Understanding a Discipline’s Philosophy

Creating Credibility with Your Readers

Living a Plagiarism-Free Life

MLA Documentation

UNO Writing CenterUNO Writing Center2006-072006-07

Language of Documentation

History of Documentation

Philosophy of MLA

Why do we cite sources?

To allow readers to locate and retrieve sources used in an essay.

To properly acknowledge another author’s ideas and work.

To build your own credibility as a serious, knowledgeable writer.

To avoid plagiarism.

MLA Style: Two Parts

In-Text Citation (Parenthetical Documentation)

Works Cited Page

Part I: In-Text CitationsWhat needs to be cited?

Direct Quotes Paraphrases Another source’s research, theories

or ideas Another source’s argument or

opinions Facts that are not commonly known Another source’s visuals, e.g.

tables, graphs, images, statistics

Part I: In-Text CitationsWhat does NOT need to be cited?

Proverbs or sayings A stitch in time saves nine.

Well-known quotations “To be or not to be. That is the question.”

Common knowledge Shakespeare wrote Hamlet.

Your own field research, observations or surveys

My survey revealed that 15% of the Shakespeare class believes Francis Bacon wrote Shakespeare’s plays.

How to Use In-text Citations

Author’s last name and page number(s) of quote must appear in the text.

Heiresses know “there’s a big difference between being fun and provocative and being totally over the top and gross” (Hilton 8).

Paris Hilton argues an heiress knows “there’s a big difference between being fun and provocative and being totally over the top and gross” (8).

Using Attributive Tags (Signal Phrases)

In her autobiography, Confessions of an Heiress, Paris HiltonParis Hilton reminds us that “an heiress knows how to tread that fine line – in stilettos” (8)(8).

According to HiltonHilton in her autobiography, “I’m a fantasy to a lot of people . . . They want to think I’m ‘Paris Barbie’” (8)(8)..

How to Cite a Paraphrase

Paraphrase material by putting the source’s idea into your own words AND sentence structure.

Original: “there’s a big difference between being fun and provocative and being totally over the top and gross” (Hilton 8)(Hilton 8).

Paraphrase: Hilton acknowledges the contrast between suggestive behavior and coarse, vulgar behavior (8).(8).

In-text Rarities

Same Last Name: Use the first initial of their first name in the parenthetical:

(C. Hilton 45 ) and (P. Hilton 8)

No Author: Use the first word or

words from the title of the source. Punctuate appropriately: “Paris: The Barest” (“Paris” 12)

More In-text Rarities

Same Author, Multiple Works: The author’s last name must be accompanied by a

word from the title of the source you are referring to: (Hilton, “Confessions” 8) and (Hilton, “Diary” 25)

Web Sources: When possible use (Author page #) or (Title page #): (Dionne A21)

If no page numbers are provided, use paragraph numbers

instead. (Author par. #) or (Title par. #): (“Paris” par. 17)

Part 2: Works Cited

The Works Cited page contains a complete list of sources that you cite in your essay.

Each Works Cited entry provides the bibliographic information necessary for a reader to locate and retrieve that source.

Works Cited

Most entries should contain the following information:

Author’s name (last name, first name)

Title of workPublication information

Works Cited: Some Examples

Book:

Author. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Date.

Mair, George. Paris Hilton: The Naked Truth. New York: Penguin, 2004.

Collins, Ronald K.L., and David M. Skover. The Death of Discourse. New York: Westview, 1996.

Note: Only the first author’s name is reversed.

Works Cited: More Examples

Journal Article

Author. “Title of Article: Subtitle.” Periodical Title Volume (Year): Inclusive Page Number(s).

Howarth, William J. “Some Principles of Autobiography.” New Literary History 5.2 (1974): 363-81.

Note: Journals that paginate each issue separately will call for an issue number as well: . . . volume.issue (year): inclusive page numbers.

Works Cited: Even More Examples

Web Page (Professional )

Author. “Title of Document.” Info about Electronic Publication. Access Information.

Dionne, Jr., E.J. “The Paris Hilton Tax Cut.” The Washington Post 12 Apr. 2005. 29 Oct. 2005 <www.washingtonpost. com>.

Sample Works Cited Page

Works Cited

Kimball, Miles A. The Web Portfolio Guide: Creating Electronic Portfolios for the Web. NY: Longman,

2003.

Springfield, Emily. “Comparing Electronic and Paper Portfolios.” Ed. Barbara L. Cambridge et al.

Electronic Portfolios: Emerging Practices in Student, Faculty, and Institutional Learning.

Washington, D.C.: American Association for Higher Education, 2001. 76-82.

Treuer, Paul, and Jill D. Jenson. “Electronic Portfolios Need Standards to Thrive.” Educause Quarterly 2

(2003): 34-42.

Formatting an MLA Paper

Pitsnoggle 1

Peter Pitsnoggle

Professor Snodgrass

English 1150

15 November 2005

Hilton’s Empire

Hilton walked the runaway not or the money or the attention, but because it was “fun”

and “if [she] didn’t do it, who would? [She] created a new opportunity for [other] young

heiresses” (5).

For more information…

MLA Handbook

UNO Writing Center www.unomaha.edu/writingcenter/

Modern Language Association www.mla.org

Purdue On-Line Writing Lab owl.english.purdue.edu

St. Martin’s Handbook