The Modern Language Association (MLA) style is a widely used citation format, particularly in the arts and humanities. Developed by the Modern Language Association, it provides a standardized approach to formatting research papers and citing sources. This guide delves into the key aspects of MLA 9th edition, offering practical tips and resources to ensure accuracy and academic integrity in your writing.
MLA style is a set of guidelines for writing and documenting research. It covers everything from manuscript format to citation practices. The MLA Handbook, published by the Modern Language Association, is the go-to resource for students and writers aiming to adhere to MLA standards. Correctly using the required citation style has a positive impact on your grade!.
MLA uses a two-part documentation system:
The Works Cited page is an alphabetized list of all sources cited in your paper. It follows a specific format, composed of core elements in a particular order:
Author: Begin with the author's last name, followed by a comma and the rest of the name.
Title of Source: The title of the work you are citing, enclosed in quotation marks and followed by a period.
Title of Container: The larger work that contains the source (e.g., a journal, website, or database), italicized and followed by a comma.
Contributor: People, groups, or organizations may have contributed to a work without being its primary creator. Key contributors should always be listed in your entry.
Version: If the source is a version of a work released in more than one form, you need to identify the version in your entry. Abbreviate revised (rev.) and edition (ed.).
Number: The number of the source you are documenting may be part of a sequence, like a volume, issue, or episode.
Publisher: The entity primarily responsible for making the work available to the public.
Publication Date: When the version of the book you are citing was published.
Location: The page range or URL where the source is located.
Putting it all together, here's an example of a journal article citation:
Mallory-Kani, Amy. “What Should We Do with a Doctor Here?: Medical Authority in Austen’s Sanditon." Nineteenth-Century Contexts, vol. 39, no. 4, 2017, pp. 313-26.
In some cases, you may need to supplement core elements (e.g. original publication date, contributors other than the author), clarifies something about the entry as a whole (e.g. date of access, medium of publication).
In-text citations are brief references within your paper that correspond to the full entries in your Works Cited list. They typically include the author's last name and the page number(s) where the information was found.
If you mention the author's name in your sentence, you only need to include the page number in the parenthetical citation.
MLA also provides guidelines for the overall format of your paper:
By following these guidelines and utilizing the resources provided, you can confidently navigate MLA style and ensure the accuracy and credibility of your research papers.
