1. Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.1 Formatting a Research Paper Using MLA style

2. Principles of IT TEKS Associated with Lesson (7) The student applies word-processing technology. The student is expected to: (A) identify the terminology associated with word-processing software and its functions; (C) edit a variety of text documents using functions such as pagination, appropriate white space, tab settings, and font style, size, and color; (E) apply formatting techniques to a multipage research paper using approved publication standards such as American Psychological Association and Modern Language Association IT: Principles of IT – Formatting a Research Paper Using MLA Format2 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.

3. Lesson Objectives Identify the purpose of the Modern Language Association Identify the steps to apply MLA format Identify the characteristics of MLA format Identify functions of word processing software tools associated with research paper format Apply MLA format to a research paper including quotations and works cited IT: Principles of IT – Formatting a Research Paper Using MLA Format3 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.

4. Modern Language Association Purpose of MLA The object of the association shall be to promote study, criticism, and research in the more and less commonly taught modern languages and their literatures, and to further the common interests of teachers of these subjects. (taken from http://www.mla.org/mla_constitution) IT: Principles of IT – Formatting a Research Paper Using MLA Format4 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.

5. MLA Publications MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers seventh edition Step-by-step instructions for formatting a research paper for high school and undergraduate work at college This format is widely accepted across the world by schools, colleges, universities, literary journals and magazines MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing third edition Step-by-step instructions for formatting research documents for graduate level work such as thesis or dissertations You can purchase the printed version or the electronic version (taken from http://www.mla.org) IT: Principles of IT – Formatting a Research Paper Using MLA Format5 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.

6. MLA Publications When you purchase the printed version of the handbook, you receive an account code The account code will allow you to create a user account on their website The website allows you access to the electronic version The electronic version contains items and examples that aren’t in the printed version The electronic version also has a search function for quick, easy locating of the item in question www.mlahandbook.org MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers – page xxi IT: Principles of IT – Formatting a Research Paper Using MLA Format6 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.

7. MLA Research Paper 1. Select your topic 2. Obtain writings on this topic 3. Type a draft of your paper 4. Decide where you can insert quotations IT: Principles of IT – Formatting a Research Paper Using MLA Format7 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.

8. MLA Research Paper Formatting Steps 5. Look up the formatting guidelines in the MLA handbook and apply them to your paper a) Choose Font Style and Size - this is sometimes given to you by the instructor - if not given by the instructor use Times New Roman size 12 Tip: Hold Ctrl while pressing the A key on the keyboard. This will select all the text of your document which makes formatting quick and easy. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers – page 116 IT: Principles of IT – Formatting a Research Paper Using MLA Format8 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.

9. MLA Research Paper Formatting Steps 5. Look up the formatting guidelines in the MLA handbook and apply them to your paper b) Left align text c) Tab once at beginning of new paragraph d) Set Page Margins: Top, Bottom, Left and Right margins should be set at 1” MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers – page 116 IT: Principles of IT – Formatting a Research Paper Using MLA Format9 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.

10. MLA Research Paper Formatting Steps 5. Look up the formatting guidelines in the MLA handbook and apply them to your paper e) Set line spacing to double f) Leave one space after the period at the end of a sentence (unless otherwise noted by the instructor) MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers – page 116 IT: Principles of IT – Formatting a Research Paper Using MLA Format10 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.

11. MLA Research Paper Formatting Steps 5. Look up the formatting guidelines in the MLA handbook and apply them to your paper g) Create the Title Block - Start at left of first line - Type your full name - strike enter - Type instructor’s name - strike enter - Type course name - strike enter - Type the date - strike enter MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers – page 116 IT: Principles of IT – Formatting a Research Paper Using MLA Format11 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.

12. MLA Research Paper Formatting Steps 5. Look up the formatting guidelines in the MLA handbook and apply them to your paper g) Create the Title Block - Type the title Center the title Do not use bold, italics, or change the font size Use Title case – not all caps MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers – page 116 - 117 IT: Principles of IT – Formatting a Research Paper Using MLA Format12 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.

13. MLA Research Paper Formatting Steps 5. Look up the formatting guidelines in the MLA handbook and apply them to your paper h) Create the Header Your last name a space page number Right aligned ½” below top edge of paper MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers – page 117 IT: Principles of IT – Formatting a Research Paper Using MLA Format13 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.

14. MLA Research Paper Formatting Steps 6 Format the quotations a) Locate each quote and place quotations marks at beginning and end Add ( ) at end of quote followed by ending punctuation mark Place page number of quote inside the parentheses MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers – page 93 IT: Principles of IT – Formatting a Research Paper Using MLA Format14 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.

15. MLA Research Paper Formatting Steps 6 Format the quotations b) Titles should be italicized: BooksMagazinesJournalsWebsites Newspapers Music Albums Movies MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers – page 88 IT: Principles of IT – Formatting a Research Paper Using MLA Format15 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.

16. MLA Research Paper Formatting Steps 6 Format the quotations c) Titles of articles that appear inside these publications should be in quotation marks: BooksMagazinesJournalsWebsites Newspapers Music Albums Movies MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers – page 89 IT: Principles of IT – Formatting a Research Paper Using MLA Format16 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.

17. MLA Research Paper Formatting Steps 6 Format the quotations d) If a quote takes up more than 4 lines it should be set apart by beginning it on a new line and indenting it from the left margin by 1”. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers – page 94 IT: Principles of IT – Formatting a Research Paper Using MLA Format17 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.

18. MLA Research Paper Formatting Steps 6 Format the quotations d) If a quote takes up more than 4 lines it should NOT have quotation marks and the punctuation mark should NOT be moved to outside the parentheses. The quotation should be preceded by a colon MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers – page 94 IT: Principles of IT – Formatting a Research Paper Using MLA Format18 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.

19. MLA Research Paper Formatting Steps 6 Format the quotations e) If quoting a short piece of a poem or lines of lyrics, place in quotation marks and separate the lines by a slash mark (/) MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers – page 95 IT: Principles of IT – Formatting a Research Paper Using MLA Format19 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.

20. MLA Research Paper Formatting Steps 6 Format the quotations f) If quoting a long piece of a poem or lines of lyrics (more than 3 lines), it is formatted the same as a long quote MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers – page 95 IT: Principles of IT – Formatting a Research Paper Using MLA Format20 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.

21. MLA Research Paper Formatting Steps 6 Format the quotations g) If the author of the quote isn’t presented in the text preceding the quote, then add the author’s last name inside the parentheses, before the page number MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers – page 127 IT: Principles of IT – Formatting a Research Paper Using MLA Format21 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.

22. MLA Research Paper Formatting Steps 6 Format the quotations h) Using a chart Identification goes below the chart The chart is numbered in sequence A descriptive caption is given MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers – page 118 IT: Principles of IT – Formatting a Research Paper Using MLA Format22 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.

23. MLA Research Paper Formatting Steps 7 Format the Works Cited Section a) Begin the works cited section on the next page (Hold Ctrl and press Enter to go to the top of next page) Type the title Works Cited Center the title – do not bold or use caps MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers – page 130 - 131 IT: Principles of IT – Formatting a Research Paper Using MLA Format23 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.

24. MLA Research Paper Formatting Steps 7 Format the Works Cited Section b) Each entry begins on a new line Each entry begins at the left margin Set the paragraph format to hanging indent MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers – page 131 IT: Principles of IT – Formatting a Research Paper Using MLA Format24 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.

25. MLA Research Paper Formatting Steps 7 Format the Works Cited Section c) Books are formatted using this structure: Last name of author, First name of author. Title of Book. Publication City: Name of Publisher, Year of Publication. Manner in which you viewed the book. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers – page 148 - 151 IT: Principles of IT – Formatting a Research Paper Using MLA Format25 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.

26. MLA Research Paper Formatting Steps 7 Format the Works Cited Section c) Books are formatted using this structure: Last name of author, First name of author. Title of Book. Publication City: Name of Publisher, Year of Publication. Manner in which you viewed the book. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers – page 148 - 151 IT: Principles of IT – Formatting a Research Paper Using MLA Format26 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.

27. MLA Research Paper Formatting Steps 7 Format the Works Cited Section d) Books with two authors are formatted using this structure: Last name of author, First name of author, and First name of author Last name of author. Title of Book. Publication City: Name of Publisher, Year of Publication. Manner in which you viewed the book. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers – page 154 IT: Principles of IT – Formatting a Research Paper Using MLA Format27 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.

28. MLA Research Paper Formatting Steps 7 Format the Works Cited Section e) Magazine Articles are formatted using this structure: Last name of author, First name of author. “Title of Article.” Name of Magazine Date of the Issue: Page numbers of the article. Manner in which you viewed the article. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers – page 142 - 143 IT: Principles of IT – Formatting a Research Paper Using MLA Format28 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.

29. MLA Research Paper Formatting Steps 7 Format the Works Cited Section e) Magazine Articles are formatted using this structure: Last name of author, First name of author. “Title of Article.” Name of Magazine Date of the Issue: Page numbers of the article. Manner in which you viewed the article. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers – page 142 - 143 IT: Principles of IT – Formatting a Research Paper Using MLA Format29 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.

30. MLA Research Paper Formatting Steps 7 Format the Works Cited Section f) Poem within a book is formatted using this structure: Last name of author, First name of author. “Title of Poem.” Trans. Name of Translator. Name of Book. Ed. Name of Editor. City of Publication: Publisher, Publication Date. Page numbers of the poem. Manner in which you viewed the article. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers – page 157 - 158 IT: Principles of IT – Formatting a Research Paper Using MLA Format30 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.

31. MLA Research Paper Formatting Steps 7 Format the Works Cited Section g) The final step of the works cited page format is to alphabetize the entries by the first letter of the entry. 8 Submitting Completed work a) place pages in sequential order b) staple or paper clip together in upper left corner MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers – page 121 – 122, 131 IT: Principles of IT – Formatting a Research Paper Using MLA Format31 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.

32. Resources Structure and format rules were taken from the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 7 th edition. ISBN:978-1-60329-024-1 Published by the Modern Language Association of America Published in New York, 2009 All images of the Research Paper on Pit Bulls were provided by Paula Clothier. IT: Principles of IT – Formatting a Research Paper Using MLA Format32 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.