1. MLA Format and Citations Let the fun begin!
How can I use MLA techniques to properly cite sources and format a paper?

2. Purpose MLA stands for Modern Language Association
It is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts
It provides:
guidelines for formatting manuscripts and using the English language in writing
a system for referencing sources through parenthetical citation in essays and Works Cited pages
Protection for writers against accusations of plagiarism

3. Guidelines
Rule #1 - ALWAYS follow the instructions of your instructor.
Type your paper on a computer and print it out on standard, white 8.5 x 11-inch paper
Double-space the text of your paper
You can do this by highlighting your work and hitting Ctrl+2
Use Times New Roman: 12
Set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides
Go to File, Page Setup, Change the margins, and hit OK

4. Guidelines cont.
Indent the first of each paragraph one half- inch (five spaces or press tab once)
Make sure that your paper is justified on the left side only:
____________
______________

5. First Page Format
Do NOT make a title page for your paper unless specifically asked by your teacher to do so
In the left hand corner, list your:
Name
Instructor’s Name
Course
Date
28 February 2007
This should be double-spaced

6. Double space again and center your title.
The title should be original and appropriate
Do NOT underline, italicize, or put your title in quotes or all capital letters.
Instead, use Title Case
capitalization of all words, except for internal articles (a), prepositions (in), and conjunctions (and)
Double space between the title and the first line of the text
Create a header

7. Header
A “header” allows you to number all of your pages consecutively (including the Works Cited page)
Your header should include your last name and the page number
Put it in the upper right hand corner of the page 1/2 inch from the top
Go to this link for a brief lesson on how to create a header and title for Google Docs *

8. Here’s a sample first page in MLA format:
Header
Identifying Information
Original title, double-spaced and in “title case”
Note the double-spacing throughout the paper and the 1’’ margins

9. MLA Rules for Works Cited Page
Center the title Works Cited, one inch down from the top of the page, and double-space between this title and the first entry.
Include only the works you cited in the paper.
Alphabetize entries according to the author’s last name (or the first word of the document title if there us no author).
Each entry should begin at the left margin. Lines after the first are indented five spaces (1/2 inch).
Double space between all lines.
The above link covers the basics of works cited pages and the basic format.

10. Example of a Works Cited

11. Internet Resources www.easybib.com
Everything you ever wanted to know about research, citing sources, plagiarism, works cited pages, etc. can be found at the following source:

12. Basic Forms for Electronic Sources
Go to the following OWL at Purdue link for information on the basics of documenting online sources.
Generally speaking, all entries should attempt to include the following as was discussed in our bell work recently:
author (last name, first name), title, publication, website, publisher, date of publication, tell whether is print or web material, and the access date.
Note: If there is no author, begin with the tile of the article. If information is not available, skip over it and continue to the next item.
**Bottom Line - make an attempt to identify as much about the source as possible and be sure to acknowledge the source from which you got your information, and do NOT try to pass off anything as your own!!**

13. Handling Quotes in Your Text
Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a
“spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings”(263).
If not mentioned in the sentence, the author’s last name and page number(s) of quote must appear in parentheses
Romantic poetry is characterized by the“spontaneous
overflow of powerful feelings” (Wordsworth 263). **Notice where the
quotation marks and
period goes.** OR
Romantic poetry is characterized by the “spontaneous
overflow of powerful feelings” (Wordsworth).
**If there is no author, then you need to use a shortened version of the article title in the parentheses**
Refer to the link below for examples of all in text citations and handling quotes in text. Bookmark these!
Examples: The two examples in this slide illustrate methods for including parenthetical citations in the text. If the author’s name is listed in the preceding sentence, only the page number of the quotation should appear in the parenthetical citation following the sentence. If the author’s name does not appear within the sentence, the parenthetical citation should include the author’s last name and the page number. In either case, a reader should be able to cross-reference back to the Works Cited page and locate all of the publication information needed to find Wordsworth’s work, in this case an excerpt in an anthology:
Wordsworth, William. Preface to Lyrical Ballads Romanticism: An Anthology. Ed. Duncan
Wu. Cambridge, MA: Basil Blackwell Ltd.,
The facilitator may also note that the parenthetical reference is located before the period. *

14. Evaluation of Sources
You should answer yes to each of the following three questions:
Does the date of the source match the level of currency you need for your paper?
Is the author a credible source? Blogs, Wikipedia, etc. are only places to start, but are not to be quoted in your paper.
Is the source relevant to your thesis or question, i.e., useful?

15. Thesis Statement - Model
__________________(topic) used the persuasive strategies of pathos, ethos, and logos to _____________________________________ _____________________________________ __.

16. Practice 1. This is from page 63 of “Night”
“They gave us our evening meal, a very thick soup, but no one touched it.”
Even though the prisoners got very little food there were times that they did not eat their meals. In Night Elie Wiesel talks about a time when they were served “a very thick soup, but no one touched it”(63).
2. This is from page 46 of “Night”
“Medical examination in the open air in the early hours of the morning, before three doctors seated on a bench.”

17. Practice
3. Sports
Create a sentence and use a quote from this article.
4. FSU

18. 1. 2. 3. 4.

19. Works Cited
Put all three citations that you created on this page.