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.
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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.
MLA Page Format
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.
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].
Last Name, First Name of professor. “Title or Subject of the Lecture.” Class lecture, Course Name, College Name, Location, Month Day, Year.
MLA format Speaker last name, First name. “Lecture Title.” Course or Event Name, Day Month Year, Institution, Location. Lecture.
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of online content: Subtitle. Website Name. URL.
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.
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.
Reference: Author(s) Last name, Initial(s). (Year) 'Title of lecture/presentation' [Medium], Module Code: Module title. Institution/Venue. Day Month.
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).
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).
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.
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:
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.
For a source with two authors, list the authors’ last names in the text or in the 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.
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.
Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the creative process (263).
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.
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).
Most importantly, the use of MLA style can protect writers from accusations ...
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.)
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.
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.)
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.
Leave only one space after periods or other punctuation marks (unless otherwise prompted by your instructor).
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.
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.
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.
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.
Indent the second and subsequent lines of citations by 0.5 inches to create a hanging indent.
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:
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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, follow the same format as listed above, but include a compiler name if no single author is available.
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.
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.
Sands, Crystal. "English 101: English Composition." Excelsior College, 2016, mycourses.excelsior.edu.
Brunell, David. "Re: Armstrong Article." Reflections on Assignment 1, Excelsior College, 2013, mycourses.excelsior.edu.