1. MLA Documentation Understanding a Discipline’s Philosophy
Creating Credibility with Your Readers
Living a Plagiarism-Free Life
UNO Writing Center
Latest update 2009

2. Language of Documentation
History of Documentation
Philosophy of MLA
The Modern Language Association was founded in 1883 when modern languages gained a place in the college curriculum alongside classical languages of Greek and Latin.
Currently, MLA membership of “over thirty thousand scholars and teachers in English and other modern languages. In 1951, MLA published the “MLA Style Sheet.” ” (Foreward, MLA Handbook, 7th ed.)
Philosophy: QUALITY of ideas takes precedence over currency.
ASK class: Can you name 4 reasons we cite sources in a research paper (answer is on next slide)

3. 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

4. MLA Style: Two Parts
In-text citation (also called “parenthetical documentation”)
Works Cited page

5. 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

6. 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.

7. How to Use In-text Citations
Include the author’s last name and the page number(s) where you found the quoted, paraphrased, or summarized information.
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).

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).

9. How to Cite a Paraphrase
Paraphrase specific source material by putting the idea into your own words and sentence structure.
Cite all paraphrases.
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).

10. In-text Rarities
Two Authors with the 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)

11. More In-text Rarities Same Author, Multiple Works Web Sources
The author’s last name must be accompanied by the first words in the source’s title:
(Hilton, “Confessions” 8) (Hilton, “Diary” 25)
Web Sources
When possible, use (Author page #): (Dionne A21).
If the source has no author listed, use (“Article Title” page #): (“Paris” 17)
If the article has no page numbers, use paragraph numbers provided in the article: (“Paris” par. 17)
WEB SOURCES
If the article has neither page nor paragraph numbers, just use the author or (in the case of no author) “Title” as your in-text citation.

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

13. Works Cited Entries
Most entries should contain the following information:
Author’s name (last name, first name)
Title of work*
Publication information
Medium of publication marker**
*MLA 2009 Update: All titles that previously could be underlined (book, journal, newspaper, magazine titles) are now italicized.
**Every entry includes the publication medium, e.g. Print, Web, DVD.

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

15. Works Cited: More Examples
Journal Article
Author. “Title of Article: Subtitle.” Periodical Title Volume.Issue (Year): Inclusive Page Number(s). Publication Medium.
Howarth, William J. “Some Principles of Autobiography.” New Literary History 5.2 (1974): Print.
MLA 2009 Update: MLA no longer differentiates between journals with continuous and non-continuous pagination. Include the issue number whenever available, and separate volume and issue with a period: 5.2

16. Works Cited: Even More Examples
Periodical in an Online Database
Author. “Title of Document.” Print Publication Information. Title of Database. Publication Medium. Date of access.
Dionne, Jr., E.J. “The Paris Hilton Tax Cut.” The Washington Post 12 Apr. 2005: n. pag. LexisNexis. Web. 10 Sept
MLA Update: URLs are no longer required. However, you may provide a URL if the citation information does not easily lead readers to the source.

17. General Format --MLA Style
No title page
Page 1 Heading: name, professor’s name, course, date
Double spacing: the ENTIRE paper is double spaced (no single spaces or more-than-double spacing anywhere)
Easily readable font and size: Times New Roman 12 pt.
1” margins top, bottom, and sides
Left justification
Header: your last name + one space + page number
Centered title

18. Writing for College: Trials and Errors
Page 1 Sample
Nonimus 1
Ima Nonimus
Professor Bartleby
English
9 April 2009
Writing for College: Trials and Errors
We are not alone. While that statement is usually linked to the
search for extraterrestrial life, it also may apply to those of us struggling
Put the header (your last name and page number) in the header, not on line 1 of the paper.
Heading should include your name, the professor’s name, course title, and date. Flush with left margin & double spaced.

19. Format for the Works Cited
Start the Works Cited list on a new page.
Place the title Works Cited on line 1.
Include header and page number.
Alphabetize your list of entries.
Double space the entire page—no single spaces anywhere.
To create a new page, go to “Insert—Page Break” in Word.
The WC will be the last page(s) of your paper & should be numbered accordingly
Don’t consider “The” “A” or “An” when alphabetizing entries that begin with the title

20. Sample Works Cited Page
Nonimus 12
Works Cited
Schwartz, Mimi. “Response to Writing: A College-Wide Perspective.”
College English 46.1 (1984): JSTOR. Web. 31 March 2009.
Walvoord, Barbara E., and Lucille Parkinson McCarthy. Thinking and
Writing in College: A Naturalistic Study of Students in Four
Disciplines. Urbana, IL: NCTE, Web. 4 April 2009.

21. For more information…
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th edition).
UNO Writing Center
Modern Language Association
Purdue On-Line Writing Lab owl.english.purdue.edu
St. Martin’s Handbook