2. Outline for the Workshop
1. Introduction to MLA style
2. First page formatting
3. In-text citations
4. Formatting sources for Works Cited page.
5. Discussion of Plagiarism
6. How to use NoodleBib!
3. Introduction to MLA Style
Purpose:
1. System for referencing sources
2. Document credibility of sources
3. Avoid plagiarism
4. Provide information
4. Formatting the First Page
Do not make a title page for your paper unless specifically
requested.
Upper left-hand corner of the first page
your name,
your instructor's name,
the course, and
the date.
Insert tab, Click on Page Number tool, Click on “top of page”
option, Select “Plain Number 3.”
Type your name in front of the number,
Put one space between name and page number.
Double space again and center the title.
Double space between the title and the first line of the text.
5. In-Text Citations
In MLA style, referring to the works of others in your text is
done by using what is known as parenthetical citation. This
method involves placing relevant source information in
parentheses after a quote or a paraphrase.
General Guidelines for Source Information
Source medium (e.g. Print, Web, DVD)
Source’s entry on the Works Cited (bibliography) page.
Any source information that you provide in-text must
correspond to the source information on the Works Cited
page.
6. In-Text Citation: Author-Page
Style
MLA format follows the author-page method of in-
text citation.
The author's last name and the page number(s) from
which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must appear in
the text, and a complete reference should appear on your
Works Cited page.
Examples:
Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked
by a "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings"
(263).
Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous
overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263).
8. When a Citation Is Not Needed
Familiar proverbs- “A penny saved is a penny
earned.”
Well-known quotations: “ Ask not what your
country can do for you, but ask what you can
do for your country.” JFK
Common knowledge: President Abraham
Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes
Booth.
9. Citing Non-Print/Sources from the
Internet
Include in the text the first item that appears in
the Work Cited entry that corresponds to the
citation (e.g. author name, article name,
website name, film name).
No paragraph numbers or page numbers
based on your Web browser’s print preview
function.
Do not include URLs in in-text citations.
10. Types of Media
Books-author, an editor, work in an anthology,
encyclopedia or dictionary
Articles in periodicals-magazine,
newspapers, journals
Online Sources-entire Web site, online book,
work from a database, CD-ROM, email
Multimedia Sources-work of art, map or
chart, radio or television, podcast, personal
interview
Other sources-government publications,
historical or legal sources, personal letter,
pamphlet
11. Works Cited Page
“Basic rules”
Begin your Works Cited page on a separate page at the end of
your research paper.
Same one-inch margins and last name, page number header
as the rest of your paper.
Label the page Works Cited and center at the top of the page
Do not italicize the words Works Cited or put them in
quotation marks
Double space all citations, but do not skip spaces between
entries.
Create a hanging indent.
List page numbers of sources efficiently, when needed.
If you refer to a journal article that appeared on pages 225
through 250, list the page numbers on your Works Cited page
as 225-50.
12. Works Cited page
Entries are listed alphabetically by
The author's last name
Editor names for entire edited collections
Author names are written last name first, first
name, then middle initial.
Sources without authors will be integrated into
the alphabetical order of your list
13. Formatting Sources
Book:
Wordsworth, William. Lyrical Ballads. London:
.
Oxford U.P., 1967. Print.
Anthology:
Desai, Anita. “Scholar and Gypsy.” The Oxford
Book of Travel Stories. Ed. Patricia Craig.
Oxford: Oxford U.P., 1996. 251-73. Print.
14. Formatting Sources
Encyclopedia:
Posner, Rebecca. “Romance Languages.” The
New Encyclopedia Britannica: Macropaedia.
15th ed. 1987. Print.
Articles in periodicals: magazine
Lord, Lewis. “There’s Something about Mary
Todd.” US News and World Report 19
Feb. 2001: 53. Print.
15. Formatting sources
Newspaper:
Brummitt, Chris. “Indonesia’s Food Needs
Expected to Soar.” Boston Globe 1 Feb.
2005: A7. Print.
Online sources: entire website
Halsall, Paul, ed. Internet Modern History
Sourcebook. Fordham U, 22 Sept. 2001.
Web. Jan. 2009.
16. Formatting Sources
More online sources:
Peterson, Susan Lynn, The Life of Martin Luther. Susan
Lynn Peterson, 2005. Web. 24 Jan. 2009.
<http://www.susanlynnpeterson.com/index_files/
luther.htm>.
“Utah Mine Rescue Funeral.” CNN.com. Cable News
Network, 21 Aug. 2007. Web. 21 Aug. 2007.
Work from database:
Johnson, Kirk. “The Mountain Lions of Michigan.”
Endangered Species Update 19.2 (2002): 27-31.
Expanded Academic Index. Web. 26 Nov. 2008. (access
date)
17. Formatting Sources
Multimedia sources: chart
Joseph, Lori, and Bob Laird. “Driving While
Phoning Is Dangerous.” Chart. USA
Today. 16 Feb. 2001: 1A. Print.
Serbia. Map. Syrena Maps. Syrena, 2 Feb.
2001. Web. 17 Mar. 2009.
18. Formatting Sources
Other sources: historical
Jefferson, Thomas. First Inaugural Address.
1801. The American Reader. Ed. Diane
Ravitch. New York: Harper, 1990. 42-44.
Print.
Pamphlet:
Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Dept. of Jury
Commissioner. A Few Facts about Jury
Duty. Boston: Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, 2004. Print.
19. Plagiarism: What is it and how do I
avoid it?
Plagiarism is using others’ ideas and words
without clearly acknowledging the source of
that information.
To avoid plagiarizing, you must give credit
whenever you use:
another person’s idea, opinion, or theory
any facts, statistics, graphs, or drawings
information that is not common knowledge
quotations or paraphrases of another person’s
spoken or written words
20. Strategies for Avoiding
Plagiarism
Terms you need to know:
Common knowledge - facts that can be found
in many places and are likely to be known by
most people.
Example: President John F. Kennedy was
assassinated in Dallas, Texas.
This is generally known information. You do
not need to document this fact.
21. Strategies for Avoiding
Plagiarism
What is NOT common knowledge? Specific
facts unknown, other’s ideas, interpretations,
research findings, statistics, quotes, etc.
You must document facts that are not
generally known and ideas that interpret facts.
Example: According to the American Family Leave
Coalition’s book (2005), Family Issues and
Congress, former President Bush’s relationship with
Congress hindered family leave legislation (6).
22. Strategies for Avoiding
Plagiarism
Terms you need to know:
Quotation - using someone’s words. When you
quote, place the passage you are using in
quotation marks, and document the source
according to a standard documentation style.
The following example uses the MLA style:
Example: According to Peter S. Pritchard in USA Today
(2005), “Public schools need reform but they're
irreplaceable in teaching the entire nation's young” (14).
23. Strategies for Avoiding
Plagiarism
Terms you need to know:
Paraphrase - using someone’s ideas, but
putting them in your own words.
Let’s take a look at how to paraphrase…
24. How do I paraphrase?
Remember, while paraphrasing, if you changed
around a few words and phrases, or simply
changed the order of the original’s sentences, that
is still considered plagiarism.
Successful paraphrasing by students include the
following:
the student uses his or her own words
the student maintains the original message of the
information
the student puts quotation marks around any unique
phrases
the student lets the reader know the source of the
original information
25. Strategies for Avoiding
Plagiarism
Put quotation marks around everything that
comes directly from the text—especially when
taking notes.
When paraphrasing, read over what you want to
paraphrase carefully. Cover up or close the text so
you can't see any of it to be tempted to use it as a
guide. Write out a summary of the passage in
your own words without peeking.
Check your paraphrase against the original text to
be sure you have not accidentally used the same
phrases or words, and that the information is
accurate.
26. NoodleBib
NoodleBib by NoodleTools is an online citation
generator provided by HGTC Library that will help
you create perfectly formatted MLA style citations.
Beware: You must have some understanding of
how citations work to get a correct citation out of
NoodleBib.
Note: To use NoodleBib from off-campus, you will
need HGTC's school username and password:
Username: hgtclib
Password: hgtc09
27. NoodleBib Access Instructions
Go to www.hgtc.edu/library
Click on the Citations tab
Click on NoodleBib Full Version
Make note of the username and password if off-
campus
Click on Current Users: Sign In
If you are a new user, click on “Create a free
Personal ID”
Returning users, enter your Personal ID and Password
Click on Bibliography in the upper part of the screen
Follow the on screen prompts
Choose MLA Style, then select Bibliography once again
28. NoodleBib Help
Assistance using NoodleBib is available
through a variety of avenues:
Click on the Help link shown on all NoodleBib
screens at any time.
View HGTC Library’s NoodleBib tutorial, available
at http://libguides.hgtc.edu/librarytutorials
Pick up the NoodleBib Instructions guide available
at any HGTC campus library.
Visit any HGTC campus library and ask for
assistance.
29. Thank you!
Credits:
MLA Manual
Chris Williams, Reference Librarian at Horry
Georgetown Technical College
Student Success and Technology Center
The Purdue OWL. Purdue U Writing Lab, 2010.
Web. 18 January 2012.
Hacker, Diane. Research and Documentation in
the Electronic Age. 4th Ed. Bedford/St.
Martin’s, New York: 2009 146-71. Print.
30. Questions?
Do you have further questions, comments,
concerns, or do you need additional help on
this topic? Please call the SSTC:
Conway campus (843) 349-7872
Grand Strand campus (843) 477-2113
Georgetown campus (843) 520-1455
Thank you!
31. Workshop Quiz
Type the following webpage link in your
browser:
libguides.hgtc.edu/sstc
Click on the “On Demand Workshops and
Quizzes” tab
Locate the quiz associated with this workshop title
and click on the workshop image to enter the quiz
Evaluate what you have learned through this
workshop!
Don’t forget to enter your first and last name
Notas del editor
“The Basics,” an MLA style workshop presented by the SSTC.
In this workshop, there will be an introduction and overview to MLA style including: first page formatting, in-text citations, formatting sources for the works cited page, a discussion of plagiarism, and a fun quiz.
MLA, which stands for the Modern Language Association, is most used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. The purpose of using the MLA style is to provide a system for referencing sources through parenthetical citations and works cited pages, to document credibility of sources used, or ensure that they are scholarly, to avoid plagiarism material, and to provide information for those who want to further investigate the topic that is being written about.
The first page of your paper should be the first page with text on it. Do not make a title page for your paper unless it is specifically requested by your instructor. The first thing to be done when formatting the first page of the paper is to list your name, your instructor’s name, the course, and the date in the upper left-hand corner. Be sure that the text is double-spaced. Next, go to the Insert tab and click on the Page Number tool, then you will click on the “top of page” option and select “Plain Number 3.” A header and the page number will appear in the upper right-hand corner. Type your name in front of the number and put one space between the name and page number. These steps will create consecutive pages for your paper. Double space and center the title, but do not underline, italicize, or place your title in quotation marks. Write the title in Title Case, or standard capitalization, not in all capital letters. Then, double space between the title and the first line of the text.
In MLA style, referring to the works of others in your text is done by using what is known as parenthetical citation. This method involves placing relevant source information in parentheses after a quote or paraphrase. There are some general guidelines to follow for in-text citations. The source information required in a parenthetical citation depends upon the source of the medium, whether that be print, web, DVD, eBook, or something else, and also upon the source’s entry on the works cited page, also called the bibliography page. Any source information that you provide in-text must correspond to the source information on the works cited page. More specifically, whatever signal word or phrase you provide to your readers in the text must be in the works cited list.
MLA format follows the author-page method of in-text citation. This means that the author’s last name and the page number, or numbers, from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must appear in the text, and a complete reference should appear on your works cited page. The author’s name may appear either in the sentence itself or in parentheses following the quotation or paraphrase, but the page number or numbers should always appear in the parentheses, not in the text of your sentence. Take the following 2 examples: in the first example, the author’s name is mentioned within the sentence, so the only information required within the parentheses is the page number. In the second example, the author’s name is not mentioned within the text of the sentence, so it is necessary to include the author’s name and the page number from which the information came in the parentheses. Remember that only the author’s name can be included within the text of the sentence, but never the page number.
Both citations in the examples from the previous slide tell readers that the information in the sentence can be located on page 263 of a work by an author named Wordsworth. If readers want more information about this source, they can turn to the works cited page where, under the name of Wordsworth, they would find the following information: The book Lyrical Ballads by William Wordsworth, was published in print in London by the Oxford University Press in 1967.
There are instances when a citation is not needed and common sense and ethics should determine your need for documenting sources. You do not need to give sources for: familiar proverbs, such as “a penny saved is a penny earned;” well-known quotations, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country;” or common knowledge, “President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth.
When citing non-print sources or sources from the Internet you want to include in the text the first item that appears in the works cited entry that corresponds to the citation, in other words, the author’s name, the name of the article, the website name, or the film name. You do not need to give paragraph numbers or page numbers based on your web browser’ print preview function. Unless you must list the website name in the signal phrase in order to get the reader to the appropriate entry, do not include URLs in the in-text citations. Only provide partial URLs when the name of the site includes a domain name, such as CNN.com or Forbes.com. Never write out the entire URL in the in-text citation.
There are many different types of media. Books can have an author or an editor, it can be a work in an anthology, or it can be an encyclopedia or dictionary. Articles can come from periodicals such as magazines, newspapers, or journals. Online sources can be an entire website, an online book, a work from a database, a CD-ROM, or an email. Multimedia sources include works of art, maps and charts, radio or television, podcasts, or personal interviews. Other sources can include government publications, historical or legal sources, personal letters, or pamphlets.
Now, let’s talk about the basic rules of the works cited page. The works cited page must be on a separate page at the end of your research paper. It should have the same one-inch margins and last name, page number header as the rest of your paper, and be centered. Title the page “Works Cited,” but do not italicize or put the words in quotation marks. Double space all of the citations, but do not skip spaces between entries. Indent the second and subsequent lines of citations five spaces so that you create a hanging indent. In Microsoft Word, this can also be done by clicking on the “Paragraph” tool, then under “Indents and Spacing” clicking the “Special” dropdown menu and choosing “Hanging.” List the page numbers of sources efficiently, when needed. If you refer to a journal article that appeared on pages 225 through 250, list the page numbers on your works cited page as 225-50.
Entries on the works cited page are listed alphabetically by the author’s last name, or the editor’s name for an entire edited collection. Author names are written last name first, then first name and middle initial. Sources without authors will be integrated into the alphabetical order of the list. The next several slides will include examples of formatting the sources.
For a basic print book, the author’s last name appears first followed by a comma and the first name. Next, in italics, is the name of the work, the city in which it was published, the publisher, and the year of publication. Finally, the medium of the work. Be sure to note the punctuation throughout the citation, as this is very important. An anthology is a collection of several works, and generally has an editor, not an author because each work may have a different author. The author of the work is put first, followed by the title of the work, the name of the anthology, the name of the editor preceded by “Ed.,” the city of publication, the publisher, the year of publication, the page numbers where the work can be found in the anthology, and the medium of the anthology.
With an encyclopedia entry you will include the author’s name, the name of the entry, the name of the encyclopedia in italics, the edition number, the year of publication, and the medium. The next example is an article in a periodical, in this case a magazine. The author’s name comes first, followed by the title of the article in quotation marks, the name of the magazine, the date the issue was published, the page number, and the medium.
When citing a newspaper include the author’s name, the name of the article in quotations, the name of the newspaper, the date the issue was printed, the section the article appeared in the newspaper, and the medium. For online sources, an entire website in this example, the editor’s name comes first, followed by the name of the website, the publisher of the website, the date the website was published, the medium, and the date the website was accessed.
Here are other examples of online sources. The first has the author’s name first, then the name of the work, the publisher of the website and the year published, the medium, and the month and year it was accessed followed by the entire URL. The second example begins with the title of the article from the website, as there was no author, then the name of the website, the publisher and year of publication of the website, the medium, and the date accessed. In a work from a database you include the author’s name, the name of the article in quotations, the name of the journal in italics followed by the volume, issue number, and date of publication, then the page numbers. Next, the name of the database where the article was retrieved, the medium, and finally the date the article was accessed.
For multimedia sources, and in this first case a chart, the authors are first (note how the first author’s name is inverted, but the second author’s name is not), then the name of the chart in quotation marks, the type of multimedia source, the source in which it came from, the date of publication, the section of the newspaper that the chart came from, and the medium. The next multimedia example is of a map. The citation begins with the name of the country that was located on the map, then the multimedia source, the title of the work from which the map came, the publisher and date published, the medium, and finally the date accessed.
The first citation example on this slide is an historical inaugural address by Thomas Jefferson. In the citation, the name of the speaker is first, then the work, the year of the work, the source where the work was located, the editor’s name, the city of publication, the publisher, and the year of publication. Finally, are the page numbers and medium. In this pamphlet example, the author is the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, issued by the Department of Jury Commissioner, titled A Few Facts about Jury Duty. The city of publication is followed by the publisher (which just happens to also be the author), then the date of publication and the medium.
So, what is plagiarism? Plagiarismis using others’ ideas and words without clearly acknowledging the source of that information. To avoid plagiarizing, you must give credit whenever you use:-another person’s idea, opinion, or theory-any facts, statistics, graphs, or drawings-information that is not common knowledge-quotations or paraphrases of another person’s spoken or written wordsIt is okay to double check with a professor, tutor or librarian? on a question of whether you cited something appropriately. Simply bring your cited facts and the cited resource with you.
Here are some strategies on preventing plagiarism in your own work:-know the difference between common knowledge and facts that are not common knowledge.Common knowledge - facts that can be found in many places and are likely to be known by most people.Example: President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. This is generally known information. You do not need to document this fact.
What is NOT common knowledge? Specific facts unknown, other’s ideas, interpretations, research findings, statistics, etc.You must document facts that are not generally known and ideas that interpret facts.Example: According to the American Family Leave Coalition’s book (2005), Family Issues and Congress, former President Bush’s relationship with Congress hindered family leave legislation (p. 6).The idea that Bush’s relationship with Congress hindered family leave legislation is not a fact but an interpretation; thus, you need to cite your source.
Other Terms you need to know:Quotation - using someone’s words. When you quote, place the passage you are using in quotation marks, and document the source according to a standard documentation style.The following example uses the APA style:Example: According to Peter S. Pritchard in USA Today (2005), “Public schools need reform but they're irreplaceable in teaching the entire nation's young” (p. 14).
Terms you need to know:Paraphrase - using someone’s ideas, but putting them in your own words. This is probably the skill you will use most when incorporating sources into your writing. Although you use your own words to paraphrase, you must still acknowledge the source of the information.Let’s take a look at how to paraphrase…
-Remember, while paraphrasing, if you only changed around a few words and phrases, or simply changed the order of the original’s sentences, that is still considered plagiarism. -successful paraphrasingby students include the following:-the student uses his or her own words – Here’s a suggestion: to put something in your own words – do not look at the original source while trying to type or write a summary of the findings, facts or information you would like to use in your paper. Then, you will not rely on the original wording of the source – double-check it against the source, remember to include your in-text citation.-the student maintains the original message of the information -the student puts quotation marks around any unique phrases and sentences taken from a source-the student lets the reader know the source of the original information (cite!, Cite!, References Page!)
Put quotation marks around everything that comes directly from the text—especially when taking notes.When paraphrasing, read over what you want to paraphrase carefully. Cover up or close the text so you can't see any of it to be tempted to use it as a guide. Write out a summary of the passage in your own words without peeking.Check your paraphrase against the original text to be sure you have not accidentally used the same phrases or words, and that the information is accurate.
At this time, I am going to hand it over to our librarian to tell you a little bit about NoodleBib, which is powered by NoodleTools. Anytime that you have a question about how to cite, please come to the SSTC and we will help you to understand a little bit more about MLA style. If you have a question about NoodleBib, then you will want to see a librarian.
Thank you for listening to the presentation today brought to you by the SSTC and the library. Again, you will always want to refer back to the MLA manual for further assistance, or…
If you feel that you need additional help on this topic, or have questions, concerns, or comments, then please call or visit the SSTC center of your preference. Thank you, and good luck!
Now it’s time to take the quiz.Type the following webpage link in your browser:libguides.hgtc.edu/sstcClick on the “On Demand Workshops and Quizzes” tab Locate the quiz associated with this workshop title and click on the workshop image to enter the quizEvaluate what you have learned through this workshop! Don’t forget to enter your first and last name before starting the corresponding quiz.
