MLA Format

Handout of general guidelines Explanations and examples

Sample Works Cited page

Includes:

and Style

Creating a Works Cited Page

Helps address CCSS

W.6.8, W.7.8, W.8.8,

W.9-10.8, W.11-12.8

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MLA Format and Style

For research papers, a works cited page or bibliography is a must. A bibliography or works cited page is a list of sources used when putting together the evidence in your paper. One of the most common formats for arranging this information is called MLA style. MLA stands for Modern Language Association, which is the nonprofit organization dedicated to language and literature. MLA style is the accepted format for most papers. There are a few general guidelines to note before correctly documenting your sources:

ü When keeping notes during your research for your paper, it is important to write down whether your source is a book, magazine article, newspaper article, website, etc., and which pages were referenced in your paper

ü The Works Cited page is always the last page of your essay; located

separately from the text of the essay.

ü Use 1” margins all around, with the same last name, page number heading as the rest of your paper.

ü The page should be titled “Works Cited” or “Bibliography” (centered on the

page; with no quotation marks, underlining, etc.) ü Begin each entry flush with the left margin; indent additional lines five

spaces ü Double-space between all lines on the Works-Cited page; do not skip lines

between entries ü Alphabetize the list by the first word in each entry (usually by the author’s

last name) ü Italics and underlining are the same thing; use italics when typing your

essay, underline when hand writing. Use quotation marks to indicate shorter words such as poetry or articles.

ü When citing a source, you must also include the form of publication. In

other words, it is no longer adequate to include merely “print” or “web” source. You must include the type of file, i.e. DVD, CD, E-mail, etc.

ü Capitalize each word in the titles of articles and books, but do not capitalize

conjunctions, prepositions, or articles such as the and an, unless it is the first word of the title.

On the next page are some samples for documenting your sources in MLA format.

Handout of genera l gu ide l ines

© 2011 Secondary Solutions www.4secondarysolutions.com

Print Publications

Books in Print One Author: Kennedy, April. The Guide for Writing and Style. Yonkers: Waddington Press, 1998.

Print. Two or Three Authors: Johnson, Lynda, and Jonathan Hope. What You Should Know About Papers, Los Angeles: Doubletown Publications, 2001. Print. More than Three Authors: Townsend, Cynthia, et al. Getting it All on Paper, Boston: Chainworks Press, 2010. Print. OR Townsend, Cynthia, Monica Wyand, Terrence Bale, and Ginger Frost. Getting it All on Paper, Boston: Chainworks Press, 2010. Print. Book by a Corporation or Corporate Author: American Reading Association. Reading Starts Here. New York: Charprint, 2005. Print. Work with an Editor: Frost, Robert. The Best of Frost. Ed. Michael Smith. San Francisco: Bluebird

Publications, 1998. Print. An Essay in a Collection: Walden, Amber. “The True Lie.” Waiting for the Future. Ed. Jennie Ham. New York, New York: Editor’s Press, 1988. 14-23. Print. An Entire Collection: Sweetin, Margaret, ed. Something Has to Be Said: A Poetry Anthology. Scranton: Printing Press, 2011. Print.

Poems or Short Stories (Print)

Warden, Ginny. “Song of a Spider.” Poems of the 21st Century. Los Angeles: Dover, 2007. 89-90. Print.

© 2011 Secondary Solutions www.4secondarysolutions.com

Newspapers, Journals, Magazines (Print)

A Weekly, Biweekly, or Monthly Magazine or Journal: Harden, Peggy. “Fancy Touches.” Time. 18 Nov. 2001: 70-71. Print. A Newspaper Article: Changeman, Larry. “The Key to Success.” Los Angeles Times. 21 Mar. 2000: A7. Print An Article from a Reference Book: “Armadillos.” New Found Knowledge Encyclopedia. 2000 ed. Print. An Article from a Scholarly Journal: Meen, Alexandrea. “Keeping up with the Joneses: Consumerism in America.” The Scholarly Consumer 2.1 (2001): 14-16. Print.

© 2011 Secondary Solutions www.4secondarysolutions.com

Web Publications

MLA Guidelines were changed in 2008, making the citation of web resources more streamlined and uniform. It is important that any information you can garner is noted in your citation. Be sure to use n.p. if no publisher name is available and n.d. if no publishing date is given. The URL is no longer required in the citation, and the date of the creation of the article is now required as well as the date of access. Known Author or Creator: Richards, Wanda. Washing Windows To Make Money. Homebiz.com. 8 June 2000. Web. 11 Sept. 2011. Anonymous Author or Creator: The Business of Writing Good Papers. The Center for Writing. June 2001. Web. 18 Mar. 2010 Article Within a Web Site; Known Author or Creator: Watson, Mindy. "Clear Skies." Safe Sites. University of Minnesota. n.d. Web. 2 Feb. 2010 Article Within a Web Site; Anonymous: "Becoming the Best YOU." Women’s Way Magazine Online. 12 Nov. 1999. Web. 2 Feb. 2010 An Image: Brannagan, Warren. “A Mother’s Love.” Photograph. Imagenet.com, n.d. Web. 6 May 2010. Email: Jones, Jaime. “Re: Funny Cat.” Message to Wendi Mierhauf. 2 Apr. 2010. E-mail. Blog Post, Online Discussion: sassygirl24 [Susan Haymitch]. “Recycling Old Detergent Bottles.” Recycler. Recycler.com, 13 May 2008. Web. 2 Nov. 2009 Online Magazine Article:

© 2011 Secondary Solutions www.4secondarysolutions.com

Willard, Robert. "The Business of Bees." Animal Tracks. Sept 2004: 23-27. 1 Dec. 2005. Web. 1 Dec. 2010. Online Journal Article: Abate, Raymond. "The First Call." Newsweek. Vol 17, 5 (2001): 59-60. 1 Feb 2002. Web. 2 Feb. 2003. Online Newspaper Article : Jennings, Maria. "Yaks and You." New Sun Times. 5 July 2004, Vol 6, Sec. D: 38- 42. Web. 4 Dec. 2010.

Digital Files (PDFs, MP3s, JPEGs): National Center for Disease Control. Keeping Your Hands Clean. 4 Mar. 2009. PDF file. Lopez, Jennifer. Love? Island Recordings, 2011. MP3. Robbins, Cate. Pretty Cat, 2009. Imagefile. JPEG file. OR (If you don’t have a title for the work or know who created the image, describe the image) [Black and white cat hanging from the back of a blue couch]. Imagefile. JPEG file. Web-Based Video: http://www.youtube.com/user/greenmarvin/oojrn334HRN7. Green, Marvin. “Marvin the Martian.” YouTube. June 2004. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.

© 2011 Secondary Solutions www.4secondarysolutions.com

Sample Works Cited Page: MLA Format

Collins 14

Works Cited

“Armadillos.” New Found Knowledge Encyclopedia. 2000 ed. Print.

American Reading Association. Reading Starts Here. New York: Charprint, 2005.

Print.

"Becoming the Best YOU." Women’s Way Magazine Online. 12 Nov. 1999. Web. 2

Feb. 2010

[Black and white cat hanging from the back of a blue couch]. Imagefile. JPEG file.

Brannagan, Warren. “A Mother’s Love.” Photograph. Imagenet.com, n.d. Web.

6 May 2010.

Changeman, Larry. “The Key to Success.” Los Angeles Times. 21 Mar. 2000: A7.

Print

http://www.youtube.com/user/greenmarvin/oojrn334HRN7. Green, Marvin. “Marvin

the Martian.” YouTube. June 2004. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.

Frost, Robert. The Best of Frost. Ed. Michael Smith. San Francisco: Bluebird

Publications, 1998. Print.

Harden, Peggy. “Fancy Touches.” Time. 18 Nov. 2001: 70-71. Print.

Jennings, Maria. "Yaks and You." New Sun Times. 5 July 2004, Vol 6, Sec. D: 38-

42. Web. 4 Dec. 2010.

Johnson, Lynda, and Jonathan Hope. What You Should Know About Papers, Los

Angeles: Doubletown Publications, 2001. Print.

© 2011 Secondary Solutions www.4secondarysolutions.com

Collins 15

Jones, Jaime. “Re: Funny Cat.” Message to Wendi Mierhauf. 2 Apr. 2010. E-mail.

Kennedy, April. The Guide for Writing and Style. Yonkers: Waddington Press, 1998.

Print.

Meen, Alexandrea. “Keeping up with the Joneses: Consumerism in America.” The

Scholarly Consumer 2.1 (2001): 14-16. Print.

National Center for Disease Control. Keeping Your Hands Clean. 4 Mar. 2009. PDF

file.

Richards, Wanda. Washing Windows To Make Money. Homebiz.com. 8 June 2000.

Web. 11 Sept. 2011.

Sweetin, Margaret, ed. Something Has to Be Said: A Poetry Anthology. Scranton:

Printing Press, 2011. Print.

The Business of Writing Good Papers. The Center for Writing. June 2001. Web. 18

Mar. 2010

Townsend, Cynthia, et al. Getting it All on Paper, Boston: Chainworks Press, 2010.

Print.

Walden, Amber. “The True Lie.” Waiting for the Future. Ed. Jennie Ham. New York,

New York: Editor’s Press, 1988. 14-23. Print.

Warden, Ginny. “Song of a Spider.” Poems of the 21st Century. Los Angeles:

Dover, 2007. 89-90. Print.

Watson, Mindy. "Clear Skies." Safe Sites. University of Minnesota. n.d. Web. 2

Feb. 2010

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