UCA Writing Center
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MLA BASICS from the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th edition
TABLE OF CONTENTS What Is MLA? Why Should I Use MLA? Definitions of Some Important Terms In-Text Citations Works Cited: Paper-Based Sources Works Cited: Other Common Sources (Films, TV Broadcasts) Works Cited: Web Sites (Online Books, Magazines, Newspapers) Works Cited: Articles from Library Databases Works Cited: Other Digital Sources (eBooks, E-Mails, Youtube Videos)
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WHAT IS MLA? •
MLA stands for the Modern Language Association.
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MLA style, then, is how this group thinks a paper should be prepared.
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Many disciplines in the humanities use this style to present written information.
WHY SHOULD YOU USE MLA? •
MLA allows you to use other people’s ideas to support your own.
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You have to make sure you document the source you are paraphrasing or quoting, so that readers can distinguish between your ideas and someone else’s ideas.
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In other words, MLA protects you against plagiarism!
DEFINITIONS OF SOME IMPORTANT TERMS These definitions will help you better understand how to integrate your sources into your project. Journal: A “journal” is a periodical written for a highly specialized audience. Typically the readers of journal articles are researchers, educators, or practitioners in a particular discipline. For example, medical doctors read the Journal of the American Medical Association. Technical communicators read the journals entitled Technical Communication and the Journal of Business and Technical Writing. Literature professors read journals such as College English and Anglo Saxon and Medieval Literature. Document journal articles differently than other periodicals like magazines. A magazine is written so that anyone can understand it. Example magazine titles include Parent Magazine, U.S. News and World Report, and Reader's Digest. You can find magazines on newsstands in grocery stores, whereas you wouldn't find journals in the same places. There are several clues to look for when determining whether or not an article is from a magazine or a journal: •
The title of the publication may have the word journal in it.
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If the text of the article uses a lot of words that only a specialist would know, chances are it is from a journal.
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Search the title of the publication in a search engine such as Yahoo. Most magazines and journals have Web sites, and they will tell you what kind of publication it is.
Periodical: “Periodical” is a generic term that refers to publications that are published periodically such as newspapers, magazines, and journals. Each periodical type uses a different MLA style model. So, for example, look up the model for newspaper articles when documenting a newspaper. Look up the model for a magazine article when documenting a magazine article, and so on. Quotation: When you directly copy a phrase, sentence or group of sentences from another author’s work, you are quoting. Surround the material with quotation marks to show that the author's words appear in your work exactly as he/she wrote them. Paraphrase: Writers should not pack their essays with others' quotations. Doing so can raise questions about whether or not the writer was just lazy and did not want to do the hard work of integrating the author's work into his/her own project or perhaps that the writer did not really understand what the author wrote and resorted to over-quoting to cover for that lack of understanding. Rather than quoting source material every time you want to use another's ideas, reserve quotations for those authors and snippets of texts that articulate an idea in such a special or unique way that you want to preserve those words exactly as they are.
Important Terms
In-Text Citations
Works Cited: Paper-Based
Works Cited: Other Common Sources
Otherwise, paraphrase. “Paraphrasing” refers to the process of putting an author's words entirely into your own voice and style and integrating them into your work with a lead-in phrase and parenthetical note (both explained below). When paraphrasing, be sure to completely rework the original words into your own style, your own linguistic thumbprint, if you will, to avoid accusations of plagiarism. Example The original words written by Joanna Castner Post in a hypothetical article published in 2009 on page 3: I earned a PhD in technical communication and rhetoric because I have a streak that admires the very practical. Quoting from the original above: Joanna Castner Post, professor of technical communication and rhetoric at the University of Central Arkansas, writes, "I earned a PhD in technical communication and rhetoric because I have a streak that admires the very practical" (3). Paraphrasing from the original above: Joanna Castner Post teaches technical communication at the University of Central Arkansas. She explains that one of her motivations for pursuing a PhD in technical communication and rhetoric was her inclination towards the practical (3). Lead-in Phrase: Notice the parts of the sentences above in the definition of “paraphrase” that introduce the author and the author's credentials (Joanna Castner Post, professor of technical communication and rhetoric at the University of Central Arkansas, writes… and Joanna Castner Post teaches technical communication at the University of Central Arkansas). Whether you are quoting or paraphrasing, these pieces, called “lead-in phrases,” are essential. The lead-in phrase is an important element to include when integrating sources into your own writing. Often, it is when lead-in phrases are left out that students sometimes get accused of plagiarism because it is not clear where a paraphrase has begun. For example, let's say that you inserted a quote into an essay, and then you spent two paragraphs and part of a third explaining the quotation in terms of your main argument and showing why it supports that point of view. Next, you insert a paraphrase. If you don't include a lead-in phrase, how will the reader know where the last paraphrase begins? *This kind of confusion opens you up to accusations of plagiarism. It is important to clarify source usage as carefully as possible to protect yourself. Once you have introduced the full name of the author plus her/his credentials, your lead- in phrases only have to include the author's last name. Often, a reference to "her" or "he also believes," and so on, suffices. Example According to Lyndsay Murray, organic chemist at the University of Iowa, students learn how important chemistry is to society in the course Organic Chemistry I (18). She also writes that chemistry as a major can lead to highpaying, rewarding careers in both education and industry (26). Finally, Murray advises all students to take at least one or two chemistry courses while in college to gain a fascinating new perspective on nature (30).
Works Cited: Web Sites
Works Cited: Library Databases
Works Cited: Other Digital
***The point is to clarify, at every point, when you are integrating someone else's words into your own versus when you are writing your own words. Please see “MLA Style Sample Paper� to see how the paper should look, including an example of the heading structure. Always check with your professor to see which structure he/she prefers you use. IN-TEXT CITATIONS MLA style uses in-text citations to give credit to authors when paraphrasing or quoting their ideas. In-text citations include two parts, the lead-in phrase and the parenthetical citation. The lead-in phrase is an important element of the in-text citation to include when integrating sources into your own writing. As stated above, it is when lead-in phrases are left out that students sometimes get accused of plagiarism because it is not clear where a paraphrase has begun. As in the example above, if you inserted a quotation into an essay, and then you spent two paragraphs and part of a third explaining the quotation in terms of your main argument and showing why it supports that point of view. What will happen if you then include a paraphrase that is several sentences long without the lead-in phrase? Again, if you don't include a lead-in phrase, the reader will not know you have begun paraphrasing your source and this could lead to accusations of plagiarism, even if unintentional.
MODELS FOR IN-TEXT CITATIONS Author, title, and page number known Lyndsay Murray, organic chemist at the University of Iowa, writes that students learn how important chemistry is to society in the Organic Chemistry I (18). Author known, publication electronic without page numbers Lyndsay Murray, organic chemist at the University of Iowa, writes that students learn how important chemistry is to society in the Organic Chemistry I. Author unknown According to an article in Newsweek entitled "Getting the Most Out of College," students learn how important chemistry is to society in the course Organic Chemistry I (18). Another method for documenting when the author is unknown According to an article in Newsweek, students learn how important chemistry is to society in the course Organic Chemistry I ("Getting the Most" 18).
Quotes that run more than 4 typed lines Lyndsay Murray, organic chemist at the University of Iowa, writes:
Important Terms
In-Text Citations
Works Cited: Paper-Based
Works Cited: Other Common Sources
I have had a fascination with chemistry ever since I can remember. I think my first experience with chemistry happened when I was four years old, and my mother gave me a handful of baking powder and told me to pour vinegar over it to see what would happen. Magic. I've been hooked ever since. (26)
eBooks: Location Numbers vs. Page Numbers If you’re quoting or paraphrasing from an eBook on a device such as a Kindle, you should be aware that location numbers will vary from device to device and depending on whether you enlarge or shrink the text. So if the digital file only contains location numbers and no page numbers, our recommendation is to use chapter or section titles to indicate approximately where quotations and paraphrased material can be located in the original document. (Murray “Becoming a Chemist”). As publishers catch up with researchers’ need for adequate citation, more and more are including the page numbers that match the print version. So if your eBook contains page numbers, follow the rules for quoting printed material. Your works cited entry should indicate the medium as “Kindle file” or “eReader file.” See the example in the section below.
THE WORKS CITED PAGE Paper-Based Sources The best advice for documenting sources is to find the correct model for the type of source you have. So, for example, if you are documenting a newspaper article, look up the model for newspaper articles and follow the model exactly, paying close attention to what is capitalized and what isn't and how the model is punctuated. In addition, it is important to understand that where you located the source determines the model you must use. If you accessed a newspaper article from an actual printed newspaper, then you would follow one model. If you accessed a newspaper article from the newspaper's online site, you would follow a different citation model. If you accessed a newspaper from an online subscription service like Lexis-Nexis, you would follow yet another model. If the publication omits any information usually included in the works cited entry, skip that item and move on to the next piece of information. If there is no author, for example, start with the title. The same is true for any piece you can't find, but be sure you’ve made a good faith effort to track the information down. Some common models appear below. For the models you don't see here, come to the UCA Writing Center to check out one of our copies of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th edition, or make an appointment with one of our tutors.
BOOK BY ONE AUTHOR Riggs, Random. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. Philadelphia: Quirk Books, 2011. Print.
Works Cited: Web Sites
Works Cited: Library Databases
Works Cited: Other Digital
BOOK BY TWO OR MORE AUTHORS Celce-Murcia, Marianne, and Diane Larsen-Freeman. The Grammar Book. Boston: Heinle, 1999. Print. SCHOLARLY EDITION OF A LITERARY WORK James, Henry. Washington Square. 1880. Ed. Mark Le Fanu. New York: Oxford UP, 1982. Print. ANTHOLOGY WHEN YOU HAVE QUOTED THE EDITOR AND NOT AN AUTHOR Bizzell, Patricia, and Bruce Herzberg, eds. The Rhetorical Tradition: Readings from Classical Times to the Present. New York: Bedford, 1990. Print. WORK WITHIN AN ANTHOLOGY WHEN YOU’VE QUOTED THE AUTHOR OF A CHAPTER OR SECTION Derrida, Jaques. “Signature Event Context.” The Rhetorical Tradition. Eds. Patricia Bizzell and Bruce Herzberg. New York: Bedford, 1990. 1168-84. Print. BOOK IN AN EDITION OTHER THAN THE FIRST Trimbur, John. The Call to Write. 5th ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2011. Print. GOVERNMENT DOCUMENT United States. Dept. of Education. A Test of Leadership: Charting the Future of U.S. Higher Education. Washington: GPO, 2006. Print. PAMPHLETS AND REPORTS University of Central Arkansas Parent Guide. Boulder, CO: University Parent Magazines, 2011. Pamphlet.
Important Terms
In-Text Citations
Works Cited: Paper-Based
Works Cited: Other Common Sources
ARTICLE IN A SCHOLARLY JOURNAL Risden, E.L. “The Cinematic Sexualizing of Beowulf." Essays in Medieval Studies 26.1 (2010): 10915. Print. MAGAZINE ARTICLE Wallraff, Barbara. "What Global Language?" Atlantic Monthly Nov. 2000: 52-56. Print. INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY SOMEONE ELSE Mailer, Norman. Interview by Dick Cavett. The Dick Cavett Show. ABC. KATV, New York. 15 Dec. 1971. Television. PERSONAL INTERVIEW Sparks, Nicholas. Personal interview. 15 March 2011. NEWSPAPER ARTICLE McGrath, Charles. "Papa’s Damn Good Pictures.” New York Times 16 Sept. 2011: C23+. Print. BOOK REVIEW Parks, Tim. “The Moralist”. Rev. of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest by Stieg Larsson. New York Review of Books 9 Jun. 2011: 8-12. Print. ENTRY IN A REFERENCE WORK “Anabasis.” Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary. 7th ed. Springfield, MA: Merriam, 1971. Print.
Works Cited: Web Sites
Works Cited: Library Databases
Works Cited: Other Digital
Other Common Sources FILM Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Dir. Peter Jackson. Perf. Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, and Orlando Bloom. New Line Cinema, 2001. Film. TELEVISION BROADCAST (IF YOU ACTUALLY WATCHED IT ON TV) “The Greatest Invention.” The Writing Code. Dirs. Gene Searchinger, Suzanne\Bauman, and Norman C. Berns. PBS. 5 Sept. 2007. Television. LECTURE OR SPEECH THAT YOU ATTENDED Kronovet, Jennifer. “Found in Translation: Translators on Translating.” MLA Annual Convention. Commonwealth Hall. Philadelphia. 27 December 2009. Lecture. A MAP OR CHART Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger. Map. 3rd ed. Paris: UNESCO, 2010. Print.
Digital Sources It is important to understand the different online locations through which sources can be located. Each online location necessitates a different citation model. There are three main categories: 1. Web sites 2. Research databases 3. Other online and digital sources
Web Sites MLA distinguishes between Web sites for which the publication information for print counterparts (if they exist) is not known and Web sites for which the information of the original print document may be known. For instance, articles from the New York Times Online do not include the page numbers of the articles as they appear in the
Important Terms
In-Text Citations
Works Cited: Paper-Based
Works Cited: Other Common Sources
printed newspaper. MLA suggests that if an online source you’ve cited also appears in print, you may want to include relevant print information along with the online information. For example, you will probably want to include the original publication date of an online book. If you know the city of publication, you might include that information as well, if you feel it’s important. The online information then comes after the print information and usually includes three important parts: 1. The title of the Web site where you accessed the document 2. The medium, “Web” 3. The date of access (this is the date you found the information on the site) As with print, if the publication omits any information usually included in the works cited entry, skip that item and move on to the next piece of information. If there is no author, for example, just move on to the title to construct your bibliographic entry. The same is true for any piece you can't find. ONLINE BOOK James, Henry. Washington Square. 1880. The Literature Network. Jalic, 2011. Web. 19 Sept. 2011. AN ARTICLE FROM AN ONLINE-ONLY JOURNAL Trupe, Alice L. “Academic Literacy in a Wired World: Redefining Genres for College Writing Courses.” Kairos 7.2 (2002): n. pag. Web. 19 Sept. 2011. ONLINE NEWSPAPER ARTICLE McGrath, Charles. "Papa’s Damn Good Pictures.” New York Times Online. New York Times. 16 Sept. 2011: Web. 19 Sept. 2011. ONLINE MAGAZINE ARTICLE Wallraff, Barbara. "What Global Language?" The Atlantic.com. Atlantic Monthly Group, Nov. 2000. Web. 19 Sept. 2011. ONLINE BOOK REVIEW
Works Cited: Web Sites
Works Cited: Library Databases
Works Cited: Other Digital
Parks, Tim. “The Moralist.” Rev. of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson. New York Review of Books. NYREV, 9 Jun. 2011. Web. 20 Sept. 2011. ONLINE REFERENCE WORK “Anabasis.” Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, 2011. Web. 20 Sept. 2011. Periodical Publication in an Online Database Students access these sites through their university library's Web site, and they include Lexis-Nexis, Academic Search Elite, and Proquest for example. A complete list of the UCA library databases can be found at this URL: http://www.uca.edu/library/researchdatabases.php. When you access a source through a library subscription service, you must follow the model for sources found through that location. Essentially, an article from an online database is cited the same way as the corresponding print source. Many of these articles come from periodicals, so they use the format for an article from a print periodical with the addition of the database title in italics, the publication medium, and the date the article was accessed. We recommend you choose the PDF versions of full- text articles, which will include the page numbers of the publication as it appeared in print. JOURNAL ARTICLE LOCATED THROUGH A LIBRARY DATABASE, PDF VERSION Wright, Erika. "Prevention as Narrative in Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park." Studies in the Novel 42.4 (2010): 377-394. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Sept. 2011. If only the HTML version is available, the works cited entry will be written as below. JOURNAL ARTICLE LOCATED THROUGH A LIBRARY DATABASE, HTML VERSION Thompson, Marie-Anne C. “An Action-Oriented Lesson for Second-Year College French Students.” Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Psychodrama & Sociometry, 43.2 (1990): n. pag. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Sept. 2011.
Other Online and Digital Sources
Important Terms
In-Text Citations
Works Cited: Paper-Based
Works Cited: Other Common Sources
Except for the model of an e-mail correspondence, MLA does not have an official model for the digital sources listed below. Instead, the organization suggests that researchers improvise by comparing sources with similar information. The models given below are our recommendations. ONLINE GOVERNMENT DOCUMENT United States. Dept. of Education. A Test of Leadership: Charting the Future of U.S. Higher Education. 2006. Web. 19 Sept. 2011.
AN EBOOK Scarry, Elaine. The Body in Pain: The Making and Unmaking of the World. 1985. New York: Oxford University Press. Kindle file. ONLINE DISSERTATION Miller, Margaret R. A Comparison of the Defining Characteristics of College-level Course Work Between and Among English and Mathematics Faculty at a Community College and a University. Diss. Virginia Tech U, 1996. Digital Library and Archives, 2011. Web. 9 September 2011. FORUM POST Toomer, Jeannette. “Self-Selected Reading and Assessment.” 21st Century Literacies Group. NCTE Connected Community Forum, 2 Feb. 2011. Web. 20 Sept. 2011. BLOG Beard, Robert. “On the Origins of ‘Snob.” Dr. Goodword’s Blog. 21 July 2011. Web. 20 Sept. 2011.
Works Cited: Web Sites
Works Cited: Library Databases
Works Cited: Other Digital
PODCAST Arguelles, Alexander. “Paradigms of Language Learning.” YouTube.com. 4 Nov. 2008. Podcast. 20 Sept. 2011. VIDEOS AND CLIPS “Norman Mailer and Gore Vidal Feud on The Dick Cavett Show.” (1971). YouTube.com. 26 June 2009. Web. 20 Sept. 2011. EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE Albright, Daniel. “RE: Question on Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot.” Message to the author. 18 Sept. 2011. E-mail.
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**Information for this page was taken from MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7 ed.
For questions not covered in this packet, refer to these sources: •
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th ed.
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UCA Writing Hotline (450-5123),
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UCA Writing Center's Web site: www.uca.edu/writingcenter
Important Terms
In-Text Citations
Works Cited: Paper-Based
Works Cited: Other Common Sources