 75).

Note: both authors as listed on source and page number. List in the order the authors are listed in the original source.If you have more than three authors, simply list the first author followed by et al. (Cvejic et al. 75)

Two or more titles by the same author Gerber notes how easily an underclassman will resort to destruction simply by “ … a good hour’s

lecture on the MLA” (Freshman Nuts 75). She also follows up this claim of instability in the

hilarious I am Insane and So Can You, noting, “It’s a short walk from the joys of childhood to the

anguish of the teenage years. And I’m willing to lead them on that stroll just a little sooner” (83). In

previous writing however, Gerber has been less decisive, “Mental patients in the classroom, while a

great source of amusement and mockery, often divert attention from important activities like

television and pizza parties. Take care when how you induce psychosis” (Insane Membrane 9).

Note: mention the title of the work in the signal phrase or include a short version of the title in the parentheses. Feel free to mix it up.

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For more than one source in the parentheses.

The mind-numbing effects of teaching MLA documentation to freshmen have been

well documented. (Cvejic 42; Gerber 114; Wheeler 73).

Note: Use this format to show that several authorities agree on this point. Note that this citation is NOT a direct quote within quotation marks. Also note that the punctuation within the parentheses, not commas but semicolons.

If you add a word or words in a quotation, you should put brackets around the words to indicate that they are not part of the original text.

Rachael Gerber, in an essay on teenage emotional instability states, “some individuals [who make it

out of class sane] make a point of never repeating ninth grade, just to avoid the beast at the head of

the class” (Freshman Nuts 78).

Note: Consider what’s within the brackets as paraphrasing. Again, use this form to include the part of the quote relevant to your point.

If you omit a word or words from a quotation, you should indicate the deleted word or words by using ellipsis marks, which are three periods (...) preceded and followed by a space.

In an essay on ninth grade emotional disorders, Rachael Gerber notes that, “some individuals can

muddle through in a relatively lucid manner ... and in a short time they’re just as unbalanced as the

rest of the group" (Freshman Nuts 78).

Note: Consider what’s within the brackets as paraphrasing. Again, use this form to include the part of the quote relevant to your point.

Rules for long quotationsRachael Gerber identifies the lowly freshman as the ultimate and easiest victim for madness:

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- Are for quotations longer than four full typed lines.- the closing punctuation mark before a long quote is a colon (:).- omit quotation marks- start the quotation on a new line -indented 10 spaces from the left margin-maintain double-spacing.- the parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation mark.

You can nearly set your clock by the time it takes to make a freshman crazy once instruction

in the MLA format begins. The ticker is set in motion by even the passing mention of items

such as the heinous exacting page formatting, the beastly standard heading, the recalcitrant

header. But true mental illness really takes root when, at long last, the word “Works Cited”

rumbles through a crowd of fearful, beleaguered 14-year olds. Now that’s when the fun truly

begins. ( Freshman Nuts 614)

Note: Use this form sparingly as long quotes can become tedious and long winded. Again note that the end is before the citation.

For InternetWebsites present a special challenge. It is often difficult to determine the type of website you have and what you are to cite. The most important point to remember is that your reader must be able to quickly look up your in-text citation on the Works Cited page.

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Rule of thumb: what you use to cite a website depends on what is available toyou and follows the following priority:

1. Author (Last name(s) and likely no page number)2. Article – (If the article name is three words or less, use quotation marks

if the article name is more than three words shorten to two to three identifiable words – no “ ”3. Shorten the name to three words, no quotation marks)

4. Website (full name in italics)

Situation Citation Style

If you have the author’s name

“Nothing drives a freshman to the ledge faster than a good hour’s lecture on the MLA” (Gerber).

Note: ALWAYS use the author's last name if given. This is your first priority.

You do not have an author but you do have an article name on a website

“Exposure to the MLA format can cause vomiting, lack of bladder control, memory loss, and in some

extreme cases, an obsession with the Angry Birds” (MLA Side Effects).

Note: No author was listed, so go to the next most specific area, the article. In this case, the article was called “The Dangerous Side Effects of the MLA Format” and was found on the CNN website. The article name was too long to use so it is shorted to just two to three identifiable words. DO NOT USE THE WEBSITE WHEN THE ARTICLE NAME IS AVAILABLE.

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Simple, single topic websites with no author and no article name

“Though following a specified guideline can be frustrating, and at times seemingly impossible, the

form does ensure consistency and accountability” (Learning to Love the MLA).

Note: This citation references an entire website devoted to the benefits of the MLA. It does not include a range of articles on different aspects. It is simple and to the point.

Authors with the same last name.

“Estimates of the number of freshman driven mad by the prolonged exposure to the MLA format

vary because little evidence is being collected” (R. Gerber).

Note: include the author's first initial in the parentheses.

Two or more titles by the same author

On December 6, 2000, reporter Rachael Gerber wrote that student Lindsay Lohan had become

addicted to prescription drugs and alcohol after completing an hour-long session dedicated to in-

text citations. After finishing his research paper, Lohan hit the bottle, took to the road and was

charged with “two counts of vehicular manslaughter . . . in the deaths of John and Carole Hall”

(Pain). The next day Gerber reported the judge's ruling; Lohan, “was convicted of negligent

driving and fined $500, the maximum penalty allowed” (Man).

Note: must include authors name in a signal phrase and a portion of the article or website name (depending on what is available – refer to priority list)

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More than one article with the same name.

“To determine if eye color could be generally altered, Mengele had dye injected into the eyes

of several twin subjects. This always resulted in painful infections and sometimes even death”

(Mengele 1).

Note: This research paper cited several articles simply entitled “Mengele,” none of which included an author. You will need to adjust your Works Cited to match then numbers in your in-text citation .

If the web page has a long title

As critic Bertrand Evans points out: "Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy of unawareness"

(Twayne’s New Critical).

Note: The title of this website is actually Twayne's New Critical Introductions to Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet. It is way too long so simply use the first three words of the title and do not underline it because it is not the proper name.

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Other SituationsSituation Citation Styles

A personal interview is quoted or paraphrased.

In an interview with Stephanie Arkin, I found that she and her friends, “feel that teenagers today aren‟t

motivated to do anything. They just hang around.” (no parenthetical citation required)

or

Most older people seem to “feel that teenagers today aren‟t motivated to do anything. They just hang

around” (Arkin).

A poem is quoted In Robert Frost‟s poem “The Death of the Hired Man,” one character describes home as “the place

where, when you have to go there / They have to let you in” (lines 118-19).

A play with act, scene, and line numbers is quoted.

Shakespeare‟s famous metaphor on the meaning of life appears in the last act of Macbeth: Out, out, brief candle! Life‟s but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. (5.5.23-28)

Quoting an indirect source (a quoted quote)

The critic Susan Aikens has argued on behalf of what she calls "canonical multiplicity" (qtd. in Mayers 677).

The “Works Cited” list will include an entry for Mayers but not for Aikens.

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Priority ListIn-text Citations for Internet Sources

NOTE: Final form depends on what is cited in the text (signal clues)

1. Author2. Article3. Website

For AuthorsIf your source lists an author(s), the last name is the first citation youwill use. Situation CitationOne author (Gerber)Two authorsNote: arrange as the source arranged it: sometimes it is not alphabetical

(Cvejic and Gerber)

Three authors (Cvejic, Gerber and Gen)Four or more authors citing only the first author listed

(Gerber et al.)

Authors with the same last nameNote: use first initial

(R. Gerber) (S. Gerber)

Multiple works by the same authorNote: Use the author’s name and 2-3 recognizable words from the article name (or website name if you do not have an article). If you include the author’s name to set up your quote, you can eliminate it from the in-text citation

(Gerber, Freshman Nuts)(Gerber, Miserable Freshman)

A corporate author (Food and Drug Administration)(Department of Motor Vehicles)

Personal Interview If the person being interview is mentioned in the text, then no in-text citation is required.

If the person is NOT mentioned, provide only the last name of the person interviewed (Purdue)

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For ArticlesIf you do not have the author or authors of a work, go to the next level: the article name.

Situation CitationThe article name is “How to Drive Freshman Nuts.” This is way too long to write in each time. I will -shorten the name to 2-3 words-choose words that will make it easy to match this citation with the Works Cited-Never duplicate the citation for 2 different sources

(Freshman Nuts)

The article name is “Hitler’s Lies”Note: Use quotation marks when using the EXACT title of the article

(“Hitler’s Lies”)

Titles that have the same nameNote: You will have to adjust your Works Cited so that you number the articles that have the same titles.For example1. “Nanking 1937.” History.com. 2. “Nanking 1937.” The War on Reconciliation.

(1. “Nanking 1937”) = source from History.com(2. “Nanking 1937”) = source from War on Reconciliation

For WebsitesIf you do not have the article name, move to the last level: the name of the website.Situation CitationThe name of the website is The Holocaust: Crimes, Heroes and VillainsThis is way too long to write in each time. I will -shorten the name to 2-3 words-choose words that will make it easy to match this citation with the Works Cited

(Crimes, Heroes,Villians)

The name of the website is Jewish Virtual LibraryNote: Underline when using the EXACT title of the website

(Jewish Virtual Library)

Other CircumstancesSituation CitationWhen a writer's or a speaker's quoted words appear in a source written by someone else, begin the parenthetical citation with the abbreviation "qtd. in."

(qtd. in The History Channel)

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If you quote the Declaration of Independence from a website called The History Channel, you will use this format.

NOTE: If an author’s name is mentioned in the text, the in-text citation will change to the next level (article). If the article name is mentioned, the next level of citation is the website.

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