Hello... wondering what is an MLA format is and how to cite using MLA?

MLA stands for Modern Language Association and it is one of the ways to give credit for another author's ideas or writing for English writing disciplines. 
There are other forms of citation styles for other subjects, such as APA or Chicago, but for this course, we are going to focus on MLA.


Why do we need to cite information that we find on the Internet, in books, magazines, peer-reviewed papers, news media, or other sources? The reason being if we use someone else's ideas, we need to give them credit. If we don't give them credit, then we are plagiarizing. Plagiarism is a serious academic offence. Honestly, citations are not hard to learn.

So, first, we will look at the two components of MLA citations and second, I will give you a couple of examples of how to cite using MLA!

There are two components when you are citing someone else's writing:

    1. Place quotations around the words that you are using from another source and include the last name and the page number in brackets at the end of the sentence.
    2. Include a separate page at the end of your writing titled "Works Cited" and list your authors or sources alphabetically.

     Here's an example:

     In this lesson about MLA citations, Mrs Penner states, "There are two components when you are citing someone else's writing" (1). These components include quotations around the words from another author and including a page at the end of my paper to list all the sources and the authors that I used (Penner 1).

     For the "Works Cited" page: 

     If this source was part of a book, it would look like the first example. If the source was from the Internet, it would look like the second example.

                                                                   Works Cited

Penner, Lorie. MLA Citations Lesson. Red Deer: Penner Publishing House, 2018. Print.

Penner, Lorie. MLA Citations Lesson. Red Deer: St. Gabriel Learning Centre, 2018. 

     Web. 25 Sept. 2018. https://moodle.sg.rdcrs.ca

Just a couple of notes:

    • Please pay attention to where the quotations, brackets and the periods are.
    • If you are quoting more than three words from someone else, put quotations around the words.
    • In the "Works Cited" page, if a citation is long, note that the second line is indented. The reason for this is to allow the person looking at the references to find them quickly. 
    • Remember to list the references in alphabetical order, and double-spaced.
    • The format changes a bit for different references. If you are using a website and you can not find the author, then list as much of the information as you can and include the URL. Make sure that you check the bottom of the 'home page' of the website.

You can always ask me questions!
Additional information can be found at https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_formatting_and_style_guide.html 
OR
https://www.mendeley.com/guides/mla-citation-guide

Thank you.

 

Last modified: Friday, 19 October 2018, 1:28 PM