MLA Student Handbook

MLA Student Handbook Modern Language Association Style Guide for High School Students Charleston High School Research Handbook Adapted from Booneville High School Research Guide created by Mrs. D.J. Embry

MLA Student Handbook Modern Language Association Style Guide for High School Students

Created & Compiled by Mrs. D.J. Embry BHS English Department Booneville, AR

Adapted for Charleston High School By Jennifer McDonald, LMS

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7/2012

Table of Contents MLA: An Overview ........................................................................................................ 3 MLA Format & Example ........................................................................................ 4 Plagiarism: What Is It? & How Do You Avoid It? ...................................................... 5-6 Quoting, Paraphrasing & Summarizing ........................................................... 7-8 MLA Documentation: Basic Guidelines ................................................................. 9-10 In-text Citation: An Overview……………...………………………………………11 Parenthetical Documentation…………..…………………………………….12-14 What about video, audio & photos?.........................................................15-16 Works Cited: An Overview……………………………………………………….….…17-18 Works Cited Page Format & Example………….………………………………..19 Books………………………………………………………………………………..20-22 Periodicals……………………..………………………………………………………23 Electronic Sources………………………………………………………………..24-27 Source Sheet: An Overview…………...……………………………………………...……28 Source Sheet Example………………………………………………………………29 Helpful MLA Resources……………………..…………………………………………….…30

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References..…………………………..……………………………………………………….31

MLA: An Overview MLA is a style guide with specific guidelines for writing documented essays.

Though there are other formatting guidelines specific to content area, MLA is most often used in high school and in English courses at all academic levels.

All documented essays have source material; therefore, the use of MLA helps protect the writer from plagiarism (see “Plagiarism” pg. 3). MLA provides source records through “brief parenthetical citations in the text [connected] to an alphabetical list of works cited that appears at the end of the work” (Modern Language Association).

MLA paper formatting guidelines: 

typed on plain white paper 8.5X11”

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black ink only!

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font: 12 pt. Times New Roman

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double spaced

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1” margins (top/bottom, left/right)

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.5” indentation for each paragraph

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header .5” from the top of the page **Your last name followed by the page # should appear the top right corner of each page.**

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heading on 1st page of essay (student name, teacher name, class, date in MLA format)

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no title page! **Please note: Though a title page is NOT part of the standard MLA format, some teachers require them.**If required, see attached example title centered on 1st line following heading—do not change font of the

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title in any way

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Last Name and Page # 1’’

Student name Teacher Name

Double Spaced

Class, Period Date (MLA format) Title of Page Indent .5’’

Your essay starts here. An MLA essay is in Times New Roman with a 12 pt. font.

Remember to double space your essay. You should have 1 inch margins all around with the header only .5 (1/2) inches from the top. Remember to center the title—do not bold, underline,

Double Spaced

italicize, or enlarge the font of the title. There are NO additional spaces between the title and the first paragraph! For each paragraph, remember to indent five spaces (tab if you have not changed your computer’s original settings). Below is an example of the MLA heading/header format; the heading is only on page one of your essay.

The next paragraph begins here. There are NO additional spaces between paragraphs!

Example:

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Embry 3 Embry 2 Embry 1 Donnielle Embry Mrs. Embry English 11, 1st period 7 July 2009

read

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Sadly, reading is becoming a dying pastime. Fewer and fewer people are reading …

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Reading for Pleasure: A Thing of the Past?

Plagiarism: What Is It? & How Do You Avoid It? Plagiarism is using someone else’s work,1’’words, information, thoughts, or ideas and presenting them as your own. The thoughts of others belong to them; this is known as intellectual property. Plagiarism can be purposeful or unintentional.

Either way, it is WRONG! If you plagiarize, whether you mean to or not, you are stealing from the original author.

Avoiding Plagiarism: Actually, avoiding plagiarism is quite simple: always give the author of a source credit for his work. The act of rephrasing something does not transfer ownership of the concept, thought, idea, etc… to you. Even If you put something in your own words, it still does not belong to you and therefore, must be cited!

Tips: 

All documented essays require citations (or source documentation).

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There are two types of sources: primary and secondary. 

primary: the primary source (textbook, novel, play, interview etc…) used in your essay—the primary source is often the basis for your topic

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secondary: the research, analysis, studies, etc… that cite, comment on, analyze, or in some way extend the primary text

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Always use quotation marks “” when quoting from a source.

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Use an ellipsis mark … when leaving out any of the author’s words within a quoted passage.

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the moon” (Harding 56).

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While in limbo, the Mariner “contrasts his condition […] with the calm activity of

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When using a quoted passage, square brackets [ ] can be used to explain a reference (vague, outdated, etc…) that would be difficult for the reader to understand.

“Look[ing to] Coleridge’s childhood for a clue to the [Mariner’s] motiveless crime,” most argue that “the Albatross, the figure of Life-in-Death, and the moon” all represent the “ambivalent mother figure” (Miall 640).

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Square brackets [ ] can also be used to keep a sentence with an integrated quote grammatically correct. (This helps avoid tense shifts, changes in point of view, etc…)

She is able to “[go] about her ordinary business in the universe” without suffering the “risk[s] of the human condition,” (Harding 56; Miall 639).

When summarizing or paraphrasing, change more than one or two

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words—the idea is to rephrase the source material in your own words.

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Quoting, Paraphrasing & Summarizing quoting: using the author’s exact words paraphrasing: rephrasing the author’s words to clarify or explain; put in your own words—as long as the original text summarizing: a short succinct version of the original text in your own words—a nutshell version Examples: Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address (approximately first ten lines) Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract.

(This information found at http://jefferson.village.virginia.edu/readings/gettysburg.txt .)

Quoting When this nation was begun eighty-seven years ago, our founders envisioned a nation

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“conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”

Paraphrasing The founders of the United States created a union based on liberty and the belief that all people are equal. Now a civil war is testing the idea that a nation based on that premise can last. We are meeting on a battlefield of this civil war to dedicate an area for the men who died so that the ideals may live on. It is right that we do this; however, it isn’t we but the men who gave their lives who have made this land holy.

(This information quoted in Teaching English in Middle and Secondary Schools by Maxwell and Meiser.)

Summarizing We are meeting on a battlefield of the Civil War to honor the soldiers who died while fighting to

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uphold the beliefs of a democratic government begun by this nation’s founders.

MLA Documentation: Basic Guidelines When is it necessary to provide in-text documentation? 

when using any directly quoted material

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when paraphrasing another’s ideas

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when summarizing another’s ideas

How is the information documented? 

When quoting or paraphrasing another’s ideas, include the author’s last name and page number in parentheses. This is known as parenthetical documentation.

Direct Quote

Manfred is “both the embodiment of the most that man can be and the emblem of his essential littleness” (Gleckner 256).

Paraphrase

The Mariner never offers a reason for carrying out this dreadful crime, yet he feels an immediate sense of repulsion and shame (Harding 54).

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When summarizing another’s ideas, it is still important to credit the author. This is done by stating the author’s name in a signal phrase or parenthetical reference. This is most commonly done when summarizing an entire work, such as an article.

Signal Phrase In his article “Guilt and Death: The Predicament of the Ancient Mariner,” David S. Miall refutes this argument, claiming the death of Coleridge’s father,

Summary

when he was eight years old, to be the cause of his guilt, isolation, and fear of

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OR

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social rejection.

Parenthetical Reference Some refute this argument, claiming the death of Coleridge’s father, when he was eight years old, to be the cause of his guilt, isolation, and fear of social rejection (Miall).

All three types MUST BE cited within text.

What information does not require documentation? 

It is not necessary to document information that is common knowledge.

Common knowledge is any information known universally that can be found in multiple sources.

The twin towers of the World Trade Center fell on September 11, 2001.

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It is not necessary to document information when using your own ideas.

Statistics, studies, published analysis, etc… are NOT your own ideas even if you read them and put them into your own words! If you read, saw, heard, or otherwise witnessed the information, concept, or idea, it is NOT yours. Your ideas are those that interpret, explain, or comment on the source information (primary or secondary) in a way that expresses your views, feelings, or opinions.

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FOUNDATION (starting point)  topic, primary sources, and common knowledge

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HOUSE (building process) research any previously unknown information gathered about topic source material (secondary sources)

ADD ON (elaboration) your own thoughts, ideas, and opinions your interpretation of, comments on, and explanations for topic and source material

In-text Citation: An Overview In-text citations credit sources within your paper; in MLA, this is done with parenthetical documentation. Parenthetical documentation follows the source material, giving the author credit for his work. It is important to give the correct source information as this later corresponds to those listed on the works cited page. Citation accuracy helps prevent plagiarism.

Instead, animals and humans can, and do, maintain relationships and emotional bonds with one another without a mutual spoken language (Sanders 405).

Tips: 

In parenthetical documentation, the end punctuation follows the parentheses. (Smith 3).

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However, when a quote ends in a question mark ? Or an exclamation point !, the end punctuation is left inside the quotation marks, and a period is added following the parentheses. “… ?” (8).

When including titles (or shortened versions of them) in parenthetical documentation, don’t forget the proper punctuation—titles of books are underlined (or italicized), and titles of articles and other short works are

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put in “quotation marks.”

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Parenthetical Documentation author named in a signal phrase: Signal phrases identify the author.

Parenthetical citations provide the page number on which the borrowed ideas may be found.

Christina Haughney reports that shortly after Japan made it legal to use a handheld phone while driving, “accidents caused by using the phones dropped by 75 percent” (A8). author named in parentheses: If the author has not been named in a signal phrase then, to provide accurate documentation, the author’s last name must be included in the parenthetical documentation.

Manfred is “both the embodiment of the most that man can be and the emblem of his essential littleness” (Gleckner 256). author unknown: If the source does not have an author, or if the author is unknown, the title of the source must be given. In a signal phrase, the complete title should be stated. If the citation does not include a signal phrase, a shortened version of the title—usually the first main word (the word by which it would be alphabetized)—must be included in the parenthetical documentation.

As of 2001, at least three hundred towns and municipalities had considered

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legislation regulating use of cell phones while driving (“Lawmaker” 2).

page number unknown: The page number may be omitted if the source does not include page numbers.

The California Highway Patrol opposes restrictions on the use of phones while driving, claiming that distracted drivers can already be prosecuted (Jacobs). numbered paragraphs or sections: If a source (such as a Web site) does not include page numbers but does number the paragraphs or sections, include par. or sec. followed by the paragraph or section number in the parenthetical citation. DO NOT count the unnumbered paragraphs or sections.

DO NOT include the number found in the top right hand corner of pages printed from the internet—this is not the same thing as the page number.

The pet classification extends to include such barnyard animals as cows, pigs, sheep, and horses as well as some wilder animals like the raccoon (Bulcroft par. 8). two or more authors: When the source has two or three authors, list all authors in the order they are given. If there are two authors, use and between the names.

If there are three, use commas to separate each name with and before the third one. If there are more than three authors, list the first author’s name only followed by a comma and et. al., indicating “and others.”

This association of animal characteristics with human dispositions indicates humans and nonhuman animals have much in common (Beck and Katcher 79).

(Sumner, Reichl, and Waugh 23)

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(Gray et al. 76).

indirect source: When quoted words or materials appear in a source, the citation begins with qtd. in. This format is only used when the information from the source was already in quotation marks.

According to Richard Retting, “As the comforts of home and the efficiency of the office creep into the automobile, it is becoming increasingly attractive as a work space” (qtd. in Kilgannon A 23). religious work: The first time you cite the Bible (or any other religious doctrine), you must include the name of the work followed by the book, chapter, and verse. The citation should be in the following format: (Title of Bible, Book.

Chapter. Verse). After the first use, you only cite the book, chapter, and verse— you have already identified the Bible you are using.

Ezekiel saw "what seemed to be four living creatures," each with faces of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle (New Jerusalem Bible, Ezek. 1.5-10). encyclopedia: If there is not an author, the word or entry consulted must be referenced in the parenthetical citation.

The word crocodile has a surprisingly complex etymology (“Crocodile”). dictionary: With a dictionary entry, the word or entry consulted must be referenced in the parenthetical citation. To use a specific definition, you must use the reference word followed by a comma, then the abbreviation def., and finally, that definition’s label (number and letter).

Milton’s description of the moon at “her highest noon” signifies the “place of the

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moon at midnight” (“Noon,” def. 4b).

What about Images/Video/Audio in Student Work?

Media items are different from text in that you must have permission to use them in your projects. Finding an image online, copying and pasting it into your presentation or inserting a song without permission or citation is not permissible.

The good news is that permission is not impossible to obtain, and there are tons of media files available now with sharing licenses.

Copyright Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time. Generally, it is "the right to copy", but also gives the copyright holder the right to be credited for the work, to determine who may adapt the work to other forms, who may perform the work, who may financially benefit from it, and other, related rights. It is an intellectual property form (like the patent, the trademark, and the trade secret) applicable to any expressible form of an idea or information that is substantive and discrete.

Public Domain The status of publications, products, and processes that are not protected under patent or copyright. The duration of ownership depends on the age of the image and the copyright laws that were in effect when the image was created.

Fair Use

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What is not educational use?. To republish or publicly perform a work does not fall under fair use. For example, a student may use a copyrighted image in a multimedia presentation to the class, but may not post that presentation to the web where anyone could see it. An English class may act out parts of a play as they study it, but may not give a public performance.

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Fair use is a limitation on the exclusive rights of the copyright owner; in other words, it allows reasonable public access to copyrighted works. Educational use and personal use cover most classroom uses of copyrighted work. As a guideline, consider educational use to cover only what happens within the confines of your classroom (or distance learning environment). For legal purposes, publishing something to the web is exactly like publishing it to print.

Creative Commons Creative Commons licenses consist of four major condition modules: Attribution (BY), requiring attribution to the original author; Share Alike (SA), allowing derivative works under the same or a similar license (later or jurisdiction version); Non-Commercial (NC), requiring the work is not used for commercial purposes; and No Derivative Works (ND), allowing only the original work, without derivatives. These modules are combined to currently form six major licenses of the Attribution (CC BY) Attribution Share Alike (CC BY-SA) Attribution No Derivatives (CC BY-ND) Attribution Non-Commercial (CC BY-NC) Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike (CC BY-NC-SA) Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND)

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As of the current versions, all Creative Commons licenses allow the "core right" to redistribute a work for non-commercial purposes without modification. The NC and ND options will make a work non-free according to the Definition of Free Cultural Works.

Works Cited: An Overview A works cited page alphabetically lists all of the sources (primary and secondary) used in your essay. This will come at the end of your essay.

MLA paper formatting guidelines: 

typed on plain white paper 8.5X11”

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black ink only!

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font: 12 pt. Times New Roman

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double spaced

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1” margins (top/bottom, left/right)

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header .5” from the top of the page

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center title (Works Cited) on 1st line of page—do not change the font of the title in any way

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use hanging indentation

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alphabetize citations by the author’s last name—if there is no author, alphabetize the title

Tips: 

Titles of books are italicized, and titles of articles and other short works are put in “quotation marks.”

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When a source has two or three authors, list the author’s names in the order they are listed. Reverse the order of the first author only.

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When a source has more than three authors, list the first author’s name (reversed) only and follow it with et al. to indicate “and others.”

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The author of a Web site is NOT necessarily a person—often the author is a company, foundation, organization, etc…

In some cases, the author of a Web site may be difficult to find; you may often includes the copyright information.

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need to do a little “investigative work” to find the author—the home page Page

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Some URLs (Web addresses) will take up more than one line of text; when possible, these should be separated at natural breaks such as the slash /. **Please note: MLA now requires a URL only if it is necessary to find the source; however, some instructors still require these to help students avoid plagiarism.**

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Site sponsors are usually schools, foundations, corporations, etc… Many Web sites will not have a sponsor (at least not one that is different from the author)—if you cannot find a sponsor, skip it and move on to the access date.

When citing from a Web site, if some of the required information is not given, unless directed otherwise, simply leave it out. **Please note: Omit information only AFTER a thorough search of the Web site—just because

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it’s not in flashing neon lights doesn’t mean it’s not there.**

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Smith 4 Works Cited Dolan, Edward F., and Margaret M. Scariano. Illiteracy in America. New York: Franklin Watts, Hanging Indentation

1995. Print.

Farr, Roger. “Reading.” The World Book Encyclopedia. 2007 ed. Print.

National Endowments for the Arts. “Literary Reading in Dramatic Decline, According to National Endowment for the Arts Survey.” NEA Newsroom. N.p. 8 July 2004. Web. 15

Double Spaced

Mar. 2008. <http://www.nea.gov/news/news04/ReadingAtRisk.html>.

Trescott, Jacqueline. “Fewer People Make Time for Literature, NEA Study Shows.” Washington Post, The. 2004: C2. EBSCO. Booneville High School Library, Booneville, AR. Web. 5 Mar. 2008. <http://search.ebscohost.com>.

Winn, Marie. The Plug-In Drug: Television, Children, and the Family. New York: Penguin, 1985. Print.

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Books book with one author: format: Author’s name. Book title: Subtitle. Place of publication: Publishing company, Publication date. Mode of publication. example: Fukuyama, Francis. Our Posthuman Future: Consequences of the Biotechnology Revolution.

New York: Farrar, 2002. Print.

book with two or more authors: format (2): First author’s name, and Second author’s name. Book title: Subtitle. Place of publication: Publishing company, Publication date. Mode of publication. example: Beck, Alan, Sc. D., and Aaron Katcher, M.D. Between Pets and People: The Importance of Animal Companionship. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1983. Print.

format (3): First author’s name, Second author’s name, and Third author’s name. Book title: Subtitle. Place of publication: Publishing company, Publication date. Mode of publication. example: Patten, Michael A., Guy McCaskie, and Philip Unitt. Birds of the Salton Sea: Status,

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Biogeography, and Ecology. Berkeley: U of California P, 2003. Print.

format (more than 3): First author’s name, et al. Book title: Subtitle. Place of publication: Publishing company, Publication date. Mode of publication. example: Gilman, Sandor, et al. Hysteria beyond Freud. Berkeley: U of California P, 1993. Print.

book with an editor: format: Editor’s name, ed. Book title: Subtitle. Place of publication: Publishing company, Publication date. Mode of publication. example: Craig, Patricia, ed. The Oxford Book of Travel Stories. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1996. Print.

work in an anthology (textbooks, Opposing Viewpoints, etc…): format: Article author’s name. “Article (or Chapter) title.” Book title: Subtitle. Ed. Editor’s name. Place of publication: Publishing company, Publication date. Page numbers. Mode of publication. example: Coetzee, J. M. “The Poet and the Animals.” The Lives of Animals. Ed. Amy Gutmann.

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Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1999. 47-69. Print.

religious work (the Bible or other religious doctrines): format: Book title: Subtitle. Editor’s name, gen. ed. Place of publication: Publishing company, Publication date. Page numbers. Mode of publication. Supplemental entry information (version name). example: The New Jerusalem Bible. Henry Wansbrough, gen. ed. New York: Doubleday, 1985. Print.

entry in a reference work (encyclopedia, dictionary, etc…): format: Entry author’s name. “Entry title.” Reference work title. Edition number. Edition date. Mode of publication. example: Posner, Rebecca. “Romance Languages.” The New Encyclopedia Britannica:Macropedia. 15th ed. 1987. Print.

entry in a reference work (citing a specific definiton): format: Entry author’s name. “Entry title.” Def. Entry designation. Reference work title. Edition number.

Edition date. Mode of publication. example:

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“Noon.” Def. 4b. The Oxford English Dictionary. 2nd ed. 1989. Print.

Periodicals article in a magazine or newspaper: format: Author’s name. “Article title.” Magazine (or Newspaper) title. Publication date: Page numbers.

Mode of publication. example: Lord, Lewis. “There’s Something about Mary Todd.” U.S. News and World Report. 19 Feb. 2001: 53. Print.

article in a professional journal: format: Author’s name. “Article title.” Magazine (Journal) title. Volume number. Issue number (Publication date): Page numbers. Mode of publication. example: Wood, Michael. “Broken Dates: Fiction and the Century.” Kenyon Review. 22.3 (2000): 50-64.

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Print.

Electronic Sources page (or link) from a Web Site: format: Author’s name. “Page (or link) title.” Web site title. Site sponsor (if not available, use N.p.).

Publication date (if not available, use n.d.). Mode of publication. Access date. <Web address/URL>. example: Fairfax Digital. “Reality Television.” The Age Education. N.p. 15 Aug. 2001. Web. 23 Feb. 2005. <http://www.education.theage.com.au/pagedetail.asp?intpageid=64&strsection= students&intsectionid=0>.

online book: format: Author’s name. Book title: Subtitle. Place of publication: Publishing company, Publication date.

Web site title. Web site copyright date (if not available, use n.d.). Mode of publication.

Access date. <Web address/URL>. example: Adams, Henry. The Education of Henry Adams. Boston: Houghton,1918. Bartleby.com: Great Books Online. 1999. Web. 17 Feb. 2003. <http://bartleby.com/159/8.html>.

article in an online magazine or newspaper: format: Author’s name. “Article Title.” Online magazine (or newspaper) title. Publication date (if not

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Access date. <Web address/URL>.

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available, use n.d.): Page numbers (if not available, use n.pag.). Mode of publication.

example: Morgan, Fiona. “Banning the Bullies.” Salon.com. 15 Mar. 2001: n. pag. Web. 2 Apr. 2001. <http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2001/ 03/15/bullying/index.html>.

reference database (online encyclopedia): format: Author’s name. “Article (entry) Title.” Reference work title. Database name. Publication date (if not available, use n.d.). Mode of publication. Access date. <Web address/URL>. example: “Kennedy, John Fitzgerald.” Encyclopedia.com. Electric Library, 2004. Web. 12 Aug. 2002. <http://www.encyclopedia.com/articles/06898.html>.

EBSCOhost, ProQuest, & Gale Group: format: Author’s name. “Article Title.” Magazine (or newspaper) title. Publication date (if not available, use n.d.): Page numbers (if not available, use n. pag.). Database name. Server name.

Library name, City, State abbreviation (library location). Mode of publication. Access date. <Web address/URL for service homepage>. example: Miall, David S. “Guilt and Death: The Predicament of The Ancient Mariner.” SEL: Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900. 20.4 (1984): 633-653. Research Library. ProQuest. Huie

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Library, Arkadelphia, AR. Web. 27 Oct. 2004. <http://www.proquest.com>.

An Image (Including a Painting, Sculpture, or Photograph) Provide the artist's name, the work of art italicized, the date of creation, the institution and city where the work is housed. Follow this initial entry with the name of the Website in italics, the medium of publication, and the date of access.

Goya, Francisco. The Family of Charles IV. 1800. Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid. Museo National del Prado. Web. 22 May 2006.

Klee, Paul. Twittering Machine. 1922. Museum of Modern Art, New York. The Artchive. Web. 22 May 2006.

If the work is cited on the web only, then provide the name of the artist, the title of the work, the medium of the work, and then follow the citation format for a website. If the work is posted via a username, use that username for the author. brandychloe. "Great Horned Owl Family." Photograph. Webshots. American Greetings, 22 May 2006. Web. 5 Nov. 2009.

Recorded Films or Movies List films by their title. Include the name of the director, the distributor, and the release year. If relevant, list performer names after the directorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name. Use the abbreviation perf. to head the list. End the entry with the appropriate medium of publication (e.g. DVD, VHS, Laser disc).

Ed Wood. Dir. Tim Burton. Perf. Johnny Depp, Martin Landau, Sarah Jessica Parker, Patricia Arquette. Touchstone, 1994. DVD. Sound Recordings List sound recordings in such a way that they can easily be found by readers.

Generally, citations begin with the artist name. They might also be listed by composers (comp.) or performers (perf.). Otherwise, list composer and performer information after the album title.

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Use the appropriate abbreviation after the personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name and a comma, when needed. Put individual song titles in quotation marks. Album names are italicized. Provide the name of the recording manufacturer followed by the publication date (or n.d., if date is unknown). List the appropriate medium at the

end of the entry (e.g. CD, LP, Audiocassette). For MP3 recordings, see the “Digital Files” section below.

Note: If you know and desire to list the recording date, include this information before the manufacturer name. Use the abbreviation for “recorded” (Rec.) and list the recording date (dd mm year format) before the manufacturer name.

Foo Fighters. In Your Honor. RCA, 2005. CD. Nirvana. "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Nevermind. Geffen, 1991. Audiocassette.

Beethoven, Ludwig van. The 9 Symphonies. Perf. NBC Symphony Orchestra.

Cond. Arturo Toscanini. RCA, 2003. CD. Digital Files (PDFs, MP3s, JPEGs) Determine the type of work to cite (e.g., article, image, sound recording) and cite appropriately. End the entry with the name of the digital format (e.g., PDF, JPEG file, Microsoft Word file, MP3). If the work does not follow traditional parameters for citation, give the author’s name, the name of the work, the date of creation, and the medium of publication. Use Digital file when the medium cannot be determined.

Beethoven, Ludwig van. Moonlight Sonata. Crownstar, 2006. MP3.

Smith, George. “Pax Americana: Strife in a Time of Peace.” 2005. Microsoft Word file.

Council of Writing Program Administrators, National Council of Teachers of English, and National Writing Project. Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing. CWPA, NCTE, and NWP, 2011. PDF file.

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Bentley, Phyllis. “Yorkshire and the Novelist.” The Kenyon Review 30.4 (1968): 50922. JSTOR. PDF file.

Source Sheet: An Overview

A source sheet, much like the source cards you may have done in previous English classes, allows you not only to keep track of sources as you research but also to record the proper copyright information for each source. If completed accurately, the source sheet will serve as a sort of “rough draft” for your works cited page. When creating your works cited page, you will simply type (in alphabetical order) the copyright information for the sources used in your paper.

Tips: 

With a documented essay it is always a good idea to print or copy all of your sources. **Please note: Unless your teacher requires you to print or copy the entire source (article, entry, essay, etc…), print or copy only the parts you are using in your paper—it is a waste of paper and ink to print an entire article when you are only using a paragraph.**



Once printed or copied number your sources so they correspond with the numbers listed on the source sheet — this will save you the time and frustration of trying to find (or “match up”) the sources again when you no longer know what information came from which source.



When using a Web Site as a source, DO NOT copy and paste the information you want into Word; this will not give you the copyright information needed for documentation. Instead, highlight and “print selection.”

When using print sources (books, magazines, etc…), make sure you also copy the title page and copyright page (or any page listing the copyright

28

information for that source).

Page



Source Sheet

Name: __________________________ Period: _______

Your teacher will determine the types and number of sources required. See note card examples below.

Last name, First Name.

“Entry Title.”

Book Title.

Anthology Article author’s Last Name, First Name.

“Article Title.”

Encyclopedia Title.

Place of Publication:

Book title: Subtitle.

Edition Number.

Publishing Company,

Edition Date.

Copyright Date.

Mode of publication.

Mode of publication.

Ed. Editor’s Name.

First Last Place of Publication: Publishing Company, Publication Date.

.

Magazine & Newspaper

Web Site

EBSCOhost & ProQuest Article author’s Last Name, First Name.

“Article Title.”

Magazine or Newspaper Title.

Last name, First Name.

Last name, First Name.

“Article Title.”

Magazine or Newspaper Title.

Magazine or Newspaper Date:

“Article Title.”

Publication date.

Publication Date:

Page Numbers.

Site Sponsor.

Page Numbers.

Mode of publication.

Mode of publication.

Access Date. <URL>.

Web Address

Page Numbers.

Mode of publication.

Web Site Title.

Database Name.

Service Name.

Library Name, City, State Abbreviation.

Mode of publication.

Access Date. <URL>.

Web Address

^Front

^Back

29

Last name, First Name.

Book

Page

Encyclopedia

Helpful MLA Resources This student handbook is not meant to be an all-inclusive resource. The items listed here reference the basic items students encounter regularly when writing a documented essay. For further assistance, below is a list of MLA resources.

Resources for In-text Citations and Works Cited Pages: 

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers Seventh Edition



Write Source Writing and Grammar Book (classroom **http://www.hmheducation.com/writesource



http://www.mlahandbook.org **Please note: This website requires an activation code from MLA



http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/09/



http://www.library.cornell.edu/resrch/citmanage/mla



http://lib.trinity.edu/research/citing/books/bookthreeauthors.shtml

Works Cited Page Citation Generators: 

http://noodletools.com/login.php



http://citationmachine.net/



http://www.easybib.com/



http://www.bibme.org



Both EBSCOhost and ProQuest will cite the sources found in their databases. You need to ensure that you always click on the appropriate

Page

References

30

“citation” link.

“Citing Sources.” Coates Library. /trinity University. 21 July 2009. Web. 5 Sept.

2009. <http://lib.trinity.edu/research/citing/books/bookthreeauthors.shtml>.

Hacker, Diana, ed. A Writer’s Reference. Fifth Edition. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2003.

Harris, Muriel, ed. Prentice Hall Reference Guide. Sixth Edition. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc., 2006.

Kunka, Jennifer Liethen and Joe Barbato. “The OWL Resource MLA Formatting and Style Guide.” The Owl at Purdue. Purdue University. 2009. Web. 5 Sept. 2009. <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/09/>.

“MLA Citation Style.” Cornell University Library. Cornell University. 2009. Web. 5 Sept. 2009. <http://www.library.cornell.edu/resrch/citmanage/mla>.

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Seventh Edition. New York: The

Page

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Modern Language Association, 2009.