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Modern Language Association (MLA)
Sample MLA 8th Edition Research Paper
This resource contains a sample MLA paper that adheres to the 2016 Modern Language Association updates. Information provided by the Purdue OWL.
MLA Works Cited Page Basic Format
MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource, updated to reflect the MLA Handbook (8th ed.), offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page. Information provided by the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL).
Contributors:Tony Russell, Allen Brizee, Elizabeth Angeli, Russell Keck, Joshua M. Paiz, Michelle Campbell, Rodrigo Rodríguez-Fuentes, Daniel P. Kenzie, Susan Wegener, Maryam Ghafoor, Purdue OWL Staff
Last Edited: 2016-08-02 03:14:08
Use this checklist to make sure you have formatted your research paper properly.
MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics from the Purdue OWL
In MLA style, referring to the works of others in your text is done by using what is known as parenthetical citation because you place the relevant source information in parentheses after a quote or a paraphrase. EX: (Wordsworth 263)
The in-text citation should direct the reader unambiguously to the entry in your works-cited list for the source - and if possible, to a passage in the source - while creating the least possible interruption in your text.
About In text citations: In MLA, in-text citations are inserted in the body of your research paper to briefly document the source of your information. Brief in-text citations point the reader to more complete information in the works cited list at the end of the paper.
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Quoting Directly When you quote directly from a source, enclose the quoted section in quotation marks. Add an in-text citation at the end of the quote with the author name and page number: Mother-infant attachment has been a leading topic of developmental research since John Bowlby found that "children raised in institutions were deficient in emotional and personality development" (Hunt 358). No Page Numbers When you quote from electronic sources that do not provide page numbers (like Web pages), cite the author name only. "Three phases of the separation response: protest, despair, and detachment" (Garelli). |
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Paraphrasing: When you write information or ideas from a source in your own words, cite the source by adding an in-text citation at the end of the paraphrased portion. Paraphrasing from One Page Include a full in-text citation with the author name and page number (if there is one). For example: Mother-infant attachment became a leading topic of developmental research following the publication of John Bowlby's studies (Hunt 65). Paraphrasing from Multiple Pages If the paraphrased information/idea is from several pages, include them. For example: Mother-infant attachment became a leading topic of developmental research following the publication of John Bowlby's studies (Hunt 50, 55, 65-71). |
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Indirect sources Sources that are paraphrased or quoted in other sources are called indirect sources. Whenever you can, take material from the original source, not a secondhand one. When using an indirect source, if what you quote or paraphrase is itself a quotation, put the abbreviation qtd. in ("quoted in") before the indirect source you cite in your parenthetical reference. Example: Samuel Johnson admitted that Edmund Burke was an "extraordinary man" (qtd. in Boswell 2: 450). In this case, you would also need to cite Boswell 2 in your works cited list. |
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Unknown author Where you'd normally put the author's last name, instead use the first one, two, or three words from the title. Don't count initial articles like "A", "An" or "The". You should provide enough words to make it clear which work you're referring to from your Works Cited list. If the title in the Works Cited list is in italics, italicize the words from the title in the in-text citation. If the title in the Works Cited list is in quotation marks, put quotation marks around the words from the title in the in-text citation. Examples: (Cell Biology 12) ("Nursing" 12) |
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Repeated use of sources If you're using information from a single source more than once in succession (i.e., no other sources referred to in between), you can use a simplified in-text citation. Example: Cell biology is an area of science that focuses on the structure and function of cells (Smith 15). It revolves around the idea that the cell is a "fundamental unit of life" (17). Many important scientists have contributed to the evolution of cell biology. Mattias Jakob Schleiden and Theodor Schwann, for example, were scientists who formulated cell theory in 1838 (20). ! Note: If using this simplified in-text citation creates ambiguity regarding the source being referred to, use the full in-text citation format. |
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In-text citations for more than 1 source If you would like to cite more than one source within the same in-text citation, simply record the in-text citations as normal and separate them with a semi-colon. Examples: (Smith 42; Bennett 71). (It Takes Two; Brock 43). ! Note: The sources within the in-text citation do not need to be in alphabetical order for MLA style. |
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Long Quotations What Is a Long Quotation? If your quotation extends to more than four lines as you're typing your essay, it is a long quotation. Rules for Long Quotations There are 4 rules that apply to long quotations that are different from regular quotations:
Example of a Long Quotation At the end of Lord of the Flies the boys are struck with the realization of their behaviour: The tears began to flow and sobs shook him. He gave himself up to them now for the first time on the island; great, shuddering spasms of grief that seemed to wrench his whole body. His voice rose under the black smoke before the burning wreckage of the island; and infected by that emotion, the other little boys began to shake and sob too. (Golding 186) |
Use the title page first, and then the copyright page (not the cover or jacket), to find:
Refer to the Purdue OWL for detailed guidance on proper citations for books.
Most library databases include ready made citations
for articles & resources.
How do I cite a Website or a webpage?
Common elements needed:
Purdue OWL: Citation electronic sources
Refer to the Purdue OWL MLA citation guide for specific variations on how to cite a website, webpage, an image or an article within a web magazine.
Basic Citation Format for Images found on a website:
"Image Title." Image. Name of the Website. Date the image was posted. URL. Accessed on Day Month Year you accessed the website.
A Song or Album
Music can be cited multiple ways. Mainly, this depends on the container that you accessed the music from. Generally, citations begin with the artist name. They might also be listed by composers or performers. Otherwise, list composer and performer information after the album title. Put individual song titles in quotation marks. Album names are italicized. Provide the name of the recording manufacturer followed by the publication date.
If information such as record label or name of album is unavailable from your source, do not list that information.
Spotify
Rae Morris. “Skin.” Cold, Atlantic Records, 2014, Spotify, open.spotify.com/track/0OPES3Tw5r86O6fudK8gxi.
Online Album
Beyoncé. “Pray You Catch Me.” Lemonade, Parkwood Entertainment, 2016, www.beyonce.com/album/lemonade-visual-album/.
CD
Nirvana. "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Nevermind, Geffen, 1991.
“Best of Not My Job Musicians.” Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! from NPR, 4 June 2016, http://www.npr.org/podcasts/344098539/wait-wait-don-t-tell-me.
Treat spoken-word albums the same as musical albums.
Hedberg, Mitch. Strategic Grill Locations. Comedy Central, 2003.
Determine the type of work to cite (e.g., article, image, sound recording) and cite appropriately. End the entry with the name of the digital format (e.g., PDF, JPEG file, Microsoft Word file, MP3). If the work does not follow traditional parameters for citation, give the author’s name, the name of the work, the date of creation, and the location.
Beethoven, Ludwig van. Moonlight Sonata. Crownstar, 2006.
Smith, George. “Pax Americana: Strife in a Time of Peace.” 2005. Microsoft Word file.
Council of Writing Program Administrators, National Council of Teachers of English, and National Writing Project. Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing. CWPA, NCTE, and NWP, 2011, wpacouncil.org/files/framework-for-success-postsecondary-writing.pdf.
Bentley, Phyllis. “Yorkshire and the Novelist.” The Kenyon Review, vol. 30, no. 4, 1968, pp. 509-22. JSTOR, www.jstor.org.iii/stable/4334841.
Interviews typically fall into two categories: print or broadcast published and unpublished (personal) interviews, although interviews may also appear in other, similar formats such as in e-mail format or as a Web document.
Personal Interviews
Personal interviews refer to those interviews that you conduct yourself. List the interview by the name of the interviewee. Include the descriptor Personal interview and the date of the interview.
Smith, Jane. Personal interview. 19 May 2014.
Published Interviews (Print or Broadcast)
List the interview by the full name of the interviewee. If the name of the interview is part of a larger work like a book, a television program, or a film series, place the title of the interview in quotation marks. Place the title of the larger work in italics. If the interview appears as an independent title, italicize it. For books, include the author or editor name after the book title.
Note: If the interview from which you quote does not feature a title, add the descriptor, Interview by (unformatted) after the interviewee’s name and before the interviewer’s name.
Gaitskill, Mary. Interview with Charles Bock. Mississippi Review, vol. 27, no. 3, 1999, pp. 129-50.
Amis, Kingsley. “Mimic and Moralist.” Interviews with Britain’s Angry Young Men, By Dale Salwak, Borgo P, 1984.
Online-only Published Interviews
List the interview by the name of the interviewee. If the interview has a title, place it in quotation marks. Cite the remainder of the entry as you would other exclusive web content. Place the name of the website in italics, give the publisher name (or sponsor), the publication date, and the URL.
Note: If the interview from which you quote does not feature a title, add the descriptor Interview by (unformatted) after the interviewee’s name and before the interviewer’s name.
Zinkievich, Craig. Interview by Gareth Von Kallenbach. Skewed & Reviewed, 27 Apr. 2009, www.arcgames.com/en/games/star-trek-online/news/detail/1056940-skewed-%2526-reviewed-interviews-craig. Accessed 15 May. 2009.
APA Citation Guide from Purdue OWL
APA (American Psychological Association) style is most commonly used to cite sources within the social sciences.
Citation Style Chart: MLA, APA, Chicago Manual of Style comparison chart
Lee High School is an International Baccalaureate (IBO) World school which follows IBO requirements and expectations. At Lee High School we expect students to follow a set of values and skills that promote personal integrity.
Lee High School Statement of Academic Honesty
Academic honesty means that one’s own work is authentic and not a reproduction of other person’s work or ideas. When another person’s ideas are used, they are given credit with a citation.
Terms to understand:
How to maintain academic honesty:
Things to Remember