Presentation on theme: "What is MLA? MLA (Modern Language Association) style formatting is often used in various research reports."— Presentation transcript:
What is MLA? MLA (Modern Language Association) style formatting is often used in various research reports
What does MLA regulate? MLA regulates: Document Format In-text citations Works Cited (a list of all sources used in the paper-a new name for bibliography)
Format: General Guidelines Type on white 8.5” x 11” paper Double-space everything Use 12 pt. Times New Roman font (or similar font) Leave only one space after punctuation Set all margins to 1 inch on all sides Indent the first line of paragraphs one half-inch
In-Text Citations: the Basics A citation is a direct quote from another source MLA uses parenthetical citations Parenthetical citations depend on the medium (e.g. Print, Web, DVD) Parenthetical citations also depend on the source’s entry on the Works Cited page
Author-Page Style In-text Example: Romantic poetry is characterized by the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings (Wordsworth 263). Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the creative process (263). Corresponding Works Cited Entry: Wordsworth, William. Lyrical Ballads. London: Oxford U.P., 1967. Print.
Print Source with Author In-text Example: Human beings have been described by Kenneth Burke as symbol-using animals (3). Human beings have been described as symbol-using animals (Burke 3).
Print Source with Author Corresponding Works Cited Entry: Burke, Kenneth. Language as Symbolic Action: Essays on Life, Literature, and Method. Berkeley: U of California P, 1966. Print.
Other In-Text Citations Sources from the Internet In-text Example: One online film critic stated that Fitzcarraldo is a beautiful and terrifying critique of obsession and colonialism (www.herzogalife.com). Corresponding Works Cited Entry: Garcia, Elizabeth. "Herzog: a Life." Online Film Critics Corner. The Film School of New Hampshire, 2 May 2002. Web. 8 Jan. 2009.
Two Big MLA Rules Your sources on your works cited page (bibliography) must be in ALPHABETICAL ORDER by the author’s last name or by title if there isn’t a known author The second line of each entry on your works cited page must be indented (let’s look at a sample)
Works Cited Page: The Basics Sample Works Cited page:
Works Cited Page: Books Basic Format: Lastname, Firstname. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of Publication. Examples: Gleick, James. Chaos: Making a New Science. New York: Penguin, 1987. Print. Gillespie, Paula, and Neal Lerner. The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Peer Tutoring. Boston: Allyn, 2000. Print. Palmer, William J. Dickens and New Historicism. New York: St. Martin's, 1997. Print. ---. The Films of the Eighties: A Social History. Carbondale: Southern Illinois UP, 1993. Print.
Works Cited Page: Web Web Source Format: Editor, author, or compiler name (if available). “Article Name.” Name of Site. Version number. Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher). Date of last update. Medium of publication. Date of access.
Works Cited Page: Web Examples: Bernstein, Mark. "10 Tips on Writing the Living Web.” A List Apart: For People Who Make Websites. A List Apart Mag., 16 Aug. 2002. Web. 4 May 2009. Felluga, Dino. Guide to Literary and Critical Theory. Purdue U, 28 Nov. 2003. Web. 10 May 2006. "How to Make Vegetarian Chili." eHow.com. eHow, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2009.