MLA Style Documentation

These are guidelines suggested by the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Fifth Edition. Every point has a section reference number from the MLA Handbook in brackets. There are also ebsites listed at the end of this mini lesson. Page Setup: [MLA 3.5] !" #ouble spaced throughout $including heading, %uotations and orks cited" &" !' Margins for all four sides $no right (ustify" )" *' +ndent from left margin for first line of paragraphs ," First page only- type your name, instructor.s name, course number, and date flush left. Add last name and page number flush right in the header $see e/ample on ne/t page". 0nly the header is included on all other pages. Title is centered on line after date ithout italics or 1%uotation marks around it' or underlining or bold-face or 2A3+TAL+4AT+05. Other Points to Remember: !" Italicized or 6nderlined7 8ith MLA, underlining denotes italici9ing: therefore, ords that are underlined should be italici9ed. Ho ever, some instructors prefer underlining: check for personal preferences. Titles of books, ne spapers, maga9ines, albums, long poems, and long plays should be italici9ed. $e.g., Plain Dealer, The Great Gatsby".
&"
[MLA 2.3.1]

Italicized or 1+n ;uotes'7 <horter orks, including songs, short poetry, articles, book chapters, essays, and short stories should be put in 1%uotation marks' rather than italici9ed. $e.g., 1!= >ictims of ?last <till in Hospitals'".
[MLA 2.6.2 2.6.3]

)"

!@,@@@ or ten thousand7 <pell out numbers that can be ritten in one or t o ords and use numerals for all others. $e.g., one, five hundred, &)A". 6se numerals for numbers that precede units of measurement and addresses. $e.g., B lbs, page &, April &)".
[MLA 2.5]

Last 5ame &

( a!e and pa"e n#!ber are typed fl#sh ri"ht$ %& fro! top of 'A(H pa"e) Add in as a H'AD'R*

Cour name
+Headin" is typed fl#sh left$ do#ble,spaced$ and -& fro! top of .IR/T pa"e only0

+nstructorDs name 2ourse number &) <eptember &@@!

#0 50T Make Titles Bold-faced, Italicized, E+n ;uotes,E or 6nderlined

ndent !" for each ne paragraph. Double-spacing throughout the paper maintains a consistency that the reader ill appreciate. The same consistency and simplicity is respected for citations. For e/ample, the MLA Handbook statesA citation in MLA style contains only enough information to enable readers to find the source in the orksFcited list. +f the authorDs last name is mentioned in the te/t, only the page number appears in the citation- 1$!=G".' +f more than one ork by the author is in the list of orks cited, a shortened version of the title is given- 1$Marcuse, /#r1ey !=G".' $!@A" 5ote that this bloc# $uotation $a %uote that runs more than four typed lines" is also double-spaced and indented one inch from the left margin. ?ecause the name of the source is mentioned in the te/t, it is only necessary to cite the page at the end of the %uotation. +f the name of a source is not mentioned in the te/t, but the ords of the source are used, the source must be cited parenthetically $Mali )B". 8hen citing parenthetically, include the author%s last name, a space, and the page number. #o not rite 1p.' or 1page.' +f the source does not have an author, use an abbre&iated title and page number $MLA Handbook H!". +f there are no page numbers, use the author%s last name if available. +f there is no author listed, use an abbre&iated title. This is often the case hen citing the +nternet.

Last 5ame )
( a!e and pa"e n#!ber are typed fl#sh ri"ht$ %& fro! top of 'A(H pa"e) Add in as a H'AD'R*

8orks 2ited
[Remember Works Cited are in ALPHAB !"CAL #R$ R] [MLA %.5] [Web &ite] [MLA %.']

Avery, Iosemary. 1Adoptive 3arents Favor 0pening Adoption Iecords, 2ornell <tudy Finds.' (ornell (hronicles. !@ 5ov. !==H Jhttp-KK adoptionLrecordsM.
[&o(r)e *rom a &(bs)ri+tion Web &ite, e.-., Le.is/0e.is, Pro1(est $ire)t] [MLA %.'.2]

.ne s.cornell.eduK2hroniclesK&.B.=GK

Fineman, Ho ard. 1?ush #ra s A <tem 2ell Line.' e2s2eek &@ Aug. &@@!- !BF!=. Le/isF 5e/is 6niverse. Nent <tate 6niversity Lib., Nent. )@ Aug. &@@! Jhttp-KK eb.le/isF ne/is.comKuniverseM.
[0e3s Arti)4e] [MLA %.2.5]

Oamboa, Olenn. 1Oirls are Missing in Action on TechnologyDs Front Lines.' Akron 3eacon 4o#rnal & 5ov. !==G- A!P.
[Book 3it5 A(t5or and ditor] [MLA %.6.12]

Mann, Thomas. Death in 5enice. Ed. 5aomi Iitter. 5e Cork- ?edford, !==H.
[Book Wit5 !3o or More A(t5ors] [MLA %.6.%]

5akell, ?arry M., Qr. and Nenneth A. Hardy. The Arbitrariness of the Death Penalty. 3hiladelphia- Temple 63, !=HG.
[&)5o4ar46 7o(rna4 Wit5 Contin(o(s Pa-ination] [MLA %.2.1]

<elfe, 2ynthia L. 1Technology and Literacy- A <tory about the 3erils of 5ot 3aying Attention.' (olle"e (o!position and (o!!#nication A@ $!==="- ,!!F)B.
[Book Wit5 &in-4e A(t5or] [MLA %.6.1]

<helley, Mary 8ollstonecraft. .rankenstein. 5e Cork- 8atermill, !==,.

[Ant5o4o-6 or Com+i4ation] [MLA %.6.2]

Iueschemeyer, Marilyn, ed. Wo!en in the Politics of Postco!!#nist 'astern '#rope. Armonk<harpe, !==,.
["nter8ie3 Cond()ted b6 Resear)5er] [MLA %.9.2]

3ei, Alvin. Telephone intervie . && August &@@!.

[&o(nd Re)ordin-] [MLA %.9.2]

Holiday, ?illie. The 'ssence of 3illie Holiday. 2olumbia, !==!.

[!3o or More Books Wit5 t5e &ame A(t5or] [MLA %.6.3]

Last 5ame ,
( a!e and pa"e n#!ber are typed fl#sh ri"ht$ %& fro! top of 'A(H pa"e) Add in as a H'AD'R*

T ain, Mark. The Ad1ent#res of H#ckleberry .inn. 5e Cork- 8ashington <%uare, !=B). FFF. Life on the Mississippi. 5e Cork- Armed <ervices Editions, +nc., !=,,. FFF. P#dd6nhead Wilson. 5e Cork- ?antam, !=A=.
[&)5o4ar46 7o(rna4 Wit5o(t Contin(o(s Pa-ination] [MLA %.2.2]

Coung, Morris. 15arrative of +dentity- Theori9ing the 8riter and the 5ation.' 4o#rnal of 3asic Writin" !A.& $!==B"- A@FGA.
[t5e Bib4e] [MLA 5.%.9]

The e2 4er#sale! 3ible. Henry 8ansbrough, gen. ed. 5e Cork- #oubleday, !=HA.
[P(b4is5ed or Re)orded "nter8ie3] [MLA %.9.2]

Fellini, Federico. 1The Long +ntervie .' 4#liet of the /pirits. Ed. Tullio Ne9ich. Trans. Ho ard Oreenfield. 5e Cork- ?allentine, !=BB. !GFB,
[Broad)ast or Radio "nter8ie3] [MLA %.9.2]

5ader, Ialph. +ntervie

ith Iay <uare9. Talk of the ation. 5atl. 3ublic Iadio. 8?6I,

?oston. !B Apr. !==H.

[!rans4ation] [MLA %.6.13]

#osteovsky, Feodor. (ri!e and P#nish!ent) Trans. Qessie 2oulson. Ed. Oeorge Oibian. 5e Cork- 5orton, !=B,.
[Ad8ertisement] [MLA %.9.1:]

3olo Qeans by Ialph Lauren. Advertisement. G7 Apr. &@@!- !!!.

[Arti)4e in a Ma-a;ine] [MLA %.2.6]

Decurtis' Anthony( )*ir&ana+s Nevermind: 10 Years After. Rolling Stone 23 Aug.

2001: 54-60.

3lease remember that bold type and R2ords in bracketsS ere used in this mini lesson to highlight information for your convenience and are not a convention of the MLA style For more help visit http-KK .meguffey.comKmla.html or .mla.org $under FA;s"