Copy of MLA Citations - The Basics

MLA Documentation - The Basics

A word of caution

Why Cite?

Plagiarism

The act of presenting another person's work or ideas as your own

Copying word for word

A standardized way to organize information about a source

Provides readers information needed to find a source:

Author

Title

Publication information

Failure to cite

Standardized rules minimize chaos and keep things organized

Source: http://heidelblog.net/2012/12/s-t-o-p-means-stop-or-does-it/traffic-chaos/

Other reasons for citing

Citations acknowledge the work of other authors

Citations give your audience resources to investigate

Citing sources gives you intellectual credibility

Ask for help

MLA Citations Overview

Keep track of sources you use:

Print and collect

Write them down

Save to virtual folder

Tips for the Journey

2 parts:

In-text

Works Cited list

Use resources - Purdue OWL, MLA Handbook

*Anything cited in-text must appear in your Works Cited list

*You MUST cite every time your paraphrase, summarize, or quote from a source

Ideas

Notes

In-Text Citations

Are inserted into the text of your paper and use Author-Page method

Are used when summarizing or quoting

A {brief} intro. to MLA Citations

Different Rules Apply...

Parenthetical

Signal Phrase

Ideas

Different types of sources (e.g., The Bible, multivolume works)

• Author name and page # in parentheses at end of sentence.

• Used to cite one sentence of information.

• Authors name and verb to introduce material

• Parenthetical citation follows quoted or borrowed information

Indirect sources

Author type (e.g., multiple authors, no author, editor)

**Be sure to check with the Purdue OWL or an MLA style guide

Quotations

A section of text copied word for word from a source

Ideas

Works Cited Page

Anatomy of a works cited entry

Long Quotations

Short Quotations

4 or more lines of prose or 3 or more lines of verse

Less than 4 lines of prose or 3 lines of verse

Use free-standing block quotations

Enclose in double quotation marks

Indent quotation by 1 inch

Provide author-page citation

Omit quotation marks

Punctuation mark after citation

Punctuation mark before citation

Separate page @ end of paper

Sample journal citation:

Long Quotation: Prose

Long Quotation: Verse

More thorough information about source

Prose:

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)?

Verse:

Cullen concludes, "Of all the things that happened there / That's all I remember" (11-12).

Double spaced

Hanging indent (indent second line and beyond 0.5 inch)

Specific rules depending on the type of source

Tips for Identifying Source Type

Works Cited Tips

Look for clues:

Print or electronic?

Identify the type of source you are citing

Buzzwords to indicate source type (e.g., "Gazette", "Post", "Times" may = newspaper)

How many authors?

Look up the "formula" on the Purdue OWL or an MLA Handbook

Am I using info. out of a certain chapter?

Did it comes from a database?