{"id":3120,"date":"2020-04-03T15:56:02","date_gmt":"2020-04-03T15:56:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/coreqenglish1\/chapter\/text-introduction-to-mla-documentation\/"},"modified":"2025-02-25T22:05:32","modified_gmt":"2025-02-25T22:05:32","slug":"mla-style","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/mla-style\/","title":{"raw":"MLA Style","rendered":"MLA Style"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\r\n<h3>Learning Objectives<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Evaluate\u00a0reasons for the use of MLA formatting and documentation<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2>Why Cite?<\/h2>\r\nYou will recall from the previous reading that citing is important because:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>citations help others find the information you used in your research paper<\/li>\r\n \t<li>citing your sources accurately helps establish the credibility of your research<\/li>\r\n \t<li>citations connect your work to the work of other scholars<\/li>\r\n \t<li>citations are one way that scholars enter into a dialogue with one another<\/li>\r\n \t<li>citations are a way to honor and acknowledge the work of others who have made your own research possible<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2>MLA Style<\/h2>\r\nMLA style is one of the most common citation and formatting styles you will encounter in your academic career. The MLA, which stands for Modern Language Association, is an organization of language scholars and experts. MLA format is typically used for writing in the humanities and is widely used in many high school and introductory college English classes, as well as scholarly books and professional journals. If you are writing a paper for a literature or media studies class, it is likely your professor will ask you to write in MLA style.\r\n<div class=\"textbox exercises\">\r\n<h3>LINK TO LEARNING<\/h3>\r\nThere are many fantastic resources out there that can make the formatting and citation process easier. For example, <a href=\"https:\/\/owl.english.purdue.edu\/owl\/resource\/747\/01\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the Purdue Online Writing Lab<\/a> is a popular resource that concisely explains how to properly format and cite in various academic styles.\r\n\r\nReference management websites and applications can also assist you in tracking and recording your research. Most of these websites will even create the works cited page for you! Some of the most popular citation tools include <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zotero.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Zotero,<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.refme.com\/us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">RefME<\/a>, and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bibme.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BibMe<\/a>.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2>Understanding Citations<\/h2>\r\nOnline tools that generate citations for you can be wonderful\u2014they save time and allow you to focus on the knowledge work of writing a paper. No one expects you to memorize exactly how each different type of text is formatted in MLA style. All of us turn to citation generators, the MLA Handbook, or online resources to remind ourselves of the minutiae of citations. But you do need to have some overall familiarity with the format so that you know what information you need to include and so that you can quickly and easily recognize the mistakes that\u00a0citation generators (computers!) make. Understanding why citations are built the way they are can help you be more critical in your proofreading of generated works cited pages and internal citations.\r\n<div class=\"textbox examples\">\r\n<h3>Example: Poor citations<\/h3>\r\nLet\u2019s think about this example citation from a student paper:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-size: 1em;\">Damiani, http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/jesse-damiani\/every-time-you-say-all-li_1_b_11004780.html<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nWhat is wrong with this citation? The student provides a URL but does not use MLA format on their works cited page. By using just a URL, the student not only diverges from normal discourse conventions but omits the critical information the reader expects to see such as the date of publication (the author and title of the article are awkwardly embedded in the URL).\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nAn incorrect citation is bad form - think about it as the equivalent of being rude to your reader. Good form (good use of MLA format) makes life easier for your reader and makes you look more accomplished, professional, and credible as a writer.\r\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\r\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\r\nhttps:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/b56615fc-0c61-4a0d-9648-20c56d1f8bf2\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox key-takeaways\">\r\n<h3>Documenting Sources<\/h3>\r\n<em>Let's return to our example of Marvin. He's already learned from the online professor about walking<\/em>, <em>talking<\/em>, <em>and<\/em> <em>cooking<\/em> <em>with his sources. Now the professor reminds Marvin about\u00a0one more important step for utilizing sources in his research.<\/em>\r\n<p class=\"p1 hanging-indent\"><span class=\"s1\">O-Prof: In college writing, if you use a source in a paper, you\u2019re expected to let the reader know exactly how to find that source as well. Providing this <\/span><span class=\"s1\">\u201csource address\u201d information for your sources is known as\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"s1\"><i>documenting your sources<\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p class=\"p1 hanging-indent\"><span class=\"s1\">Marvin: What do you mean by a \u201csource address\u201d?<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p class=\"p1 hanging-indent\"><span class=\"s1\">O-Prof: It\u2019s directions for finding the source. A mailing address tells you how to find a person: the house number, street, city, state, and zip code. To help your readers find your sources, it\u2019s customary to give them the name of the author; the title of the book or article or website; and other information such as date, location of publication, publisher, even the database in which a source is located. Or, if it\u2019s a website, you might give the name of the site and\/or the date on which you accessed it. Source documentation can be complicated because the necessary source address information differs for different types of sources (e.g., books vs. journal articles, electronic vs. print). Additionally, different disciplines (e.g., history, philosophy, psychology, literature, etc.) use different \u201caddress\u201d formats. Eventually, you\u2019ll become familiar with the documentation conventions for your own academic major, but source documentation takes a lot of practice. In the meantime, your teachers and various writing handbooks can provide instructions on what information you\u2019ll need.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p class=\"p1 hanging-indent\"><span class=\"s1\">Marvin: Do I really need to include all that information? A lot of times, the sources I use are readings my teachers have assigned, so they already know where to find them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p class=\"p1 hanging-indent\"><span class=\"s1\">O-Prof: Your teachers don\u2019t always know where all your sources are from, and they also want you to get into the habit of source documentation. And what about your other readers? If they\u2019re deeply interested in your topic, they may want to find more information than you\u2019ve included in your paper. Your source documentation allows them to find the original source. And there are other reasons for documenting sources. It can help readers understand your own position on a topic because they can see which authors you agree with and which you don\u2019t. It also shows readers you\u2019ve taken time to investigate your topic and aren\u2019t just writing off the top of your head. If readers see that your ideas are based on trustworthy sources, they\u2019re more likely to trust what you say.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\n<h3>Learning Objectives<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Evaluate\u00a0reasons for the use of MLA formatting and documentation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Why Cite?<\/h2>\n<p>You will recall from the previous reading that citing is important because:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>citations help others find the information you used in your research paper<\/li>\n<li>citing your sources accurately helps establish the credibility of your research<\/li>\n<li>citations connect your work to the work of other scholars<\/li>\n<li>citations are one way that scholars enter into a dialogue with one another<\/li>\n<li>citations are a way to honor and acknowledge the work of others who have made your own research possible<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>MLA Style<\/h2>\n<p>MLA style is one of the most common citation and formatting styles you will encounter in your academic career. The MLA, which stands for Modern Language Association, is an organization of language scholars and experts. MLA format is typically used for writing in the humanities and is widely used in many high school and introductory college English classes, as well as scholarly books and professional journals. If you are writing a paper for a literature or media studies class, it is likely your professor will ask you to write in MLA style.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox exercises\">\n<h3>LINK TO LEARNING<\/h3>\n<p>There are many fantastic resources out there that can make the formatting and citation process easier. For example, <a href=\"https:\/\/owl.english.purdue.edu\/owl\/resource\/747\/01\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the Purdue Online Writing Lab<\/a> is a popular resource that concisely explains how to properly format and cite in various academic styles.<\/p>\n<p>Reference management websites and applications can also assist you in tracking and recording your research. Most of these websites will even create the works cited page for you! Some of the most popular citation tools include <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zotero.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Zotero,<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.refme.com\/us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">RefME<\/a>, and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bibme.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BibMe<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Understanding Citations<\/h2>\n<p>Online tools that generate citations for you can be wonderful\u2014they save time and allow you to focus on the knowledge work of writing a paper. No one expects you to memorize exactly how each different type of text is formatted in MLA style. All of us turn to citation generators, the MLA Handbook, or online resources to remind ourselves of the minutiae of citations. But you do need to have some overall familiarity with the format so that you know what information you need to include and so that you can quickly and easily recognize the mistakes that\u00a0citation generators (computers!) make. Understanding why citations are built the way they are can help you be more critical in your proofreading of generated works cited pages and internal citations.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox examples\">\n<h3>Example: Poor citations<\/h3>\n<p>Let\u2019s think about this example citation from a student paper:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 1em;\">Damiani, http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/jesse-damiani\/every-time-you-say-all-li_1_b_11004780.html<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>What is wrong with this citation? The student provides a URL but does not use MLA format on their works cited page. By using just a URL, the student not only diverges from normal discourse conventions but omits the critical information the reader expects to see such as the date of publication (the author and title of the article are awkwardly embedded in the URL).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>An incorrect citation is bad form &#8211; think about it as the equivalent of being rude to your reader. Good form (good use of MLA format) makes life easier for your reader and makes you look more accomplished, professional, and credible as a writer.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\n<p>\t<iframe id=\"assessment_practice_b56615fc-0c61-4a0d-9648-20c56d1f8bf2\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/b56615fc-0c61-4a0d-9648-20c56d1f8bf2?iframe_resize_id=assessment_practice_id_b56615fc-0c61-4a0d-9648-20c56d1f8bf2\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none;width:100%;height:100%;min-height:300px;\"><br \/>\n\t<\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox key-takeaways\">\n<h3>Documenting Sources<\/h3>\n<p><em>Let&#8217;s return to our example of Marvin. He&#8217;s already learned from the online professor about walking<\/em>, <em>talking<\/em>, <em>and<\/em> <em>cooking<\/em> <em>with his sources. Now the professor reminds Marvin about\u00a0one more important step for utilizing sources in his research.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1 hanging-indent\"><span class=\"s1\">O-Prof: In college writing, if you use a source in a paper, you\u2019re expected to let the reader know exactly how to find that source as well. Providing this <\/span><span class=\"s1\">\u201csource address\u201d information for your sources is known as\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"s1\"><i>documenting your sources<\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1 hanging-indent\"><span class=\"s1\">Marvin: What do you mean by a \u201csource address\u201d?<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1 hanging-indent\"><span class=\"s1\">O-Prof: It\u2019s directions for finding the source. A mailing address tells you how to find a person: the house number, street, city, state, and zip code. To help your readers find your sources, it\u2019s customary to give them the name of the author; the title of the book or article or website; and other information such as date, location of publication, publisher, even the database in which a source is located. Or, if it\u2019s a website, you might give the name of the site and\/or the date on which you accessed it. Source documentation can be complicated because the necessary source address information differs for different types of sources (e.g., books vs. journal articles, electronic vs. print). Additionally, different disciplines (e.g., history, philosophy, psychology, literature, etc.) use different \u201caddress\u201d formats. Eventually, you\u2019ll become familiar with the documentation conventions for your own academic major, but source documentation takes a lot of practice. In the meantime, your teachers and various writing handbooks can provide instructions on what information you\u2019ll need.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1 hanging-indent\"><span class=\"s1\">Marvin: Do I really need to include all that information? A lot of times, the sources I use are readings my teachers have assigned, so they already know where to find them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1 hanging-indent\"><span class=\"s1\">O-Prof: Your teachers don\u2019t always know where all your sources are from, and they also want you to get into the habit of source documentation. And what about your other readers? If they\u2019re deeply interested in your topic, they may want to find more information than you\u2019ve included in your paper. Your source documentation allows them to find the original source. And there are other reasons for documenting sources. It can help readers understand your own position on a topic because they can see which authors you agree with and which you don\u2019t. It also shows readers you\u2019ve taken time to investigate your topic and aren\u2019t just writing off the top of your head. If readers see that your ideas are based on trustworthy sources, they\u2019re more likely to trust what you say.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-3120\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Original<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Revision and Adaptation. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Lumen Learning. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>When to Use MLA Style, paragraph on MLA documentation. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Catherine McCarthy. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Boundless. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boundless.com\/writing\/textbooks\/boundless-writing-textbook\/writing-a-paper-in-mla-style-humanities-255\/introduction-to-mla-style-299\/when-to-use-mla-style-300-16888\/\">https:\/\/www.boundless.com\/writing\/textbooks\/boundless-writing-textbook\/writing-a-paper-in-mla-style-humanities-255\/introduction-to-mla-style-299\/when-to-use-mla-style-300-16888\/<\/a>. <strong>Project<\/strong>: Boundless Writing. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>Why Cite? section from Using Information Ethically Tutorial. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Loyola Marymount University Willliam H. Hannon Library. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/electra.lmu.edu\/LGRL\/UIE2014\/\">http:\/\/electra.lmu.edu\/LGRL\/UIE2014\/<\/a>. <strong>Project<\/strong>: Lion&#039;s Guide to Research and the Library. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>MLA 8 vs MLA 7, updates in the new edition. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: EasyBib. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.easybib.com\/guides\/citation-guides\/mla-8\/mla-7-vs-mla-8\/\">http:\/\/www.easybib.com\/guides\/citation-guides\/mla-8\/mla-7-vs-mla-8\/<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>Understanding Citations. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: University of Mississippi. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>Walk, Talk, Cook, Eat: A Guide to Using Sources. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Cynthia R. Haller. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.saylor.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/writing-spaces-readings-on-writing-vol-2.pd\">http:\/\/www.saylor.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/writing-spaces-readings-on-writing-vol-2.pd<\/a>. <strong>Project<\/strong>: Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing Vol. 2.. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>","protected":false},"author":29,"menu_order":14,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"When to Use MLA Style, paragraph on MLA documentation\",\"author\":\"Catherine McCarthy\",\"organization\":\"Boundless\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.boundless.com\/writing\/textbooks\/boundless-writing-textbook\/writing-a-paper-in-mla-style-humanities-255\/introduction-to-mla-style-299\/when-to-use-mla-style-300-16888\/\",\"project\":\"Boundless Writing\",\"license\":\"cc-by-sa\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Why Cite? section from Using Information Ethically Tutorial\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"Loyola Marymount University Willliam H. 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