MLA Research Standards based on the MLA Handbook

MLA Research Standards *based on the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Seventh Edition

MLA stands for Modern Language Association. The citation emphasis is on giving author credit first and foremost.

Format for Source Cards Sources = Where You Get Your Information (books, online publications, encyclopedias, magazine articles, etc. )

All source cards must look the same. Use a 3 x 5 white, lined index card. In the top right-hand corner, put a letter of the alphabet (a different letter for each source you use, beginning with A) on the red line. Begin writing on the first blue line of the card. The first line begins at the far left on the card. Each additional line is indented approx. ½ inch.

For a book with one author: Put things in the following order on the card, writing continuously across the lines. Notice the punctuation required after each item - it’s in red. last name of the author, first name. title of the book. city of publication: publishing company, copyright date. Print. title should be underlined when writing it out include the word Print after the date for standard books

Here is a sample source card for a book with one author. A Miller, Mary. Coping with Parents. New York: Rosen, 1990. Print.

Additional Info. . . If you only use a portion of the book, indicate the page numbers after the year of publication. Do not use p. pg. before numbers. A Miller, Mary. Coping with Parents. New York: Rosen, 1990. 42 -86. Print Page numbers go here.

The source card for a book with two or three authors has only one difference: the way you add the second/third authors. For 2 authors: last name of the first author, first name, and first name of the second author and last name. For 3 authors: last name of 1 st author, first name of 1 st author, 2 nd author first/last name, and 3 rd author first/last name.

Here is a sample source card for a book with two authors: B Ashby, Eric, and Mary Anderson. The Rise of the Student Estate in Britain. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1970. Print.

Here’s a sample with three authors: C Marquart, James W. , Sheldon Ekland Olson, and Jonathan R. Sorensen. The Rope, the Chair, and the Needle: Capital Punishment in Texas, 1923 -1990. Austin: U of Texas P, 1994. Print.

What if my source has four or more authors? Simply use the abbreviation et al after listing the first author’s name. Then, follow the same rules for a book with one author to finish. For example: • Gilman, Sander, et al. Hysteria Beyond Freud. Berkeley U of California P, 1993. Print.

For a book with an editor and not an author: Format is basically the same with one change: Put the editor’s last name, first name, and the abbreviation ed.

Notice the slight difference for a book with an editor. D Kelch, Thomas, ed. The Motion Picture and the Teaching of English. New York: Appleton, 1956. Print

Special circumstances: If no author or editor is given, begin with the title of the book. If several cities of publication are provided, use only the first one listed. If no city is listed, use N. p. If no publishing company is given, use n. p. If several copyright dates are listed, use the most recent one. If no date is listed, use n. d. If the work is published outside of the United States, use city and country of publication (London, England: ).

For an article in a magazine: author’s last name, first name. “title of the article. ” name of the magazine (Notice that there is no period after the name of the magazine; also, underline this title when writing it out). date of the issue: Use standard month abbreviations; exceptions: June & July page numbers. write/type the word Print. If page numbers are not continuous, use the first page number followed by a plus sign and a period to indicate sporadic paging. (Example: 64+. )

Sample for an Article in a Magazine: E Jacobs, Jane. “The Dynamic of Decline. ” Newsweek 17 Apr. 1984: 98 -114. Print

Online Source Card last name, first name of author/site creator. “title of work. ” (quotations used when using specific articles w/in one site; underline title when using entire site) title of overall Web site (italicized) if different from above title publisher/sponsor of site, (if not available, use N. p. ) date of site publication. Again, day month year format OR copyright year. write/type the word Web. date of your access. Again, day month year format. ** URL/Internet address should be written on the bottom line(s) of your source card.

Sample of Online Entry F Quade, Alex. “Elite Team Rescues Troops Behind Enemy Lines. ” CNN. com. Cable News Network, 19 Mar. 2007. Web. 15 May 2008. http: //www. CNN. com

A couple of reminders about online sources. . . Needed information is not always available, so you have to use what is available. NC Wise. Owl is a good database to help you locate valid sources; the password is wiseowl.

Format for Notes Correctly formatting your note cards and carefully taking notes will make the research paper a much easier task.

Taking Notes Once you have examined your sources and determined their usefulness, you are ready to begin taking notes from them. Certain information is required on ALL note cards. Notes may be taken in a variety of formats: complete sentences, lists, fragments, or a combination of these. Material copied directly from the text should ALWAYS be placed in quotation marks and immediately cited. Ex – “Plagiarism sometimes happens because researchers do not keep precise records. . . ” (Modern Language Association 55).

Top, right: Card letter and number Example: A 4 The card is from the first source and is the fourth note card taken. IMPORTANT NOTE: NUMBERS SHOULD BE CONTINUOUS!!!! Do not start over with “ 1” each time you start a new source. Your numbers should be consecutive as you complete your research (Example: A 1, A 2, A 3, B 4, B 5, B 6, B 7, C 8, D 9, A 10, B 11).

Top, middle: Subtopic (*Also known as heading) Single word or phrase to indicate what the notes on the card are about. Subtopic IS NOT the title or shortened title of the source. Multiple subtopics should be found in sources. In other words, you SHOULD NOT have all notes about career preparation from source A, all notes about career outlook from source B, etc. . .

Sample Note Card #1 Preparation A 4

Sample Note Card #2 Outlook B 5

What if some of my sources have no author and have the same title? Differentiate each source: (“Abraham Lincoln, ” Presidents of the U. S. ) Presidents of the U. S. is the title of the overall Web site. (“Abraham Lincoln, ” Library of Congress) Library of Congress is the publisher/sponsor. (“Abraham Lincoln, ” 15 Jan. 2009) Date is the date of publication. If you have articles with the same information (same date, etc. ), see your English teacher for further instructions on correct citation format.

Sample in-text citations you may use, depending on your sources: 2 authors with page number: • (Eggins and Slade 45). 3 authors with page number: • (Marquart, Olson, and Sorensen 100). 4 or more authors with page number: • (Gilman, et al 52). Two sources cited at same time: • • (Fukyama 23; Sanders 97). (“Health in America; ” “Health in our World”).

How to take notes Notes may be quoted directly (word for word) or paraphrased (info. put into your own words). Only 10% of your paper should be quoted. THAT’S ABOUT ONE QUOTE UP TO THREE SENTENCES PER PAGE. Directly quoted information requires quotation marks and an in-text citation. Even if you only quote three or more words in succession or one distinctive word, the word(s) must be in quotation marks and you must cite the source. You will use notes to create in-text citations in your paper; both of the following citations are correct:

Paraphrasing Paraphrased information is not placed in quotation marks, but you must STILL give credit to the author using an in-text citation. Example Even a tiny bit of knowledge can be powerful, leading to destructive ideas (Pope 42).

Avoid Plagiarism !!!!! • Pay close attention to consequences of plagiarism.