1. USING MLA STYLE:
GENERAL GUIDELINES
Brought to you by the Learning Commons
2. What is MLA Style?
Created by the Modern Language
Association
Provides writers with credibility
Protects writers from accusations of
plagiarism
Allows writers to cross-reference sources
Allows readers to easily locate source
material
3. Here’s what we’ll cover:
Basic format
In-text citations
Works Cited page
4. Basic Format
1” inch margins all around
12 point font, Times New Roman or Arial
Double spaced
Identification in upper left corner of first page
Use a running header to number pages in top
right hand corner, include your last name
Hartzel 2
5. What should I cite?
Paraphrases and summaries
“Unique words or phrases”
no direct quotes for this assignment, please!
7. Paraphrases, summaries
With an author – Right!
In Jeannette Walls’ memoir, The Glass
Castle, the author depicts a childhood filled
with dysfunction and chaos.
With an author – Wrong!
In Jeannette Walls’ memoir, The Glass
Castle, the author depicts a childhood filled
with dysfunction and chaos (Walls).
8. Paraphrases, summaries
No author – Right!
“Children of Alcoholics” examines the
developmental and psychological effects that
children experience (24-25).
No author – Wrong!
“Children of Alcoholics” examines the
developmental and psychological effects that
children experience (“Children” 24-25).
10. Quotes
Elements:
Signal phrase + Author + “quotation” + (page number) +
your own words.
One of McNair’s grading criteria
includes, “title and author stated in first sentence,”
(1) which will be examined in a later slide.
Note: please don’t use direct quotes in this
assignment
11. Creating Works Cited
Separate page, end of paper
Include both works referenced in your paper
Label it Works Cited (centered)
Double spaced
Alphabetized by last name – don’t reorder
names!
No author? Alphabetize by title of article
12. Citing a Book
Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. City of
Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication.
Medium.
Walls, Jeannette. The Glass Castle. New
York: Scribner, 2005. Print.
13. Popular Magazine - online
Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.”
Journal Title. Date of Publication. Database.
Medium. Date of Access.
Fitzgerald, Dorothy. “A Slow Descent.”
Parenting. 1 Jun. 2000. NewsBank. Web.
19 Oct. 2012.
14. Article from an Academic
Journal
Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Journal
Title volume.issue (year): pages. Database
Name. Medium. Date of access.
“Children of Alcoholics.” International
Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family. (2003).
Credo Reference. Web. 19 Oct. 2012.
15. Newspaper Article - online
Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.”
Newspaper Title. Date of Publication.
Database. Medium. Date of Access.
Sullivan Jr., Bishop. "Why Can't We Declare a
War on Poverty?" The Patriot-News. 8 Aug.
2012. NewsBank. Web. 19 Oct. 2012.
16. Works Cited
“Children of Alcoholics.” International Encyclopedia
of Marriage and Family. (2003). Credo Reference.
Web. 19 Oct. 2012.
Fitzgerald, Dorothy. “A Slow Descent.” Parenting.
1 Jun. 2000. NewsBank. Web. 19 Oct. 2012.
Sullivan Jr., Bishop, et al. "Why Can't We Declare a
War on Poverty?" The Patriot-News. 8 Aug. 2012.
NewsBank. Web. 19 Oct. 2012.
Walls, Jeannette. The Glass Castle. New York:
Scribner, 2005. Print.
17. Want More Info?
Diana Hacker’s, A Pocket Style Manual, Sixth
Ed.
Class LibGuide
MLA Citation Website
Learning Center – tutors and academic coach