Title: THE MLA Format
1THE MLA Format
- A presentation for
- Student Support Services participants
- Troy University
- Troy, AL 36082
Yahoo image
2OBJECTIVES
- Help prepare participants for English and World
Literature writing assignments. - Teach participants correct application of the
Modern Language Association (MLA) format. - Help students avoid research plagiarism.
3NEW MLA GUIDELINES
- IMPORTANT NOTE The MLA guidelines have
changed. Please see the online writing lab at
Purdue for these updates. Some of the
information in this PPT is outdated. - For help in generating various types of works
cited entries, check out http//mcculloughmg.wor
dpress.com/2009/09/17/mla-citiation-generator/
4How to Avoid Plagiarism Charges
- Identify direct quotes.
- Cite your sources of direct quotes
- Give credit to a source that expresses uncommon
knowledge. - Cite idea sources, (show intellectual integrity),
even if you paraphrase what you have
read/researched.
Source Research Documentation. 7 Apr. 2009
lthttp//troy.troy.edu/writingcenter/handoutsgt
5What is the MLA style?
- The Modern Language Association (MLA) Style is
widely used for identifying research sources. - With MLA style, you briefly credit sources with
parenthetical citations in the text of your
paper, and give the complete description of each
source in your Works Cited list. - The Works Cited list, or Bibliography, is a list
of all the sources used in your paper, arranged
alphabetically by author's last name, or when
there is no author, by the first word of the
title (except A, An or The). 5.1-5.5 - Source cited verbatim
- MLA Citation Examples. Honolulu Community
College Library. 20 Sept. 2004. 07 Apr 2009
lthttp//honolulu.hawaii.edu/library/mlahcc.htmlgt.
6Cite All Sources
- interviews identify type of interview
(personal, phone, e-mail, broadcast) - online sites give the URL address
- chat room conversations
- radio or television programs.
- personal letters.
- speeches.
- books.
- journals (volume and issue)
- magazines (volume and issue)
- newspapers
- tape, video, or CD recordings
- electronic databases
- Learn to format Works Cited entries
- (later in presentation) for different types of
sources.
Source Research Documentation. 7 Apr. 2009
lthttp//troy.troy.edu/writingcenter/handoutsgt.
7Cite All Sources of Evidence
- Quotations (direct or paraphrased)
- Statistics/numerical or quantitative data
- Graphs/visual rhetoric/charts
- Pictures/ illustrations
- Ideas or hypotheses
- Stories
- Lists
- Videos
8Basic MLA Page Format . . .
- Usually requires no title page.
- First page has at left margin . . .
- the paper authors full name instructors
name course number and the date in military
form. - The title of the paper is centered on the
first page. - The paper has a running header flush at the
right margin, which includes the paper authors
last name and the page number inserted. - The last page is the Works Cited page.
Source Research Documentation. 7 Apr. 2009
lthttp//troy.troy.edu/writingcenter/handoutsgt.
9Basic MLA Page Format (cont)
- Paper size -- 8.5 inches x 11 inches.
- Page margins -- (1) inch on all sides.
- Text -- double-spaced.
- Parenthetical citation follows any direct
quotation and looks like this (Jones 55) --
Authors last name and page number. - Paragraph -- indent five (5) spaces from left
margin. - Block quotes -- indent five (5) to ten (10)
spaces from left margin.
Source Gibaldi, Joseph and Walter Achtert. MLA
Handbook. 3rd ed. New York The Modern Language
Association, 1988.
10MLA Sample (Page 1)
-
- John Doe
- Dr. Smith
- English 1120
- 15 May 2006
- Kate Chopins Antagonized
-
- Protagonists in The Story of an Hour
- In one of her best known short stories, Kate
Chopin - presents Louise Mallard, a woman who feels both
blessed and - . . .
Use one-inch margins. Double space text. Do not
put a header on page 1. Do not include a title
page.
11MLA Sample (after page 1)
Doe 1 After hearing of the news that
her husband is dead, Louise begins to behave
in an unexpected manner. She begins to rejoice
at a time when others in similar circumstances
might begin to grieve. She declares her self
to be free, (Chopin, 2) which to readers that
Louise previously felt . . .
Use one-inch margins. Include a header flush
with right margin. Double space text.
12MLA Sample (Works Cited page)
Doe 1 Works Cited Essay.
Websters II Dictionary. 3rd. ed.
2005. Hacker, Diane. A Pocket Style Manual.
4th ed. Boston Bedford/ St. Martins,
2004.
Indent five (5) spaces
Be sure to consult the latest edition of the MLA
Handbook for instructions on citing different
types of sources.
13DIRECT QUOTES
14Presenting Direct Quotes
- What is a Direct Quote? Words, phrases or
sentences copied exactly (verbatim) from a
primary or secondary source and used as evidence
or support for a position. - A direct quote can be in the form of prose or
poetic verse.
15Presenting Quotes (cont)
- Quotations are effective in research papers when
used selectively. - Quote only vital parts. Refrain from overuse of
quoted material. - If you directly quote information, give credit to
the source of the quote.
16Directly Quoting Short Quotes
- Prose quotations four lines or fewer requires no
special emphasis other than quotation marks and
thereafter, cite the source of the quote in
parenthesis (Money 1). - Incorporate quotes four lines or fewer into the
text of your paper / essay. - Do not present an Isolated Quote (one without
proper transitioning).
17Directly Quoting Longer Quotes
- Prose quotations longer than four lines should
be set off from your text as a Blocked Quote. - See next slide for example.
18Block Quotes Sample in MS Word
- LEARN HOW
- Click on picture to the left.
- Right click to Open hyperlink.
- Click on SHOW ME at http//www.iusb.edu/sbwrite/
blockformat.shtml
Formatting a Block Quote in Microsoft Word.
Indiana University SouthBend. 07 Apr. 2009
lthttp//www.iusb.edu/sbwrite/blockformat.shtml
19Reminder No Dumping Allowed
- Dumped quotation SAMPLE
- Many people believe that the residents of
homeless shelters are just lazy and unmotivated,
but such a view is much too simplistic. Most
people who end up in homeless shelters are
suffering from schizophrenia, clinical
depression, or post traumatic stress syndrome
(196).
TRANSITION TRANSITION TRANSITION
Morgan Davis reports that Most . . .
20Works Cited Entries
- Two or More Works by the Same Authors 5.6.3
- When citing two or more sources by the same
author, give the name in the first entry only. - For the next entries, type three hyphens, add a
period, and skip a space (---. ) then give the
title. The three hyphens stand for the name(s) in
the preceding entry. - SAMPLE
- Scott, Susan. Exploring Hanauma Bay. Honolulu U
of -
- Hawaii P, 1993.
- ---. Plants and Animals of Hawaii. Honolulu Bess
Press, 1991. - Source MLA Citation Examples. Honolul
Community College Library. 07 Apr. 2009
lthttp//honolulu.hawaii.edu/legacylib/mlahcc.htmlgt
21Websites
- Author, if available. Title of the Site. Editor
/(if available). Date and/or Version Number. Name
of Sponsoring Institution. Date of Access ltURLgt. - Encyclopedia Mythica. 2004. Web. 13 May 2004.
22Videos
- Title. Director, Producer, and/or Writer. Medium.
Distributor, Year.
23Interviews
- Name of Person Interviewed. Type of Interview
(personal, telephone, email, etc.). Date. - Example
- Clinton, Bill. Interview with Larry King. Larry
King Live. CNN. 24 June 2004.
24Online Periodicals (e-zines)
- Author. "Title of Article." Title of Publication
publication date Page(s) or Section(s) Type of
source (web or print). Date retrieved. - Example
- Gundy, Jess. "The Complexities of Use of Force."
Law and Order Dec 2003. Web. 13 May 2004.
25Magazine and Journal (database)
- Author. "Title of Article." Title of Magazine
Date Page(s). Name of Database. Gale Group
Databases. Honolulu Community Coll. Lib., HI.
Date of Access lthttp//infotrac.galegroup.com
/itweb/hawaii_honolulugt. - Author. "Title of Article." Title of Journal
Volume number (Year) Page(s). Name of Database.
Gale Group Databases. Honolulu Community Coll.
Lib., HI. Date of Access lthttp//infotrac.galegrou
p. com/itweb/hawaii_honolulugt.
26Works Cited
- Gibaldi, Joseph and Walter Achtert. MLA
Handbook. 3rd ed. New York The Modern Language
Association, - 1988.
- MLA Citation Examples. Honolul Community
College Library. 07 Apr. 2009 lthttp//honolulu.ha
waii. - edu/legacylib/mlahcc.htmlgt
- Research Documentation. Troy University Writing
Center. 7 Apr. 2009 http//troy.troy.edu/writing
center/handouts - Yahooimages. 02 Apr. 2009 lthttp//images.search.y
ahoo.com/?