American History 148

MLA Style Guide (OWL) (Online Writing Lab) from Purdue University-this is one of the most comprehensive resources you will find on citation and paper formatting.

• MLA formatting in Word tutorial (video)

Basics of MLA Formatting and Citations

• Quick Guide from MLA

  This quick guide walks you through the basics of how to cite a few types of sources in MLA style. It focuses on core elements and containers, both of which are crucial for understanding the MLA 8th edition.

MLA Citation Style video:

Formatting an MLA Style Paper-the Basics

MARGINS

• 1 inch margins on all sides

TEXT FORMATTING

• Times New Roman, 12 pt. is the traditional font, but MLA 8th edition allows for other easily-readable fonts as well.

• Double-space your entire paper.

• Do not right-justify your text.

• Indent the first line of each paragraph 1/2 inch from the left margin.

• Leave only one space after a period.

HEADING

• Your name
• Your instructor's name
• Course number
• Date

TITLE Page

• On a new, double-spaced line, center your paper's title, without any punctuation or special font styling.

PAGE NUMBERS

• Number your pages in the following format:
• Your Last Name 1
• Your Last Name 2
• etc.
• Page numbers go in the upper right corner, 1/2 inch from the top and flush with the right margin.

SAMPLE FIRST PAGE

For more information, see the MLA Style Center's guide to Formatting a Research Paper.

Citing your work is an important part of the research and writing process.  While your voice and thoughts definitely needs to be in your paper it is important to acknowledge the ideas, research and thoughts of others as they appear in your work. 

Imagine a conversation with a friend or family member--you might say I heard or I read or I saw...and you would probably say where you go that information.  For example "I read this article in the New York Times but Kate Murphy on COVID..." just as we already do in everyday life we also need to put that in our papers.  These are in-text citations here are two examples of what these often look like:

IN-TEXT CITATIONS

In-text citations give a brief amount of information that ultimately leads your reader to your Works Cited.

MLA style uses parenthetical notations to identify the source (author's last name) and the specific location (page reference) from which you borrowed material.

Examples:

According to John Wiltshire, Jane Austen's novels have a "narrative confidence" that makes them appealing to many readers (16).

or

Jane Austen's novels have a "narrative confidence" that makes them appealing to many readers (Wiltshire 16).

WORKS CITED

• The list of works cited goes at the very end of your paper on a new page.
• Keep the page numbering on the Works Cited page(s).
• Center the title, Works Cited, an inch from the top of the page.
• Begin each entry flush with the left margin.
• If an entry runs more than one line, indent the subsequent line(s) 1/2 inch from the left margin. This is called a hanging indent.

WORKS CITED PAGE Citation Basics

SAMPLE WORKS CITED PAGE