How to format your paper so it is correctly in the MLA format

1. Formatting a Research
Paper Using Word
Bonnie Startt
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2. What do you need to know?
 This is intended to aid you in preparing a
research paper.
 You need to be sure your paper is
formatted correctly.
 This will guide you in being sure about
what your assignment entails.
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3. What do you need to ask?
 What format is this paper to be written in?
Different subject areas use different
formats: APA, MLA, CBE, Chicago (also
called Turabian).
 How long is it to be?– Word Count
 Is that length just the paper section? Or
does it include everything?
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5. Questions--Continued
 Make sure you ask what type of sources you are
to use: book, Internet, journal.
 How many sources do you need? Remember this
is a research paper, so you will have to do
research!
 Will you be required to turn in all your sources?
Some teachers ask that all Internet information
be turned in with the paper. I require a disk too.
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6. Questions- Continued
 Do you need to meet with the teacher at
specific times?
 Ask if you need to have your research topic
pre-approved.
 Is it to be informative or argumentative?
 Should it be in 3rd person or may you use 1st
person?
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7. Questions-- continued
 Should there be an outline section? If using
APA, you will need an Abstract.
 Get your questions asked beforehand.When
your paper is returned, it is too late to say
you didn’t know.
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8. What kind of class are you in?
 If this is a face to face class, you can do
each section as a single document. If taking
an online class, it will need to be a single
document. The following instructions will
assume this is an on-line class.
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9. It’s MLA– now what
 We are going to assume you are writing
an MLA paper with a cover page, outline,
paper, and Works Cited.
 You need to open Word.
 The next steps will show you how to get
the paper you want.
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10. This is your title page.
 The following commands
will set up much of the How to Format a Paper
formatting for the whole
paper.
Ima Student
 MLA requires 1” margins
all around. Word has a
1.25” default. Go to English 111- 15B
Files- Go to Page Set-Up
and set r/l margins at 1” Your Teacher
 Type the information as
you see it.
April 21, 2003
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11. Title page, continued
 The title page in the MLA format does not require a page number.
 • Go to Insert menu
 • Select Page Number – deselect the check mark on Show number
on First Page
 This will allow you to prepare your title page correctly.
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15. Last Step-each section
 When the page is complete, but before you go to the next page, you
need to create a new section which will allow a new numbering
format. ****
 • Go to the Insert menu
 • Select Break
 • Select the second section—select Section Break Types
 • Select Next Page
 • At the bottom you will see Page # and Section #-- the section and
page # will change to 2.
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17. Your Outline Page
 You are now ready to begin the section for Student i
the outline. This will require you to use Name May not be needed if you have a title page.
lower case Roman numerals (For example: Teacher
Class
i ii iii iv) in your header. We will also need
Date
to include your last name in the Header.
 • Select View in the Menu Outline
 • Select Header/Footer Thesis Statement: This is a single statement that introduces your topic and
what your intent is. The diet industry tries to make people think there
 • Change alignment to Right—type your is an easy way to lose weight when in truth it requires a lifestyle
change.
last name and press the space bar 2 times.
 • Looking at the Header menu—select # I. This is your opening point.
A. This is a support of the main point
with a hand mark B. This is another point
 • Select number format: select the Roman C. Use all sentences or all key words—not both.
II. This is a supporting detail.
numerals (In older version, 95 or older, you III. This is a another point
may need to use the Insert-Page Number) A. Support
B. Support
 Next, Select # . 1. Support of support
2. Another example
 When you have completed your outline, a.. Example of example
you will need to start a new section by b. Example
following the same steps as from slide 15. IV. This might be your concluding topic sentences and supports
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20. •This is your Body/Works Cited Section.
 At the bottom you will see Page # and Student 1
Section #-- the section and page # will Ima Student Use a header or a heading– not both.
change to 3. It is now time begin your text. Class and Section
You will need to create a new header which Your Teacher
shows the next numbering format. How to Write a Research Paper
 Select View in the Menu One must double space and indent 5 spaces
 Select Header/Footer when one begins a paragraph.
 Change alignment to Right—type your last The writer will use the standard one
name and press the space bar 2 times. inch margins all the way around. This is not
 Looking at the Header menu—select # the default setting if using MS Word. Use left
with a hand over it. justification for the margins.
 Select number format: select numbers. If one needs a topic, one may go to the TCC
 Then select # Writing Center, http://www.tcc.edu/writcent
 Don’t forget that your Works Cited online handouts – Research Paper Topics or visit
continues this numbering process. the TCC Learning Resource Center for ideas.
Unless the teacher specifies otherwise, this is to
be written in third person (he, she, they).
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21. Paper, continued
Student 3
Student 2 This will not need quotation marks.
This is called a research paper because the writers Laughter is also an elixir for the mind. Tests
must do research and include it in their paper. administered by Swedish psychologist Lars
One must include a combination of direct quotes, Ljungdahl before and after humor therapy
paraphrases, combination notes, and your own reveal a reduction of stress and depression
and a heightened sense of mental well being
conclusions. In a direct quote the writer will use
and creativity. More and more we are
the authors exact words and place quotation discovering that it only hurts when we don't
marks ("quote") around it. It will be followed by laugh. (Lederer 10)
the author's last name and the page number in In the event there is a quote inside your quote, use
parenthesis. In a paraphrase, the whole idea in the a single quote mark for the interior quote. The
writer's own words. With a combination note, one following is a combination quote with an interior
uses some of one's own words and an direct quote. A teacher read this to her students, " 'If
quote. The writers' own conclusions are the ideas you subscribe to the summer Weekly Reader you
that come to the writers as contemplate research. will receive ten issues.' One of her students
In the event of a long quote, more than 4 lines, waited all summer for a pair of tennis shoes“
(Lederer 147). Please note there is no comma
the writer must set it off by indenting 10 spaces.
inside the parenthesis, and the closing
punctuation from the sentence is placed
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22. Paper, continued.
Student 4 Student 5
after the parenthesis. In the event the quote is a quote from another
If one mentions an author's name in the text, work which can't be found, one must indicate
one need only give the page number in the where it was quoted from. (qtd. In Author 10).
In the event one uses an abbreviation,
parenthesis. This is also the case if one is always
continuing to quote from one author. "She's a spell out the name first. For example, the
real Modern
Pre-Madonna" (152). In the event the quote Language Association (MLA) is the source of this
comes from a book with 2 authors, list both in information. In the event one doesn't wish to use a
parenthesis. (Author1 and Author2 10). With 3 whole quote, one may use an ellipsis (...) to
authors it will be (Author1, Author2, and indicate that text is missing. For example: "... And
Author3 10). Beyond 3 authors one may name the quote" or "The ... quote" or "The quote ..."
Should the writer need to to offer an explanation
them all, but the most common usage is to
about the quote or extra details, this may be done
name the first author followed by the
by placing the explanation in square brackets [ ].
abbreviation for "and others" et al. (Author1 et
When the writer feels sure that he/she has
al. 10). proven the point of the thesis, the writer will
prepare the conclusion.
This section will sum up all that has been written
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23. Paper, continued.
Student 6 Student 7
Page 2 and all subsequent pages will Works Cited
have the writer's last name and the page Lederer, Richard. More Anguished English. New
number as a header at 1/2 inch from the York: Delacorte Press, 1993.
top of the paper. The actual text will begin
at the 1 inch margin.
Like any project make sure that you allow
enough time. Prepare a schedule. It is a simple
process if you take it in steps and allow enough
time. To quote from Murphy's Law: "If anything
can go wrong, it will." This is never more true
than when you leave a project to the last minute.
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24. Good Luck!
Although if you plan carefully,
you won’t need luck.
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