1. ENC 1102: MLA Documentation Review
LSCC
Summer 2010
J. Pierce, Instructor

2. Agenda
Part 1
Finding literary resources with Dr. Morrill
Part 2
MLA Documentation Review
Part 3
Library & Workshop Time

3. MLA: Works Cited Do your works cited list as you locate resources
Start with the stories themselves
Helpful tools
A handbook such as Bedford or the McGraw-Hill
Any library will also have the actual MLA Handbook
Word 2007
Sites like

4. The Basics Author Title of work Title of source
Editors for anthologies
Page numbers for parts like articles, etc.
Dates of publication
Dates of access for electronic sources
Database names
Format (web, print, etc.)

5. The Look Still plain double-space Part of the same document
Just like the rest of the paper
Part of the same document
Header with page # continues on this last page
Works Cited
Centered at the top of the page
The entries are alphabetized
Entries use the “hanging indent”
Reverse of paragraph indent

6. Our Book It’s an anthology, so we’ll need:
Author. Title. Source. Edition. Editors. City: Publisher, Year. Page range. Format.
For example:
Mason, Bobbie Ann. “Shiloh.” Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama and Writing. 10th ed. Eds. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. New York: Pearson Longman, Print.
This applies to the stories and the articles in our text. If you cite the biographical or other material that is just part of the textbook, that will be a separate entry for Kennedy & Gioia.

7. Book Sources Book with an overall author: Book that collects essays:
Author. Title. City: Publisher, Year. Format.
Book that collects essays:
Author of essay. “Title of Essay.” Title of Collection. Editor(s). City: Publisher, Year. Page range of essay. Format.
Reference books—actual Encyclopedia:
“Article.” Encyclopedia Title. Edition. Year. Format.

8. Articles from Databases
Samples abound on the library’s website
Here’s a sample from both of the Literary Databases you’re targeting:
Sackton, Alexander H. "A Note on Keats and Chaucer." Modern Language Quarterly 13 (1952): Literary Reference Center. EBSCOhost. Web.
Wood, Michael. "Tolkien's Fictions." New Society 27 Mar Literature Resource Center. Web.

9. Web Sources
If you’re writing about Hemingway or Kaufman, you’ll be citing that the stories came from the internet.
Web sources require:
Author. “Title.” Webpage Title. Date Posted. Date Accessed. Web. <urls only in special cases>.
For these stories, right after the story title, also include the original date of publication.
You really should not be using web sources for your secondary material.

10. Citing Inside the Paper
Overtly introduce/mention your sources
In “Sunday in the Park,” by Bel Kaufman, we meet Morton, a “city pale” university professor…
According to Barbara Christian, Alice Walker’s use of….
End cited material with a parenthetical citation
What goes inside? (Author #)
If no author: (“Title” #)
If author previously mentioned, just (#)
If electronic and no actual page number available (par. #)—only if the original has pre-numbered paragraphs.

11. The Mention-Citation Sandwich
It is NOT ok to just have a citation at the end of a paragraph
Implies that only the last sentence came from the source
Often, you will include a paragraph full of information from the same source
By starting with a mention and ending with a citation, you make it clear everything from point a to point b came from that same source
Examples….

12. The Mention-Citation Sandwich
John Doe’s early childhood is still somewhat of a mystery to scholars. Nobody really knows much about his school days. We know he attended school for at least part of his childhood. “Doe was apparently not a good student. School records indicate he was suspended three times in one semester” (Appleton 376).
John Doe’s early childhood is still somewhat of a mystery to scholars. Adam Appleton’s book, Doe’s Early Days, offers a little insight into this man of mystery. We know he attended school for at least part of his childhood. Appleton asserts, “Doe was apparently not a good student. School records indicate he was suspended three times in one semester” (376).
Which is clearer?

13. What was wrong with…
John Doe’s early childhood is still somewhat of a mystery to scholars. Nobody really knows much about his school days. We know he attended school for at least part of his childhood. “Doe was apparently not a good student. School records indicate he was suspended three times in one semester” (Appleton 376).
Note how it could be just the quote, any part or the whole paragraph that comes from Appleton’s book
Also, note how the quote isn’t attached to any other phrase or sentence: DON’T DO THIS! Integrate quotes with at least an opening phrase.

14. Quoting & Paraphrasing
When writing about literature, you’ll quote more from your primary sources and paraphrase more from your secondary sources
Even then, you don’t want lots of long quotations
Make sure to format quotes properly
In-text vs. Indented
Integrate and follow up on quotes

15. What’s Next
Put together your thoughts on the story/stories you want to write about
Pick passages from the story that illustrate your points
Research your stories to supplement your discussion
In some cases the research won’t cover what you’re talking about
In those cases, you can include some biographical, historical, or other background with the research
For example, say I wanted to argue that the narrator in “The Yellow Wallpaper” suffers from post-partum depression. I could research post partum depression using psychological sources and then tie to the story myself.