MLA Style A Guide to Citing Sources

1
MLA StyleA Guide to Citing Sources
First things first What is a citation?
MLA citation style
Why you need to cite your sources
How to cite your sources
Works Cited list Parenthetical citations
2
First things first What is a citation?

• A citation is a reference to a source used in a
  research project.

Walker, Sally. Volcanoes Earths Inner Fire.
Minneapolis Carolrhoda, 1994. Print.
Whenever you use another persons ideas or words
in a research paper, you must cite, or give
credit, to that person.
Thats called citing your source.
3
MLA citation style

• Citations must be accurate and standard so that
  anyone who reads your research can easily find
  the information you used.

MLA style is a standard way of citing sources.
This means each source you use should be
formatted in a specific way.
MLA style was developed by the Modern Language
Association.
4
Why you need to cite your sources
There are three important reasons to cite your
sources.

1. to find information

• to show that you
• understand your topic

1. to avoid plagiarism

5
Why you need to cite your sources

• Citations help you remember where you got your
  information.
• You can return to a source for more information
  or to clarify facts.
• Citations help your readers locate information
  when they want to do more research.

6
Why you need to cite your sources
Citations show that your research was careful and
thorough.
They also show that other people support what
youve written about your topic.
7
Why you need to cite your sources

• Citations give credit to people whose ideas you
  use.

Plagiarism is using someone elses ideas or
knowledge without giving that person credit.
Avoid plagiarism by giving people credit for
their ideas and their words.
8
How to cite your sources

• Use two ways to cite your sources.

1. At the end of your paper, add a Works Cited list.

1. Within the paper, use parenthetical citations.

9
How to cite your sources

• A Works Cited list is a list of all the sources
  you used in your research paper. Here are some
  entries for part of a Works Cited list.

McNulty, Tim. Under the Volcano. Forest
Magazine 8 Sept. 2004 12-15. Print. Schmidt,
Laurie J. Sensing Remote Volcanoes. Supporting
Earth Observing Science. Institute Science,
Engineering and Technology. 2004. Web. 8 Oct.
2008. Walker, Sally. Volcanoes Earths Inner
Fire. Minneapolis Carolrhoda, 1994. Print.
10
Works Cited list Books

• Here is the basic format for a book entry in a
  Works Cited list.

Authors last name, Authors first name. Book
Title. City of publication Publishers name,
year of publication. Medium of publication.
Walker, Sally. Volcanoes Earths Inner Fire.
Minneapolis Carolrhoda, 1994. Print.
11
Works Cited list Periodicals

• Periodicals are publications that are published
  regularly, or periodically, such as newspapers,
  magazines, and journals.

12
Works Cited list Periodicals

• Heres the basic format for a magazine article.

Authors last name, Authors first name. Article
Title. Magazine Name day Month year page
number(s). Medium of publication.
McNulty, Tim. Under the Volcano. Forest
Magazine 8 Sept. 2004 12-15. Print.
If the article isnt printed on consecutive
pages, give the first page and a plus sign.
Bruce, Victoria. No Apparent Danger. National
Geographic Adventure Mar.-Apr. 2001 112. Print.
13
Works Cited list Citing nonprint sources

• There are many other kinds of sources besides
  books and magazines. You might use TV programs,
  DVDs, CDs, or Web sites.

Web sites can be very useful as source material,
but you must cite them properly.
14
Works Cited list Citing nonprint sources Web
site
Heres the basic format for a Web site entry for
the Works Cited list.
Authors last name, Authors first name (if
known). Document Title. Title of Web Site. Name
of Sponsoring Institution. day Month year of
publication (or last update). Medium of
Publication. day Month year of access.
Wood, Chuck. Current Volcanic Activity. Volcano
World. NASA North Dakota Space Grant Consortium.
13 Sept. 2007. Web. 29 Oct. 2007.
15
Works Cited list

• Sources are put in the Works Cited list in
  alphabetical order, double-spaced, and indented
  one-half inch.
• Here is an example of a final Works Cited list.

Works Cited McNulty, Tim. Under the Volcano.
Forest Magazine 8 Sept. 2004 12-15.
Print. Walker, Sally. Volcanoes Earths Inner
Fire. Minneapolis Carolrhoda, 1994. Print.
16
Parenthetical citations
Listing all your sources in the Works Cited list
is an important part of your research paper.

• In the body of your paper, you also need to tell
  exactly where you found any information that came
  from other sources.
• You do that using a parenthetical citation.

17
Parenthetical citations

• A parenthetical citation appears in the body of
  your paper wherever you use another persons
  ideas, facts, or words.

A parenthetical citation always refers to a
source in your Works Cited list.
18
Parenthetical citations

• To create a parenthetical citation, give the
  authors last name and the page number(s) from
  the source. Put this information in parentheses
  at the end of the sentence, before the final
  punctuation.

Experts believe that volcanoes are more likely to
explode after years of inactivity (Walker 100).
Experts believe that volcanoes are more likely to
explode after years of inactivity (Walker 100).
Readers can now find complete information about
the source in your Works Cited list.
Walker, Sally. Volcanoes Earths Inner Fire.
Minneapolis Carolrhoda, 1994. Print.
Walker, Sally. Volcanoes Earths Inner Fire.
Minneapolis Carolrhoda, 1994. Print.
19
Parenthetical citations
If the authors name appears in the sentence, you
need to cite only the page number(s) in
parentheses.
Dr. Sally Walker claims that volcanoes are more
likely to explode after years of inactivity (100).
Dr. Sally Walker claims that volcanoes are more
likely to explode after years of inactivity (100).
For sources without page numbers, like most Web
sites, you should include the authors name or
the title of the source within the text instead
of using parentheses.
Chuck Wood reports that there are as many as 22
volcanoes worldwide experiencing ongoing
eruptions.
Chuck Wood reports that there are as many as 22
volcanoes worldwide experiencing ongoing
eruptions.
20
Your Turn

• All the examples in this presentation can be
  found in the Works Cited List Model, which is
  part of the Student Handouts for the MLA/APA
  Styles feature.
• The handouts Your Turn Create MLA Source
  Citations and Your Turn Create MLA Parenthetical
  Citations also provide opportunities to practice
  creating sources and parenthetical citations.

21

• The End