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ENGL 1300 Research Guide

What is MLA?

What is MLA?

MLA stands for Modern Language Association.  The 9th edition was recently published in April of 2021. MLA is the standard citation style guide for the humanities. The Modern Language Association of America (MLA) publishes the manual and is commonly referred to as the "MLA Manual" or the "MLA Handbook".

MLA 9th edition image

Two types of citations are included in research papers: citations within the text of the document and a list of reference citations at the end of the paper.

In-Text Citations:

In-text citations appear in the body of your paper. They identify your use of an idea or quotation from one of your sources. The MLA Handbook uses the author-page citation system for in-text citations. The in-text citation will include the authors last name and the page number. 

Example: (Fernandes et al. 23) Make sure the In-Text citation corresponds to the reference citation on your Works Cited page.

Reference Citations:

Information about the sources you use in your work are included as a separate list at the end of the paper.  The MLA Handbook suggests using the title, "Works Cited", for the list.

Example of Basic Format for a journal article:

Author Last Name, First Name Middle Name or Initial. "Title of Article." Title of Journal, volume number, issue number, year, page numbers. URL or DOI.

Fernandes, Ana, et al. “Gender Differences in Wage Expectations.” PLoS ONE, vol. 16, no. 6, 2021, pp. 1–24. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0250892.

For additional information check out the following resource:

"MLA Formatting and Style Guide." The Purdue OWL, Purdue U Writing Lab. Accessed 20 Oct. 2021.

The Purdue OWL has up to date information covering changes to the 9th edition of the MLA handbook. You can find valuable resources for article citations on this page.

 

MLA Paper Format

MLA Paper Format

Formatting your research paper does not need to be overly complicated. The basic MLA paper will contain the following items:

  • Margins - Leave margins of one inch at the top and bottom and on both sides of the text.
  • Text Format- Choose a legible Font with a size ranging from 11-13 (check with your professor) Double-space the entire research paper, including quotations, notes, and the list of works cited. Indent the first line of a paragraph half an inch from the left margin.
  • Title- This should include your name, your instructor’s name, the course name and number, and the date on separate double-spaced lines. Followed by the title of your paper centered on the first page.
  • Header- located at the top right corner of each page will include your last name followed by the page number.
  • Works Cited- The list of works cited appears at the end of the paper on a separate page. Center the heading, Works Cited, an inch from the top of the page. Double-space between the heading and the first entry. Use a hanging indent on each entry. See fig 1.2

 Fig 1.1 The image shown below is available on the MLA Handbook Plus website. I encourage you to check out their other illustrations. This is a free resource available to students.

Title page of MLA formatted paper

 

To view a fully formatted MLA style paper please review the Purdue OWL website.

 

Fig 1.2 Works Cited Page

MLA Works Cited example