MLA Documentation Understanding a Discipline’s Philosophy Creating Credibility with Your Readers Living a Plagiarism-Free Life UNO Writing Center 2006-07

Language of Documentation History of Documentation Philosophy of MLA

Why do we cite sources? To allow readers to locate and retrieve sources used in an essay. To properly acknowledge another author’s ideas and work. To build your own credibility as a serious, knowledgeable writer. To avoid plagiarism.

MLA Style: Two Parts In-Text Citation (Parenthetical Documentation) Works Cited Page

Part I: In-Text Citations What needs to be cited? Direct Quotes Paraphrases Another source’s research, theories or ideas Another source’s argument or opinions Facts that are not commonly known Another source’s visuals, e.g. tables, graphs, images, statistics

Part I: In-Text Citations What does NOT need to be cited? Proverbs or sayings A stitch in time saves nine. Well-known quotations “To be or not to be. That is the question.” Common knowledge Shakespeare wrote Hamlet. Your own field research, observations or surveys My survey revealed that 15% of the Shakespeare class believes Francis Bacon wrote Shakespeare’s plays.

How to Use In-text Citations Author’s last name and page number(s) of quote must appear in the text. Heiresses know “there’s a big difference between being fun and provocative and being totally over the top and gross” (Hilton 8). Paris Hilton argues an heiress knows “there’s a big difference between being fun and provocative and being totally over the top and gross” (8).

Using Attributive Tags (Signal Phrases) According to Hilton in her autobiography, “I’m a fantasy to a lot of people . . . They want to think I’m ‘Paris Barbie’” (8). In her autobiography, Confessions of an Heiress, Paris Hilton reminds us that “an heiress knows how to tread that fine line – in stilettos” (8).

How to Cite a Paraphrase Paraphrase material by putting the source’s idea into your own words AND sentence structure. Original: “there’s a big difference between being fun and provocative and being totally over the top and gross” (Hilton 8). Paraphrase: Hilton acknowledges the contrast between suggestive behavior and coarse, vulgar behavior (8).

In-text Rarities Same Last Name: Use the first initial of their first name in the parenthetical: (C. Hilton 45 ) and (P. Hilton 8) No Author: Use the first word or words from the title of the source. Punctuate appropriately: “Paris: The Barest” (“Paris” 12)

More In-text Rarities Same Author, Multiple Works: The author’s last name must be accompanied by a word from the title of the source you are referring to: (Hilton, “Confessions” 8) and (Hilton, “Diary” 25) Web Sources: When possible use (Author page #) or (Title page #): (Dionne A21) If no page numbers are provided, use paragraph numbers instead. (Author par. #) or (Title par. #): (“Paris” par. 17)

Part 2: Works Cited The Works Cited page contains a complete list of sources that you cite in your essay. Each Works Cited entry provides the bibliographic information necessary for a reader to locate and retrieve that source.

Works Cited Most entries should contain the following information: Author’s name (last name, first name) Title of work Publication information

Works Cited: Some Examples Book: Author. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Date. Mair, George. Paris Hilton: The Naked Truth. New York: Penguin, 2004. Collins, Ronald K.L., and David M. Skover. The Death of Discourse. New York: Westview, 1996. Note: Only the first author’s name is reversed.

Works Cited: More Examples Journal Article Author. “Title of Article: Subtitle.” Periodical Title Volume (Year): Inclusive Page Number(s). Howarth, William J. “Some Principles of Autobiography.” New Literary History 5.2 (1974): 363-81. Note: Journals that paginate each issue separately will call for an issue number as well: . . . volume.issue (year): inclusive page numbers.

Works Cited: Even More Examples Web Page (Professional ) Author. “Title of Document.” Info about Electronic Publication. Access Information. Dionne, Jr., E.J. “The Paris Hilton Tax Cut.” The Washington Post 12 Apr. 2005. 29 Oct. 2005 <www.washingtonpost. com>.

Sample Works Cited Page

Formatting an MLA Paper

For more information… MLA Handbook UNO Writing Center www.unomaha.edu/writingcenter/ Modern Language Association www.mla.org Purdue On-Line Writing Lab owl.english.purdue.edu St. Martin’s Handbook