Modern Language Association (MLA) style is commonly used for citing references in English and Humanities courses.
This guide is based on the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers published in 2021.
MLA Handbook by Below are a few useful one-sheet guides to creating both in-text and full citations.
The library provides access to the NoodleTools citation management system. NoodleTools helps you create, organize, and use citations in APA, MLA, & Chicago style.
Building confidence in the information and ideas we share with one another is perhaps more important today than ever before, and for nearly a century it has been the driving principle behind MLA style, a set of standards for writing and documentation used by writers to find and evaluate information, alert their audience to the trustworthiness of their findings through citation, and shape the expression of their ideas in conversation with others.
The ninth edition of the MLA Handbook, published in spring 2021, builds on the MLA's unique approach to documenting sources using a template of core elements—facts common to most sources, like author, title, and publication date—that allows writers to cite any type of work, from books, e-books, and journal articles in databases to song lyrics, online images, social media posts, dissertations, and more. With this focus on source evaluation as the cornerstone of citation, MLA style promotes the skills of information and digital literacy so crucial today. The new edition offers
The MLA Style Center offers free online resources on MLA style, including an interactive MLA format template, answers to common questions on Ask the MLA, advice from the MLA editors, and more. Get updates by signing up for The Source newsletter, and follow us on X @MLAstyle.
*The information on this page has been borrowed from the MLA Style website, and it is cited below.
Modern Language Association. "MLA Style." Modern Language Association, www.mla.org/MLA-Style. Accessed 1 Sept. 2024.
Here are some other resources that you may find helpful in learning how to appropriately cite materials using the 9th edition of the MLA Handbook.
If you need more assistance, please ask a librarian.
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One of the most difficult parts of writing research papers is understanding what they really are. A research paper has to, at its most basic level, inform about the research on a topic. You can't simply pick a topic and say "I'm going to write a research paper about this topic," and then actually start writing it. You need to know what it is you're researching, why, what purpose it serves, and what type of research paper you are working on.
This might sound simple, however, people often get stuck coming up with a research question, or even really wondering what the difference between a research question and a regular question is. Research questions are those that can not be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." A research question is "[N]ot any question we ask. Instead, it is a clear, specific, and goal-oriented query related to a problem that needs to be addressed" (Nassaji, 2019, 283).
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This guide is far from exhaustive, but it aims to inform you about what research papers are, what pieces are necessary, what formatting and citation style to use, and how to properly compile everything.
References
Nassaji, H. (2019). Good research questions. Language Teaching Research, 23(3), p. 283-286. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1362168819845322
A type of term paper in which you take a stand on a topic and justify it with evidence --either for or against. Both sides --pro and con-- of the issue are typically discussed.
A technique for properly attributing information to the appropriate author or source.
A type of term paper that describes the nature of a topic, allowing you to acquire a deeper knowledge of the subject or issue.
Specific questions that you hope to answer through your research that will form the basis for your overall paper.
RQs narrow your purpose statement into the fundamental questions in your overall topic.
A summary in one to two declarative sentences indicating what you hope to achieve through your research.
References
McAdoo M. L. (2015). The student's survival guide to research. Neal-Schuman.
The Student's Survival Guide to Research by .
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Except where otherwise noted, content in these research guides is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
