owl how to cite mla format of a course

by Dr. Jennyfer Morar 10 min read

MLA format follows the author-page method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the page number (s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must appear in the text, and a complete reference should appear on your Works Cited page.

Full Answer

What is the proper way to cite MLA?

  • Find a phrase, sentence, paragraph, or section of original text you’d like to turn into a paraphrase.
  • Read the text carefully and make sure you fully comprehend its meaning. ...
  • After analyzing and completely understanding the original text, put it to the side. ...

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How to create a MLA citation?

  • Align the title to the center of the document
  • Add a one-inch margin below the top edge of the paper
  • Do not bold, italicize, or underline the title
  • The title should be the same size and style as the rest of the document (12-point font)
  • Place a double space between the title and the first citation on the page

How do you write a MLA format?

MLA Paper Formatting Basics. Use white 8 ½ x 11” paper. Make 1 inch margins on the top, bottom, and sides. The first word in every paragraph should be indented one half inch. Indent set-off or block quotations one half inch from the left margin. Use any type of font that is easy to read, such as Times New Roman.

What is the proper MLA format?

MLA Page Format

  • Overview. Tab in the first line of a paragraph ½” or .5
  • Margins. Some defaults are 1.25″ left and right. ...
  • Font. Times New Roman 12 black font. ...
  • Alignment. Left align – this is the usual default setting. ...
  • Line Spacing. ...
  • Paragraph Settings. ...
  • First Line of a Paragraph. ...
  • Spacing after a period or other end punctuation. ...
  • Title Page. ...
  • Header. ...

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How do I cite an online lecture in MLA?

To cite an online lecture or speech, follow the MLA format template. List the name of the presenter, followed by the title of the lecture. Then list the name of the website as the title of the container, the date on which the lecture was posted, and the URL: Allende, Isabel.

How do you cite a University website in MLA?

Author Last Name, First Name. “Title of Work.” Title of Site, Sponsor or Publisher [include only if different from website title or author], Date of Publication or Update Date, URL. Accessed Date [only if no date of publication or update date].

How do you cite a course lesson?

Last Name, First Name of professor. “Title or Subject of the Lecture.” Class lecture, Course Name, College Name, Location, Month Day, Year.

How do you cite a course in MLA?

MLA format Speaker last name, First name. “Lecture Title.” Course or Event Name, Day Month Year, Institution, Location. Lecture.

How do you cite a source for a university website?

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of online content: Subtitle. Website Name. URL.

How do you reference a university website?

Referencing websitesAuthor or organisation responsible for the site.Title of the website (in italics)[online]Place of publication and publisher.The date the site was published or last updated.Date you viewed the website.The URL.

How do I cite an online course?

Online course or massive open online course (Mooc) Online courses, including Moocs, can be cited by providing the instructors, year of course creation (if known), title of the course, site that hosts the course, and URL.

How do you cite a university lecture?

Reference: Author(s) Last name, Initial(s). (Year) 'Title of lecture/presentation' [Medium], Module Code: Module title. Institution/Venue. Day Month.

How do you reference Open university course materials?

Author/Organisation, (Year of study) 'Unit number and title', Module code, block number and title, and chapter or section title [Online]. Available at and URL of the website (Accessed and the date you last accessed the site).

How do you cite a college class PDF?

There is no explicit way to indicate that you are citing a PDF, as PDF is a file format and not a type of reference (e.g., journal article, book, or book chapter). You can cite any reference type in PDF format (e.g., magazine articles and reports).

How do you cite a module in MLA?

The citation should include the last name of the module note author, then the first name. The title of the module in quotation marks should be listed, followed by the location of the module lecture or lesson, and the date. An example of a module citation should look like this: Smith, Julie.

How to cite a quote in MLA format?

MLA format follows the author-page method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the page number (s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must appear in the text, and a complete reference should appear on your Works Cited page. The author's name may appear either in the sentence itself or in parentheses following the quotation or paraphrase, but the page number (s) should always appear in the parentheses, not in the text of your sentence. For example:

What is MLA style?

MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource, updated to reflect the MLA Handbook (8 th ed.), offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.

How to cite a source with two authors?

For a source with two authors, list the authors’ last names in the text or in the parenthetical citation:

What is parenthetical citation?

Parenthetical citations and Works Cited pages, used in conjunction, allow readers to know which sources you consulted in writing your essay, so that they can either verify your interpretation of the sources or use them in their own scholarly work.

How to cite multiple works by the same author?

Citing multiple works by the same author. If you cite more than one work by an author, include a shortened title for the particular work from which you are quoting to distinguish it from the others. Put short titles of books in italics and short titles of articles in quotation marks.

What did Wordsworth explore in his writing?

Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the creative process (263).

When to use a shortened title?

When a source has no known author, use a shortened title of the work instead of an author name. Place the title in quotation marks if it's a short work (such as an article) or italicize it if it's a longer work (e.g. plays, books, television shows, entire Web sites) and provide a page number if it is available.

Why do we use MLA format?

Most importantly, the use of MLA style can protect writers from accusations of plagiarism, which is the purposeful or accidental uncredited use of source material produced by other writers. If you are asked to use MLA format, be sure to consult the MLA Handbook (8th edition).

Why do we use MLA style?

Most importantly, the use of MLA style can protect writers from accusations ...

How to format a paper?

Formatting the First Page of Your Paper 1 Do not make a title page for your paper unless specifically requested. 2 In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list your name, your instructor's name, the course, and the date. Again, be sure to use double-spaced text. 3 Double space again and center the title. Do not underline, italicize, or place your title in quotation marks. Write the title in Title Case (standard capitalization), not in all capital letters. 4 Use quotation marks and/or italics when referring to other works in your title, just as you would in your text. For example: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas as Morality Play; Human Weariness in "After Apple Picking" 5 Double space between the title and the first line of the text. 6 Create a header in the upper right-hand corner that includes your last name, followed by a space with a page number. Number all pages consecutively with Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin. (Note: Your instructor or other readers may ask that you omit the last name/page number header on your first page. Always follow instructor guidelines.)

What to do when you have multiple levels of headings?

If you employ multiple levels of headings (some of your sections have sections within sections), you may want to provide a key of your chosen level headings and their formatting to your instructor or editor.

Where should the header be on a book?

Create a header that numbers all pages consecutively in the upper right-hand corner, one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin. (Note: Your instructor may ask that you omit the number on your first page. Always follow your instructor's guidelines.)

How to write a title in a letter?

Double space again and center the title. Do not underline, italicize, or place your title in quotation marks. Write the title in Title Case (standard capitalization), not in all capital letters.

How many spaces after periods?

Leave only one space after periods or other punctuation marks (unless otherwise prompted by your instructor).

Where do you put a work cited page in MLA?

According to MLA style, you must have a Works Cited page at the end of your research paper. All entries in the Works Cited page must correspond to the works cited in your main text.

What is MLA style?

MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource, updated to reflect the MLA Handbook (8 th ed.), offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.

How to cite well known authors?

If the person you wish to cite is well-known, cite the better-known form of the name of the author . For example, since Lewis Carroll is not only a pseudonym of Charles Dodgson, but also the better-known form of the author’s name, cite the former name opposed to the latter.

How to cite a source online?

Many scholarly databases use a DOI (digital object identifier). Use a DOI in your citation if you can; otherwise use a URL. Delete “http://” from URLs. The DOI or URL is usually the last element in a citation and should be followed by a period.

How many inches to indent citations?

Indent the second and subsequent lines of citations by 0.5 inches to create a hanging indent.

How to cite a paper with no author?

Alphabetize works with no known author by their title; use a shortened version of the title in the parenthetical citations in your paper. In this case, Boring Postcards USA has no known author:

How to list author names in a book?

Listing author names. Entries are listed alphabetically by the author's last name (or, for entire edited collections, editor names). Author names are written with the last name first, then the first name, and then the middle name or middle initial when needed: Burke, Kenneth. Levy, David M.

How to cite an e-book in MLA?

Simply indicate that the book in question is an e-book by putting the term "e-book" in the "version" slot of the MLA template (i.e ., after the author, the title of the source, the title of the container, and the names of any other contributors).

How to cite video sources in MLA?

Video and audio sources need to be documented using the same basic guidelines for citing print sources in MLA style. Include as much descriptive information as necessary to help readers understand the type and nature of the source you are citing. If the author’s name is the same as the uploader, only cite the author once. If the author is different from the uploader, cite the author’s name before the title.

Why do you need a URL in MLA?

Include a URL or web address to help readers locate your sources. Because web addresses are not static (i.e., they change often) and because documents sometimes appear in multiple places on the web (e.g., on multiple databases), MLA encourages the use of citing containers such as Youtube, JSTOR, Spotify, or Netflix in order to easily access and verify sources. However, MLA only requires the www. address, so eliminate all https:// when citing URLs.

What is the MLA Handbook?

The MLA Handbook highlights principles over prescriptive practices. Essentially, a writer will need to take note of primary elements in every source, such as author, title, etc. and then assort them in a general format. Thus, by using this methodology, a writer will be able to cite any source regardless of whether it’s included in this list.

What is MLA style?

MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource, updated to reflect the MLA Handbook (8 th ed.), offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.

How to list an author on a website?

For an individual page on a Web site, list the author or alias if known, followed by an indication of the specific page or article being referenced. Usually, the title of the page or article appears in a header at the top of the page. Follow this with the information covered above for entire Web sites. If the publisher is the same as the website name, only list it once.

When citing an entire website, do you include a compiler name?

When citing an entire website, follow the same format as listed above, but include a compiler name if no single author is available.

Why do you need to cite the course pack?

Instructing students to cite the course pack will teach them how to cite the particular version of the work they are consulting, but you might consider having your students cite the original source of the work so that they can practice documenting real-world rather than classroom sources.

Can you cite course packs more than once?

Since course packs may be cited more than one way, students should ask their instructors what to do, and instructors should indicate their preferred citation method. Below are recommendations for instructors and recommendations for students who are unable to get their instructors’ guidance.

Course Page

Sands, Crystal. "English 101: English Composition." Excelsior College, 2016, mycourses.excelsior.edu.

Discussion Post

Brunell, David. "Re: Armstrong Article." Reflections on Assignment 1, Excelsior College, 2013, mycourses.excelsior.edu.

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