Mla Format For A Research Paper example essay topic

MLA style also specifies guidelines for formatting manuscripts and using the English language in writing and also provides a writers with a system for cross-referencing their sources -- from their parenthetical references to their works cited page. This cross-referencing system allows readers to locate the publication information of source material. This is of great value for researchers who may want to locate your sources for their own research projects. The proper use of MLA style also shows the credibility of writers; such writers show accountability to their source material. Most importantly, the use of MLA style can protect writers from accusations of plagiarism -- the purposeful or accidental use of source material by other writers without giving appropriate credit. All guidelines for MLA style are in the MLA Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (2nd edition).

If you are asked to use MLA format for a research paper, the book to consult is MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (6th edition). Copies of these books are on the reference shelves in the Writing Lab (226 Heavilon Hall) and in the HSS E Library; it is also widely available in bookstores, libraries, and at the MLA web site. Our additional resources section also has links to other helpful books and resources on using MLA style. Included here is a brief summary of MLA style for the research paper. Basic Paper Format Making Reference to the Works of Others in Your Text Your Works Cited List (and Examples) Basic Forms For Sources In Print Basic Forms For Electronic Sources Other Types of Sources A Note on Notes Additional Resources Basic Paper Format The preparation of manuscripts in MLA style is covered in chapter four of the MLA Style Manual, as well as in chapter three of the Handbook for Writing Research Papers.

Here are some basic guidelines for formatting a paper in MLA style. For additional help with formatting a document in MLA style, see our additional resources section. General Guidelines Type your paper or write it on a computer and print it out on standard-sized paper (8.5 X 11 inches). Double-space your paper. Set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides. 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 or whoever is reading the manuscript may ask that you omit the number on your first page. Always follow their guidelines.) Use either underlining or italics throughout your essay for highlighting the titles of longer works and providing emphasis. If you have any notes, include them on a page before your works cited page and format them the same way as your works cited list. Formatting the first page of your paper Do not make a title page for your paper unless specifically requested. Provide a double-spaced entry in the top left corner of the first page that lists your name, your instructor's name, the course, and the date.

Always follow their guidelines.) Center your title on the line below the header with your name, and begin your paper immediately below the title. Here is a sample first page of an essay in MLA style: Purdue 1 Pete Purdue Dr. B. Boilermaker English 101 12 November 2000 Building a Dream: Reasons to Expand Ross-Aide Stadium During the 2000 football season, the Purdue Boilermakers won the Big Ten Conference Title, earned their first trip to the Rose Bowl in thirty-four years, and played consistently to sold-out crowds. Looking ahead... Formatting your works cited list Begin your works cited list on a separate page from the text of the essay. Label the works cited list Works Cited (do not underline the words Works Cited nor put them in quotation marks) and center the words Works Cited at the top of the page.

Double space all entries and do not skip spaces between entries. If you " re looking for more help with MLA format, Diana Hacker provides an excellent guide to MLA Manuscript Format in Research and Documentation Online. Wright University provides MLA Research Paper Templates in Microsoft Word and Rich Text formats that you can download and use guides for writing your papers. Or, visit our resources for formatting in MLA style, links to sample papers, and links to Microsoft Word templates for MLA format. Making reference to works of others in your text Referring to the works of others in your text by using MLA style is covered in chapter seven of the MLA Style Manual, and chapter five of the Handbook for Writing Research Papers. Both chapters include extensive examples, so it's a good idea to read them over if you want to become familiar with the guidelines or if you have a particular question.

In MLA style, referring to the works of others in your text is done in two ways. When you make reference to someone else's idea, either through paraphrasing or quoting them directly, you: provide the author's name (or the title of the work) and the page (or paragraph) number of the work in a parenthetical citation provide full citation information for the work in your Works Cited list This allows people to know which sources you used in writing your essay and then be able to look them up themselves, so that they can use them in their scholarly work. Here are some basic guidelines for referring to the works of others in your text. For additional help with citing the works of others, see our additional resources section. Parenthetical Citations MLA format follows the author-page method of citation.

This means that the author's last name and the page number (s) from which the quotation is taken must appear in the text, and a complete reference should appear in your works cited list (see Your Works Cited Page, below). 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: Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a 'spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings' (263). 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). If the work you are making reference to has no author, use an abbreviated version of the work's title.

For non-print sources, such as films, TV series, pictures, or other media, or electronic sources, include the name that begins the entry in the Works Cited page. For example: An anonymous Wordsworth critic once argued that his poems were too emotional ('Wordsworth Is A Loser' 100). Sometimes you may have to use an indirect quotation. An indirect quotation is a quotation that you found in another source that was quoting from the original. For such indirect quotations, use 'qt d. in' to indicate the source. For example: Ravi tch argues that high schools are pressured to act as 'social service centers, and they don't do that well' (qt d. in Weisman 259).

Sometimes more information is necessary to identify the source from which a quotation is taken. For instance, if two or more authors have the same last name, provide both authors' first initials (or even her or his full name if different authors share initials) in your citation. If you cite more than one work by a particular author, include a shortened title for the particular work from which you are quoting to distinguish it from the other works by that same person. For example: Two authors with the same last name: Although some medical ethicist's claim that cloning will lead to designer children (R. Miller 12), others note that the advantages for medical research outweigh this consideration (A. Miller 46). Two works by the same author: Lighten or has argued that computers are not useful tools for small children ('Too Soon' 38), though he has acknowledged that early exposure to computer games does lead to better small motor skill development in a child's second and third year ('Hand-Eye Development' 17). For more about using parenthetical citations, visit MLA In-Text Citations (at Research and Documentation Online) or MLA Documentation: Citations in Text (from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center), or see our additional resources section.

Quotations When you directly quote the works of others in your paper, you will format quotations differently depending on whether they are long or short quotations. Formatting quotations using MLA style is covered in section 3.9 of the MLA Style Manual (which begins on page 102), and section 2.7 of the of the Handbook for Writing Research Papers (which begins on page 80). Here are some basic guidelines for incorporating quotations into your paper. Short Quotations To indicate short quotations (fewer than four typed lines of prose or three lines of verse) in your text, enclose the quotation within double quotation marks and incorporate it into your text.

Provide the author and specific page citation (in the case of verse, provide line numbers) in the text, and include a complete reference in the works-cited list. Punctuation marks such as periods, commas, and semicolons should appear after the parenthetical citation. Question marks and exclamation points should appear within the quotation marks if they are a part of the quoted passage but after the parenthetical citation if they are a part of your text. For example: According to some, dreams express 'profound aspects of personality' (Foulkes 184), though others disagree. According to Foulkes's study, dreams may express 'profound aspects of personality' (184). Is it possible that dreams may express 'profound aspects of personality' (Foulkes 184)?

Cullen concludes, 'Of all the things that happened there / That's all I remember' (11-12). Long Quotations Place quotations longer than four typed lines in a free-standing block of typewritten lines, and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, indented one inch from the left margin, and maintain double-spacing. Your parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation mark. When quoting verse, maintain original line breaks. (You should maintain double-spacing throughout your essay. ).