USING THE MLA STYLE HANDBOOK

(7
TH
Edition)













Workshop sponsored by:

The Dr. Mack Gipson, Jr.,
Tutorial and Enrichment Center













Presented by:

Carole Overton, Director
The Dr. Mack Gipson, Jr.,
Tutorial and Enrichment Center
Gipson Building
Paine College
706-821-8345

Dr. Mack Gipson, Jr., Tutorial and Enrichment Center, Paine College, Augusta, GA Prepared by Carole D. Overton, Director page 1
Using the MLA Style Handbook 7
th
Edition rev. 12/8/2011 web

1
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY MLA STYLE?


Many journals accept articles for publication. Since these articles come from so many different
researchers and authors, it is important to have some rules and procedures so that the articles will
be similar in format and easy for the readers to follow.

These standard procedures (or rules for format) are different for different disciplines. For
example, while English instructors follow the procedures set forth by the Modern Language
Association (the MLA style), authors in other fields use other styles or standards.

Although you will probably not be submitting your paper to a journal, it is still important for you
to follow the standard rules so that your paper will be easy for others to read. These rules cover
such topics as format, grammar, typing rules, and page layout. It will be especially important for
you to follow the rules for proper documentation (giving credit to those authors whose work you
have referred to in your paper).

Your instructor has assigned you a research paper and has specified that you follow the MLA
style handbook. This packet will discuss some of the more important features of that manual and
will provide samples of many of the rules.

This packet is intended to be used as a brief guide to introduce you to the use of the MLA style
handbook as you write your research paper. You will probably need more information as you go
through the process. For more information, you should look at the MLA Handbook for
Writers of Research Papers (Seventh Edition).*

Many other books may help explain how to write a research paper. These books are available in
the Tutorial and Enrichment Center and in most libraries and bookstores. In addition, many
grammar books have sections on writing research papers.

HOWEVER, keep in mind that the MLA Handbook will always be the best place to look for
answers to your questions about format, rules, and procedures. Remember, also, that you will be
using the rules for the 7
th
edition.

To help you find your way through the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (Seventh
Edition), the next page of this packet gives you a list of the chapters and includes notes about
some of the sections which you might need to use.




* This manual will be called the MLA Handbook for the remainder of this packet.
Dr. Mack Gipson, Jr., Tutorial and Enrichment Center, Paine College, Augusta, GA Prepared by Carole D. Overton, Director page 2
Using the MLA Style Handbook 7
th
Edition rev. 12/8/2011 web

2
USING THE MLA HANDBOOK

Although you might occasionally have to look at other sections of the handbook, the following
pages will probably answer most of your questions:

CHAPTER

PAGES
1. Research and Writing
includes information about the steps of writing a
research paper

1-50
2. Plagiarism and Academic Integrity
includes information about the definition and consequences of
plagiarism and methods for avoiding plagiarism

51-61

3. The Mechanics of Writing
includes information includes information on the following topics:
Spelling
Punctuation
Italics (Underlining)
Names of Persons
Numbers
Titles
Quotations
Capitalization and Personal Names in Languages Other than
English

63-113

65-66
66-78
78-79
79-81
81-85
86-92
92-105
105-113
4. The Format of the Research Paper
includes information on rules for typing a research paper, such as
margins, line spacing, headings, page numbers, etc.

115-122

5. Documentation: Preparing the List of Works Cited
includes general information and examples of 68 different types of
sources for which you might have to write reference entries in the
Works Cited section at the end of your paper
Table of Contents for these examples
123-212



123-125
6. Documentation: Citing Sources in the Text
includes general information and specific examples of how to give
credit for ideas and quotations in the body of your paper

213-232

7. Abbreviations

233-256
Appendix A: Guides to Writing

257-263
Index 265-292

Dr. Mack Gipson, Jr., Tutorial and Enrichment Center, Paine College, Augusta, GA Prepared by Carole D. Overton, Director page 3
Using the MLA Style Handbook 7
th
Edition rev. 12/8/2011 web

3
TYPING RULES


GENERAL RULES:

1. Use standard paper (8 X 11). Do not use erasable or onionskin paper. Do not tape, glue,
or staple anything to any of the pages.

2. All pages should be double-spaced. Double-space between all lines of your paper,
including long quotations and the references on your Works Cited pages at the end of the
paper..

3. All margins (top, bottom, right, and left) should be 1" (top, bottom, left, and right).
Remember that your page numbering will be only " from the top margin.

4. Use left justification to leave the right margin uneven. That means you should not use full
justification (do not try to make every line the same length). Do not hyphenate at the end of
a line. Instead, let the computer use word wrap to move a word to the next line rather
than trying to split it between two lines.


FONTS:

1. Use a font that will give your paper a professional look. (Times Roman is a good choice.)

2. Use font size 12 only.


PAGE NUMBERING:

1. You will number your pages by creating a header that will appear on every page. The
header will contain your last name and the page number. Your header should appear in
the top right corner of every page, " from the top of the page, with the page number to the
right of your last name. Use only the number itself; do not use pageor p. (Create a
header to automatically number each page and place the header in the appropriate spot on
each page.)

2. Number every page, starting with the first page of the body of your paper.


INDENTING:

1. Indent the first line of every paragraph ".

2. There are a few exceptions, which will be covered in other sections of this packet.

Dr. Mack Gipson, Jr., Tutorial and Enrichment Center, Paine College, Augusta, GA Prepared by Carole D. Overton, Director page 4
Using the MLA Style Handbook 7
th
Edition rev. 12/8/2011 web
CREATING A WORKING BIBLIOGRAPHY

As you start to do your research, it is a very good idea to keep track of the sources that you are
using. If you write down all of the information you might need as soon as you see that you will
be using the book or article, you will save yourself a lot of difficulty later on. The MLA
Handbook (pp. 123-212) will tell you the specific format to use for each of your resources, but
you can use the following lists to get an idea of the information you should write down for each
source:

BOOK:

Authors full name: last name first (write down all names if there are more than one
author)
Full title (including any subtitle)
Editor or translator (if there is one) record the name and whether he/she is an editor
or translator
Edition (if the book is a second or later edition)
Number of the volume and the total number of volumes (if the book is part of a
multivolume set)
Series name (if the book is part of a series)
City of publication (write down only the first city if several are listed)
Publisher
Year of publication

ARTICLE IN A SCHOLARLY JOURNAL:

Authors name
Title of the article
Title of the journal
Volume number (and issue number, if needed)
Year of publication
Inclusive page numbers of the article (for example: 162 - 71)

NEWSPAPER OR MAGAZINE ARTICLE:

Authors name
Title of the article
Title of the periodical
Volume number (and issue number, if needed)
Date of publication
Inclusive page numbers of the article (for example: 162 - 71) or the actual page
numbers the article covers (for example: 13-15, 16, 22, 29). (Record all page
numbers at this stage, although in your Works Cited section you may be able to
use a shortcut.)

NOTE: For an Internet source, also write down the entire pathname and the date of access.

Dr. Mack Gipson, Jr., Tutorial and Enrichment Center, Paine College, Augusta, GA Prepared by Carole D. Overton, Director page 5
Using the MLA Style Handbook 7
th
Edition rev. 12/8/2011 web
REFERENCES/CITATIONS IN TEXT

It is extremely important that you give credit to authors when you use their ideas and/or their
words. There are 3 basic situations:


1. GIVING CREDIT FOR IDEAS

If you are giving credit to authors for an idea but have not used their actual words, you must
give the authors last names (and page number if necessary).


Suicide is a major cause of death among teenagers today (Husain and
Vandiver 97).


Husain and Vandiver note that teens are also aware of the general alienation
common today and fear an insecure and changing world (116).



2. SHORT QUOTATIONS

If you are using a short quote (up to 4 typed lines), you should incorporate it into your text
and use double quotation marks before and after it. You must give the author(s) and
page number. Put the period after this reference information, not after the words of the
quotation.


Another frequent factor in suicide is depression which, Glasser notes,
frequently occurs when we are rejected (48).


The first thing a teacher can do is to listen carefully to what the
adolescent wishes to tell him/her (Powers 562).

Dr. Mack Gipson, Jr., Tutorial and Enrichment Center, Paine College, Augusta, GA Prepared by Carole D. Overton, Director page 6
Using the MLA Style Handbook 7
th
Edition rev. 12/8/2011 web

6
REFERENCES/CITATIONS IN TEXT (contd.)


3. LONG QUOTATIONS

If the quote has more than 4 lines of type, you must double-space it in block form with
each line indented 1" (10 spaces on a typewriter) from the left margin. Do not use quotation
marks before and after it. You must give the author(s) and page number. Put the
period after the last word of the quote, not after the citation.



Another important step for an adolescent to take is to develop a plan
of action. This plan would benefit a teenager in many ways:
In many instances, the adolescent may, with the support of the
teacher, be willing to seek further help. This, in effect, gives the
student a degree of responsibility and control over a course of
action. For a despairing student, this active move indicates a
degree of control over the self and opens up avenues of thought
and action other than an inevitable, self-determined demise.
(Powers 562)
Becoming involved with others and developing a sense of internal
control seem to be important goals for adolescents with suicidal




See Chapter 6 of the MLA Handbook for more information about citing your sources in your
paper.

Dr. Mack Gipson, Jr., Tutorial and Enrichment Center, Paine College, Augusta, GA Prepared by Carole D. Overton, Director page 7
Using the MLA Style Handbook 7
th
Edition rev. 12/8/2011 web

7
FORMAT


Your paper will have three main parts: TITLE PAGE, BODY, and WORKS CITED. Some
explanations appear on this page; samples of each will be found on the following pages.

The title pagepresents the full title of your paper, along with your name, course number,
instructors name, and date the paper will be submitted.

The bodyof the paper should start with an introduction. You will present your thesis and
describe your method of research. Discuss the literature but do not give an extremely
detailed review at this point. (You will be doing that later on.) End the introduction with
a statement telling what you have done or use another method to make the transition to
the main body of the paper. In the body, you will discuss each of your major points and
give supporting evidence from the literature you have read. Be sure to use correct citation
procedures so that you give credit whenever needed.

The body of your paper will end with your conclusions. In addition to summarizing your
findings, you will be able to suggest avenues for future research, applications of your
work, implications for future study, etc. In other words, try to evaluate and interpret your
findings and help the reader see beyond your work. Remember: In a research paper you
are doing more than just reporting on what other people have said.

The works cited section of your paper will be one of the most important parts. This section is
where you will list your bibliography of the articles and books which you have used while
writing your paper. Your information must be accurate. Type your entries in the
proper format. See pp. 123-212 in the MLA Handbook for specific instructions and
examples that you can follow to type your references.

Read pp. 123-125 in the MLA Handbook for a list of examples and patterns to follow. Read
pp. 123-212 for more detailed information.





For sample paper showing formatting, layout, citations, and references, access the Purdue
University Online Writing Lab:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/16/

Dr. Mack Gipson, Jr., Tutorial and Enrichment Center, Paine College, Augusta, GA Prepared by Carole D. Overton, Director page 8
Using the MLA Style Handbook 7
th
Edition rev. 12/8/2011 web

8
Works Cited

Barthelme, Frederick. Architecture. Kansas Quarterly 13.3-4 (1981): 77-80. Print.
Brueggeman, Brenda Jo, and Debra A. Moddelmog. Coming-Out Pedagogy: Risking Identity in
Language and Literature Classrooms. Pedagogy 2.3 (2002): 311-35. Print.
Hourly News Summary. National Public Radio. Natl. Public Radio, 20 July 2007. Web. 20
July 2007.
Johnson, Roberta. Gender and Nation in the Spanish Modernist Novel. Nashville: Vanderbilt UP,
2003. Print.
Kurlansky, Mark. Salt: A World History. New York: Walker, 2002. Print.
Lessig, Lawrence. Free Debates: More Republicans Call on RNC. Lessig 2.0. N.p., 4 May
2007. Web. 15 May 2008.
Liu, Alan, ed. Home page. Voice of the Shuttle. Dept. of English, U of California, Santa Barbara,
n.d. Web. 15 May 2008.
Quade, Alex. Elite Team Rescues Troops behind Enemy Lines. CNN.com. Cable News
Network, 19 Mar. 2007. Web. 15 May 2008.
Rowling, J[oanne] K[athleen]. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. New York: Levine-
Scholastic, 2000. Print.
Williams, Linda. Of Kisses and Ellipses: The Long Adolescence of American Movies. Critical
Inquiry 32.2 (2006): 288-340. Print.
REMEMBER:
Do not number the entries Follow the guidelines in chapter 5
Alphabetize the entire list Pay attention to details in formats
Use hanging indents

*Compiled from sample entries on the MLA Handbook website (www.mlahandbook.org).
SAMPLE*
Dr. Mack Gipson, Jr., Tutorial and Enrichment Center, Paine College, Augusta, GA Prepared by Carole D. Overton, Director page 9
Using the MLA Style Handbook 7
th
Edition rev. 12/8/2011 web

9
MISCELLANEOUS SUGGESTIONS


1. Avoid gender-specific terms (like "he" and "she").

2. Make sure you have subject-verb agreement.

3. Be consistent in your use of verb tenses.

4. Use proper punctuation.

5. Be sure to back up your paper onto an extra flash drive in case your main drive develops a
problem. Make a hard copy after you finish each draft.

6. Make sure your final copy is legible.

7. Make sure your final copy is neat. Avoid smudges, erasures, crossed-out words, and
insertions.

8. Make sure each page is numbered and in order before you assemble and hand in your
paper. (Ask your instructor if you should just staple your paper together or if you must
use a report cover.)

9. Keep a copy of your final paper for your own protection and for your records.

10. Give proper credit to ideas as well as direct quotations. Your instructor will be able to
tell when you are not using your own ideas (or your own words) and will look for your in-
text citations to see where you found the information.

11. Be sure to integrate your sources into your paper and synthesize what they have said. Do
not merely report what each person wrote. Do not turn your paper into a book report on
each article. Remember: You must put your own thoughts into this paper and you must
find a way to incorporate what other people have written.